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Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Hogwarts Legacy. Spoilers will be present within the article. |
Professor Herodiana Byrne was a witch and a former teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was remembered historically as "the single greatest Depulso master of all time".[1]
Biography[]
Early life[]
Herodiana Byrne was born into a family of unknown wizarding descent at an unknown time period. In her early life, she was skilled in charms, specialising with the Banishing Charm.[1]
Later life[]
Having fully mastered the Banishing Charm by the time she was an adult, Byrne became well known for the heroic and selfless way in which she put it to good use. Some of these uses included the rescue of a group of orphans from a wild Graphorn by banishing it over Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, and for her defeat of a Dark wizard in the Alps, who was purported to have been sent flying all the way to Durmstrang Castle in the far north of Europe. However, Sophronia Franklin, a Ravenclaw student in the late 19th century, believed that the power of Byrne's Banishing Charm in the latter account was exaggerated.[1]
In her later years, Herodiana joined the faculty at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and, during a notably short-lived teaching career, built a secret Depulso training room known as the Hall of Herodiana at the base of the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower. It comprised of three separate sections behind three sets of gilded, magnificently wrought metal doors across the lengths of a massive hall, each one more difficult than the last and designed in such a way as to be only solvable through an effective use of the Banishing Charm. In there, she left golden chests which housed three different articles of majestic-looking clothing which together were said by Sophronia Franklin to have made up Professor Byrne's signature outfit. According to the historical accounts, Byrne's career was cut short after she suddenly disappeared, with some believing she banished herself.[1]
Legacy[]
Whilst not widely known by the late 19th century, historical accounts regarding the life and works of Herodiana Byrne could be found among those of other great witches, of which there were, according to Sophronia Franklin, quite a few. These included accounts of her use of the Banishing Charm, and the rumours of the secret room she had created, which had persisted all the way up to at least the 1890–1891 school year.[1]
Personality and traits[]
Herodiana Byrne was a highly accomplished and courageous witch, having readily put herself in harm's way and having performed several feats of bravery.[1]
Magical abilities and skills[]
- Charms: Though mainly remembered for her mastery of the Banishing Charm, Professor Byrne was shown to have been highly proficient with charms overall, as she had not only successfully created a vast space by magical means that was perpetually lit by golden light, but she had also bewitched the hidden entrance to the Hall of Herodiana to only open if struck by the Banishing Charm, and large blocks to hover mid-air and, if their position was altered by somebody using the Banishing or Summoning Charm, immediately move back to its original location when the Banishing Charm was cast upon a specific mechanism on the wall. She also charmed the doors to open themselves upon the completion of each challenge. The fact that the effects her spell-work continued to last long after her passing highlights the extent of her skill.[1]
- Magical architecture: Herodiana was proficient with architectural design and construction, having built the Hall of Herodiana.[1]
Etymology[]
"Byrne" is derived from the original Irish Gaelic name O'Broin dating back to the 11th century, which simply meant 'descendant of Bran'.[2]
Appearances[]
- Hogwarts Legacy (First mentioned)
