- "The things we lose always have a way of coming back to us in the end."
- — Pandora Lovegood[src]
Pandora[4][5] Lovegood (d. between 13 February 1990 and 12 February 1991) was a witch who was married to Xenophilius Lovegood, the editor of The Quibbler, and with him had one child, Luna Lovegood.
Pandora died in either 1990 or 1991 when her own spell backfired when Luna was nine.[5] Harry saw a photo of Luna and Pandora while visiting the Lovegoods' house in which Luna looked more well-groomed than he had ever seen her, which suggested that Pandora was not as absent minded as Xenophilius, or that Luna's mother was more demanding about her personal appearance, as opposed to Luna's father, who was generally known as a scruffy, unkempt man.
Biography
Xenophilius Lovegood, her husband
According to her daughter, Pandora was an extraordinary witch who liked to experiment with spells. One day in 1990 or 1991, one of these experiments went wrong, killing her in a "horrible"[6] manner in front of Luna, who was subsequently able to see Thestrals because of it. Luna told Harry Potter that she continued to feel sad about her mother's death from time to time and believed that she would see her again after death.[7]
Luna apparently had a large photograph beside her bed at home depicting her and her mother hugging. She was described as looking very much like her daughter.[8] Many years later, Pandora Lovegood would posthumously become the maternal grandmother to Lorcan and Lysander, the sons of Luna and Rolf Scamander.[9]
Etymology
Pandora is of the Ancient Greek and derived from πᾶν (= pān) => i.e. "all" and δῶρον (= dōron) => "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "the all-gifted" or "the all-giving". Pandora is said to be the first woman created by the gods in Greek mythology. She was given a box by them, and was told never to open it. Pandora, known for her intense curiosity, opened the box releasing things such as misery, sadness, etc. into the world, hence the phrase "do not open Pandora's box". This could relate to her experimenting with spells, thus her curiosity, and her death, the consequence.
Lovegood is a real surname and a compound word (Love and Good). This could be translated to "loving the good" or "chivalry".
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First mentioned)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Appears in photographs)
- Pottermore (First identified as Pandora Lovegood)
- Harry Potter: The Character Vault (mentioned only)
- LEGO Dimensions (Mentioned only)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 21 (The Tale of the Three Brothers) states that Pandora looks "very much like" her daughter, meaning they look alike.
- ↑ In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna says she was nine when her mother died. J.K. Rowling later confirmed that Luna's birthday was February 13th, meaning Pandora died between Luna's 9th and 10th birthday.
- ↑ In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 4 (Horace Slughorn), Horace Slughorn states that family members are often sorted into the same House. This may indicate that Pandora was in Ravenclaw. But there are exceptions.
- ↑ All about...Luna Lovegood at Pottermore
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Illness and Disability" at Pottermore
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 38 (The Second War Begins) - "Yes," said Luna simply, "my mother. She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. […] "Yes, it was rather horrible," said Luna conversationally.»
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 21 (The Tale of the Three Brothers)
- ↑ Pottermore - DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY REUNITES AT QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP FINAL (Archived)