Phyllida Spore

Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article.

Dame^[3] Phyllida Spore was a witch who lived during the 15th century.^[4]^[5] A celebrated Herbologist, she was the author of the textbook One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi^[5] and also served as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.^[2]

Biography

Phyllida Spore lived in the 15th century.^[4] She studied Herbology, writing One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, a textbook that was still used at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the 1990s.^[5]^[6]

Spore became the Headmistress of Hogwarts during her lifetime.^[2] At some point, she also earned the title "Dame,"^[3] the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in Great Britain.^[7]

Professor Spore died sometime in or before 1995.^[1] Two portraits of her hung at Hogwarts: one painted in 1408 depicted a middle aged woman,^[4] and another, hung in the Headmaster's office,^[2] depicted her as a younger witch with long dark hair sitting in a chair with skull-shaped finials.^[3]

Magical abilities and skills

Charms: As Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor Spore was an accomplished witch with sufficient skills in Defensive Charms and protective enchantments to control and maintain those surrounding Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Herbology: Phylida was a very skilled and knowledgeable Herbologist, having thorough knowledge of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and having written several books about the subject.
Healing magic: One of her books (Healing at Home with Herbs) specialised on the healing properties of such herbs, showing she also had good knowledge of healing magic.

Behind the scenes

Phyllida's portrait at the Headmaster's office appears only in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets a large painting of Antonia Creaseworthy occupies that space, and in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black is hung there.
The portrait of Spore that is featured in Goblet of Fire was based on an 1858 portrait of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861), by Michele Gordigiani.

Etymology

Her first name is from Greek for "leaf" or "plant." A spore is a body produced by fungi, algae and non-flowering plants that is very protective and resistant to drought.

Appearances

The Harry Potter Wiki has 5 images related to Phyllida Spore.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Mentioned only)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (Appears in portrait(s))
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Appears in portrait(s))
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)
The Art of Harry Potter Mini Book of Graphic Design

Notes and references

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 J. K. Rowling stated at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 15 August 2004 (source) that all portraits at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are of deceased individuals. Thus, Spore must have died sometime in or before 1995, given her portrait's appearance in the Headmaster's office in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film), Chapter 21 (The Pensieve) (see this image)
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 The Making of Harry Potter (see this image)
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (see this image)
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley)
↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 25 (The Seer Overheard)
↑ "Dame (title)" on Wikipedia

Hogwarts Faculty
Founders	Godric Gryffindor \| Helga Hufflepuff \| Rowena Ravenclaw \| Salazar Slytherin
Headteachers	Eupraxia Mole \| Vulpus \| Phyllida Spore \| Dexter Fortescue \| Eoessa Sakndenberg \| Ambrose Swott \| Everard \| Vindictus Veridian \| Dilys Derwent \| Quintin Trimble \| Limebert \| Phineas Nigellus Black \| Walter Aragon \| Basil Fronsac \| Armando Dippet \| Albus Dumbledore \| Dolores Umbridge \| Severus Snape \| Minerva McGonagall \| Brian Gagwilde \| Elizabeth Burke
Deputy Heads	Minerva McGonagall \| Amycus Carrow \| Alecto Carrow
Heads of House	Filius Flitwick \| Minerva McGonagall \| Horace Slughorn \| Severus Snape \| Pomona Sprout
Teaching Staff	Bartholomew \| Bathsheda Babbling \| Herbert Beery \| Cuthbert Binns \| Charity Burbage \| Alecto Carrow \| Amycus Carrow \| Albus Dumbledore \| Firenze \| Filius Flitwick \| Fortinbras \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Rolanda Hooch \| Arsenius Jigger \| Silvanus Kettleburn \| Gilderoy Lockhart \| Neville Longbottom \| Remus Lupin \| Minerva McGonagall \| Galatea Merrythought \| Quirinus Quirrell \| Patricia Rakepick \| Aurora Sinistra \| Horace Slughorn \| Severus Snape \| Pomona Sprout \| Swoopstikes \| Sybill Trelawney \| Septima Vector \| Unidentified witch \| Unnamed Potions Professor (16th century) \| Unnamed Potions Professor (2021)
Support Staff	Boil-ridden house-elf \| Rancorous Carpe \| Dobby \| Argus Filch \| Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Rolanda Hooch \| Hankerton Humble \| Kreacher \| Ogg \| Irma Pince \| Pitts \| Poppy Pomfrey \| Apollyon Pringle \| Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus \| Winky

Herbology

Herbologists
Miranda Goshawk · Quiac Marinus · Beaumont Marjoribanks · Nepali wizard · Gethsemane Prickle · Selina Sapworthy · Phyllida Spore · Tilden Toots · Hadrian Whittle · Sir Winogrand
Herbology at Hogwarts
Herbology Award · Herbology Lesson Cup · Herbology Race Cup · Herbology Store
Greenhouses	One · Two · Three · Four · Five · Six · Seven · Professor's Office
Professors	Herbert Beery · Pomona Sprout · Neville Longbottom
Textbooks	Encyclopedia of Toadstools · Flesh-Eating Trees of the World · Goshawk's Guide to Herbology · Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean · One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi · Winogrand's Wondrous Water Plants
Plants studied at Hogwarts
Aconite · Asphodel · Belladonna · Bouncing Bulb · Bubotuber · Bubotuber pus · Chinese Chomping Cabbage · Devil's Snare · Dittany · Fanged Geranium · Fire Seed Bush · Flitterbloom · Flutterby bush · Fluxweed · Gillyweed · Ginger · Knotgrass · Leaping Toadstool · Mandrake · Mimbulus Mimbletonia · Moly · Nettle · Puffapod · Screechsnap · Self-fertilising shrub · Shrivelfig · Snargaluff · Spiky Bush · Spiky Prickly Plant · Stinksap · Umbrella Flower · Valerian · Vampiric vegetation · Venomous Tentacula · Walking plant · Wormwood · Wiggentree · Wild rice

[DOD-0] 1.0 ^1.1 J. K. Rowling stated at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 15 August 2004 (source) that all portraits at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are of deceased individuals. Thus, Spore must have died sometime in or before 1995, given her portrait's appearance in the Headmaster's office in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

[GFf21-1] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film), Chapter 21 (The Pensieve) (see this image)

[dameportrait-2] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 The Making of Harry Potter (see this image)

[1408portrait-3] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (see this image)

[ps5-4] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley)

[hbp25-5] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 25 (The Seer Overheard)

[damewiki-6] "Dame (title)" on Wikipedia

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