Lily Potter was a Muggle-born witch, the wife of James Potter, and the mother of Harry Potter. A member of the original Order of the Phoenix, she was an exceptionally gifted witch known for her kindness, bravery, and talent in Charms and Potions. Lily's most significant act was her willing self-sacrifice to protect her infant son from Lord Voldemort. This created a powerful and ancient magical protection over Harry Potter that became a cornerstone of Voldemort's eventual defeat, making her a pivotal, albeit posthumous, character in the series.
Lily was born on 30 January 1960 to Mr. and Mrs. Evans, a Muggle couple, and grew up in the town of Cokeworth. She had an older sister, Petunia. As a child, Lily discovered she possessed magical abilities, a fact that fascinated her neighbour, Severus Snape, who recognized her as a witch like himself. Snape befriended Lily and introduced her to the concept of the Wizarding World, explaining Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and other magical phenomena. Their friendship caused a deep rift between Lily and Petunia, who was jealous of Lily's powers.
At age eleven, Lily received her Hogwarts letter and was sorted into Gryffindor house. She excelled academically, demonstrating remarkable talent, particularly in Potions, which made her a favourite of Professor Horace Slughorn. During her time at Hogwarts, she developed a mutual animosity with James Potter, a popular but arrogant fellow Gryffindor, whom she saw as a bully. Meanwhile, her friendship with Snape, who was sorted into Slytherin, became strained due to his growing interest in the Dark Arts and his association with future Death Eaters. Their friendship ended permanently in their fifth year when Snape, humiliated by James Potter, called Lily a “Mudblood,” an unforgivable slur. By her seventh year, James Potter had matured considerably, and Lily began to date him. She was made Head Girl in her final year.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Lily married James Potter. They joined the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Alongside her husband, she defied Voldemort on three separate occasions. When a prophecy marked her infant son, Harry, as the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord, the Potters went into hiding in the village of Godric's Hollow under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. They chose their friend, Peter Pettigrew, to be their Secret-Keeper. On 31 October 1981, Pettigrew betrayed their location to Lord Voldemort. Voldemort arrived at their home, killing James Potter first. He then offered Lily a chance to stand aside, a concession made at the request of Severus Snape. Lily refused, placing herself between Voldemort and her son, and was struck down by the Killing Curse. Her conscious, willing sacrifice invoked an ancient form of protective magic that bonded to Harry. When Voldemort turned the Killing Curse on the baby, Lily's love-based protection caused the curse to rebound, destroying Voldemort's body and leaving Harry Potter with only a lightning-bolt scar.
Though deceased, Lily's presence was felt throughout Harry's life. An echo of her appeared from Voldemort's wand during Priori Incantatem in the Little Hangleton graveyard, helping Harry escape. Harry later witnessed many of her memories in Snape's Pensieve, seeing her as a child, a student, and a young woman. Finally, her spirit-like form appeared to Harry through the Resurrection Stone, offering him comfort and courage as he walked to his own apparent death in the Forbidden Forest.
Lily was described as a strikingly beautiful woman with thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and remarkably bright, almond-shaped green eyes. It is repeatedly noted that Harry Potter inherited his mother's eyes, a feature that serves as a constant reminder of her to characters like Severus Snape and Horace Slughorn. She was known for her kindness, bravery, and moral strength. Remus Lupin described her as having a way of seeing the good in others, even when they couldn't see it themselves. While generally good-natured, she was not afraid to stand up for what was right and could be sharp-tongued, especially towards James Potter in their youth. Professor Slughorn praised her as vivacious, charming, and brave, while also noting her cheekiness. Her defining trait was her immense capacity for love, which was ultimately the source of the powerful magic that saved her son.
Lily was a very talented and powerful witch.