Bridget Wenlock

Bridget Wenlock (1202 – 1285) was a famous medieval witch renowned for her exceptional skills in the field of Arithmancy. Her most significant contribution to the wizarding world was being the first to establish and prove the powerful magical properties inherent in the number seven. Her legacy is preserved through her inclusion in the Famous Witches and Wizards Cards series, with her card being one of the first that Harry Potter collected upon entering the magical world.

Living in the 13th century, Bridget Wenlock dedicated her life to the study of Arithmancy, a complex branch of magic involving the magical properties of numbers. Her groundbreaking work culminated in the discovery that the number seven is imbued with potent magical power. This theorem became a fundamental principle in magical theory, influencing various aspects of the magical world for centuries to come. Her historical importance is significant enough that she is still commemorated on a Chocolate Frog Card over 700 years after her death. Harry Potter received her card on his first journey aboard the Hogwarts Express in 1991.

Bridget Wenlock's physical appearance is not described in the original novels. On her Chocolate Frog Card as depicted in the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets video games, she is shown as a woman with brown hair wearing a medieval-style green dress and a white wimple. (video game) Nothing is known about her personality, though her dedication to a highly intellectual branch of magic suggests she was likely studious, patient, and methodical.

• Arithmancy: Bridget Wenlock was a master Arithmancer. Arithmancy is a form of magical divination that involves assigning numerical values to letters and words to predict the future. Wenlock's work, however, focused more on the fundamental magical properties of numbers themselves. Her discovery regarding the number seven proves her profound understanding and expertise in this field.

No specific possessions of Bridget Wenlock are known.

No relationships with family, friends, or other contemporaries are recorded in canonical sources.

• Bridget: This name is of Irish origin, derived from Brighid, which means “exalted one” or “strength.” It is famously associated with the Celtic goddess of wisdom, poetry, and healing, as well as the Christian Saint Brigid of Kildare. The association with wisdom is highly appropriate for a pioneering magical theorist.
• Wenlock: This is an English surname, likely a toponymic name from Much Wenlock, a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is famous for Wenlock Priory, a monastery founded in the Middle Ages, which aligns perfectly with Bridget Wenlock's historical time period.

Bridget Wenlock's discovery of the magical properties of the number seven is a significant piece of world-building by J.K. Rowling that foreshadows and provides a historical basis for the number's recurrence throughout the *Harry Potter* series. The number seven appears in numerous highly significant contexts:

• There are seven books in the original series.
• Students attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for seven years.
• There are seven players on a Quidditch team.
• The Weasley family has seven children.
• Lord Voldemort created seven Horcruxes (including the part of his soul in Harry Potter).
• There are seven obstacles guarding the Philosopher's Stone.
• The Battle of the Seven Potters involved seven decoys for Harry Potter.
• The Ford Anglia that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley flew to Hogwarts had the license plate 7990. (J.K. Rowling interview)