Dilys Derwent

Dilys Derwent was a celebrated Healer at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and a former Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After her death, her consciousness was preserved in a magical portrait that hangs in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts, with a duplicate at St Mungo's. She plays a key role as a messenger and observer for Albus Dumbledore during the Second Wizarding War, using her ability to travel between her two portraits.

Dilys Derwent worked as a Healer at St Mungo's from 1722 to 1741. Following this distinguished career, she became the Headmistress of Hogwarts, a position she held from 1741 to 1768 (Pottermore). After her death, her legacy was preserved in at least two magical portraits, which allowed her to continue serving both institutions. During the 1995-1996 school year, Albus Dumbledore dispatched her from her portrait in his office to her other frame at St Mungo's to observe the condition of Arthur Weasley after he was attacked by Nagini. She reported back to Dumbledore that Mr Weasley had survived and was being cared for, commenting that he was a “charming man.” Later that year, her portrait reported on the death of Broderick Bode, who had been strangled by a pot of Devil's Snare, and also provided updates on other patients in the long-term ward, such as Gilderoy Lockhart and the Longbottoms. She was known to converse and gossip with the other portraits, particularly Phineas Nigellus Black. Following Albus Dumbledore's death in 1997, her portrait was seen weeping along with the other former Heads of Hogwarts. When Severus Snape became Headmaster, he had command over the portraits in the office, and it is presumed that Dilys, like Phineas Nigellus Black, was used to gather information for him during the Second Wizarding War.

In her portrait, Dilys Derwent is depicted with long, silver ringlets. Her personality is professional and dutiful, as shown when she efficiently carries out Dumbledore's orders. She is also compassionate, showing concern for Arthur Weasley's well-being and describing him fondly. At the same time, she has a penchant for gossip, often visiting Phineas Nigellus Black's portrait to exchange news from St Mungo's.

• Healing Magic: As a Healer at St Mungo's for nineteen years, Dilys was undoubtedly highly skilled in healing magic and the treatment of magical ailments and injuries.
• Leadership: Her twenty-seven-year tenure as Headmistress of Hogwarts demonstrates considerable administrative and leadership capabilities, as well as a deep understanding of magic and magical education.
• Portrait Abilities: As a magical portrait, she can move between her various frames, observe her surroundings, and communicate with living people, making her an effective spy and messenger.

• Magical Portrait (Hogwarts): One of her primary portraits hangs in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts, among the other former Heads of the school.
• Magical Portrait (St Mungo's): A duplicate of her portrait hangs in the public admissions area of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, allowing her to travel between the two locations.

• Albus Dumbledore: She was a loyal servant to Albus Dumbledore, following his instructions without question and acting as a trusted source of information.
• Phineas Nigellus Black: She was a contemporary and colleague of Phineas Nigellus Black in the gallery of former Heads in the Headmaster's Office. The two portraits often conversed and shared news.
• Arthur Weasley: She observed Arthur Weasley during his recovery at St Mungo's and developed a favourable opinion of him, describing him to Dumbledore as a “charming man.”

• Dilys: A traditional Welsh feminine name meaning “genuine,” “sincere,” or “perfect.” This reflects her reliable and forthright nature as a messenger in her portrait form.
• Derwent: An English surname of Brythonic (Celtic) origin, derived from a river name meaning “valley thick with oaks.” It is a common and respectable-sounding British surname.

• The specific dates of her tenure as a Healer (1722-1741) and Headmistress (1741-1768) are not mentioned in the novels and come from supplementary material released on Pottermore (now Wizarding World).
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dilys Derwent was portrayed by actress Caroline Pickles (film).