Lily Potter (née Evans)

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.

• Potions: She had an exceptional aptitude for Potions. Professor Slughorn considered her one of the brightest students he ever taught, noting her intuitive and elegant potion-making, and invited her to be a member of his prestigious Slug Club.
• Charms: She was described as highly skilled in Charms. Her final, most powerful act was not a standard spell but an ancient and profound piece of sacrificial magic, a testament to her deep understanding of love as a magical force.
• Duelling: As a member of the Order of the Phoenix who had defied Lord Voldemort three times, Lily was undoubtedly a capable duellist.
• Patronus Charm: Her Patronus took the form of a doe, a gentle but protective creature. This form was later adopted by Severus Snape as a symbol of his undying love for her.

• Wand: Lily's wand was 10¼ inches long, made of willow, and described as “swishy,” making it particularly good for Charms work (Pottermore).
• Letter to Sirius Black: Harry discovered a portion of a letter Lily wrote to Sirius Black, thanking him for a birthday present for Harry (a toy broomstick) and mentioning their cat and that Albus Dumbledore still had James's Invisibility Cloak.
• Photograph: A moving photograph of Lily and James on their wedding day was kept by Harry, a gift from Rubeus Hagrid.

• James Potter: Her husband and the love of her life. Though she initially disliked his arrogance at Hogwarts, she fell in love with him after he matured. Their relationship was one of deep affection and partnership.
• Harry Potter: Her only son. Lily's love for Harry was absolute, culminating in her ultimate sacrifice to ensure his survival. Her memory served as a source of strength and a moral compass for him throughout his life.
• Severus Snape: Her childhood friend. Snape harboured a deep, unrequited love for Lily that lasted his entire life. His use of the slur “Mudblood” destroyed their friendship, a decision he eternally regretted. Her death was the catalyst for his decision to turn spy for Albus Dumbledore against Voldemort.
• Petunia Dursley: Her older sister. Their relationship was destroyed by Petunia's jealousy over Lily's magical abilities. Despite their estrangement, Petunia took Harry in after Lily's death, an act that sealed the blood protection Dumbledore had put in place.
• Sirius Black and Remus Lupin: Close friends from her Hogwarts days and fellow members of the Order of the Phoenix. She was particularly warm towards Lupin, accepting him despite his lycanthropy.
• Horace Slughorn: Her former Potions Master, who held her in extremely high regard for her talent and personality.

• Lily: The lily flower symbolizes purity, beauty, and innocence, all qualities associated with Lily Potter's character. In Christianity, it is associated with the Virgin Mary. The white lily, in particular, is also a flower of mourning and is often associated with funerals, reflecting her early death.
• Evans: A common Welsh patronymic surname meaning “son of Evan.” The name Evan is the Welsh form of John, which derives from the Hebrew for “God is gracious.” This simple, common Muggle name contrasts with the more fantastical names of the Wizarding World and highlights her Muggle-born heritage.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that the overarching theme of the series is death, and that Lily's sacrificial love is “the crux of the books” and the most powerful form of magic (J.K. Rowling interview).
• In the film adaptations, the adult Lily Potter was portrayed by Geraldine Somerville. Her younger self was played by Susie Shinner in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and by Ellie Darcey-Alden in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. A notable deviation in the films is that the actresses who played Lily had brown eyes, not the bright green eyes described in the books, which are a significant plot point due to Harry having “his mother's eyes.”
• J.K. Rowling revealed that if Lily had survived the war, she might have pursued a career creating advanced potions or charms from her own home (J.K. Rowling interview).