Pygmalion

• Type: Password, Magical Access Key
• Owners: Not applicable. Used by members of Gryffindor House.
• Maker: Set by Sir Cadogan.

“Pygmalion” is not a physical object but a spoken word used as a password. As such, it has no physical form or appearance. The term is a proper noun derived from Greek mythology.

As the password to the Gryffindor Tower entrance, “Pygmalion” functions as a magical key. When the word is spoken to the guardian of the entrance—in this case, the portrait of Sir Cadogan—it confirms the speaker's authorization to enter. Upon hearing the correct password, the portrait is enchanted to swing open, revealing the portal into the Gryffindor Common Room. This magical security measure ensures that only members of Gryffindor House can gain access to their private quarters.

During the 1993-1994 Hogwarts school year, Sir Cadogan was appointed as the temporary guardian of Gryffindor Tower after the Fat Lady's portrait was viciously attacked by Sirius Black. True to his eccentric and overzealous personality, Sir Cadogan took to changing the required password with frustrating frequency, often multiple times a day. “Pygmalion” was one of the many passwords he instituted during this period. (video game)

The use of “Pygmalion” as a password does not appear in the original seven novels. Its inclusion is specific to the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In the game, it serves the same narrative function as the other passwords mentioned in the book: a piece of information the player must learn to gain access to the Gryffindor Common Room and advance the story. While the frequent changing of passwords is a significant plot point in the novel, leading to Neville Longbottom writing them down and inadvertently allowing Sirius Black to enter the tower, this specific word is not mentioned in the source text.

• Etymology: In Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a king and sculptor from Cyprus who carved a statue of a woman out of ivory and fell in love with his own creation. He prayed to the goddess Aphrodite, who took pity on him and brought the statue, named Galatea, to life. The choice of this name as a password is in keeping with Sir Cadogan's dramatic and classical persona as a chivalrous knight.