Lily Potter (née Evans)

Lily Potter (née Evans) (30 January, 1960 – 31 October, 1981) 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 talented witch known for her kindness, bravery, and remarkable skill in Potions. Lily's most significant act was her willing self-sacrifice to protect her infant son from Lord Voldemort, which created a powerful and enduring magical protection over Harry Potter. This act of love is the foundational magic of the entire series, allowing Harry to survive the Killing Curse and ultimately providing him with the means to defeat Voldemort.

Lily Evans was the youngest daughter of Mr. Evans and Mrs. Evans, a Muggle couple, and the younger sister of Petunia Dursley. She grew up in the town of Cokeworth. Lily's magical abilities manifested at a young age, a source of wonder for her and her childhood friend, Severus Snape, but a source of fear and jealousy for her sister, Petunia. It was Snape who first explained to Lily that she was a witch and told her about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their friendship was strong, though Petunia's animosity towards the magical world created a lasting rift between the sisters.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Lily was sorted into Gryffindor house, while Severus Snape was sorted into Slytherin. She quickly proved to be a gifted student, particularly in Potions and Charms, becoming a great favourite of Professor Horace Slughorn and a member of his prestigious Slug Club. Throughout her school years, her friendship with Snape became strained due to his growing fascination with the Dark Arts and his association with students who would later become Death Eaters. Lily disapproved of his behaviour and the prejudice he and his friends held. The friendship ended irrevocably in their fifth year when Snape, humiliated by James Potter and Sirius Black, called her a Mudblood in a fit of rage. Despite her initial dislike for James's arrogance, she began dating him in their seventh year after he had matured considerably. In their final year, both Lily and James were made Head Girl and Head Boy.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Lily married James Potter and joined the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. The couple defied Voldemort on three separate occasions. After the birth of their son, Harry Potter, they were forced into hiding upon learning of a Prophecy that identified their son as the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. On Albus Dumbledore's advice, they used the Fidelius Charm to protect their home in Godric's Hollow, choosing Peter Pettigrew as their Secret-Keeper. However, Pettigrew betrayed them to Voldemort. On Hallowe'en night in 1981, Voldemort arrived at their home. He murdered James first. When he confronted Lily and the infant Harry, he offered her a chance to stand aside, a concession he made at the request of Severus Snape. Lily refused to move, shielding her son with her body and pleading for his life. By making a conscious, loving choice to die for Harry when she could have lived, her sacrifice invoked a powerful, ancient magic that protected Harry. When Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at the baby, it rebounded upon him, destroying his physical body and leaving Harry with only a lightning-bolt scar. Lily appeared twice more after her death: first as a shadowy echo from Voldemort's wand during Priori Incantatem in the Little Hangleton graveyard, and again as a spirit summoned by the Resurrection Stone in the Forbidden Forest, where she gave Harry the courage to face his own death.

Lily was described as a strikingly beautiful woman with thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders. Her most defining feature was her brilliant, almond-shaped green eyes, which her son Harry Potter inherited. She was known for her immense bravery, kindness, and moral integrity. She was not afraid to stand up to bullies, as seen in her confrontations with James Potter in their youth. Professor Slughorn described her as “vivacious,” “charming,” and “very brave.” While she was deeply compassionate, she also had firm boundaries, demonstrated when she ended her friendship with Snape over his use of a derogatory slur and his involvement in the Dark Arts. Her capacity for deep, selfless love was her ultimate strength and legacy.

• Sacrificial Protection: Lily's greatest magical act was not a spell but an act of pure, intentional love. Her sacrifice created a lingering magical protection on Harry that repelled Voldemort's Killing Curse and shielded Harry from Voldemort's touch for many years.
• Potions: Lily was an exceptionally gifted potioneer. Horace Slughorn praised her intuitive and masterful understanding of the subject, noting that she had a “knack” for it that few possessed.
• Charms: According to Ollivander and Slughorn, Lily was also highly proficient in Charms. Her wand was noted as being particularly well-suited for this branch of magic.
• Patronus Charm: Lily's Patronus was a doe. This form complemented the stag Patronus of her husband, James Potter. After her death, Severus Snape's Patronus also took the form of a doe as a testament to his eternal love for her.
• General Magical Prowess: As a member of the Order of the Phoenix who had defied Voldemort three times, it is clear that Lily was a highly capable and powerful witch in her own right.

• Wand: 10¼ inches, willow, swishy. Described by Ollivander as a good wand for Charms work.
• Letter to Sirius Black: Harry discovered a fragment of a letter Lily wrote to Sirius Black at 12 Grimmauld Place. It lovingly detailed Harry's first birthday, a toy broomstick Sirius had gifted him, and a visit from Bathilda Bagshot.
• Photograph: A moving photograph of Lily and James with baby Harry was one of Harry's most treasured possessions, a gift from Rubeus Hagrid.

• Harry Potter: As her son, Harry was the focus of her ultimate love and protection. He inherited her eyes, a constant reminder of the mother he never knew but whose love defined his life.
• James Potter: Her husband and fellow Gryffindor. Though she initially disliked his arrogance, she fell in love with him after he matured. Their partnership was one of deep love and mutual respect.
• Severus Snape: Her childhood friend, whose unrequited and obsessive love for her shaped his entire life. Their friendship fractured due to his choices, but his love for her motivated him to protect Harry as a double agent for Dumbledore.
• Petunia Dursley: Her older sister. Petunia's jealousy of Lily's magic created a lifelong rift between them. However, by taking Harry in, Petunia sealed the blood protection tied to Lily's sacrifice, keeping Harry safe from Voldemort.
• Sirius Black and Remus Lupin: Close friends from her Hogwarts days and the Order of the Phoenix. Sirius was chosen as Harry's godfather.
• Peter Pettigrew: A former friend who betrayed her, James, and Harry to Lord Voldemort.

• Lily: The lily flower is a powerful symbol across many cultures, often representing purity, motherhood, and innocence. In the context of funerals, white lilies symbolize the restored innocence of the departed soul, a fitting tribute to her pure-hearted sacrifice.
• Evans: A very common Welsh patronymic surname meaning “son of Evan.” The name Evan is the Welsh form of John, from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning “God is gracious.” This can be seen as an allusion to the “gracious” gift of magical protection she bestowed upon Harry.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that the power of a mother's sacrificial love is “the most important theme in the series,” making Lily's character and actions central to the entire narrative. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• The Evans family's home town was revealed to be Cokeworth, the same town where Snape and Petunia lived. (Pottermore)
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Lily is portrayed by Geraldine Somerville. Young Lily is portrayed by Ellie Darcey-Alden. (film)
• A scene in the film adaptation of Snape's memories shows a young Lily finding a dead bird and magically making a flower bloom in her hand, demonstrating her innate magical control and compassionate nature from a young age. (film)
• A significant point of discussion among fans is the film casting of young Lily, as the actress had brown eyes, despite the constant emphasis in the books on Harry having his mother's “brilliantly green eyes.” (film)