Orabella Nuttley

Orabella Nuttley was an 18th-century witch celebrated for her significant contribution to the field of Herbology. Her primary claim to fame is the discovery that ingesting Gillyweed enables a magical user to breathe underwater. While the magical plant itself is featured in the canonical novels, Nuttley's identity as its discoverer is established in supplementary materials, particularly the Famous Witches and Wizards Cards.

Information regarding Orabella Nuttley's life is scarce and derived entirely from her Chocolate Frog Card (video game). In 1794, Nuttley faced a predicament when her pet Kneazle swallowed her favourite goldfish and then fled into the Black Lake on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Determined to retrieve her pet, she ingested a piece of Gillyweed. The plant's magical properties took effect, allowing her to breathe underwater for an hour, during which she successfully rescued her Kneazle. This event is the first recorded instance of Gillyweed being used for this purpose, solidifying Nuttley's place in magical history.

There is no known description of Orabella Nuttley's physical appearance or personality traits in any official source.

• Herbology: Nuttley's discovery demonstrates a profound understanding of magical plants and their properties. She possessed the expertise to identify the latent abilities within Gillyweed and the courage to test its effects upon herself, showcasing her talent as a skilled Herbologist.
• Charms: Some sources state she used a “Charmed Gillyweed”, suggesting she may have had some proficiency in Charms to enhance or activate the plant's effects (video game).

Her wand type, Patronus form, and other magical abilities are unknown.

• Pet Kneazle: Nuttley owned a pet Kneazle whose actions directly led to her famous discovery.
• Goldfish: She also owned a goldfish that was a favourite pet of hers.

No details are known about Orabella Nuttley's family or her relationships with other witches and wizards. Her most documented relationship is with her pet Kneazle.

• Orabella: The name is likely of Latin origin. It can be seen as a combination of ora (“pray”) and bella (“beautiful”), meaning “prayerful beauty.” Alternatively, it could derive from aurum (“gold”), leading to “golden beauty,” which might be a subtle reference to the goldfish involved in her story.
• Nuttley: This is an English habitational surname, likely originating from a place name meaning “nut clearing” or “nut wood.” This botanical connection aligns well with her expertise in Herbology.

Orabella Nuttley is not mentioned by name in any of the seven original Harry Potter novels. Her existence and story were created for the Famous Witches and Wizards Cards included in the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets video games. While Nuttley herself is non-canonical to the book series, her discovery, Gillyweed, plays a pivotal role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Harry Potter uses it to breathe underwater during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, an event which took place in the same Black Lake where Nuttley made her discovery centuries earlier.