Pansy Parkinson

Pansy Parkinson was a witch and a student in Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the same years as Harry Potter. A prominent member of a gang of Slytherin students, she was a close associate of Draco Malfoy and a vocal antagonist towards Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and their friends. Pansy served as a Slytherin Prefect and was a member of the Inquisitorial Squad. Her defining moment came during the final battle at Hogwarts, where she advocated for handing Harry over to Lord Voldemort.

Pansy began her education at Hogwarts in 1991 and was Sorted into Slytherin House. Throughout her school years, she consistently aligned herself with Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

• First Year: During her first flying lesson, Pansy mocked Parvati Patil for defending Neville Longbottom. She was present when Draco Malfoy stole Neville Longbottom's Remembrall.
• Third Year: Following Draco Malfoy's injury by the Hippogriff Buckbeak, Pansy was excessively doting and concerned, frequently visiting him in the Hospital Wing and expressing outrage on his behalf. She showed considerable disdain for Rubeus Hagrid during his Care of Magical Creatures classes.
• Fourth Year: Pansy was a staunch supporter of Cedric Diggory during the Triwizard Tournament, primarily as a means to oppose Harry Potter. She wore a “Support CEDRIC DIGGORY” badge that could be magically altered to read “POTTER STINKS.” She provided malicious and false information about Harry, Hermione Granger, and Rubeus Hagrid to the journalist Rita Skeeter for an article in the Daily Prophet. Pansy attended the Yule Ball as Draco Malfoy's partner, wearing frilly pink dress robes.
• Fifth Year: Pansy was made a Slytherin Prefect alongside Draco Malfoy. When Dolores Umbridge was appointed Hogwarts High Inquisitor, Pansy eagerly joined the Inquisitorial Squad, a group of students empowered by Umbridge to enforce her tyrannical rules. She took great pleasure in attempting to dock points from Gryffindor and was part of the group that captured members of Dumbledore's Army in the Room of Requirement. It was Pansy who retrieved Professor Umbridge after Hermione Granger led her and Harry into the Forbidden Forest.
• Sixth Year: On the Hogwarts Express, Pansy was seen sitting with Draco Malfoy, resting her head on his lap as he discussed Lord Voldemort's secret mission for him with other Slytherins.
• Seventh Year: During the Battle of Hogwarts, as Lord Voldemort demanded Harry's surrender, Pansy was the first and only student to scream that Harry should be captured and handed over. Her outburst prompted the other houses to rise to Harry's defence, and Professor McGonagall subsequently ordered the evacuation of all Slytherins who did not wish to fight against the Death Eaters, starting with Pansy herself.

Pansy is described in the novels as having a “face like a pug” and being “hard-faced.” She is often portrayed as unpleasant, mean-spirited, and a bully who uses her association with Draco Malfoy to intimidate others. Her personality is marked by her sycophantic behaviour towards Malfoy and her spitefulness towards anyone she perceives as inferior or as an enemy of Slytherin. She demonstrates a lack of bravery and a penchant for self-preservation, most notably during the Battle of Hogwarts. Her actions show a consistent cruelty, particularly in her treatment of Hermione Granger regarding her appearance and her taunting of other students.

While no specific exceptional magical talents are noted, Pansy's appointment as a Prefect suggests she possessed a degree of magical competence and academic ability above the average student. Her membership in the Inquisitorial Squad also indicates a proficiency in basic magic sufficient to be recognized and utilized by Dolores Umbridge. She would have been taught the standard Hogwarts curriculum up to the N.E.W.T. level.

• Wand: Pansy owned a wand, though its core, wood, and length are unknown.

• Draco Malfoy: Pansy's most significant relationship was with Draco Malfoy. She was consistently in his company and appeared to have a romantic interest in him, though it is unclear if these feelings were ever reciprocated. Draco seemed to accept her fawning attention but did not appear to hold her in particularly high esteem.
• Slytherin Peers: She was the leader of a group of Slytherin girls that included Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis, and Daphne Greengrass.
• Enemies: Pansy held a strong animosity towards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and especially Hermione Granger. She frequently made cruel remarks about Hermione's appearance and Blood status. She also disliked Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil, and anyone associated with Gryffindor House.

• Pansy: The name of a flower. In the language of flowers, the pansy can symbolize thought or remembrance. However, “pansy” is also used as a derogatory slang term for an effeminate or weak man, which may reflect the unpleasant nature of her character.
• Parkinson: A common English surname, derived from “Parkin,” a medieval diminutive of the name Peter.

• In the film adaptations, Pansy's role is visually present but less vocal than in the books. She was portrayed by Katherine Nicholson in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by Genevieve Gaunt in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by Lauren Shotton in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and by Scarlett Byrne in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. (film)
• In the film adaptation of the Battle of Hogwarts, Pansy is shown being led out of the Great Hall by Professor Snape after advocating for Harry's capture, which differs from the book where Professor McGonagall orders her evacuation. (film)
• J.K. Rowling has stated that she always disliked Pansy Parkinson and that the character was an “anti-Hermione,” representing everything Hermione was not. (J.K. Rowling interview)
• According to J.K. Rowling, Pansy did not end up marrying Draco Malfoy, as Draco's parents saw her as an unsuitable daughter-in-law. Rowling imagined her marrying a fellow former Slytherin. (J.K. Rowling interview)