Madam Rosmerta

Madam Rosmerta is the proprietor and landlady of The Three Broomsticks, a popular inn and pub in the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade. A fixture in the community for decades, she is generally known for her witty and amiable nature. Her significance in the series peaks during the Second Wizarding War, when she is forcibly placed under the Imperius Curse by Draco Malfoy and becomes an unwilling instrument in the Death Eaters' plots against Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Madam Rosmerta was the landlady of The Three Broomsticks for many years prior to Harry Potter's attendance at Hogwarts. She remembered James Potter and Sirius Black from their school days, remarking that they often visited her pub. During the 1993-1994 school year, Rosmerta hosted a meeting between Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Rubeus Hagrid. Unseen beneath his Invisibility Cloak, Harry Potter overheard their conversation, during which Rosmerta prompted Fudge to reveal the story of how Sirius Black supposedly betrayed James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort. In Harry's sixth year, Rosmerta fell victim to Draco Malfoy, who placed her under the Imperius Curse. Communicating with her via a cursed galleon, Malfoy forced her to carry out his plans to attack Dumbledore. First, she was made to give a cursed opal necklace to Hogwarts student Katie Bell, with instructions to deliver it to Dumbledore. The plan went awry when Katie accidentally touched the necklace herself, receiving a near-fatal curse. Later, on Malfoy's orders, Rosmerta gave Professor Slughorn a bottle of poisoned mead, intending for him to gift it to Dumbledore. This plot also failed when Ron Weasley drank the mead instead and was only saved by a bezoar from Harry. On the night of Dumbledore's death, Rosmerta was forced to alert Malfoy and the Death Eaters that Dumbledore had left Hogwarts, and she later helped them enter the castle by sending a message that summoned Dumbledore back to the Astronomy Tower. After returning from the cave, a weakened Dumbledore and Harry confronted Rosmerta, who, in tears, confessed that she had been under Malfoy's control. By the time Voldemort had taken over the Ministry of Magic, Rosmerta was part of the Hogsmeade resistance. Aberforth Dumbledore noted that she was one of the individuals who passed information to the Order of the Phoenix.

Madam Rosmerta is described in the novels as a “curvy and pretty woman.” She possesses a sharp wit and a generally friendly, professional demeanor, maintaining good relationships with her patrons, who include Hogwarts staff and Ministry of Magic officials. After being freed from the Imperius Curse, she showed great distress and remorse for the actions she was forced to commit, highlighting her fundamentally good character.

As a fully qualified witch and the successful manager of a bustling pub, Rosmerta is presumed to be a competent magic-user. While no specific spells are attributed to her, her ability to run her establishment would require proficiency in various domestic charms. Her involvement with the Hogsmeade resistance during the Second Wizarding War also demonstrates considerable courage and trustworthiness.

• The Three Broomsticks: Her primary known possession is her pub, a cornerstone of social life in Hogsmeade village.

• Albus Dumbledore: Rosmerta was on friendly terms with Dumbledore and was deeply shaken by her forced role in the events leading to his death.
• Hogwarts Staff: She maintained a familiar rapport with many teachers, including Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick, who were regular patrons.
• Draco Malfoy: He was her tormentor, having placed her under the Imperius Curse to use her as a pawn in his mission for Lord Voldemort.
• Ron Weasley: She expressed horror and concern upon learning that he was the one who was nearly killed by the poisoned mead she was forced to pass along.
• Hogsmeade Community: As a prominent local figure, she was well-integrated into the village and later worked with Aberforth Dumbledore in the resistance movement.

The name Rosmerta is taken from a Gallo-Roman goddess of fertility and abundance. This ancient deity was often depicted holding a cornucopia or a patera (a shallow libation bowl), symbols of plenty. This association fits perfectly with Madam Rosmerta's role as an innkeeper who provides food and drink to the community.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Madam Rosmerta is portrayed by actress Julie Christie. Her role is reduced; the conversation Harry overhears about Sirius Black is solely between her and Cornelius Fudge (film).
• Rosmerta's entire, crucial subplot from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince—being placed under the Imperius Curse by Malfoy and her involvement with the cursed necklace and poisoned mead—is completely omitted from the film adaptation. The attacks are shown to be carried out more directly by Malfoy (film).