Lily Potter

Lily Potter (née Evans) is the wife of James Potter and the mother of Harry Potter. She is Muggleborn, and the sister of Petunia Dursley (née Evans). She was born on 30 January, 1960.

At Hogwarts, she was in Gryffindor.

She and James die on 31 October, 1981 at the hands of Voldemort when Harry is about a year old. She is remembered for her red hair, bright green eyes, and strong love for her son – enough to die to protect him.

In Canon[]

Character[]

Lily Potter's character is somewhat ambiguous for most of the book series, as she's dead by the time the story begins. Her character is fleshed out in backstory and through the words of people who fondly remember her.

Lily Potter comes across as a kind, intelligent woman, and not afraid to speak up against injustice. She is described as very funny and very brave. She was part of the first Order of the Phoenix.

In school, she was a member of Horace Slughorn's Slug Club (a group of talented and connected students that he reaped the benefits from), and she was a top student and Head Girl in her seventh year at Hogwarts. She was a talented witch with a knack for potions and charms.

Her Patronus is a doe, nicely matching James' stag.

Relationships[]

Lily Potter is remembered fondly by most everybody she is mentioned by, except for Petunia Dursley, who was jealous of her witch sister.

Lily was a brave woman – brave enough to defy Voldemort on several occasions and to lay down her life for her son.

Severus Snape held romantic feelings for her even past her death, and they were best friends in school despite being Sorted into different houses. She protected him from the teasing of the four Marauders, but the friendship broke off in their fifth year, when Snape insulted her heritage in a moment of humiliation and did not deny that he planned to join the Death Eaters.

At that time, Lily considered James Potter 'an arrogant toerag', but later she fell in love with him, and they married after graduating.

In Badfic[]

Lily Potter has a vague character, so it is easy for fangirls to turn her into a Mary Sue, but that's decently rare – more often she stands in the way of a bad slash story between James Potter and Sirius Black, or is paired with Snape, or even becomes a pointless naysayer.

She is rarely bashed, but more often rendered ineffectual.