Lily's friends: the candidates

[Joanne Summerill]

No: HPFGUIDX 80389

It's been noted that while we've met James' friends, we've never met Lily's.  It was surmised that she was popular and this seems confirmed by the group of girls she was part of in OOP.  So who could they be?

Arabella Figg - before OOP, she was the favourite. However as she's a squib and seems to really be an old woman, she's now ruled out.

Celestina Warbeck - mentioned in canon several times.  However, according to the HP lexicon, based on the HP cards you can collect, she was born in 1917.  So if this is correct, then she's too old.

Doris Crockford - shakes Harry's hand twice in The Leaky Cauldron in PS/SS.  There is no specific description given of her in the text.  However in the film she's an old woman  (does anyone know if it really is an uncredited cameo appearance by the glamourous Joanna Lumley?)  From the books there is nothing to say she isn't a contemporary of Lily, but from the film, if she is then she must have been OD'ing on the ageing potion.  Surely JKR would have told the director if she was supposed to be Lily's age.  Therefore, theoretically possible, but not likely IMHO.

Narcissa Malfoy née Black - no evidence either way but very unlikely that a Death Eater (or at least Voldemort sympathiser), probably in Slytherin, would be friends with a mudblood.

Bellatrix Lestrange née Black.  Ditto.  Also we know she was part of a Slytherin gang.

Andromeda Tonks - we've never met her.  However as she married a muggle born she can't be prejudiced.  Presumably a similar age to her sisters.   Possible, but no evidence as yet.  But surely Tonks would have mentioned a friendship between their mothers to Harry.

So now we come to my preferred candidate for the role of Lily's friend - drumroll - Gladys Gudgeon.

Gladys is mentioned twice in canon.  In COS she is a fan who writes to Gilderoy Lockheart.  This is a seemingly throwaway reference for comic relief.  However, JKR often mentions characters who become more important later in a casual way.  There was no real reason to use the name again in OOP, so maybe she wanted to remind us for something that happens later.  I think the HP lexicon suggests that Gladys is the mother or wife of Davey Gudgeon, who almost had his eye put out by the Whomping Willow.  But she could just as easily be his sister.  There are numerous examples of siblings at Hogwarts e. g. the Weasleys, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Parvati and Padma Patil.

Anyone else have any comments or suggestions?

JoTwo.


  

Florence (from behind the greenhouse) - we know that she was at school at the same time as Bertha Jorkins, who was a couple of years older than MWPP, Lily and Snape.  So she is about the right age.  Still a possibility.  (Incidentally, I don't think it was Sirius she was kissing.  There would be no point of bringing this up again now that he is dead.)

 






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