Hogwarts Fat Lady

> Password?
>
> The Fat Lady guarding Gryffindor Tower, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

The **Fat Lady** was a portrait who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower at Hogwarts Castle. She asked for a password before letting anyone in, then swung her picture backward so that students could enter through a portrait hole.

## Biography

### Lifetime

Next to nothing is known about the Fat Lady's early life or what her name was when she was alive. She presumably was educated at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was Sorted into Gryffindor house.
It is unknown when or how she died, but it was by some time in the 1890s at the very latest (since her portrait already guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower by then).

### As a portrait

 File:Fat lady.JPG
After the Fat Lady died, a painting depicting her was hung at Hogwarts Castle, guarding the Gryffindor Common Room. It is also unknown who or what, if anything, guarded the common room before her. The Fat Lady was a dutiful guardian to the Gryffindor Tower, only granting entrance to those who produce the correct password. She had, however, been known for reprimanding students when they returned late, annoyed that they woke her up from her sleep. She had been known to move about occasionally and had a friend, ***Violet***, who visited her, especially during such holidays as Christmas break. The two drank together frequently, once consuming several vats of wine that were in a picture of some drunk monks.

#### ***1960s***

When Molly Prewett was a student, she returned to Gryffindor Tower at four o'clock in the morning after taking a late night stroll with her then-boyfriend (now husband), Arthur Weasley, and they both got a telling-off from the Fat Lady.

#### ***1975***

After the end of their friendship, Severus Snape remained outside the Gryffindor common room until Lily Potter came out to talk to him.

#### 1991–1992 school year

> Where on earth have you all been?
>
> The Fat Lady scolding first-year Gryffindors for being out late, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 In 1991, the Fat Lady allowed first-year Gryffindors into Gryffindor tower with the correct password. When Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley had left the dormitory late one night to duel Draco Malfoy at the third floor, she went off for a nightime visit, therefore meaning they, Hermione Granger (who had tried to stop them leaving) and Neville Longbottom (who had forgotten the password) could not enter, resulting in all four of them heading down to the third floor. By the time she had returned to her portrait and the four of them had returned back to the dormitory, she questioned them on where they had been. Later in December, when Harry Potter left the dormitory at night under his Invisbility Cloak, she questioned who was there when Harry came through her portrait, as she could not see him due to him being fully invisible.

#### 1992–1993 school year

At the start of the school year when Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley arrived late to the castle, due to missing the Hogwarts Express and being forced to drive the Flying Ford Anglia to school (and crashing it into the Whomping Willow), the two initially did not know the password to enter. However, their friend Hermione Granger soon arrived to tell them the password.

## Known passwords used to enter the Gryffindor Common Room

* *Caput Draconis* (Latin for "***dragon**'s head*") (1991–92)
* ***Pig** Snout* (1991–92)
* *Wattlebird* (1992–93)

## Physical appearance

The Fat Lady was, as suggested by her nickname, a "very fat woman" who was painted wearing a pink silk dress. On one occasion, her dress was said to be "satin," which is either a mistake or evidence that the Fat Lady was capable of changing her clothes.
She looked "rather paler than usual" while suffering the effects of a hangover, which might suggest that she had a pale complexion under normal circumstances.

## Personality and traits

The Fat Lady was well known during her life for her indulgence in good food and drink, as well as a passion for "tip-top security," traits that her portrait would later possess.
As the guardian of the Gryffindor Tower's entrance, she was very dutiful, refusing entry to students who did not know the correct password. She was often irritated by those who would return late, waking her from her sleep. At such times, she would not hesitate to even lie to such students that the password has changed overnight, making them believe they have to sleep outside for the night.

## Behind the scenes

 File:Lego Fat Lady.jpg
 File:Fat Lady LEGO 2.png
 File:Fat Lady - PAS.png
* In Template:PS, the Fat Lady is played by the late ***Elizabeth Spriggs***. She is shown with black hair and a pink silk dress and she doesn't seem to have much personality. Oddly, this version of her is not particularly fat. Her portrait is located at the end of a corridor somewhere in the castle, but its location is never specified.
	+ The Fat Lady as portrayed by Spriggs moves only when approached by a student and very little at that. She also asks for the password, ensuring more effective concealment of the common room. In the first film, given the Fat Lady's dress and background, she seems to have lived in the sixteenth century Europe.
	+ The Spriggs version of the Fat Lady's portrait is also used in the video game adaptations of *Philosopher's Stone* and *Chamber of Secrets*.
* In Template:POA, she is played by ***Dawn French***, who portrays the character with a more humorous side, such as giving her a bad singing voice (possibly from the saying "the fat lady sings"). This iteration of her is larger than the previous one. She is much louder and more flamboyant and would be obvious to any passing members of other houses, who would also be able to hear Gryffindor students as they gave her the password, which this version of the portrait is reluctant to listen to. By this time, her portrait has been moved to the seventh floor of the ***Grand Staircase Tower***. The portrait is shown to swing backwards rather than forwards in this film as well. In the third film, given the Fat Lady's dress and background, she seems to have lived during the Template:W. When the Gryffindor students aren't impressed with her singing, she mutters "Plebs" as they pass her. She also wears a white dress instead of a pink one.
	+ The reason why the location of the Fat Lady's portrait was changed in the third film was because the filmmakers opted not to return to Gloucester Cathedral, where the scenes for the Fat Lady in the first film were shot.
* In Template:GOF, it is suggested that the Fat Lady's portrait may actually be a hidden passageway or shortcut. This is because the Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory is shown to be located in a small tower at the corner of the ***Paved Courtyard*** close to the ***Clock Tower*** and it is presumed the Fat Lady's portrait remains located in the Grand Staircase.
* In the American versions of the ***Chamber of Secrets video game***, she is instead named **The Pink Lady**.
* In the video game versions of the ***fifth*** and ***sixth*** films, characters do not give the Fat Lady a password, as she simply opens to admit them upon recognising them.
* It can also be noted that although the location of the portrait changes in the films, the size and shape of the actual Gryffindor Common Room remains the same.
* The Fat Lady is a playable character in Template:LEGO, in which she, despite being opaque and not floating like ghosts, only has ghostly abilities (like scaring other characters).
* In Template:HM, the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room appears to be a normal door, though it is possible that it leads to the Fat Lady's corridor.
* In Template:HL, the Fat Lady is voiced by ***Natalie Gray***.

## Appearances

Template:Imagecat

* Template:PS Template:1st Template:Portrait
* Template:POA Template:Portrait
* Template:PM Template:Portrait
* Template:WW Template:Portrait
* Template:TCG Template:Portrait
* Template:WWHP Template:Portrait
* Template:HM Template:Portrait
* Template:PAS Template:Portrait
* Template:HL Template:Portrait

## Notes and references

Template:Reflist

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Template:PS
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:GOF
3. ↑ Template:DH
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Template:COS
5. ↑ Template:PS
6. ↑ Template:WW
7. ↑ Template:IMDb name

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