Dorea Potter

**Dorea Euphemia Potter** (née **Black**; 24th February 1910 - 29th July 1977) was an English Pure-Blood witch and the matriarch of the Potter Family. Born to Cygnus and Violetta Black (née Bulstrode), Dorea is the younger sister of Pollux, Cassiopeia and Marus. She was Sorted into Slytherin House at Hogwarts, where she met and fell in love with Charlus Potter in their Sixth Year. The two married soon after graduation but, for many years, they were childless. It caused Dorea great sadness, so she instead threw herself into her work as a Healer during the Global Wizarding War. She eventually gave birth to their only son James in 1960 and doted on him to the point of spoiling him. She has been something of an adoptive mother to Sirius Black and gave him sanctuary in 1976 when he ran away from home. Following her marriage to Charlus, to distance herself from her family, she started using her middle name more frequently than her given name.

## Early Life

### Pre-Hogwarts

Dorea was born on 24th February 1910 to Cygnus Black and Violetta Bulstrode. Euphemia spent much of her time surrounding by Dark and often cursed magical objects, instilling in her a lifelong hatred of the Dark Arts.

Doreahad an older brother Pollux, with whom her relationship was strained: Pollux was a cruel man who delighted in Muggle-baiting, which Dorea was revolted by; in turn, Pollux resented the fact that Dorea was their mother's favourite. In comparison, Dorea had a better relationship with Cassiopeia, who was accepting of her marriage to Charlus.

Marius, on the other hand, was a Squib who, when his Hogwarts letter never arrived, was taken out of the family home by their furious father and never seen again. Euphemia hoped for many years that Marius had vanished into the Muggle world, so was devastated when she discovered that Pollux had actually drowned him in the pond in their grounds.

### Hogwarts Life

Dorea attended Hogwarts in 1921, Her paternal grandfather, Phineas Nigellus Black, was reigning Headmaster at the time and, thus, pleased when she was Sorted into Slytherin House. It was at Hogwarts where she met Melania Macmillan, two years her senior, and the two witches enjoyed an excellent friendship back then and in later life, when Melania married her cousin Arcturus.

Dorea was a talented and exceptional witch, proficient in many branches of magic, but particularly enjoyed Charms, where she finished first in the year both for her O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's.

When Dorea was in her Sixth Year, she met Fleamont Charlus Potter, an eccentric Gryffindor who was often in trouble for duelling in the corridors when people teased him for his unusual name. Euphemia had stumbled upon him and Ignatius Nott in a heated duel and, when Damocles Carrow tried to curse Charlus in the back, Dorea hit him full in the face with a Stinging Jinx. Twenty minutes later, after a furious tongue-lashing from Headmaster Black and detention for two months, Dorea and Charlus were found snogging in a broom closet after hours and received another two months detention.

## The Grindelwald Years

### Marriage and career

Dorea and Charlus married in 1929 in a small ceremony with just close friends and family. Melania was her maid-of-honour whilst Charlus asked his best-friend Florean Fortescue to be best-man. As a wedding present, Charlus' parents Henry and Martha Potter gifted the couple a lovely country manor on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow, with enough room for Charlus to practise his potions and experiments.

It was during this time that Dorea discovered her passion for healing and, under the guidance of Lancelot Prewett, qualified to be a professional mediwitch and later fully-fledged Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Dorea thrived taking care of sick witches and wizards and was one of the most accomplished Healers in the industry.

### The Front Lines

Like many witches and wizards during the 1930s/40s, Charlus and Dorea Potter were drafted in to help in the war-effort against Gellert Grindelwald. Whereas Charlus, already a well-respected potioneer following his invention of Sleakeazy's Hair Potion, helped out by brewing experimental potions for the Aurors, Dorea was out on the front lines using her healing spells to help the wounded and dying. The horrors Dorea witnessed on the battlefield would mark her for the rest of her life.

## The Wizarding War

### Motherhood

In 1960, after many years trying and three miscarriages, Dorea gave birth to her and Charlus' only son James. Considered their miracle child, James was doted on by his parents, who knew they would never have another child. To be more present at home, Dorea semi-retired from St. Mungo's. The family was happy at Godric's Hollow and, when James went off to Hogwarts in 1971, Dorea was torn between pride and sadness at his loss.

When James returned home after his first year with her late friend Melania's grandson Sirius Black smuggled in his trunk, Euphemia recognised immediately that he was an abused and neglected child. So, when he arrived battered and bruised on her doorstep in the summer of 1976, Dorea took him in, healed him and informally adopted him. Pure-blood high society was abuzz with gossip, particularly with the news that Dorea Potter had injured her niece Walburga Black so badly she needed a cane to walk.

Dorea first met Lily Evans at a New Year's Eve party in 1978 and was instantly smitten. Lily, whose parents had sadly died in a car-crash when she was eighteen, took to Dorea just as strongly and the two developed a strong bond. She went with Lily to her wedding dress fitting and gave James her mother's wedding ring. Yet, much of this happiness was overshadowed by the conflict emerging around them and the declining health of Charlus. Dorea was permanently on edge, made worse by James, Lily and Sirius' association with Albus Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix.

## Physical Appearance

Dorea was a short, petite woman with greying brown hair and hazel eyes. She likes to dress in soft, warm colours and her wide-brimmed hats are often decorated with arrangements of flowers. She needs glasses to read.

## Personality and traits

Dorea possesses typical Hufflepuff traits: she is hardworking, loyal, friendly and honest. She is also sharp as a knife, highly opinionated and fiercely maternal - a doting parent.