Bell family

**Bell** is the surname of a wizarding family that lived in the County of Essex, England. Members of this family are typically pure-blood and sorted into Gryffindor House. Recent members that have attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry include Katie Bell, who attended from 1990 to 1998, and her brother George Bell, who attended from 1992 to 1999.

The Bell family was not included in *The Pure-Blood Directory* of 1931, however, suggesting that in 1931, the Bell family were not considered a very old family, or simply that its members were not considered completely Pure-blood at the time, which is more likely.

## History

### Early History

The surname Bell was first found in Dumfriesshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

### Later History

The family was not included in *The Pure-Blood Directory* of 1931, however, suggesting that in 1931, the Bell family were not considered among the oldest families of Great Britain, or simply that its members were not completely Pure-blood, which is more likely. It is also possible that they could have been excluded for political reasons, such as the Potters or the Boneses were.

### Recent History

An Auror named Cassius Bell was working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement by the mid 20th Century. He had two sons, John and Charles Bell, both of whom were born in Essex, in 1959 and 1962, respectively.

#### First Wizarding War (1970-1981)

Charles Bell, also known as Charlie, began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on 1 September, 1970, and was sorted into Gryffindor House. He played Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team from 1973 to 1977, and became its Captain in his seventh year of school, in 1976. He married a witch a couple of years out of school, in 1978, and had a daughter, Katherine, in 1979, followed by a son, George, in 1980.

Charles's younger brother, John, had begun attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1973, where he was sorted into Gryffindor House as well. He also played for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team: when his brother Charles graduated, he was replaced by Captain James Potter, who let him on the team. John played Beater.

After John Bell left Hogwarts, he joined a fast-track Auror training programme that had been approved by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during the First Wizarding War. Unfortunately, John was killed in the Battle of Normanby le Wold on 25 November, 1980. He was eighteen years old.

#### Between the Wars (1981-1994)

Charlie Bell's daughter, Katherine, also known as 'Katie', began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on 1 September, 1990. She, like her father, uncle, and grandfather, was sorted into Gryffindor House. In her second year of school, she began playing for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, in her father's favourite position of Chaser.

Charlie's son, George, started attending in 1992. He was also sorted into Gryffindor House, though he did not play any Quidditch, presumably taking after his mother instead.

#### Second Wizarding War (1995-1998)

The Bell family was one of the very few families that believed Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore over the *Daily Prophet's* smear campaigns against them after the disaster that was the end of the Triwizard Tournament. In part convinced by their daughter Katie, who played on a Quidditch team with Potter, Charles Bell contacted Dumbledore and presumably passed on information to the Order of the Phoenix, though this was never confirmed.

Katie Bell and her brother, George, joined Dumbledore's Army, an organisation taught and led by her teammate Harry Potter, in her sixth year of school.

In Katie's seventh and final year of school, Katie was put under the Imperius Curse by the Three Broomsticks innkeeper, Madam Rosmerta (herself under the Imperius Curse by Draco Malfoy). Katie was sent to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and spent six months recovering after touching a cursed opal necklace that was meant for Albus Dumbledore.

George Bell temporarily replaced his sister as Chaser, but Katie eventually returned to play in the Quidditch final against Ravenclaw. However, she had to repeat her seventh year of education due to missing classes six months while she was recovering in St. Mungo's.

When Voldemort's army attacked the castle, George and Katie was among many of those who stayed to fight. George Bell in particular was charged with helping Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas blow up the Wooden Bridge to prevent Snatchers from entering the school. During the Battle of Hogwarts, George, Geoffrey Cresswell, and Luna Lovegood saved Harry, Ron, and Hermione from hundreds of Dementors by casting the Patronus to hold them back, before Harry drove them away with his own.

George as well as Geoffrey and his sister, Katie Bell were also seen being lead into battle by Aberforth Dumbledore sometime during the opening stages of the battle.

## Known Members

* Cassius Bell †
* John Bell †
* Charles 'Charlie' Bell
* Katherine 'Katie' Bell
* George Bell

## Etymology

The Bell surname arose independently from several different sources. In some instances, it comes from the Old English word "belle" meaning "bell," and was most likely an  occupational name for a bell ringer. It may have also been a name for someone who lived near a bell. Bell is also known to have arisen from the English and Scots given name Bel, which derived from the Old French "beu" or "bel," meaning "handsome."