Lavender Brown Character Guide

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Lavender Brown was one of the many students who attended Hogwarts with Harry Potter. She was a member of Gryffindor House, the first student to be sorted into Gryffindor. Throughout her time at Hogwarts lavender Brown developed a close relationship with Parvati patil and her Divination teacher Professor trelawney. While she did not believe Harry Potter’s exclamation That Voldemort had returned, once irrefutable proof came about, she immediately went to Harry Potter’s side, joining Dumbledore’s Army, and continuing to fight dark magic and the Death Eaters until her death during the Battle of Hogwarts. 

Lavender Brown Quick Facts

Full Name Lavender Brown
Birth Date Between September 1, 1979 and August 31, 1980
Birth Place Great Britain
Nick Name Lav-Lav (used by Ron)
Death Date [if applicable] May 2, 1998
Age When Series Starts 11
Zodiac Sign Virgo, Libra, or Leo
Siblings None
Children None
Partner / Spouse None
Most Memorable Moment Dating Ron Weasley
Magical Heritage Pureblood
Hogwarts House Gryffindor
Wand Unknown length, core, or wood
Patronus Non-corporeal
Actors Who Played Kathleen Cauley
  Jennifer Smith
  Jessie Cave
Last Updated Apr 22, 2022

Lavender Brown Birthplace

Lavender Brown was born in Great Britain.

Lavender Brown Parents

Nothing is known about her parents other than they were pureblood witches and wizards.

Lavender Brown’s Physical Traits and Personality

Lavender Brown Character Guide

Lavender Brown is not given a physical trait in the books, but she is most commonly recognized for having curly blond hair and a round sweet face that supports her girlish personality in the films.

Lavender Brown was always a somewhat silly girl, prone to giggling, sophomoric displays of jealousy and overprotection when dating Ron, and a particular level of gullibility when it came to divination. She was regularly jealous of Hermione and had a tactless way of viewing serious situations, as demonstrated by the time she referred to Ron as more interesting after getting poisoned. Still, she continued to stand with Harry Potter after the revelation of Voldemort’s return was confirmed, and she fought bravely until the end. 

Lavender Brown Early Life

Lavender Brown was a pureblood wizard, which means that both sets of grandparents had to be pure blood as well. She was 11 years old when she received her acceptance letter from Hogwarts and, like the other students, purchased her equipment from Diagon Alley before boarding the Hogwarts Express. 

Lavender Brown Hogwarts Years

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

“Brown, Lavender” became the first student in Harry’s grade sorted into Gryffindor during the Sorting Hat ceremony after Hannah Abbott and Terry Boot in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lavender Brown was one of many students who regularly fell asleep during History of Magic, but as soon as Hermione asked Professor Binns about the Chamber of Secrets, Lavender Brown, who had previously been sleeping on her folder arms atop her desk woke with a start. Later in the book, when Gilderoy Lockhart decided to set up a Dueling Club, and he foolishly dueled Snape, Lavender Brown caught Lockhart’s wand after Snape disarmed him.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, took a particular interest in everything their divination Professor had to say, beginning in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They would scoot their chairs close to Professor Trelawney, and during lunchtime, Lavender Brown would often hang out in the Divination Tower and come down to join the rest of the group with an arrogant look as though she knew something they didn’t.

Lavender Brown always urged Harry Potter to be careful because it was predicted that he would die. In February, during Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lavender Brown was found crying in one of the corridors because her new pet bunny Binky had died. She tried to use this as confirmation of a prediction that Professor Trelawney had made about a thing that she was dreading, which would happen in February. Hermione pointed out that she wasn’t dreading it because the pet was a baby and had nothing wrong with it, and the day in question was not the day that the animal was actually killed, but rather the day she received the note from home. 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Lavender Brown maintained her close relationship with her best friend, Parvati Patil in this book. Lavender attended the Yule Ball with Seamus Finnegan, which is why she was unable to go as Ron’s date (after Parvati agreed to attend with Harry and was looking for a companion to accompany Ron). 

Later that year, when Hagrid needed help collecting his Blast-Ended Skrewts, who, as it turned out, did not hibernate, Lavender was the only Gryffindor student aside from Ron, Harry, and Hermione who stuck around to collect the animals while everyone else hid in Hagrid’s Hut. Her robes were singed along with the other students, but this was the first time her bravery and reason for being placed in Gryffindor House came to light.

During their defense against the dark arts class, Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Professor Moody, taught a lesson on the three unforgivable curses. When he demonstrated the use of the imperious curse to control another person and make them do whatever they wanted, he did so on Lavender Brown, forcing her to imitate a squirrel in front of the class. 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Lavender Brown is revealed as Hermione Granger’s roommate, and she is one of many students who doesn’t believe Harry Potter’s story about Lord Voldemort returning.

In spite of her apprehensions, as the year continued and Harry Potter secretly held a meeting at the Hog’s Head, she was the first to show up. She agreed to be part of Dumbledore’s Army, signing the petition and regularly meeting with the group. During her time with the group, she was only able to get a feeble silver vapor, not a corporeal Patronus. Throughout the lesson, she was increasingly frustrated that she was unable to make a corporeal Patronus, but that didn’t stop her from trying.

Professor Umbridge was appointed the defense against the dark arts teacher and eventually the High Inquisitor during the school year. After reviewing every teacher’s performance, she fired Professor Trelawney from her position as the Divination teacher. Seeing as Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were still her most loyal students, Lavender was incredibly upset about this news and brought flowers to Professor Trelawney, who was allowed to continue living on campus. When the new teacher was introduced, the Centaur Firenze, she and her best friend Parvati developed a huge crush on him, always giggling and ogling him during lessons. 

The week before their O.W.L. exam Lavender and Parvati practiced Locomotion Charms in the Gryffindor common room. 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Lavender Brown develops a crush on Ron Weasley, following him around, flirting with him, and coming up before quidditch matches to wish him good luck. After one such match, Lavender Brown and Ron finally solidify their courtship by making out rather heavily and publicly in the Gryffindor common room during the celebrations afterward. 

This enthusiasm for demonstrating their physical attraction only increased throughout the school year when they were regularly kissing in the Gryffindor common room, corridors, and anywhere else they could find a moment together. That Christmas, Ron Weasley was back home when he opened a necklace she had made for him that had “my sweetheart” engraving on it. Ron couldn’t possibly believe that she expected him to wear it, and it was at that point, their relationship started to break down, although Lavender was none the wiser.

Ron was poisoned by accident when he consumed a bottle of alcohol that was intended to kill Professor Dumbledore. He drank it in Professor Slughorn’s office after receiving a large and expired dose of chocolate filled with love potions that Romilda Vane had given Harry Potter before Christmas. The aftermath was a short stint in the hospital, during which time Lavender Brown cornered Harry Potter, upset that no one thought it relevant to inform Ron’s girlfriend of his near-death experience. During her initial visit to the hospital wing, as portrayed in the film and the book, when Ron starts to regain consciousness, he’s muttering what is clearly Hermione’s name and not his girlfriend’s name. What’s more, every time she went to visit her boyfriend in the hospital wing, he was mysteriously asleep.

Harry Potter did not appreciate this bit of acting as it resulted in Lavender Brown walking with him throughout the corridors asking question after question about her relationship with Ron, like whether Ron talked about it, whether Harry Potter thought that Ron was as interested in the relationship as she was, what his feelings were toward Hermione, and so on. At the end of one of these intense rounds of questioning, Harry Potter told Ron that he needed to man up and break up with his girlfriend instead of pretending to be asleep. 

Continuing to demonstrate his yellow nature, Ron didn’t break up with her. Instead, he justified himself by saying he couldn’t hurt her like that, and even Harry Potter hadn’t been forced to break up with someone, his relationship with Cho Chang just sort of fell apart. In the end, she broke up with Ron because she saw Ron and Hermione leaving the Gryffindor dormitory together even though Harry Potter was using his invisibility cloak.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Lavender Brown was still an active member of Dumbledore’s Army, and her continued efforts against the Death Eaters and Snape meant she had to hide in the room of requirement. She was one of the first women to show up in the room of requirement, at which point it formed itself into a dormitory that included beds for girls and boys as well as proper showering facilities and bathrooms. 

During the final battle at Hogwarts, she stood up with other Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff members to physically protect Harry Potter when Pansy Parkinson suggested they turn him over to Voldemort. She fought bravely during the war but at one point fell from the balcony and was attacked by Fenrir Greyback. Hermione blasted him away, and Professor Trelawney dropped the crystal ball on his head, but Lavender still died from her injuries.

Lavender Brown Magical Abilities and Special Skills

Lavender Brown was very good at divination. This was one of her best subjects, and she expressed a great deal of enthusiasm not just for the subject but for Professor Trelawney. She was also good at Transfiguration and Charms. She was only able to produce a non-corporeal Patronus, but this was still indicative of an advanced piece of magic for adult wizards, especially for younger children. She successfully used the Locomotion charm.

She was always highly dedicated, almost to a fault. In spite of the juvenile nature of her relationship with Ron Weasley, she demonstrated a great deal of support and encouragement toward him. She regularly encouraged him, wished him luck, and reminded him that he had it within himself to do whatever task was before him. This type of dedication was also something she showed toward Professor Trelawney, not dismissing her once the professor was fired but instead bringing her flowers as consultation and continuing to check on her up in her divination Tower. Throughout the series, she remained close with her best friend and supportive of everything Parvati Patil did.

During her time at Hogwarts, she was a committed member two Dumbledore’s Army and learned many offensive and defensive spells. After her attendance in these private classes, her proficiency helped her get her O.W.L. in the subject. She was incredibly brave and skilled at dueling, something she demonstrated throughout the Battle of Hogwarts.

Lavender Brown Wand

Nothing is known about Lavender Brown’s wand other than she used the same wand throughout the entire series.

Lavender Brown Trivial and Fun Facts

Lavender Brown was the first student to be sorted into Gryffindor.

Even though she is present throughout the entire book series, her role is heavily diminished in the films. This is why the actress was changed three times:

Kathleen Cauley played Lavender Brown in the second film, Jennifer Smith in the third film (with no lines and no direct mention), and Jessie Cave in the last three films. 

In the film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Lavender is shown as a member of Hufflepuff, but that mistake was fixed in all preceding films.

In the final book, it’s not confirmed whether Lavender Brown dies or not. It simply shows that she was left feebly stirring after Fenrir Greyback attacked her. In the book, however, she is shown as having died.

Lavender Brown Appearances in Books 

Lavender Brown appears in the following books:

  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Lavender Brown Appearances in Films

Lavender Brown Appearances in Films

Lavender Brown appears in the following films:

  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Lavender Brown Quotes

Lavender protecting Harry and his imminent death in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

“Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!”

Hermione Granger talking about how students including Lavender Brown did not believe Harry Potter’s story about Voldemort returning in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:

Ron Weasley: “Seamus reckons Harry’s lying about You-Know-Who.”

Hermione Granger: “Yes, Lavender thinks so too.”

Harry Potter: “Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I’m a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?”

Hermione Granger: “No, I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually.”

In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when Lavender Brown begin dating Ron Weasley:

“But at the moment there was a loud squeal of “Won-Won!” and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron’s arms.”

In the same book when Ron describes the superficial nature of his relationship with Lavender:

Ron Weasley: “Well… we don’t really talk much. It’s mainly…”

Harry Potter: “Snogging.”

Ron Weasley: “Well, yeah.”

Lavender expresses her jealousy to Harry about Hermione Granger and Ron:

Lavender Brown: “Is Hermione Granger still visiting him?”

Harry Potter: “Yeah, I think so. Well, they’re friends, aren’t they?”

Lavender Brown: “Friends, don’t make me laugh. She didn’t talk to him for weeks after he started going out with me! But I suppose she wants to make up with him now he’s all interesting…”

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a description of Lavender being attacked during the Battle of Hogwarts:

“Two bodies fell from the balcony overhead as they reached the ground a grey blur that Harry took for an animal sped four-legged across the hall to sink its teeth into one of the fallen. “NO!” shrieked Hermione, and with a deafening blast from her wand, Fenrir Greyback was thrown backward from the feebly stirring body of Lavender Brown.”

FAQs

Question: How was Lavender Brown Described?

Answer: Lavender Brown was described as a pureblood witch who started the same year as Harry Potter but beyond that she doesn’t have a physical description in the books. 

Question: What is Lavender Brown’s Patronus?

Asnwer: Her Patronus takes a non-corporeal form. 

Question: Why did they Change Actresses for Lavender Brown?

Answer: Her character was not given a prominent role throughout the first few films and it wasn’t until she started her courtship with Ron Weasley that she became a prominent role. Warner Brothers picked a more established actress for the position.

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Research Citations

https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-lavender-brown-recast-reason-jessie-cave/

IMDB. Harry Potter Full Cast. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0926084/fullcredits/cast

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2000.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2002.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Listening Library, 2003.

Rowling, J. K. (2010). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. London: Bloomsbury. Chicago (Author-Date, 15th ed.) Rowling, J. K. 2010.

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.

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