The Harry Potter Compendium
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"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give Peeves a second chance —"
—The Fat Friar's characteristic forgiveness.[src]

The Fat Friar was a wizard, who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in his youth, and was Sorted into Hufflepuff. He was a jolly man and very forgiving. He devoted his life to religion and, after his death, returned to the school as the resident ghost of Hufflepuff House.

Biography[]

Life[]

File:Fat Friar.jpg

The Fat Friar in his lifetime.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."
—The Fat Friar to the first-years before the Sorting ceremony in 1991.[src]

The Friar was born no earlier than 982,[1] somewhere in the British Isles.[2]

At the age of eleven, the Friar became a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland. He was Sorted into Hufflepuff House and was taught in the magical arts the seven years that followed.[4]

At some point in his life, he joined the clergy as part of a mendicant religious order. Apparently, given his physically large appearance, he indulged in the pleasures of food[2] and drink.[3]

The Friar was executed because senior churchmen grew suspicious of his ability to cure the pox merely by poking peasants with a stick, and his ill-advised habit of pulling rabbits out of the communion cup.[5]

Post-mortem[]

The Friar returned from the dead as a ghost, and returned to Hogwarts Castle, where he became the house ghost of his former House, Hufflepuff.[2]

1991—1992 school year[]

File:Friar Feast.jpg

The Fat Friar at the 1991 Start-of-Term Feast.

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington: "My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he’s not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"
Fat Friar: "New students! About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
— The Fat Friar and Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington come across the first-years in 1991.[src]

Shortly before the Start-of-Term Feast on 1 September, 1991, the ghosts came across the first years waiting for Professor McGonagall, while discussing whether Peeves should be allowed to attend the Feast (for he had given the house elves quite a bit of trouble, throwing food and breaking dishes). The Friar was excited to see the new students, and smiled around at them. He later attended the Feast, and waved merrily at students being Sorted into Hufflepuff, notably Hannah Abbott.[2]

On 2 September, the Friar haunted the Charms Corridor, chanting aloud as he hovered around.[6]

1992—1993 school year[]

File:Fat Friar Pottermore.jpg

The Fat Friar on Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington's five-hundredth Deathday Party

"They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead."
—Description of Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington's five-hundredth Deathday Party.[src]

In the evening of 31 October, 1992, the Friar attended Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington's five-hundredth Deathday Party, where he engaged in conversation with a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.[7]

File:Fat friar.jpg

The Fat Friar at the Grand Staircase.

This year, the Friar could be usually seen strolling around the Grand Staircase.[8]

1994—1995 school year[]

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington: "You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know. There was trouble in the kitchens earlier."
Harry Potter: "Why? Wha' 'appened?"
Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington: "Peeves, of course. The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast — well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council — the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance — but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."
Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington tells Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger of the ghost council about Peeves.[src]

In the afternoon of 1 September, 1994, the Hogwarts ghosts gathered to decide whether Peeves should be allowed to attend the Start-of-Term Feast. The Fat Friar wanted to give him another chance, but both Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington and the Bloody Baron decided against it. As a result, Peeves wreaked havoc in the kitchens, spilling soup all over the place and scattering pots and pans everywhere.[9]

1995—1996 school year[]

File:Fat Friar First Floor Corridor.jpg

The Friar around the first-floor corridor.

Ernie Macmillan: "Dumbledore will be back before long. They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me — that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her. Apparently, she had a right little tantrum."
Hermione Granger: "Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office. Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"
Ernie Macmillan tells Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger what the Friar told him about Dolores Umbridge.[src]

By 1995, there was a tetraptych of the Friar hung in the first-floor corridor. He would frequently haunt this area during this school year.[10]

After the Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight was passed on 21 April, 1996, the Fat Friar saw Dolores Umbridge fruitlessly trying to get access to the Headmaster's Tower, as the Tower had sealed itself against her and later told Ernie Macmillan about it.[11]

1996—1997 school year[]

Dumbledore funeral

Albus Dumbledore's funeral.

"An extraordinary assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs: shabby and smart, old and young. […] The castle ghosts were there too, barely visible in the bright sunlight, discernible only when they moved, shimmering insubstantially in the gleaming air."
—Description of Albus Dumbledore's funeral.[src]

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, was killed at the hands of Severus Snape in the former's plan on 30 June, 1997.[12] The Hogwarts ghosts were known attendees of his funeral in early July; this likely included the Friar.[13]

1997—1998 school year[]

"The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall was dark and scattered with stars, and below it the four long House tables were lined with disheveled students […]. Here and there shone the pearly white figures of the school ghosts. Every eye, living and dead was fixed upon Professor McGonagall, who was speaking from the raised platform at the top of the Hall. Behind her stood the remaining teachers […] and the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had arrived to fight."
—Description of Professor McGonagall addressing the students and ghosts moments prior to the Battle of Hogwarts.[src]

On 1 August, 1997 the Ministry of Magic was taken over by Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters.[14] By 1 September, 1997, Severus Snape was made Headmaster of Hogwarts while his fellow Death Eaters, Alecto Carrow and Amycus Carrow became the Muggle Studies and Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers respectively.[15]

The Carrows were put in charge of all discipline and punishments, which were violent. Many people had bruises, cuts, or scars from the evil siblings. It is likely the Friar, as did the Heads of House, tried to protect the pupils from Alecto and Amycus.[16]

Battle6

Explosions in the Entrance Courtyard during the Battle of Hogwarts.

On 2 May, 1998, the Battle of Hogwarts ensued after Lord Voldemort learned Harry Potter was in the premises. The ghosts, likely including the Friar, attended a gathering in the Great Hall, in which Professor McGonagall gave instructions on evacuation of underage students and Kingsley Shacklebolt organised the participants for battle.[17] Later on, the ghosts gathered at the Great Hall, joining the mass mourning over the dead.[15]

Physical appearance[]

" […] looked like a fat little monk […]'"
—Description.[src]

As a ghost, the Friar was pearly-white and slightly transparent, like all other ghosts.[2] He had short brown hair, which he wore with a small tonsure.[3] At first sight a monk,[2] he was dressed in a habit held by a rope belt.[3] He was fat and short,[2] and usually carried a mug with him.[3]

Personality and traits[]

"The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her."
—Description.[src]

The Friar was very cheerful and welcoming, and happily greeted new students at Hogwarts.[2] He also tended to find something to value in anyone and look past their faults, as he always insisted with the other ghosts to let Peeves attend the Start-of-Term Feasts despite his many wrongdoings.[2][9] He also appeared to be quite sociable, meeting and engaging in conversation with fellow ghosts during Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington's five-hundredth Deathday Party.[7] He also seems to have some House pride, as he happily reminisced about his "old House" when welcoming first-years.[2] Despite this, he was always resentful of the fact that he was never made a cardinal.[5]

Magical abilities and skills[]

Behind the scenes[]

  • The Friar was portrayed by Simon Fisher-Becker in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the only film he has appeared in.
  • The Friar is the only House ghost whose death was not discussed in the books. The circumstances of his death were finally revealed via Pottermore.
  • The Fat Friar's name is probably a pun on the term "Fat Fryer"—equipment used to deep fry food, such as chips. It is associated with food, as is the Fat Friar and Hufflepuff in general.
  • Alternatively, the Fat Friar's name could be alliterative and a nod to the character Friar Tuck, as well as the historical Robert Stafford, a real-life chaplain linked to the name Friar Tuck in 1429.

Appearances[]

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The Harry Potter Compendium has 1 image related to Fat Friar.

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Given Hogwarts was founded in around 993 A.D. and that the Friar attended it, he must have been eleven by or after the school's founding. So, the earliest date he could have possibly been born is 982.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Chapter 7 (The Sorting Hat)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (film) - Chapter 13 (Nick and Other Residents)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Questions and More Questions on The Harry Potter Lexicon. "If a teacher is head of a house, can we assume that they were sorted into those houses when they were students at Hogwarts? Is that also true for the house ghosts?" "Jo's response: (yes)"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Pottermore, Chapter 9 Moment 1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "POT" defined multiple times with different content
  6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (video game) - PS1 version
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Chapter 8 (The Deathday Party)
  8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) - PC version
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Chapter 12 (The Triwizard Tournament)
  10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
  11. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 28 (Snape's Worst Memory)
  12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 27 (The Lightning-Struck Tower)
  13. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 30 (The White Tomb)
  14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 8 (The Wedding)
  15. 15.0 15.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 12 (Magic is Might) Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "DH12" defined multiple times with different content
  16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 29 (The Lost Diadem)
  17. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts)


Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hogwarts Houses:
Gryffindorcrest Hufflepuffcrest Ravenclawcrest Slytherincrest
Namesake Founders:
Godric Gryffindor · Helga Hufflepuff · Rowena Ravenclaw · Salazar Slytherin
Heads of House:
Minerva McGonagall · Pomona Sprout · Filius Flitwick · Horace Slughorn
House Ghosts:
Nearly Headless Nick · Fat Friar · Grey Lady · Bloody Baron


Hogwarts Castle
Locations on the first floor
Class 1 · Minerva McGonagall's office · Stone Bridge · First-floor girls' lavatory · Classroom 1A · East Wing · Classroom 1C · Classroom 1D · Classroom 1E · Advanced Arithmancy Studies classroom · Rear Hall · Tapestry Corridor · Severus Snape's storeroom · First Floor Corridor · Common Room corridor · Empty classroom · Empty classroom · Hospital wing · Muggle Studies Classroom · Classroom 4F · Poppy Pomfrey's office · Passage of the Fouls · Detention Chamber · Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom · Transfiguration Classroom Maze
Portraits, statues and other artwork located on the first floor
Elizabeth Burke · Fat Friar · Hengist Rawkes · Female nurse in the hospital wing · Male nurse in the hospital wing · Beaumont Majoribanks · Scholar · Google Stump · Portrait of a bearded man holding a book · Count
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