Professor Heliotrope Wilkins was a witch, and former Headmistress of Hogwarts.





After her death, sometime before 1943, her portrait was hung in the Headmaster's office, in order to give advice to the current Head.[3] She also had portraits hung at the Grand Staircase.[4]

Behind the scenes


Heliotrope is a term used to describe a plant, which turns to face the sun, derived from the Greek helios, "sun", and tropein, "to turn."[5] In the Language of flowers, heliotropes represent devotion.[6] Miss Heliotrope is a character in The Little White Horse, a 1946 novel by Elizabeth Goudge, which was a childhood favourite of J. K. Rowling.[7]

Wilkins is an English patronymic surname based on Wilkin,[8] a nickname of the given names Will and William,[9] which both derive from Wilhelm, a Germanic name made up of the elements wil, "will", and helm, "helmet".[10] This was also the surname Hermione Granger chose, when she invented new identities for her parents, Mr and Mrs Granger, and sent them into hiding for safety's sake, during the Second Wizarding War.


Notes and references

  1. J. K. Rowling stated at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 15 August 2004 (source) that all portraits at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are of deceased individuals. Thus, Wilkins must have died sometime in or before 1992, given her portrait's appearance in the Headmaster's office in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
  4. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  5. "WP favicon Heliotropium on Wikipedia
  6. WP favicon Language_of_flowers on Wikipedia" on Wikipedia
  7. Sydney Morning Herald article on Accio Quote!
  8. " Wilkins]" on The Surname Database
  9. "Wilkinson" on Behind the Name
  10. " William" on Behind the Name

Hogwarts Castle
Portraits, statues and other artwork located in the towers


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