Before 1993 (possibly)
- "Pass, friend to Hufflepuff!"
- —Giffard Abbot[src]
Giffard Abbot was a wizard. There are portraits of him hanging in Hogwarts Castle. He had a pet dog. He seemed to have access to a source of food, because Damara Dodderidge frequently asked him if he had any to give her.
1992-1993 school year
In early 1993, Giffard had a portrait at the Grand Staircase, hung immediately below the first-floor landing. As it was placed in an inaccessible place, it is unlikely he guarded any shortcut to another part of the school.
One of his portraits was hanging at the Grand Staircase, guarding the shortcut to the Transfiguration Courtyard, under the password "Dragon's Egg". There was another set of portraits of him, hiding another hidden passageway between the Clock Tower and the corridor outside the Library; the password needed to gain acess to this shortcut was "Tempus neminem manet".
Giffard's portrait was moved to another landing of the Grand Staircase, during the next school year. However, he still guarded a secret passage to the same place in the Transfiguration Courtyard. Its password became "Light Against Darkness". He had a penchant for sighing wistfully, "Oh, to be young again!", when approached.
Behind the scenes
- Giffard may have died sometime prior to early 1993, as many portraits hung at Hogwarts depict deceased individuals. His clothes indicate that he most likely lived during the Middle Ages.
- It is possible that Abbot's portrait is a reference to a portrait of Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire by Titian.
- "Giffard" is from an English surname, which was derived from the Germanic given name "Gebhard".
- "Abbott" is a Middle English surname.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)(Appears in portrait(s))
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)(Appears in portrait(s))
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Appears in portrait(s)) (First identified as Giffard Abbott)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Appears in portrait(s))
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter Limited Edition (The Paintings of Hogwarts)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) - Chapter 22 (The Diary)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) - GBA version
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- ↑ http://www.behindthename.com/name/giffard
- ↑ http://www.wordnik.com/words/Abbott