15 underappreciated ladies of Harry Potter

Padma Patil

Padma Patil is Parvati Patil’s identical twin sister. The Sorting Hat puts Padma in Ravenclaw rather than Gryffindor. Thus, we see Padma half as often as we see Parvati. However, we do know she was made a prefect in her fifth year. Padma also joined Dumbledore’s Army alongside her sister in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. She attended school under Lord Voldemort’s regime and fought in the final battle, likely surviving.

The most we ever see of Padma in the Potter-verse is in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. After his stunning rejection from Fleur, Ron asks Padma to attend the Yule Ball with him. He is even ruder to Padma than Harry was to Parvati; Ron’s jealousy of Viktor Krum taking Hermione absolutely ruins the entire night.

Padma has the same fearsome streak as her sister. She tells Ron off, though not quite as spectacularly as Parvati told off Harry.

It’s interesting that these two identical twins were sorted into separate houses, though that goes to show that even when people look exactly alike, they can still be incredibly different. Padma Patil is important representation in the Potter-verse, and her presence could only be improved by being expanded into a larger role. It would be especially interesting to see how she deals with characters in her own house, like Luna Lovegood, who are less about pragmatism and reality than she and her sister seem to be. More Patils, please! They’re fascinating.