At the age of eleven, the Friar became a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was sorted into Hufflepuff House and was taught in the magical arts the seven years that followed. He had a strong affinity for healing magic.

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 and drink.

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. Despite this, he was always resentful of the fact that he was never made a cardinal.

The Friar was very cheerful and welcoming, and happily greeted new students at Hogwarts. 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. He also appears to be quite sociable and he also has House pride, as he happily reminisced about his "old House" when welcoming students.