~ Obituary ~

We are sad to announce the death of Mrs Arabella Figg, member of the Order of the Phoenix and close friend of the late Albus Dumbledore. She died of kidney failure in St. Mungo’s hospital yesterday evening, after having been frail for quite some time and having broken her spine in a fall. Healers did everything they could, but since Mrs Figg was already very weak, little could be done.  

Born January 17th, 1927, to magical parents, Arabella Figg was discovered to be a Squib when she was eleven years old and no Hogwarts Letter came for her, though her parents had suspected this was the case before it was confirmed, as Arabella had not shown any signs of magical abilities. She therefore did not attend Hogwarts and instead was sent to a boarding school in Kent, miles away from her parents in London.

Figg was cut off by her parents when she refused to attend university and instead tried to involve herself as much as possible in the wizarding world despite her lack of magical abilities. However, in the magical world she was somewhat treated as an outcast, and apparently never settled.

Figg only really made one lasting friend in the wizarding world; Albus Dumbledore, and remained loyal to him throughout the second and first wizarding wars, though there was not much she could do. She was, however, assigned the task of watching over Harry Potter through his childhood and teenage years, as she lived next door to the Dursley’s house, where Potter lived most of his childhood. In 1995, she was called to stand witness to the events of the Dementor attack on Potter and his cousin, Dudley Dursley, and contributed greatly to the positive verdict that proclaimed Potter innocent.

When Albus Dumbledore tragically died in 1997, Figg attended his funeral and was said to be very upset. As the wizarding war drew to a climax, she continued to do all she could for the Order of the Phoenix, although there was little she could do to help. After peace was declared in 1998, she retired entirely to live a peaceful life breeding cats and kneazles, occasionally in contact with Harry Potter.

Arabella Figg’s sad demise was brought about by a fall that involved her falling down the stairs after she tripped on one of her beloved cats. She broke her spine in the fall and there was little Healers could do except keep her alive in hospital. In the end, Figg died from a kidney failure at seven o’clock p.m. yesterday evening. However, she informed Healers that she was ‘happy to go if it came down to it’ the day before and was joyful to have Harry Potter visit her in her final hours.

- Written by Lilia Le Fay