Arabella Doreen Figg

Arabella Doreen Figg was a Squib who lived in Little Whinging on Wisteria Walk, near Number Four, Privet Drive. A member of the original and reconstituted Order of the Phoenix, she was personally tasked by Albus Dumbledore with the covert mission of watching over Harry Potter during his childhood with the Dursleys. For years, she maintained a convincing disguise as a batty, cat-obsessed Muggle neighbour. Her true identity and allegiance were revealed when she assisted Harry after a Dementor attack, and she later provided crucial testimony on his behalf at a Ministry of Magic hearing.

Mrs. Figg was born into a Wizarding world family but possessed no magical abilities herself, making her a Squib. Despite this, she remained a part of the magical community and was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War. Following the murder of James and Lily Potter and Harry Potter's placement with his Muggle relatives, Albus Dumbledore arranged for Mrs. Figg to move to Little Whinging to monitor Harry's safety and well-being. For over a decade, she lived a solitary life among Muggles, perfectly maintaining her cover. To the Dursleys, she was a slightly eccentric but harmless neighbour, and they frequently left Harry in her care. Harry loathed these visits, which consisted of looking at photo albums of all her cats, the smell of cabbage, and eating stale chocolate cake. Mrs. Figg later expressed deep regret for having to treat Harry so poorly, explaining it was necessary to ensure the Dursleys would continue to use her as a babysitter. Her significant role began in the summer of 1995, after Harry and his cousin Dudley Dursley were attacked by two Dementors in an alleyway. Mrs. Figg arrived on the scene, revealing her knowledge of the Wizarding world and her fury at Mundungus Fletcher, the Order of the Phoenix member who had abandoned his post guarding Harry. She helped Harry get the traumatised Dudley back home and provided him with instructions on how to handle the situation. Later, Mrs. Figg served as a key witness for the defence at Harry's disciplinary hearing before the Wizengamot. Although she could not see the Dementors due to being a Squib, she could accurately describe the soul-chilling, despair-inducing cold that they generate, which she had experienced firsthand. Her testimony, combined with Dumbledore's powerful advocacy, was instrumental in clearing Harry of the charge of using underage magic. Mrs. Figg was last seen attending Albus Dumbledore's funeral at Hogwarts in 1997, where she was described as looking more composed and respectable than Harry had ever seen her.

For most of the series, Harry Potter perceives Mrs. Figg as a “batty old lady” with flyaway grey hair, who typically wore tartan slippers and carried a string bag that often smelled of cat food. She intentionally cultivated this eccentric persona to remain inconspicuous in the Muggle world of Little Whinging. Beneath her disguise, Mrs. Figg was a sharp, dutiful, and courageous woman. She was fiercely loyal to Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. Her stern and irritable side was evident when she berated Mundungus Fletcher for his cowardice, hitting him with her bag of cat food. She was also deeply caring, expressing her sorrow that her mission required her to be so unpleasant to Harry for many years. Her willingness to live an isolated life for a greater cause and to face the entire Wizengamot demonstrates her considerable inner strength and bravery.

As a Squib, Mrs. Figg possesses no personal magical abilities and cannot perform spells or wield a wand. However, having been raised in the Wizarding world, she has an extensive knowledge of its creatures, dangers, and social structures. She was able to identify the effects of Dementors instantly. Her primary connection to the magical world was her unique trade: breeding part-Kneazle cats. These magically-infused creatures were more intelligent than average cats, and she used them as a network of spies to help her keep watch over Harry Potter and the comings and goings on Privet Drive.

• Residence: A house located on Wisteria Walk, Little Whinging. The interior was noted by Harry to have a pervasive smell of cabbage and was cluttered with doilies and furniture that smelled of cats.
• Cats/Kneazle-hybrids: Mrs. Figg was a breeder of part-Kneazles and owned several cats herself, whom she treated as her agents. Her known cats include Mr. Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty. Mr. Tibbles was stationed under a car and was instrumental in alerting her to the trouble during the Dementor attack.
• Photo Albums: She owned numerous albums filled with photographs of every cat she had ever owned, which she used as a prop to bore the young Harry Potter during his visits.

• Albus Dumbledore: Mrs. Figg held Dumbledore in the highest esteem, viewing him as a great leader. He placed immense trust in her by giving her the critical task of watching over Harry Potter, a mission she fulfilled faithfully for fifteen years.
• Harry Potter: Harry initially disliked Mrs. Figg, associating her with boredom and unpleasantness. His opinion changed dramatically upon discovering her true role in his life. He came to see her as a brave ally and a crucial link to the world that had been kept from him.
• Mundungus Fletcher: She had a profoundly negative relationship with Mundungus Fletcher, whom she considered a “useless, skiving sneak.” She was enraged by his dereliction of duty and did not hesitate to physically and verbally assault him for it.
• The Dursleys: The Dursley family was completely unaware of Mrs. Figg's true identity. They viewed her as an odd but convenient babysitter for Harry, never suspecting she was part of a secret magical guard.

• Arabella: A Latin name that can mean “yielding to prayer” or “prayerful,” which may allude to her role as a guardian figure. It can also be interpreted as a pun on “oracle,” reflecting her role as a secret watcher.
• Doreen: An Anglo-Irish name that can mean “sullen” or “tempestuous,” which reflects the sharp, angry personality she reveals when confronting Mundungus Fletcher.
• Figg: The surname is highly symbolic. A “fig leaf” is a classical symbol for covering something up, which directly relates to her role in concealing the magical protection surrounding Harry. To “fig” someone out is to understand them, and to be “in full fig” means to be in elaborate dress, alluding to the persona she adopted.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Mrs. Figg was portrayed by British actress and theatre director Kathryn Hunter.
• J.K. Rowling stated on the Pottermore website that Mrs. Figg's cross-breeding of cats and Kneazles was a genuine, albeit not very lucrative, business. It served as her only legitimate way to interact with the Wizarding world and allowed her to discreetly purchase items like Kneazle food without raising suspicion (Pottermore).