What ACTUALLY happened to this beloved ‘Harry Potter’ character?

Where in the world is the brave Gryffindor and brilliant witch, Lavender Brown? We thought she met her tragic demise during the Battle of Hogwarts, but now… we’re not so sure.

Recently, Pottermore was updated and with this overhaul came even more clues about what goes on inside the Wizarding World. Most importantly, one specific clue has Harry Potter fans flat out puzzled.

On Lavender Brown’s character page, it used to say that she was “presumed dead,” but – all of the sudden – that part of her profile has disappeared. Very suspicious. 

To get to the bottom of this mystery, fans have been doing their Rowling research as they attempt to come up with various theories. First of all, after the Battle of Hogwarts, Lavender was not listed among the dead. Fred Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Colin Creevy, and 50 other unnamed individuals were mentioned – but not Lavender. While she could be a part of the 50 people who were not named, it doesn’t make sense that Colin would be accounted for and that Lavender would be left out. After all, she did play a role in Harry’s life and was his fellow Gryffindor for seven years. (Also – she memorably dated his best friend Ron Weasley, so how could her name not be listed?) Here’s where the Internet banded together to solve this mystery.

So, if you remember correctly, the book version describes Fenrir Greyback getting ready to sink his teeth into Lavender, who just fell off a balcony. Hermione and Professor Trelawney then team up to prevent Greyback from harming Miss Brown. According to Chapter 32, “The Elder Wand,” this is exactly how it goes down:

When Lavender is examined after this rescue, it states that she’s injured and is not fully conscious, but that’s about it. (That leaves a lot of room for a Lavender comeback.)

Then again, the movie completely contradicts this idea. According to Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey, Lavender’s injuries led to her death. That would explain why Professor Trelawney and Parvati Patil (Lavender’s BFF) are shown pulling a sheet over a dead body in the Great Hall.

As you can imagine, this has started a debate between curious muggles. Some believe that the movie 100% proves Lavender’s death, but others aren’t as sure and prefer to look to the books for answers. Either way, there’s one magical source that all fans will turn to for confirmation: J.K. Rowling herself.

Since Rowling’s word is wizard law, her take on this matter would definitely end this downright mystifying debate.

(Images via Twitter and Warner Bros.)