Trading Cards
Famous Wizard Cards/Wizards of the Month History Legends and Lore Magic and magical theory Notable Witches and Wizards

Famous Wizard Cards

FW: The Famous Wizard Cards

Famous Wizard Cards are (in the books) collected and traded by students and referred to as Chocolate Frog Cards. However, “real” versions of these cards exist, created by Rowling herself, providing a fascinating look into the vast scope of Wizarding history.

After the release of the fourth book, the world of Harry Potter expanded quite dramatically. Rowling sold the film rights of the series to Warner Bros. and also signed merchandising contracts with a number of companies. In order for some of these products to be made, additional information about the Harry Potter universe was required. Rather than let others create this information, Rowling did it herself. The 101 famous wizard cards are one of the results of that effort. These cards are NOT the cards from the Trading Card game, although she may have contributed to them as well. There has been some confusion about this since Rowling stated on her website that she wrote the “original famous wizard cards.”

There are three types of Harry Potter cards available. The first is the Harry Potter Trading Card Game, which Wizards of the Coast put out a few years ago. It was a really spectacular game, somewhat similar to Magic. The game was going strong and doing well until Yu-Gi-Oh came along. The game was discontinued a year later at a most unfortunate point, since a new series had just been released to coincide with the release of the second film and several of the cards in that series were broken (which means they allowed for unfair play). Typically, broken cards in a trading card game are fixed in the next series released, but there never was another series and so the final version of the game can be unplayable in some instances. The cards for this game contain a lot of new information, including the first names of some characters, but we still haven’t been able to determine how much input Rowling had into them, so they remain non-canon.

I have talked with Wizards of the Coast about this and all they are allowed to say is that Rowling worked with their people to assure the accuracy of the information. I have since learned from them and from the folks at Electronic Arts that companies which create Harry Potter information are forbidden by contract to claim to present “new Harry Potter information.” In other words, they can’t say that their product is canon, even if it is by our definition.

The second type of Harry Potter cards were trading cards with photos from the films. These cards offer no additional information, they’re basically souvenirs of the films, and the films definitely aren’t canon.

The third type of cards are the Famous Wizard cards, the ones Jo was talking about on her site. These cards have appeared in several forms. They are included in the candy Chocolate Frogs you can buy in the store (and there are several series of these cards, some created by none other than Wizards of the Coast, which strongly suggests a link between them and the Trading Card game). They also appear in the Electronic Arts video games, and it is from those games that we get the entire list of 101 cards. Jo used some of the information from the Famous Wizard/Chocolate Frog cards for her website’s Wizard of the Month.

The Lexicon has the complete and ultimate list of all that information, information which we now know is canon. In order to gather all available data, we had to track down each card from each source, since some include additional details that others don’t have.

Calendar and Dates

The cards cover over two thousand years of Wizarding history, starting with Ancient Greece and ending with Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter c. 2000.

Interesting facts and notes

The following cards are mentioned in the books, given with the further information from the Famous Wizard cards:

Agrippa
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, 1486-1535, German mystic and alchemist.

FW:
Cornelius Agrippa
Author
1486 - 1535
Celebrated wizard imprisoned by Muggles for his writing, because they thought his books were evil.

Circe (SEER-see)
Circe, in Greek mythology, is a sorceress who lives on an island called Aeaea, near Italy. Circe was able to turn people into beasts.

FW:
Circe
Ancient Greek, dates unknown
Lived on the island of Aeaea. Expert at turning lost sailors into pigs.

Cliodna (CLEEV-nah)
Celtic Irish goddess of beauty, the eldest daughter of the last Druid of Ireland.

FW:
Cliodne
Bird Animagus
Medieval, dates unknown
The beautiful Irish druidess Cliodne had three magical birds that sang the sick to sleep and cured them. Legends say that she could take the shape of a sea bird or change into a wave. Her favorite hobby was flying. She discovered the properties of moondew.

Grunnion, Alberic
Could possibly be in recognition of 'Alberich,' a powerful wizard from "Song of the Nibelungen." The poem is mythical, but was the basis for Wagner's Ring Cycle. In Wagner's version, Alberich makes a ring from gold that he has found and places a curse on it against its thief! Interestingly, one of the prizes given to a 'hero' of the Ring Cycle is an Invisibility Cloak. (contributed by Adrian Allum)

FW:
Alberic Grunnion
1803 - 1882
Inventor of the Dungbomb.

Hengist of Woodcroft
Hengist was a Saxon King of Britain shortly before King Arthur's time, who helped King Vortigern defeat Scot and Pict rebels. Later, he led a rebellion of his own, and eventually founded the county of Kent. (contributed by Adrian Allum)

FW:
Hengist of Woodcroft
Founder of Hogsmeade
Medieval, dates unknown
Driven away from his home by Muggle persecutors, Hengist is supposed to have settled in Scotland where he founded the village of Hogsmeade. Some say the Three Broomsticks Inn used to be his home.

Paracelsus (par-a-SELL-sus)
Alchemical genius. Auroleus Phillipus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, known as "Paracelsus," was born in 1493.

FW:
Paracelsus
Alchemist
Dates Unknown
Very little is known about this secretive wizard.

Ptolemy (TOL-uh-mee)
Claudius Ptolemy, born c. 85 AD. Geographer and astronomer.

FW:
Claudius Ptolemy
85 – unknown

Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts, renowned as the greatest sorcerer of the present age.

FW:
Albus Dumbledore
1881-1997

Merlin
Wizard, famous for his role in the King Arthur chronicles. Tutored the young Arthur before he knew who he was and what role he was to play in history.

FW:
Merlin
Charms Specialist
Medieval, dates unknown
Most famous wizard of all time. Sometimes known as the Prince of Enchanters. Part of the Court of King Arthur. (King Arthur once ruled the land that is now part of England.) Merlin wanted wizards to help Muggles, so he created the Order of Merlin. The Order made rules against using magic on Muggles.

Morgana
The famous witch Morgana, like Merlyn, figures into the King Arthur legend. According to the legend, Morgan le Fay, or Morgana, was the witch in the castle that Wart and Kay encountered with Robin Wood (Robin Hood for the unenlightened), Maid Marian, Little John, and the merry men to rescue Friar Tuck, the Dog Boy, and an old man named Wat. Morgana was the child of the Duke of Cornwall and Igraine, the woman Uther Pendragon seduced to have Arthur. (contributed by William Givens)

FW:
Morgan le Fay
Bird Animagus
Medieval, dates unknown
Also known as Morgana, she was King Arthur's half sister. She was a dark sorceress, Merlin's enemy and she affected many events during her time. She was the queen of the island of Avalon, and she had great skill as a healer.

 

Famous Witches and Wizards Trading Cards

The video games from Electronic Arts feature many Famous Wizard cards. Here's the complete list of the 101 from the Chamber of Secrets game. Below it are the additional cards which are found in the Prisoner of Azkaban game. The numbering is from the original list which placed the cards in chronological order. That numbering is no longer used, since new cards have been interspersed in the list.

Paracelsus
Alchemist
Dates Unknown
Very little is known about this secretive wizard.

Andros the Invincible
Ancient Greek, dates unknown
Alleged to have been the only known wizard to produce a Patronus the size of a giant.

Circe
Ancient Greek, dates unknown
Lived on the island of Aeaea. Expert at turning lost sailors into pigs.

Herpo the Foul
Ancient Greek, dates unknown
First known creator of the Basilisk.

Mopsus
Ancient Greek, dates unknown
Ancient Greek soothsayer who vanquished the Seer Calchas in a contest of their powers.

Cliodne
Bird Animagus
Medieval, dates unknown
The beautiful Irish druidess Cliodne had three magical birds that sang the sick to sleep and cured them. Legends say that she could take the shape of a sea bird or change into a wave. Her favorite hobby was flying. She discovered the properties of moondew.

Ethelred the Ever-Ready
Medieval, dates unknown
Famous for taking offense at nothing and cursing innocent bystanders. Died in jail.

Morgan le Fay
Bird Animagus
Medieval, dates unknown
Also known as Morgana, she was King Arthur's half sister. She was a dark sorceress, Merlin's enemy and she affected many events during her time. She was the queen of the island of Avalon, and she had great skill as a healer.

Gregory the Smarmy
Medieval, dates unknown
Famous originator of Gregory's Unctuous Unction - a potion to persuade the drinker that the giver is their very best friend.

Godric Gryffindor
Co-Founder of Hogwarts
Medieval, dates unknown
Co-founder of Hogwarts. Gave his name to one of the four Hogwarts houses.

Hengist of Woodcroft
Founder of Hogsmeade
Medieval, dates unknown
Driven away from his home by Muggle persecutors, Hengist is supposed to have settled in Scotland where he founded the village of Hogsmeade. Some say the Three Broomsticks Inn used to be his home.

Helga Hufflepuff
Co-Founder of Hogwarts
Medieval, dates unknown
Co-founder of Hogwarts. Gave her name to one of the four Hogwarts houses. She brought people from different walks of life together to help build Hogwarts and was loved for her charming ways.

Queen Maeve
Medieval, dates unknown
Witch who trained young sorcerers in Ireland prior to the establishment of Hogwarts.

Merlin
Charms Specialist
Medieval, dates unknown
Most famous wizard of all time. Sometimes known as the Prince of Enchanters. Part of the Court of King Arthur. (King Arthur once ruled the land that is now part of England.) Merlin wanted wizards to help Muggles, so he created the Order of Merlin. The Order made rules against using magic on Muggles.

Merwyn the Malicious
Medieval, dates unknown
Credited with the invention of many unpleasant jinxes and hexes.

Rowena Ravenclaw
Co-Founder of Hogwarts
Medieval, dates unknown
Co-founder of Hogwarts. Gave her name to one of the four Hogwarts houses. It's thought that she came up with the ever-changing floor plan. She's best remembered for her intelligence and creativity.

Salazar Slytherin
Co-Founder of Hogwarts
Medieval, dates unknown
Co-founder of Hogwarts. Gave his name to one of the four Hogwarts houses.

Uric the Oddball
Eccentric
Medieval, dates unknown
Highly eccentric wizard who is famed for, among other things, wearing a jellyfish for a hat. No one knows if he meant to be the weirdest wizard of the ages or if it just came naturally.

Wendelin the Weird
Medieval, dates unknown
Alleged to have enjoyed being burnt at the stake so much that she allowed herself to be captured over 47 times in various disguises (PA2). [Note: the Wizard Card gives the number of times she was captured as 14].

Fulbert the Fearful
Medieval, dates unknown
Famous for being so cowardly he never ventured out of his house. Died when a Defensive Charm backfired and the roof fell in.

Wilfred Elphick
1112 - 1199
First wizard to be gored by an African Erumpent.

Bridget Wenlock
1202 - 1285
Famous Arithmancer. First to establish the magical properties of the number seven.

Ignatia Wildsmith
1227 - 1320
The witch who invented Floo powder.

Cyprian Youdle
1312 - 1357
Only Quidditch referee ever to die during a match. The originator of the curse was never caught but believed to have been a member of the crowd.

Chauncey Oldridge
1342 - 1379
First known victim of Dragon Pox.

Gifford Ollerton
Giant-Slayer
1390 - 1441
Famous giant-slayer. Killed the giant Hengist of Upper Barnton, and became the town's local hero.

Alberta Toothill
1391 - 1483
Winner of the All-England Wizarding Duelling Competition of 1430. Famously overcame the favorite, Samson Wiblin, with a Blasting Curse.

Burdock Muldoon
1429 - 1490
Chief of Wizards' Council (1448 - 1450).

Quong Po
Magical Creatures Specialist
1443 - 1539
Born in China, Quong Po studied Chinese Fireball dragons, or Liondragons, and discovered the uses of their powdered eggs.

Yardley Platt
1446 - 1557
Serial goblin-killer.

Felix Summerbee
1447 - 1508
Inventor of Cheering Charms.

Daisy Dodderidge
Tavern Keeper
1467 - 1555
Daisy Dodderidge built the Leaky Cauldron inn to serve as a gateway between the non-wizarding world and Diagon Alley. Wizards and witches of her day loved her generosity and the welcoming atmosphere of her pub.

Cornelius Agrippa
Author
1486 - 1535
Celebrated wizard imprisoned by Muggles for his writing, because they thought his books were evil.

Bowman Wright
Metal Charmer
1492 - 1560
Mother was a witch, and father was a Muggle. He is famous for combining his loves of magic, science, and sports by creating the Golden Snitch, which greatly improved the game of Quidditch.

Montague Knightley
1506 - 1588
Wizard Chess Champion.

Musidora Barkwith
1520 - 1666
Composer of the unfinished "Wizarding Suite," which features an exploding tuba. Has been banned since its last performance in 1902, when it blew the roof out of Ackerley Town Hall.

Gunhilda of Gorsemoor
Healer
1556 - 1639
One-eyed, hump-backed witch famous for developing a cure for Dragon Pox. When she died, everyone who knew her felt great sorrow, for she was a talented and hardworking healer.

Mungo Bonham
1560 - 1659
Famous wizard healer. Founded Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Balfour Bane
1566 - 1629
Established the Committee on Experimental Charms.

Archibald Alderton
1568 - 1623
Famous for blowing up the hamlet of Little Dropping in Hampshire while attempting to magically mix a birthday cake.

Almerick Sawbridge
1602 - 1699
Famous for conquering the river troll that was terrorizing crossers of the Wye River.

Elfrida Clagg
1612 - 1687
Chieftainess of Warlock's Council.

Dymphna Furmage
1612 - 1698
Famously abducted by pixies while on vacation in Cornwall, she lived in mortal dread of them thereafter.

Thaddeus Thurkell
1632 - 1692
Famous for producing seven Squib sons and turning them all into hedgehogs in disgust.

Havelock Sweeting
1634 - 1710
Unicorn expert.

Elladora Ketteridge
1656 - 1729
Witch who discovered the use of Gillyweed when she nearly suffocated after eating it and recovered only when she stuck her head into a bucket of water.

Honoria Nutcombe
1665 - 1743
Founded the Society for the Reformation of Hags.

Lord Stoddard Withers
Magical Creatures Specialist
1642 - 1769
Breeder of flying horses. He tried to create interest in a cross between Quidditch and polo played on flying horses, but the sport never became popular.

Glanmore Peakes
1677 - 1761
Famous slayer of the Sea Serpent of Cromer.

Edgar Stroulger
1703 - 1798
Inventor of the Sneakoscope.

Flavius Belby
1715 - 1791
Only wizard ever to survive a Lethifold attack.

Gondoline Oliphant
1720 - 1799
Famous for studies of life and habits of trolls. Clubbed to death in the Cotswolds while sketching.

Glover Hipworth
1742 - 1805
Inventor of the Pepperup Potion, cure for the common cold.

Beaumont Marjoribanks
Herbology Specialist
1742 - 1845
Pioneer of Herbology and collector of many rare and magical flowers, including underwater varieties. Discovered Gillyweed.

Gulliver Pokeby
1750 - 1839
Expert on magical birds. First to identify meaning of Augurey song.

Xavier Rastrick
1750 - 1836
Flamboyant wizard entertainer who vanished unexpectedly while tap dancing to a crowd of 300 in Painswick and was never seen again.

Artemisia Lufkin
1754 - 1825
First witch to become Minister for Magic.

Grogan Stump
1770 - 1884
Popular Minister for Magic, appointed in 1811.

Beatrix Bloxam
1794 - 1810
Author of Toadstool Tales, a series of children's books since banned because they have been found to cause nausea and vomiting.

Crispin Cronk
1795 - 1872
Sent to Azkaban for continuing to keep sphinxes in his back garden despite repeated warnings.

Alberic Grunnion
1803 - 1882
Inventor of the Dungbomb.

Dorcas Wellbeloved
1812 - 1904
Founder of the Society for Distressed Witches.

Laverne de Montmorency
1823 - 1893
Inventor of many love potions.

Leopoldina Smethwyck
1829 - 1910
First British witch to referee a Quidditch match.

Mirabella Plunkett
1839 - unknown
Famous for falling in love with a merman in Loch Lomond while on vacation. When her family forbade her to marry him, she transfigured herself into a haddock and was never seen again.

Oswald Beamish
1850 - 1932
Pioneer of goblin rights.

Justus Pilliwickle
1862 - 1953
Celebrated head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Sacharissa Tugwood
Inventor
1874 - 1966
Pioneer of Beautifying Potions. Discovered pimple-curing properties of Bubotuber pus. The words on her gravestone read, 'Thanks to Sacharissa Tugwood, the world is a more beautiful place.'

Hesper Starkey
1881 - 1973
Witch who studied the use of phases of the moon in potion making.

Norvel Twonk
1888 - 1957
Died saving a Muggle child from a runaway manticore.

Roderick Plumpton
1889 - 1987
Seeker for England's Quidditch team. Holds British record for fastest capture of the Golden Snitch during game: three and a half seconds.

Cassandra Vablatsky
1894 - 1997
Celebrated Seer and author of Unfogging the Future.

Newt Scamander
Author
1897 - present
Celebrated author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He is currently studying fire slugs in the Brazilian rainforest.

Adalbert Waffling
1899 - 1981
Famous magical theoretician. This famous thinker wrote all about magic. Every modern witch and wizard has learned from his writings.

Perpetua Fancourt
1900 - 1991
Witch who invented the Lunascope.

Roland Kegg
1903 - present
President of English Gobstones team.

Tilly Toke
1903 - 1991
Gained Order of Merlin, First Class, for saving Muggle lives during the Ilfracombe Incident of 1932, when a dragon swooped down on a beach full of sunbathers.

Joscelind Wadcock
1911 - present
Chaser for Puddlemere United Quidditch team.

Derwent Shimpling
Comedian
1912 - present
Ate an entire Venomous Tentacula for a bet and survived, though still purple. Wizards and witches everywhere love his silly sense of humor and his boldness.

Jocunda Sykes
1915 - present
Famous for flying across the Atlantic on a broomstick - the first person to do so.

Celestina Warbeck
1917 - present
Popular singing sorceress.

Blenheim Stalk
Muggle expert and author of many books, including Muggles Who Notice, a study of Muggle awareness of magic.

Miranda Goshawk
1921 - present
Famous spell-book writer.

Carlotta Pinkstone
1922 - present
Famous campaigner for lifting the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy and telling Muggles that wizards exist.

Bertie Bott
Inventor
1935 - present
Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans were created by him quite by mistake. His original purpose was to create tasty candies from food. He accidentally included a pair of dirty socks in his experiment!

Devlin Whitehorn
Inventor
1945 - present
Founder of the Nimbus Racing Broom Company in 1967. He helped design Nimbus brooms, which revolutionized the game of Quidditch. An expert flyer, he is an avid Quidditch fan who enjoys watching or playing games whenever he can.

Gaspard Shingleton
1959 - present
Celebrated inventor of the Self-Stirring Cauldron.

Greta Catchlove
1960 - present
Author of Charm Your Own Cheese.

Glenda Chittock
1964 - present
Popular presenter of the W.W.N. (Wizarding Wireless Network) program Witching Hour.

Gwenog Jones
Quidditch Captain
1968 - present
Captain and Beater of only all-female national Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies. After a game she enjoys relaxing with friends, drinking Butterbeer, and listening to The Weird Sisters.

Dunbar Oglethorpe
1968 - present
Chief of Q.U.A.B.B.L.E. (Quidditch Union for the Administration and Betterment of the British League and its Endeavours).

Myron Wagtail
1970 - present
Lead singer of popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters.

Kirley Duke
1971 - present
Plays lead guitar with the popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters.

Donaghan Tremlett
Entertainer
1972 - present
Bass player with the popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters. Muggle-born, Donaghan is a big fan of the Quidditch team called the Kenmare Kestrels.

Heathcote Barbary
1974 - present
Plays rhythm guitar with the popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters.

Herman Wintringham
1974 - present
Plays lute with the popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters.

Gideon Crumb
1975 - present
Plays bagpipes with the popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters.

Orsino Thruston
1976 - present
Plays drums with the popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters.

Merton Graves
1978 - present
Plays cello with the popular wizarding band The Weird Sisters.

Harry Potter
1980 - present
"The boy who lived."

Albus Dumbledore
1881-1997

Claudius Ptolemy
85 – unknown

New for the Prisoner of Azkaban game:
Famous Wizards:

Professor Armando Dippet
Former Headmaster of Hogwarts, c. 1940.

Dzou Yen
4th Century B.C.
Chinese Alchemist.

Falco Aesalon
Ancient Greek
The first recorded example of an Animagus, he could transform himself into a falcon.

Quidditch:

Barberus Bragge
Introduced the Golden Snidget into Quidditch in 1269, changing the face of the game forever.

Edgar Cloggs
Ghost who has been hanging around the (Hogwarts) Quidditch Pitch as long as anyone can remember. Edgar was obviously a pretty good player in his day.

Famous Vampire Cards:

Sir Herbert Varney
1858-1889.
Short-lived (by undead standards) Victorian vampire who preyed upon women in London during the 1880s. Was subsequently captured and killed by a special squad from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Amarillo Lestoat
1776-1977.
Flamboyant American vampire. Author of A Vampire's Monologue - intended to bore the reader into a stupor making him/her easier prey for vampires.

Lady Carmilla Sanguina
1561-1757.
Bathed in the blood of her victims to retain her youthful beauty.

Blodwyn Bludd
1923 - Unknown.
Known as the "vampire from the Valleys". Famous for singing to his victims in a sonorous bass baritone, before biting their necks.

Count Vlad Drakul
1390 - Unknown.
Notorious vampire who inspired the fictional Count Dracula created by Bram Stoker. Father of Vlad the Impaler.

Famous Goblin Cards:

Eargit the Ugly
Goblin representative at 14th century summit of the Wizards' Council.

Alguff the Awful
Foul-smelling goblin nuisance. Well known throughout the goblin world for trying to sell vials of his sweat to a Dungbomb manufacturer.

Ug the Unreliable
Notorious goblin confidence trickster. Organized the infamous Demiguise Derby and absconded with the takings.

Urg the Unclean
Rebel leader in the 18th century goblin rebellions.

Gringott
Founder of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Famous Hag Cards:

Babayaga
Medieval, dates unknown.
Russian hag who dwelled in a hut that stood on giant chicken legs. Ate children for breakfast - and presumably for lunch and tea.

Malodora Grymm
Medieval, dates unknown.
Using a beautification potion to conceal her true form, she married a king and used a charmed mirror to reinforce her self-image. Became jealous of the most beautiful girl in the land and fed her a poisoned apple.

Leticia Somnolens
Medieval, dates unknown.
This spiteful hag was jealous of the king's daughter and caused her to prick her finger on a spindle tainted with a Draught of the Living Death. A young wizard who had smeared his lips with Wiggenweld potion kissed the princess and brought her out of her trance.

Old Mother Hubbard
Medieval, dates unknown.
Lured stray animals into her home and starved them to death.

Cordelia Misericordia
1298-1401.
Hag representative at 14th century summit of the Wizards' Council.

Famous Giant Cards:

Bran the Bloodthirsty
Medieval, dates unknown.
Lived in a castle on top of an enchanted Beanstalk. Apparently fond of eating bread made with ground bones and washed down with the blood of an Englishman. Was slain by a boy named Jack.

Cyclops
Ancient Greek, dates unknown.
A one-eyed giant who lived in a cave at the foot of Mount Etna. With the help of several sheep, was slain by the Greek hero Odysseus.

Goliath
Biblical, dates unknown.
Mercenary giant used by the Philistines in their war with the Israelites. Was slain by a young boy with a slingshot.

Morholt
Ancient Celtic, dates unknown.
Gigantic brother of the King of Ireland. Wounded Tristan, the Celtic hero, with a poisoned sword when the latter tried to kill him.

Hengist of Upper Barnton
15th century.
Giant killed by the famous giant-slayer Gifford Ollerton.

Characters Introduced

Other canon
Famous Wizard Cards
Publication
Alternate Title Wizard of the Month (JKR), Chocolate Frog Cards
Abbreviation FW: The Famous Wizard Cards
Canonicity Secondary Canon

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The Harry Potter Canon