Phyllida Spore

Dame Phyllida Spore was a witch who lived during the 15th century. A celebrated herbologist, she was the author of the textbook One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and also served as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Biography
Phyllida Spore lived in the 15th century. She studied herbology, writing One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, a textbook that was still used at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the 1990s.

Spore became the Headmistress of Hogwarts during her lifetime. At some point, she also earned the title "Dame", the female equivalent of the honor of knighthood in Great Britain.

Spore died sometime in or before 1995. Two portraits of her hung at Hogwarts: one painted in 1408 depicted a middle-aged woman, and another, hung in the Headmaster's office, depicted her as a younger witch with long dark hair sitting in a chair with skull-shaped finials.

Magical abilities and skills

 * Charms: As Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor Spore was an accomplished witch with sufficient skills in defensive spells and protective enchantments to control and maintain those surrounding Hogwarts.
 * Herbology: Spore was a skilled herbologist, having enough knowledge to write a textbook and several other books on the subject.
 * Healing magic: One of her books (Healing at Home with Herbs) specialized on the healing properties of those herbs.

Etymology
Phyllida is from the Greek word for "leaf" or "plant". Her surname, Spore, is a body produced by fungi, algae, and non-flowering plants that is very protective and resistant to drought.