Parvati and Padma Patil

"Come on! We're supposed to dance!"
     -- Parvati Patil to Harry

Patil, Parvati

(b. circa 1980)
Gryffindor, 1991 - 1998.
Identical twin sister of Padma.

Parvati has long dark hair which she wears in a plait. Harry by his fourth year thought her very pretty, while Dean Thomas considered her and her twin to be the best-looking girls in their year (GF23). Despite this, apparently neither girl had an escort to the Yule Ball of December 1994 until very late, when Parvati agreed to attend with Harry, who asked her after being turned down by Cho Chang (GF22). Harry was a rather disappointing escort, paying Parvati very little attention, and Parvati took up with a boy from Beauxbatons instead (GF23), and was somewhat cool toward Harry for quite some time afterward -- understandable on the whole, since he had ignored her vexation. Parvati wore robes of shocking pink with gold bracelets and braided her hair in plaits with gold.

Parvati's best friend is her fellow Gryffindor Lavender Brown. Both Parvati and Lavender are very impressed by Professor Trelawney and love Divination.

Parvati joined Dumbledore's Army in October 1995, attending the first meeting at the Hog's Head (OP16).

During their sixth year, Padma and her sister Parvati were among the students whose parents were so worried by Death Eater activity that they were almost called home.

Parvati fought in the Battle of Hogwarts (DH29).

Boggart: a mummy (not a cobra, that is only in the movies).

Possible name origins
parvati = the name of a Hindu goddess, the consort of Shiva (hindunet.org).
patil = a Hindi term used in central and southern India to refer to the head of a village (NSOED).
Other names: Professor Binns, never a good one for names, calls Parvati 'Miss Pennyfeather' (CS9).

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Patil, Padma

(b. circa 1980)
Ravenclaw, 1991 - 1998; prefect, 1995.
Identical twin sister of Parvati (see above for more detailed physical description).

Padma attended the Yule Ball in her fourth year (December 1994) with Ron Weasley, as a blind date arranged through her sister and Harry Potter (GF23), but it did not go well (GF24). Padma wore robes of bright turquoise (in the movie she wears pink and orange).

Padma was made a prefect in September 1995 (OP10), and joined Dumbledore's Army in October of that year. It is not known whether her attendance at the first meeting of what became Dumbledore's Army (OP16) was arranged through her sister Parvati, through Hermione Granger as a fellow prefect, through Ginny Weasley's connections in Ravenclaw House, or some combination thereof.

During their sixth year, Padma and her sister Parvati were some of the students whose parents were so worried by Death Eater activity that they were almost called home.

Padma fought in the Battle of Hogwarts (DH29).

Possible name origins
padma = Sanskrit for "lotus" (NSOED).
patil = a Hindi term used in central and southern India to refer to the head of a village (NSOED).

In the Movies
In the movies, both Patil sisters are in Gryffindor.

In "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Parvati was played by Sitara Shah (IMDb), but in "Goblet of Fire" and "Order of the Phoenix," Parvati is played by Shefali Chowdhury (IMDb).

Padma is played by Afshan Azad (IMDb).

Interview of Shefali and Afshan (cBBC).