Arabella Figg

Character
Name:	Arabella Doreen Figg
Occupation:	Kneazle breeder
Relationships:
Fandom:	Harry Potter
Other:	See also Squibs in Fanworks.
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Arabella Figg by eva21nesco (2014)

Arabella Figg is a minor character in the Harry Potter series.

Canon

Arabella Figg is a squib. She was a member of the Order of the Phoenix in the 1970s-1980s, and in 1981 was assigned to watch over Harry while he was growing up at the Dursleys' house. In 1995, she was asked to join the resurrected Order of the Phoenix. Later that summer, she testified to the Ministry of Magic that Harry used magic in the presence of a muggle to defend both of them from a dementor.

Fandom

The character was the subject of a great deal of interest during the three-year summer. Many fans had noticed that at the end of Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore listed someone named "Arabella Figg" as a member of the "old crowd," prompting speculation that she might be the same person as the "Mrs. Figg" mentioned in the first book. While that turned out to be true, it was incorrectly but widely assumed that this meant she would be a witch. She thus became a popular blank slate character in fanfiction, with common tropes including:

• She's an Auror.
• She's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
• Her elderly appearance is a disguise, and she's actually much younger and hotter.
• Building on the above, she attended Hogwarts with the Marauders.
• Building on the above, she was Sirius' love interest and Lily's best friend.

Of course, Order of the Phoenix did eventually come out and reveal that she was a squib, bringing a swift end to fanon!Arabella. After that, interest in the character waned considerably. Fanfics written after Deathly Hallows will usually assign the "Lily's best friend and Sirius' love interest" role to Marlene McKinnon.

Archives & Fannish Links

• Arabella Figg tag on the AO3
• Arabella Figg tag on FF.net

Resources

• Mrs. Figg at the HP Lexicon