Madam Rosmerta
Madam Rosmerta, the attractive landlady of the Three Broomsticks inn in Hogsmeade, is revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to have been placed under the Imperius Curse by Draco Malfoy, forced to act as his unwitting accomplice in two attempts on Albus Dumbledore's life: the cursed opal necklace that nearly killed Katie Bell and the poisoned bottle of mead that nearly killed Ron Weasley. Her cheerful public persona — she is known for her curvy figure, her flirtatious manner with male customers, and her excellent oak-matured mead — masks a long period of magical enslavement that turns her into a key conduit for Malfoy's plot, a role she plays until the night of Dumbledore's murder, when her own desperate warning to Harry and Dumbledore finally breaks the curse's hold on her actions.
Identity and Public Persona
Madam Rosmerta is the proprietress of the Three Broomsticks, the most popular pub in the wizarding village of Hogsmeade. She is described as curvy and attractive, and her establishment is a regular destination for Hogwarts students on their Hogsmeade weekends. Ron Weasley, in particular, has long nursed a soft spot for her, a fact that Hermione Granger notes with waspish amusement when she catches him staring at the barmaid. Rosmerta's pub is known for its warm, toffee-scented air and its excellent drinks, including the oak-matured mead that Horace Slughorn later attempts to give to Dumbledore as a Christmas gift. She is also on friendly terms with Albus Dumbledore, who sometimes visits her establishment for a drink, using the pretext of a trip to Hogsmeade to disguise his true destinations when leaving the school on secret missions.
Enslavement and Coercion
At some point during the school year, Draco Malfoy places Madam Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse, taking control of her will and actions. He communicates with her using enchanted coins, a method he copied from Dumbledore's Army. Under Malfoy's control, Rosmerta is forced to lurk in her own pub's bathroom and pass the cursed opal necklace to any Hogwarts student who enters the room unaccompanied. Katie Bell, who had gone into the bathroom, receives the necklace and is instructed to deliver it to someone at Hogwarts; she nearly dies when she accidentally touches it. Rosmerta is also compelled to poison a bottle of mead before sending it to Horace Slughorn, who had intended it as a Christmas gift for Dumbledore. The poisoned mead instead reaches Ron Weasley, who nearly dies before Harry Potter saves him with a bezoar. Dumbledore later deduces Rosmerta's role, noting that Filch would not think to check a bottle from her establishment.
The Night of Dumbledore's Death
On the night of Dumbledore's murder, Madam Rosmerta witnesses Harry and Dumbledore Apparate into Hogsmeade after their ordeal in the cave. She rushes out to meet them, still under the Imperius Curse, and reports the appearance of the Dark Mark over Hogwarts. It is she who provides the brooms that allow Harry and Dumbledore to fly back to the castle. Dumbledore, even in his weakened state, immediately understands the situation, asking her, "How long has she been under the Imperius Curse?" and confirming that Rosmerta had tipped off Malfoy about Dumbledore's departure using the enchanted coins. After Dumbledore's death, Harry informs Professor McGonagall of Rosmerta's enslavement, revealing her role in the necklace and mead plots. The curse is presumably lifted after Malfoy's flight from the school, though the full extent of her recovery is not shown.
Narrative Significance
Madam Rosmerta's role as an unwitting accomplice underscores the insidious nature of the Imperius Curse and the vulnerability of even seemingly safe, familiar places in wartime. Her enslavement allows Malfoy to orchestrate two near-fatal attacks without ever being physically present at the scene, creating a chain of causality that Harry and Dumbledore must unravel. Her character also serves as a tragic figure: a cheerful, independent businesswoman reduced to a tool of assassination, her will erased by a teenage boy acting on Voldemort's orders. The revelation of her condition, and Dumbledore's calm deduction of it, adds a layer of horror to the already tense final chapters, showing how the war has corrupted even the most ordinary corners of the wizarding world.
