- This article is about the fictional character Harry Potter. For information about the Harry Potter series, see Harry Potter.
Harry James Potter (born 31 July 1980 in Godric's Hollow, UK)[1] is a fictional character and the protagonist of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is the only son of James and Lily Potter.
Harry Potter has been portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe in all the Harry Potter films to date.
Biography
Prior to the Harry Potter novels
Harry is famous in the wizarding world for his encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort, one of the most powerful sorcerers of all time and the primary antagonist villain in the series, when he was just a year old. Voldemort mysteriously lost his powers in the encounter and was severely crippled, although he survived.
James and Lily Potter were killed in this incident in 1981 while protecting baby Harry from Voldemort's attack. James died first, and Lily's dying act - sacrificing herself to save her infant son - placed Harry under a spell of love and protection. Subsequently, Harry survived the Avada Kedavra or 'killing curse' that was cast against him by Voldemort.
Due to a spell of love and protection attributed to Harry after his mother's act of sacrifice, Voldemort's attempt to kill Harry backfired; resulting in the loss of his powers, as well as exile and eventual decline from a position of power and fear in the wizarding world. This event led to Harry being heralded as a celebrity - "The boy who lived"; due to him being the only person to ever survive the Avada Kedavra curse - a lightning-shaped scar being the sole remnant of the incident.
Despite the fact that Harry survived Voldemort's attempted murder, he still has no recollection as to why Voldemort lost his powers - in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, Harry confirms this fact when Voldemort questions him:
- I don't know why you lost your powers that night, but I know why you couldn't kill me ...
After the death of his parents, Harry was left with the only family he had left - his mother's sister, Petunia Dursley and her husband, Vernon in a small town in Surrey, England called Little Whinging. They neglected him in favour of their own son Dudley and in their attempt to remove all traces of his magical self to make him "normal," kept him fully isolated from the wizarding world.
Life and adventures while at Hogwarts
Harry did not even know that he was a wizard until his eleventh birthday, when Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts gamekeeper and aide to Professor Albus Dumbledore, explained to Harry his situation, and also told him of his fame in the wizarding community.
Shortly after this revelation, Harry began his studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he was placed in Gryffindor House, and made friends with Ron Weasley and later Hermione Granger. Draco Malfoy, however, is placed in Slytherin and becomes Harry's archnemesis at Hogwarts. He shared his dormitory with Ron, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Harry's first year was marked by many things, such as him being chosen for the position of Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team due to his natural flying abilities, even though first years usually never make the house team.
Harry did not let his fame go to his head, even though Gilderoy Lockhart and Colin Creevey in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets offered persistent reminders to him of his renown. In fact, Harry was annoyed by his high profile, and its effect on his relationships, causing various people either to fawn over him or hate him for it.
The protection granted to Harry by Lily's self-sacrifice helped him again in the Harry Potter series, when Lord Voldemort returned secretly to the wizarding world to search for the philosopher's stone to regain a body. Using Hogwarts teacher Professor Quirrell as a host body, Voldemort came to Hogwarts in his quest for the stone. Harry managed to thwart Voldemort and survived a confrontation with him on account of the protection afforded to him by his mother's final act. Voldemort was unable to touch Harry and fled, leaving Quirrell to die.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry started to change. He developed angry feelings because he believed Sirius Black to be responsible for the betrayal of his parents to Voldemort. Harry maintained this belief until he discovered that Black was his father's best friend, as well as Harry's godfather. Later on, he found that it was not Sirius who betrayed his parents, but a servant of Lord Voldemort's named Peter Pettigrew, who was a friend of Harry's father and of Sirius. By the end of the story, Sirius offered Harry something he has wanted all his life: a home away from the Dursley's. Harry was quick to accept, only to lose this opportunity when Sirius was forced to go on the run from the authorities, who still believed him to be a murderer.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry has been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, a competition that includes champions from three different schools; Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Durmstrang Institute. Although Albus Dumbledore put an age limit on the competition, Harry's name was mysteriously entered into the competition, and he was forced to compete as set forth by the rules made by the Ministry of Magic. Harry is forced to face a fire-breathing dragon, swim underwater for an hour to rescue Ron Weasley, his best friend, and find his way through a maze to get the Triwizard Cup. In the third and final task, Harry and Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts champion, reach the cup at the same time, and decide to win together, grasping the cup at the same time. They were not aware that the cup was a portkey, which transported them to the graveyard where Lord Voldemort's father was buried. Wormtail, Lord Voldemort's servant, kills Cedric with the Avada Kedavra curse. A spell is performed using the bone of Voldemort's father, the hand of his servant and the blood of his enemy (Harry) and Lord Voldemort returns to a near-human form. It is then that he summons his Death Eaters to his side, and ridicules them for not searching for him sooner. He then decides to "duel" with Harry before killing him. Unbeknownst to Voldemort, his wand and Harry's are brother wands, and due to that fact, when a spell is cast simultaneously from each, they form a connection, known as Priori Incantatem. This happens in the graveyard, and the spirits of those that Voldemort killed are extracted from his wand, including those of Lily and James Potter. James helps Harry to escape from the graveyard, by way of the portkey, and Harry arrives back at Hogwarts with Cedric's body in tow. Cedric asked him to bring it back for his parent's sake. It is in this novel that we are finally aware that Lord Voldemort has in fact returned to power.
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix after being rescued from the Dursleys by a group of wizards Harry is taken to 12 Grimmauld Place. This is the location of the Order of the Phoenix, a group of wizards who joined forces to fight Lord Voldemort the last time he was in power and who have regrouped now that Voldemort is back in power. He learns that in the wider wizarding community he and Albus Dumbledore are being called liars because he has said that Lord Voldemort is back. This is backed by the Ministry of Magic who fear what could happen if it were true so try and convince the Wizard community that it isn't. The Ministry becomes frightened that Dumbledore will try to raise an army against them so they place a person in the school as a spy. Delores Umbridge becomes the newest teacher in the Defence Against the Dark Arts position and has the title of High Inquisitor, the first ever at Hogwarts. Her position as High Inquisitor allows her to change the Education Laws so that the Ministry has more control of what happens at Hogwarts aswell as limit the freedoms of the students. She attempts to cause Harry to change his story to the one the Ministry is telling. But Harry will not change his story because he knows the truth and believes everyone should know. Umbridge punishes him by making him write lines with a pen that uses his own blood as ink. She also bans him from playing Quiddich. Throughout the year Harry is haunted by visions and these visions eventually cause him to go to the Ministry of Magic. There he is confronted by Voldemorts Death Eaters who are there to steal a prophecy from the Ministry. Harry, along with Ron, Hermione, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood foil the Death Eaters attempt. This incident brings the Order wizards to help fight. During the fight between the Order and the Death Eaters, Sirius Black dies. The fight brings Lord Voldemort to the Ministry as well as Dumbledore. This is the first and only battle shown between Dumbledore and Voldemort. Just as Voldemort leaves, Cornelius Fudge arrives and sees Voldemort who apparates away promptly. The Ministry now believes Harry and Dumbledore. At the end, Dumbledore finally tells Harry that it was the Prophecy that caused Voldemort to attempt to kill Harry when he was a child.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the wizarding population had come to consider Harry to be the 'Chosen One' as a result of a prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort. Dumbledore placed a great deal of trust in Harry, sharing with him memories viewed in the Pensieve regarding Lord Voldemort's past. He took Harry on an expedition to retrieve a supposed Horcrux, an object that contained a piece of Voldemort's soul and which would have to be destroyed in order to render Voldemort mortal. This horcrux was hidden in the centre of an Inferi-infested lake within a secluded cave. This set in motion events that led to Severus Snape killing the headmaster when Death Eaters invaded Hogwarts at the climax of the story. After Dumbledore's death Harry resolved that, whether Hogwarts remained open or not, he would not return to the school; instead, he decided to destroy Voldemort's four remaining Horcruxes. Draco Malfoy had a much larger role in this book; it was he who let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts through a Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement.
This will be followed by Harry's attempt to finally confront Voldemort himself. He does not shoulder this burden alone – Ron and Hermione will be there with him as well, at his side wherever he goes. The events of this final encounter are expected to be revealed in the seventh and final Harry Potter book.
Appearance, character and relationships
Harry is frequently told that he physically resembles his father James, but that he has his mother Lily's eyes. There is speculation that the resemblance of his eyes to his mother's will play a significant role in the next and final book. The lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, a remnant of his first meeting with Voldemort, has a great deal of prominence in the books. The scar serves as both a reminder of Voldemort's attempt to kill him as a baby and as an indicator of Voldemort's presence and/or severe mood swings. Also mentioned in the books is Harry's untidy black hair, which, to Aunt Petunia's chagrin, never wants to lay down properly. Harry's is also characterized by his trademarked round eyeglasses.
Harry's greatest desire is to be normal with a family that loves him, and for everyone he cares about to be safe and happy. He also comes to realize that this will never truly be possible as long as Voldemort still exists in any form. Harry often puts himself at risk for other people, and often tries to convince others not to put themselves in danger. For example, in the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he initially does not want Ron and Hermione to attempt to locate the philosopher's stone with him. This also occurs in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Ginny, Neville and Luna wish to join Harry, Ron, and Hermione on a rescue mission.
However, Harry is depicted with many flaws. He can be angered easily when his parents or others about whom he cares are insulted, or when people do not believe him. Like Ron, he is not always diligent with his studies. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry appears more disturbed and troubled, and is extremely temperamental, as he has to endure the entire wizarding world believing him to be an attention-seeking liar, along with the normal difficulties of being a teenager. Sometimes, Harry even gets angry with Ron and Hermione, especially when they argue with each other; most notably so when Ron and Harry have a row that lasts nearly a month in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Harry has always been isolated and alone. He has lost his parents, his godfather, and finally his last protector, Dumbledore. He tends to lean to towards Remus Lupin and the Weasleys whenever he needs help or advice. Mrs. Weasley in particular is something of a mother figure for Harry, and she treats him as any one of her sons. At other times, Hagrid will offer support to Harry but as he progresses as a teenager, his relationship with Hagrid diminishes ever so slightly.
Harry has a very strong sense of loyalty to others and expects loyalty in return. This streak has often prevented Harry from looking at things objectively and will occasionally prevent him from heeding constructive criticism even from friends such as Hermione.
Harry tends to feel very concerned about whom he can trust and whom he cannot. For example, Harry is reluctant to trust Severus Snape, the Potions Master, even though Snape has the open and firm confidence of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Since Harry has been raised by the Dursleys, and has experienced nightmarish events (witnessing the deaths of Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire, Sirius Black in Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince), Harry seems to feel rather misunderstood. Harry's feelings of isolation increase at the end of Order of the Phoenix when he learns that he alone must battle Voldemort to the death.
Romantic attachments
In Goblet of Fire, Harry develops his first crush on Cho Chang (though there are hints of it in Prisoner of Azkaban). During his fifth year, he has an on-and-off relationship with her and even kisses her under the mistletoe, but they split up at the end of the year. Technically, this break-up is as a result of Cho's friend Marietta Edgecombe's betrayal of Dumbledore's Army, but at the time this occurs their relationship is already faltering; they are simply not on the same wavelength, as Harry is quite clueless about how romance is supposed to be gone about in general and is unable (or indeed, unwilling) to deal with Cho's grief at the death of her late boyfriend Cedric Diggory or comically misplaced romantic jealousy of Hermione.
Harry's failed relationship with Cho is a contrast to his eventual relationship with Ginny Weasley, who J.K. Rowling has said she had set up to eventually become Harry's "ideal girl" and "total equal"[2]. This plot arc starts with Ginny's unrequited crush on Harry during Chamber of Secrets through to Goblet of Fire, which appears to serve mainly purposes of comic relief; it is however eventually revealed to be a case of ironic set-up, as in Order of The Phoenix Hermione tells Harry that Ginny has given up on him and in Half-Blood Prince, he develops apparently unrequited feelings for her, with which he struggles throughout the year (toward the end of Order of the Phoenix, Ginny entered into a relationship with Dean Thomas, and Harry is further convinced that Ginny's brother Ron, Harry's best friend, disapproves of her having anyone as a boyfriend). Things eventually work out for them – after Ginny and Dean break up, Harry is swept up in the high of Gryffindor's Quidditch Cup victory celebrations and spontaneously kisses her in front of the whole Common Room; Ron, who obviously has mixed feelings about this relationship, expresses his kind-of approval by giving a tiny jerk of the head that Harry understood to mean, "Well – if you must." The following few weeks are described as some of the happiest of Harry's life, a rare oasis for him in the darkness of the war. By the end of Half-Blood Prince, Harry breaks off his relationship with Ginny in an attempt to ensure her safety, fearing that Voldemort would target her specifically once he learned of their relationship. Ginny understands and accepts his decision, while hinting at a relationship if Harry defeats Lord Voldemort.
Harry Potter's Strengths
Harry's strong points include:
- Superlative reflexes.
- Is one of a small percentage of the magical population capable of successfully (and repetitively) casting a corporeal Patronus Charm to banish dementors from his presence.
- Furthermore, he was able to achieve the Patronus while only 13 years of age, whereas most Wizards and Witches cannot do so before reaching adulthood.
- The ability to remain level-headed, retain his composure, and plan strategically during (most) moments of extreme crisis.
- The ability to perform advanced feats of wizardry during moments of extreme crisis (such as initiating side-along apparition with another wizard in tow, or casting a patronus charm capable of dispelling one hundred dementors).
- Instinctive judge of character. Often seems to get an intuitive sense rather quickly of who is capable of being trusted.
- Being a Parselmouth, capable of understanding and conversing with snakes (acquired from Voldemort).
- Ability to fully resist the Imperius Curse, regardless of the level of power the caster is able to project (rebuffing even Voldemort's attempt prior to their duel in the graveyard following Voldemort's resurrection).
- A seemingly natural ability to fly on a broomstick.
- Great leadership abilities. He led Gryffindor to victory as Team Captain.
- Talent as a teacher. He was the de facto Teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts during his fifth year, when the official instructor simply was not doing her job.
- The ability to successfully use certain spells after witnessing others use them just once.
Family tree
Notable possessions
- A house at 12 Grimmauld Place (inherited from Sirius Black)
- A house-elf named Kreacher (reluctantly inherited from Sirius Black)
- A hippogriff named Buckbeak, now called Witherwings (inherited from Sirius Black, Currently housed at Hogwarts under Hagrid's care)
- A vast amount of wizarding gold in a vault in Gringotts inherited from his parents and later Sirius Black
- A Firebolt (a very good flying broom given to him as a Christmas present by Sirius Black)
- A Nimbus Two Thousand which was destroyed when it got too close to the Whomping Willow
- An Invisibility Cloak (Inherited from his father, received from Albus Dumbledore as a Christmas present in his first year)
- The Marauder's Map (given to him by Fred and George Weasley; drawn by friends Messrs. Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew), Moony (Remus Lupin), Padfoot (Sirius Black) and Prongs (James Potter, Harry's father)
- A pocket Sneakoscope (a birthday present from Ron)
- Hedwig, a snowy owl (a birthday present from Hagrid)
- A photo album with pictures of his parents and their friends (another present from Hagrid)
- A wand made using a phoenix feather. The originator of this feather, Fawkes, also happens to be the originator of the feather in Lord Voldemort's wand
- A broken two-way mirror (given to him by Sirius Black)
- An all-opening knife (given to him by Sirius Black), of which one blade was fused when trying to open a door at the Ministry of Magic
- A fake horcrux from someone known as R.A.B., which is in the shape of a locket
- A wooden flute, whitled by Hagrid and used in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to put Fluffy to sleep
- A Broomstick servicing kit, given to him by Hermione Granger for his birthday
- A number of Christmas sweaters knitted by Mrs. Weasley
- A small figurine of a Hungarian Horntail Dragon, obtained in the First Task of the Goblet of Fire.
Note
Harry Potter was recently voted among the 100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900
See also
References
- ^ Harry's eyes are described as green in the novels, although actor Daniel Radcliffe, who plays him in the film adaptations, has blue eyes.
- [2] "JKRowling.com Archives: Birthdays" from MuggleNet