Harry Potter Characters

Harry Potter

Harry is the main character of the series. He is an orphan who lives with his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin after his parents, James and Lily Potter, were killed. He always believed that his parents died in a car accident, when in fact they were killed by Voldemort.

That killing curse, which was aimed at Harry, ricocheted and hit Voldemort, giving Harry his lightning-bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. The summer that Harry turns 11, he receives his invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is sorted into Gryffindor after he asks the Sorting Hat not to put him in Slytherin.

Ronald Weasley

Ron Weasley is Harry’s best friend and fellow Gryffindor. Ron comes from a magical family with seven children. He is the 6th boy, and he has one sister, the youngest. The Weasley family is known for their red hair. Ron is extremely brave and a loyal friend.

Hermione Granger

Hermione is Ron and Harry’s brilliant best friend. She is a Muggle-born student whose parents are dentists. She is extremely brave, as well as resourceful and a passionate activist for magical creatures. She can perform advanced magic well beyond her years.

Harry Potter Characters: Hogwarts Professors and Staff

Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore is the long-time Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His full name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

He is considered one of the most powerful wizards of all time. He is known for having defeated Grindelwald in an epic duel. In the first book, we learn that Dumbledore also worked with Nicholas Flamel. Dumbledore also founded the Order of the Phoenix. He is an essential parental figure for Harry and provides him with guidance in his quest to defeat Voldemort.

Severus Snape

Severus is the Potions Master in books 1 through 5, and then becomes the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in the sixth book. Severus is also the Head of Slytherin House. Severus had a difficult relationship with Harry. Throughout the books, we learn that Severus hated Harry because he looked so much like his father. Severus and James Potter had a very contentious relationship because of how James treated Severus when they were in school together.

• Rubeus Hagrid– Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. He is a half-giant, half-wizard who was sorted into Gryffindor when he was a student. He was expelled in his third year of school after being framed for opening the Chamber of Secrets. He becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor in book three.
• Minerva McGonagall– Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration professor. She is also a registered Animagus who can transform into a Tabby cat.
• Filius Flitwick– Head of Ravenclaw House and Charms professor. He is part Goblin.
• Pomona Sprout– Head of Hufflepuff House and Head of the Herbology department. Grew Mandrakes to cure those that were petrified in Chamber of Secrets.
• Sybil Trelawney– Professor of divination and a Seer. Professor Umbridge dismisses her during Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts. Dumbledore allows her to keep living at the school.
• Argus Filch– Caretaker at Hogwarts and a Squib. He is extremely keen to catch students out of bed after curfew.
• Madam Hooch– Flying instructor and Quidditch referee and coach.
• Madam Pomfrey– Hogwarts nurse
• Quirinus Quirrell– The Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher during Harry’s first year (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
• Gilderoy Lockhart– The Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher during Harry’s second year (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
• Remus Lupin– The Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher during Harry’s third year. (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). He was best Friends with James Potter when they were in school. Later married Nymphadora Tonks.
• Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody– The Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher during Harry’s fourth year and the Triwizard Tournament (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ). He is a retired Auror.
• Dolores Umbridge– The Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher during Harry’s fifth year (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). Appoints herself the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. She gave out abusive punishments to the students and tried to dismiss Professor Trelawney.
• Horace Slughorn– Potions teacher during Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince).

More Harry Potter Characters: The Weasley Family

Every person in the Weasley family was sorted into Gryffindor House

• Arthur Weasley– Works at the Ministry of Magic, obsessed with all things muggle
• Molly Weasley– Powerful witch who is very protective of her family and her friends
• Bill (William Arthur) Weasley– Worked at Gringotts Bank as a curse-breaker. Married to Fleur Delacour
• Charlie (Charles) Weasley– Studies dragons in Romania
• Percy (Percy Ignatius) Weasley– The most serious Weasley sibling who has aspirations to work at the Ministry of Magic
• Fred & George Weasley (Twins)– Rules were made to be broken by this set of twins. They gave Harry the Marauder’s Map. They played constant jokes and eventually opened Weasleys ‘ Wizard Wheezes, a joke shop.
• Ginny (Ginevra) Weasley- The only daughter in the Weasley house, is a talented witch.

Harry Potter’s Friends and Classmates

• Neville Longbottom– Neville is in Gryffindor with Harry and Ron. He is the only child of Frank and Alice Longbottom, Aurors who were members of the original Order of the Phoenix.
• Luna Lovegood– Luna was raised by her father, Xenophilius, who is the editor of the magazine The Quibbler. Luna was sorted into Ravenclaw House.
• Seamus Finnigan– Part of Gryffindor House and is best friends with Dean Thomas. Initially doubted Harry when he said that Voldemort was back, but eventually came to believe him and joined Dumbledore’s Army.
• Dean Thomas– Dean was a member of Gryffindor House, a Chaser on the Quidditch team, and part of Dumbledore’s army.
• Parvati and Padma Patil- Both are in Gryffindor House in the original movies. In the books, Parvati is in Gryffindor and Padma is in Ravenclaw.
• Lavender Brown– Lavender loves Divination and is part of Gryffindor House. She dated Ron briefly in the sixth book.
• Oliver Wood, Cormac McLaggen, Lee Jordan, Katie Bell, Colin Creevey– All members of Gryffindor House
• Cho Chang– Cho is part of Ravenclaw House. She played on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and dated Cedric Diggory. Later, Cho and Harry had a brief relationship.
• Cedric Diggory– Cedric was the Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard Tournament. Cedric is part of Hufflepuff House.

The Malfoys and Slytherin

Draco Malfoy

As a member of Slytherin House, he immediately develops a rivalry with Harry when he belittles Ron. Harry realizes what kind of person Draco is, and asks the sorting hat not to put him in Slytherin.

• Lucius Malfoy– He is an aristocrat and a Death Eater. He is a huge supporter of Voldemort and avoided prison by pretending he was under the Imperius Curse. Married to Narcissa; son: Draco.
• Narcissa Malfoy– Narcissa (nee Black) is married to Lucius. Although she was never a Death Eater, she did believe in maintaining pure-blood status.
• Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle– Draco’s best friends and cronies from Slytherin House
• Pansy Parkinson– Good friends with Draco, part of Slytherin House, and in favor of turning Harry over to Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts.

The Order of the Phoenix

The Order of the Phoenix set up headquarters at 12 Grimmauld Place

• Remus Lupin– Member of the Order during the first and second Wizarding Wars
• Nymphadora Tonks– Sorted into Hufflepuff when she was a student at Hogwarts. She is an Auror. Tonks is related to the Black Family. She is a Metamorphmagus (can change the way she looks).
• Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody– Member of the Order during the first and second Wizarding Wars.
• Kingsley Shacklebolt– An Auror who joined the Order for the second Wizarding War.
• Arthur, Molly, Bill, and Charlie Weasley
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione assisted with the Order, but were not allowed to join because they were underage
• Sirius Black– Member of the Black family

Voldemort and the Death Eaters

Lord Voldemort (Tom Marvolo Riddle)

Tom Riddle is also known as Lord Voldemort or You-Know-Who, or He Who Must Not Be Named. He is considered the most dangerous dark wizard of all time. “I am Lord Voldemort” is an anagram of his Muggle name. Voldemort created Horcruxes in his attempt at immortality. Both Wizarding Wars were because of Voldemort who is the head of a dark army. His minions are called the Death Eaters. Voldemort disappeared for 13 years after he tried to kill Harry Potter. Tom Riddle was in Slytherin House

• Bellatrix Lestrange– Member of the House of Black. Narcissa Malfoy is her sister. She is a loyal follower of Voldemort. She was in Slytherin House
• Barty Crouch Jr.– Follower of Voldemort. Son of Bartemius Crouch Sr., a Senior Minister in the Ministry of Magic.
• Fenrir Greyback– A brutal werewolf who wanted to infect as many people as possible, especially children. He is a loyal Death Eater.
• Peter Pettigrew– Sorted into Gryffindor House as a student

Harry’s Family and the Dursleys

• James Potter– Harry’s father
• Lily Potter– Harry’s mother who died protecting Harry
• Petunia Dursley– Harry’s aunt (Petunia was Lily’s sister)
• Vernon Dursley– Harry’s uncle
• Dudley Dursley– Harry’s cousin

Magical Creatures

• Hedwig– Harry’s beloved pet snowy owl. She was an 11th birthday present from Hagrid.
• Dobby– A House Elf that Harry frees by tricking Lucius Malfoy into giving him a sock
• Kreacher- A House Elf in the Black House
• Buckbeak– A male hippogriff who was sentenced to death after he attacked Draco Malfoy. Malfoy taunted and provoked Buckbeak. Hermione and Harry were able to save Buckbeak with the time-turner
• Nearly Headless Nick– Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington is a ghost who haunts Hogwarts.
• Moaning Myrtle– A Ghost at Hogwarts who haunts one of the bathrooms. Her name was Myrtle Warren when she was a student at Hogwarts
• Peeves– A poltergeist at Hogwarts who loves to play jokes and torment Filch.
• Fawkes– A male phoenix who is a close companion of Albus Dumbledore. Phoenixes do not die of old age; they burst into flames and are reborn. This is symbolic since both Harry and Voldemort have phoenix feather cores. Fawkes, like all phoenixes, has healing properties in his tears.
• Crookshanks– Hermione’s Pet Ginger Cat. Crookshanks immediately took a dislike to Scabbers, Ron’s pet rat.
• Nagini– Lord Voldemort’s pet snake. She is huge and loyal. Because he is a Parselmouth, he can talk to her.