James Potter

## James Potter I

"*Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off —*"
— James protecting his family against Lord Voldemort

**James Fleamont Potter I** (27 March, 1960-31 October, 1980), also known as **Prongs**, was an English pure-blood wizard and the only son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1971-1978 and was sorted into Gryffindor. When James started at Hogwarts, he met and became best friends with three fellow Gryffindor students: Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. He also met Severus Snape, a Slytherin student with whom he became bitter rivals. During his seventh year, James was appointed Head Boy and began dating Liliana Selwyn-Evans.

After graduating from Hogwarts, he married Liliana and together they had a son, Harry James Potter, of whom he made Sirius Black the godfather. James, Liliana, and their friends all fought in the First Wizarding War as members of the Order of the Phoenix; he and his wife defied Lord Voldemort three times. However, James and Liliana were forced to go into hiding after a prophecy was made concerning Voldemort and their infant son. James and Liliana were ultimately betrayed to Voldemort by one of their close friends (Peter Pettigrew).

As a result of this, James was tragically murdered by Voldemort on Hallowe'en of 1980, along with his wife while they were trying to protect Harry.

James briefly appeared again in May 1998 through the Resurrection Stone. He appeared through it along with Liliana (his wife), Sirius Black and Remus Lupin (his friends). After the Second Wizarding War, James posthumously had four grandchildren through his son: James Sirius, Severus Remus, Liliana Mercedes, and Skye Melissa Potter, the first of whom was named after his grandfather and his father's godfather (and friend of the former).

## Early Life

James Potter was born on 27 March, 1960 to Fleamont Potter and his wife Euphemia. Fleamont was an accomplished, yet retired cosmetic potioneer and entrepreneur best known for inventing Sleekeazy's Hair Potion in 1926. Both Fleamont and Euphemia were elderly even by wizarding standards.

Having been conceived so late in his parents' lives, he was raised in a doting household with little material limits, and pampered a great deal. Hence, it was no surprise that he grew to be proud, arrogant, and boastful, but deep down still a good person.

## Hogwarts Years

### First Year

James started his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1971 and was Sorted into Gryffindor house. While there, he befriended fellow Gryffindors Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and together they formed a small gang known only to themselves as the Marauders. Though more mischievous than diligent, James proved to be a clever student. At some point during his education he became Chaser for his house's Quidditch team, in which he was completely aware of his talent. It is possible that he also collected Chocolate Frog Cards, as at an unknown time, the History of Magic teacher, Professor Cuthbert Binns, gave him the Circe card, which later came into the possession of Quirinus Quirrell, who kept it in Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Vault 998.

### Second Year

As second years, James, Sirius, and Peter figured out that Remus was a werewolf, but rather than abandoning him (James, in particular, insisted this monthly hazard did not mean Remus was truly abnormal), they spent three years learning to become Animagi in order to accompany Remus in his transformations. In his fifth year, James managed to perfect the transformation and become a stag Animagus, which earned him the nickname "Prongs". Using their new nicknames, the four friends created the Marauder's Map, which displayed the Hogwarts Castle area and everyone within it —including all staff, ghosts and students — in their current location at a given time, and thus made sneaking out of the castle and avoiding teachers much easier. For the vast majority of his time at school, James was somewhat an obnoxious youth with a love of showing off and exceptional self-confidence that bordered on arrogance. Severus Snape once said that he was so arrogant that "criticism simply bounced off him". This rebellious attitude was notably shaped by the negative qualities he developed, such as the habit of ruffling his already messy hair to make it even untidier to look as though he had just alighted from his broomstick. Also hexing innocent students for no other reason than because he could (especially Snape, a Slytherin in the same year as him). These qualities came about as a result of his pampered and spoiled upbringing.

### Third Year

James and Snape had a strong rivalry throughout their time at Hogwarts. To Remus and Sirius, the reason this rivalry began was due to Snape's jealousy over James' talent at Quidditch and his popularity, as well as Snape's interest in the Dark Arts, which James despised. However, it was later revealed that James and Sirius had got off on the wrong foot with Snape from the beginning: when they first met Snape during their first year on the Hogwarts Express, they insulted him (setting a solid foundation for rivalry), and their further interactions only served to make their rivalry intense and permanent *—* Snape followed the Marauders around, looking for reasons to get them expelled. James, in turn, used the hexes Snape himself had made up against him.

At some point in their third year, Snape grew very interested in where Remus went every month, and saw Madam Pomfrey and Remus going to the Shrieking Shack using a secret passage under the Whomping Willow. Sirius had, as a joke, told him that the trick to getting past the Whomping Willow was to poke the knot at the bottom. Snape followed Sirius's directions, and was nearly at the Shrieking Shack when James pulled him back. At great risk to his own life, James saved Severus from certain death at the claws of the Remus in werewolf form, but Snape adamantly refused to believe that his old rival would have done him a favour, believing that James had only saved him in order to avoid expulsion, and despised being in his debt.

### Fourth Year

James spent much of his academic career chasing after Liliana Selwyn-Evans, an attractive pure-blood fellow Gryffindor from Snape's hometown of Cokeworth who was secretly Snape's best friend since before they both started at Hogwarts. Liliana was among those who were not so impressed of James, considering him arrogant and obnoxious. She once demanded James to quit jinxing Snape for fun. The former and his friends were in the middle of bullying Snape with a spell of Snape's own invention. Liliana told him to stop and James responded with, "*I will if you'll go out with me, Evans*." When James took the jinx off, Snape in his humiliation and anger, called Liliana a "*filthy little Mudblood.*" James demanded him to apologise, but Liliana responded that James was as bad as Snape and she would not date him "*even if it were a choice between him and the Giant Squid*". It was at that moment where Snape indirectly revealed that he was an orphan and had nobody caring for him; a fact that stunned James. Snape's friendship with the vivacious and pretty Liliana may have sparked envy in James and further fuelled the hateful enmity between the two. What James didn't know, was that it was Liliana harboring a crush on Severus instead of the other way round.

### Fifth Year

At the age of sixteen, James's parents allowed Sirius to move in with them so he could escape his own horrible family, and Sirius soon became an unofficial member of their family. By the time he was at his seventh year, James had matured to the point that he lost the more mischievous aspects of his personality, and was even appointed Head Boy alongside Liliana, despite the fact that he had not been a prefect. He stopped hexing bystanders for fun, though he still secretly hexed Snape, and in turn, Snape never lost an opportunity to hex him back, although it's implied that James was willing to stop for Liliana's sake. He also finally managed to impress Liliana, and began dating her at this time.

### Sixth Year and Seventh Year

In late 1977, Liliana and James had a disastrous first meeting with Liliana's adopted sister Petunia Evans and her then-fiancé, Vernon Dursley, which presumably took place over Christmas break, as they were both still at Hogwarts. When Vernon tried to impress James with his car, the wizard in turn boasted of his own material wealth, and a row ensued. The evening ended with both Vernon and Petunia storming out of the restaurant and Liliana bursting into tears, with James promising he'd apologise and make it up (which, due to his and Liliana's untimely deaths, never happened). Petunia married by the end of that year. Though Liliana and James were invited to the wedding, Petunia refused to have Liliana as a bridesmaid, upsetting her deeply. At the reception, Vernon would not talk to James, but described him as "*some magician*" within his earshot.

After graduation, at only eighteen years old, James married Liliana Selwyn-Evans and Sirius served as their best man at the wedding. The three of them (along with Remus and Peter) joined the Order of the Phoenix, in the fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Right before leaving Hogwarts following graduation, James and Liliana learned that Severus was also engaged to Marvolo, which made Liliana jealous and the both of them angry for some reason.

In around 1977, he and Sirius were involved in a motorbike chase with two Muggle policemen. Although the chase started off as a bit of fun, it turned slightly more serious when the pair were attacked by three men on broomsticks. Sirius and James used their wands to raise the police car that had been chasing them, and their attackers crashed into it. During the course of the next three years, James and Liliana defied the Dark Lord three times as the war continued. The first was when they refused to join Voldemort's side when he attempted to recruit them.

## Later Life and Death

At some point between 1979 and 1980, James' parents died of Dragon Pox, and he inherited the vast Potter family fortune from them, which enabled him to comfortably support his family without the need for a paying job. James also used his wealth to support Remus, who was unemployable due to his status as a werewolf.

In the autumn of 1979, Liliana became pregnant, which caused her and her husband to go into hiding. Before they went into hiding, James and his wife learned that Severus was pregnant as well and had accepted his titles of Lord Ravenclaw-Emyrs-Prince, sparking intense jealousy in the couple.

On 31 July, 1980, Liliana gave birth to their son, Harry James Potter, but it was not long before Albus Dumbledore found out that they were in the gravest of dangers: Harry had become a target of Lord Voldemort himself due to a prophecy concerning the one who could ultimately defeat him for good. Voldemort had learned of the prophecy through his follower, who was none other than an enemy of James as well a secret admirer of Liliana: Regulus.

In 1980, Dumbledore told the Potters that their best chance of remaining safe against Voldemort was the Fidelius Charm. James insisted on using Sirius as their Secret-Keeper, even though Dumbledore himself had offered to fill the position. However, Sirius had a different plan — he convinced James and Liliana to use Dumbledore as their Secret-Keeper instead, with him (Sirius) as a decoy. They agreed and Dumbledore cast the charm in secret, but this attempt at a double-bluff ended in tragedy. The only people to know about the switch were James, Liliana, Sirius, and Dumbledore. Even Peter and Remus were kept in the dark. Less than a week later, Dumbledore betrayed the Potters to Voldemort.

When the Dark Lord arrived at Godric's Hollow on Hallowe'en in 1980, James told Liliana to take Harry and run. After his wife and son were out of the room, he stood to face the most dangerous Dark wizard of all time on his own, in order to give his wife and child time to escape the cottage. However, James had made a fatal mistake; he had left his wand in the living room, where he had been entertaining his young son with it before Voldemort's arrival. Voldemort effortlessly murdered him with the Killing Curse — James "*fell like a marionette whose strings were cut*". Voldemort then proceeded upstairs to where Liliana and the infant Harry were hiding. Voldemort murdered Liliana who died protecting Harry, but thanks to her loving sacrifice, the Killing Curse Voldemort cast at Harry rebounded and destroyed the Dark Lord's body. Thus, Harry became known as *"the Boy Who Lived"* and whose name would be famous.

### Post-mortem (1991–2017)

**Harry Potter**: "*You'll stay with me?*"
**James**: "*Until the very end.*"
— Harry speaks to his parents through the Resurrection Stone
After James' and Liliana's deaths, their son was raised by Liliana's unloving adopted sister, Petunia Dursley, and her grumpy husband, Vernon, along with their gluttonous son, Dudley. Despite not remembering his parents, Harry held them in high esteem. This faltered slightly where his father was concerned. He learned that James had been something of a bully in his youth, witnessing a memory of Severus's, in which James and Sirius picked on and humiliated Severus simply because they were bored. Severus, who became Potions professor at Hogwarts, treated Harry with disdain throughout his academic career, perceiving him to be "*arrogant as his father, a determined rule-breaker... attention-seeking and impertinent*". In revenge he frequently bullied and humiliated Harry. Following the war, the two made amends and became quite close.

#### Harry's memories of his parents

Harry saw a vision of his parents in the Mirror of Erised in 1991. Later, at the end of Harry's first year, Rubeus Hagrid gave Harry a special photo album containing pictures of his parents.

#### Little Hangleton

About three-and-a-half years later, on 24 June 1995 while duelling with Voldemort in the Little Hangleton graveyard, Harry experienced Priori Incantatem; shades of his mother and father, and others which Voldemort's wand had murdered, came out of Voldemort's wand to help Harry in his escape from the graveyard.

#### Occlumency

In 1996, Harry also witnessed a memory of James viciously humiliating Snape back when they were Hogwarts students. James had suspended Severus in the air and went as far as taking Severus's trousers off in front of a large crowd of students. Harry was disgusted by James' attitude, despite his own hatred of Severus.

#### Resurrection Stone

In 1998, Harry learned he was a Horcrux of Voldemort's, and walked toward his death in the Forbidden Forest. Upon entering, he used the Resurrection Stone to summon James and others who had perished in the war against Voldemort. James and Liliana told Harry that they were tremendously proud of him, proud of his outstanding courage and strength, and assured him that they would stay with him until the very end. Harry described their very presence as his courage, the reason he was able to keep putting one foot in front of the other, with Liliana smiling at him, and James nodding in encouragement.

Harry eventually named his eldest child after his late father. James would gain two more grandchildren in Albus Severus and Liliana Mercedes Potter

## Physical appearance

James was a tall, thin man with hazel eyes and untidy black hair that stuck up at the back. During his Hogwarts years, he had an indefinable air of having been well cared for and even adored. As late as his fifth year, he started wearing glasses, though he had not in his first year.

His son, Harry, was constantly noted to look very much like him, having the same untidy hair, thin face, mouth, eyebrows, and even hands. However, as observed by Harry in Snape's worst memory, James' nose was slightly longer than his son's.

In his Animagus form, James was a tall and powerful red stag, large enough to subdue an adolescent werewolf alongside Sirius' bear-like black dog form.

## Personality and traits

**Severus Snape**: "*He fancies you, James Potter fancies you! And he’s not... everyone thinks... big Quidditch hero —*"
**Liliana Selwyn-Evans**: "*I know James Potter’s an arrogant toerag. I don’t need you to tell me that.*"
**Severus Snape**: "*Well, you don't have to be rude about it! What's got your robes in a twist? And what did I do wrong?*"
— Severus and Liliana discussing James in their fifth year
James was a clever and talented wizard, but very mischievous in his youth. Like the Gryffindor Student he was, James was arrogant and boastful, and occasionally bullied and jinxed other students just for fun, particularly his long-time rival, Severus Prince-Slytherin (formerly Severus Snape). However, even in this stage of arrogance, he still displayed some positive qualities of character. Despite being a pure-blood, he strongly disagreed with the concept of blood purity and was disgusted with any prejudice towards Muggle-borns, and did not hold prejudice towards werewolves (such as Remus Lupin, who was one of his dearest friends). This loyalty would extend to his adulthood when he used his wealth to support the unemployable Remus. Additionally, even despite his bad relationship with Snape, James never wanted him dead and even risked his life to prevent Severus from being killed by Lupin in his wolf form, showing he may humiliate but even at his worst he would never stoop to the level of murder by inaction. Severus would later point out that James was lazy.

James ultimately matured and changed his ways; he lost some of his arrogance and stopped using his magic irresponsibly on others. He became enough of a responsible student and leader to be Head Boy in his final year, and later a member of the original Order of the Phoenix. Though he never completely lost his rebellious side, it was clear James had left Hogwarts a far better person than he had been upon entering it.

His best quality was his willingness to sacrifice himself for his wife and son, as demonstrated when he told Liliana to take Harry and run while he held off Voldemort, proving himself to be a true Gryffindor.

## Magical abilities and skills

"*It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will.*"
— Remus Lupin regarding James' and the Marauder's talent for transfiguration

Since James was once asked by Voldemort to join his Death Eaters, this was clear proof that James was a highly powerful and accomplished wizard. Remus once stated that James had been one of the cleverest Hogwarts students of his time, and he was able to conjure a corporeal stag Patronus, which was a mark of superior magical ability).

* **Animagus**: James was able to become an Animagus at the early age of fifteen, an incredibly difficult, complex and even dangerous transfiguration process that only the most proficient can accomplish. His Animagus form allowed him to transform into a Stag at will.
* **Transfiguration**: James' wand was said to be *"excellent for Transfiguration"*, with his own skills showing his exceptional proficiency in this notably very difficult, scientific and even dangerous branch of magic. He was so skilled in Human Transfiguration , that he learned how to become an Animagus. He also very likely succeeded in this subject whilst as a Hogwarts student.
* **Potions**: James was exceptionally proficient in potion-making - at the age of fifteen, he successfully brewed an effective Animagus potion, which testified to his remarkable talent in the subject, as the potion was known to be highly complex, difficult to brew, and had great consequences if done incorrectly. Remus also described the Animagus transformation was a very difficult branch of magic that *"could go horribly wrong"*, and the fact that James not only succeeded at it, but also helped Peter to manage it as well was concrete evidence of his being an expert potioneer. It is possible that his exceptional talent in potions at such a young age stems from his extensive lineage, rich in great potioneers such as Linfred of Stinchcombe, his earliest ancestor and creator of the Pepper-Up Potion, and his own father, Fleamont Potter, creator of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion (or simply Sleekeazy), which quadrupled the family fortune.
* **Charms**: James was highly talented in charm-work from a young age - he and his fellow Marauders managed to create the magically-complex Marauder's Map during their teenage years, with the Homonculous Charm, along with a Charm to insult Severus Snape. He was also able to cast the highly advanced Patronus Charm, conjuring a corporeal Patronus whose form was identical with his Animagus form, a stag. He could also cast simpler charms proficiently, such as the Disarming Charm and Scouring Charm, which he once used to bully Snape in his fifth year.
* **Duelling**: James was a highly skilful duellist. During his student years he was able to humiliate Severus Snape, who was already a skilled wizard in his youth, albeit with help from Sirius Black. He could cast several offensive spells competently, such as the Disarming Charm, Impediment Jinx, *Levicorpus* (along with its counter-jinx *Liberacorpus*) and other hexes, which he often used to bully Snape. During the First Wizarding War he presumably took part in battles against the Death Eaters and other dark forces, surviving until the end of the war. He and his wife, Liliana, also defied Voldemort himself three times, which showcased his exceptional talent in martial magic.

"*You fly as well as your father did, Harry...*"
— Sirius Black regarding James and Harry's talent for flying
* **Flying**: James was an accomplished Quidditch player, playing Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team during his school years. He was noted to have excellent reflexes, as seen when playing with a Snitch he had taken from the Quidditch supplies. Sirius also stated that Harry's Quidditch and flying skills were as good as those of James'.

## Relationships

### Family

#### Parents

James was born into a very wealthy pure-blood family. He had an excellent relationship with his parents, who loved him very much. His father was Sorted in Gryffindor and used to tell him about how the house prized bravery and boldness above all other qualities. James' parents were on the older side when he was born and died before he was murdered in 1981.

#### Liliana Selwyn-Evans

"*Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me* SICK*.*"
— Liliana's negative opinion of James' character

James was the husband of Liliana Potter. However, James's initial relationship with Liliana Selwyn-Evans was initially a rocky one. While James was a popular student and talented Quidditch player, well-liked by most, Liliana was unimpressed with him. This had to do with James' hostile relationship with her best friend, Severus Snape and because of James' bad habit of hexing innocent students just for the fun of it.

To be fair, though, Liliana wasn't wrong in her original opinion of James. James had developed romantic feelings for Liliana by his fifth year. He was always going out of his way to try to impress her, only to end up making a fool out of himself most of the time. She still regarded him as an arrogant bully, treating him with absolute disdain. In their seventh year, however, Liliana was finally willing to go out with James, after he smoothed out and stopped hexing people for the fun of it (though she was unaware he still hexed Severus).

The two were Head Boy and Head Girl at Hogwarts and married soon after graduation. James and Liliana were both members of the Order of the Phoenix, and together defied Voldemort himself three times. Their son, Harry James Potter, was born on 31 July, 1980.

#### Harry Potter

"*When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments... but we will give you time... you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts... do you understand, Harry?*"
— James Potter's echo to his son Harry in the Little Hangleton graveyard

Harry was born to James and Liliana Potter on 31 July, 1980, they loved their son more than anything. On Hallowe'en night in 1980 they sacrificed themselves at 20 years old, in order to save him from Lord Voldemort, when he was just an infant. Albus Dumbledore always maintained that Harry's love for his parents and the love they had in return for him, was his greatest power.

Harry regarded his parents with great reverence, and fiercely defended their memories. In 1995, he punched Draco Malfoy for insulting his mother, and he frequently became furious with Professor Prince-Slytherin, who taunted Harry that James was not the great man others made him out to be. To be fair, Severus wasn't wrong in that regard either. Much to Harry's horror, Severus was proven right in the spring of 1996, when Harry accidentally witnessed James bullying Severus in one of his memories during Harry's Occlumency lessons (via Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve). However, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black assured him that his father was no longer the bully that he once was. He matured and changed his ways, or he would never have become Head Boy and his mother would have never agreed to go out with him, let alone fall in love and marry him.

**Liliana Potter**: "*You’ve been so brave.*"
**James Potter**: "*You are nearly there. Very close. We are...* so *proud of you.*"
— Harry’s parents speaking to him through the Resurrection Stone

The few times Harry ever saw his parents were through pictures given to him by Rubeus Hagrid, a vision within the Mirror of Erised, spectral forms which came out of Voldemort's wand during Priori Incantatem, stored memories within the Pensieve, and again as spectral forms when he "recalled" them during the Battle of Hogwarts, by using the Resurrection Stone. His spirit was described as "*exactly the same height as Harry. He was wearing the clothes in which he had died, and his hair was untidy and ruffled, and his glasses were a little lopsided, like Mr Weasley's, a loving smile on his face*". Both James and Liliana told their son that they were tremendously proud of him, for being so brave and strong despite all the pain and suffering he had to endure, and provided him with the support he needed to sacrifice himself to Voldemort. Harry later avenged his father when he killed Voldemort at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts.

It's also seen that James calls Harry by a name of affection, he has on different occasions referred to him as "*son*". Harry eventually named two of his children after his late parents and godfather, James Sirius and Liliana Mercedes Potter.

#### Vernon Dursley

James's first meeting with his brother-in-law Vernon Dursley went badly. Vernon asked James what car he drove, but James described his racing broom, thus Vernon started patronising him and finally offended James by supposing out loud that wizards had to live on unemployment benefit. Having heard from the wizard that he had a fortune in solid gold, he grew angry and stormed out of the restaurant, where they had met with their wives. After that Vernon refused to talk with James, but described him, within James’ earshot, as "*some kind of amateur magician*".

After Liliana and James' deaths, Vernon and Petunia reluctantly adopted Harry due to the sacrificial protection that shielded Harry from Voldemort. However, the Dursleys spent the following ten years doing everything in their power to prevent Harry from learning about his magical heritage and abilities, such as lying about how Liliana and James died by attributing their deaths to a car crash.

### Marauders

**Peter Pettigrew**: "*Harry! You — thank you — it’s more than I deserve — thank you —*"
**Harry Potter**: "*Get off me. I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it because — I don’t reckon my dad would’ve wanted them to become killers — just for you.*"
**Sirius Black**: "*You’re the only person who has the right to decide, Harry. But think... think what he did...*"
— Sirius and Harry after the latter stopped him and Remus from killing Pettigrew
While at Hogwarts, James became the very best of friends with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and close friends with Isabell Goldfinch, and the group called themselves "the Marauders". He met Sirius on the Hogwarts Express in their first year, and they seemed to bond quickly. In their second year, when the group discovered that Remus was a werewolf, they refused to ostracize him, as most would, instead learning to become Animagi in order to keep him company during his transformations. James insisted that Remus was not abnormal because of his condition, and later used his wealth to support Remus when anti-werewolf legislation made it difficult for him to get a job.

The four friends enjoyed untold popularity while at school and particularly liked playing pranks together; they also invented the Marauder's Map and all joined the Order of the Phoenix, after graduating from Hogwarts. Although he was very close to all of his friends, James was probably closest to Sirius, whom he loved as a brother and who moved in with James and his parents after running away from home at age sixteen. James also chose Sirius as his best man at his wedding to Liliana, as well as his son's godfather. When the Potters became Lord Voldemort's targets in 1981, James was adamant about Sirius being their Secret-Keeper, though he agreed to Sirius's plan to make Peter the Secret-Keeper instead, to throw off the enemy.

James's unshakeable trust in his friends would be his undoing, as Pettigrew betrayed him, his wife, and his son to Voldemort. This betrayal was something Sirius and Remus later attempted to kill him for. The only thing that stopped them was Harry, who thought that his father would not want his best friends to become killers just for a traitor. Dumbledore later assured Harry that his belief had been right, saying that he knew James very well, both at Hogwarts and later and he was perfectly sure that James would have saved Pettigrew as well.

The ending to the three Marauders who had stayed true to their friendship to the very end — James, Sirius, and Remus — was bittersweet: though they all lost their lives to the two wizarding wars, they died as heroes of the Order of the Phoenix, and in the case of James and Lupin, devoted fathers who had tried to give their sons a better world to live in. The three were likely reunited forever in the afterlife.

### Severus Prince-Slytherin

**Severus Prince-Slytheri**: "*How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter. He too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch field made him think he was a cut above the rest of us too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers... The resemblance between you is uncanny.*"
**Harry Potter**: "*My dad didn’t strut. And neither do I.*"
**Severus Prince-Slytherin**: "*Your father didn’t set much store by rules either. Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. His head was so swollen —*"
— Severus Prince-Slytherin negatively comparing Harry to his father James

James met Severus Snape on the Hogwarts Express in their first year at Hogwarts, and the two immediately got off on the wrong foot. James scoffed at Snape's desire that he and Liliana Selwyn-Evans would be Sorted into Slytherin house, while Severus sneered at James's hope that he would follow his father's footsteps and end up in Gryffindor. He and Sirius bestowed the mocking nickname of "*Snivellus*" on Snape at this first meeting. This enmity would continue for the rest of their school years and (on Severus's part) well after James's death. According to Sirius, Severus envied James's popularity and Quidditch talents, and always tried to get him and his friends in trouble, while James despised Severus's fascination with the Dark Arts. James also frequently bullied Severus during his fifth year, the memories of which could be viewed in Severus's Pensieve.

**James Potter**: "*Apologise to Evans!*"
**Liliana Selwyn-Evans**: "*I don’t want you to make him apologise. You’re as bad as he is....*"
**James Potter**: "*What? I’d NEVER call you a — you-know-what!*"
**Severus Snape:** "*I've had it with you, Liliana Selwyn-Evans! And you, Potter! Honestly, at least Marv is brave enough to tell me these things to my face! With friends like you, Liliana, who needs enemies? I hope I* NEVER *see you again!*"
— James and Liliana arguing over Severus, after Severus called Liliana a Mudblood
Later, it is revealed that James and Snape would regularly pass snide remarks and taunts towards each other. Although James disliked and bullied Severus, in the end, James never wanted Severus dead despite his distaste of him and risked his life to save Severus when Sirius played a potentially lethal prank on him by sending him to the Shrieking Shack when Remus Lupin was there transforming. However, Severus despised being in James's debt and felt, even twenty years later, that James only saved him to avoid expulsion.

Most of his dislike of James's son Harry was motivated by seeing his old rival in Harry.

"*James always suspected Severus harboured deeper feelings for Liliana, which was a factor in James' behaviour towards Snape.*"
— J. K. Rowling on why James particularly hated Severus

After Liliana and James were killed, Snape reluctantly agreed to help Dumbledore protect Harry from Voldemort. However, Severus never forgot James' bullying or earlier arrogance, and constantly projected many of James' flaws unto Harry during their interactions as teacher and student. This was one of many factors that led to Harry hating Severus during this period, until Harry witnessed many of Severus repressed memories and gained a better understanding of Severus's loyalties. Following the war, Severus and Harry overcame their animosity towards each other, and Severus named Harry the godfather of two of his children, Alan Severus and Kya Raine Prince-Slytherin.

Ironically, despite their mutual antipathy, James' second grandson was named after Snape years after his death.

### Albus Dumbledore

James always had a good relationship with Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts at the time James attended the school. He became fond of James knowing that, despite his being an arrogant, highly mischievous trouble-maker, he was also a kind-hearted, good-natured person. James became a member of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation founded by Dumbledore, during the First Wizarding War and fought in several battles with him. Dumbledore also attempted to protect James, Liliana, and Harry from Voldemort, who was out to kill their son by offering to be their Secret Keeper. However, the role of Secret Keeper went instead to Peter Pettigrew, which turned out to be a fatal mistake, as Peter was, unbeknownst to them, a spy for Voldemort. When James and Liliana were murdered by Voldemort, Dumbledore was devastated. After death, Dumbledore was amused and impressed that James, Sirius and Peter became Animagi without his knowledge.

Albus later became a mentor to James's son, and they shared an intimate relationship, more like a grandfather and his grandson, rather than a headmaster and his pupil. Dumbledore often sympathised with Harry about the grief and loneliness caused by his parents' death, and would comfort him at times when he really needed it. He also firmly believed and emphasised many times that Harry's love for his parents, James and Liliana, was the reason why he had a power stronger than Voldemort's

### Minerva McGonagall

"*Liliana and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus...*"
— Minerva's sadness after being informed of James and Liliana's deaths

Minerva McGonagall was the Transfiguration Professor and also the Head of Gryffindor House, at the time James was a student. McGonagall was simultaneously fond of, and exasperated with James: she knew that he was a mischievous trouble-maker and often played cruel pranks on some of his school rivals (such as Severus Snape), but she also knew that he was a clever and talented wizard, and essentially a good person; overall, they had a good relationship, which presumably improved significantly after James cleaned up his act, and became worthy of being made Head Boy.

Upon learning of James and Liliana's deaths a few hours after they were murdered, McGonagall was devastated, and barely managed to keep her composure. In her later years, she shared quite a close relationship with James's son, Harry.

### Order of the Phoenix

James did have a good relationship with most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix, during the First Wizarding War. He might have been friendly with some members, such as Elphias Doge and Alastor Moody, as they were all members during the first war and most likely fought in several battles together. It is possible that James had many other friendships during his time in the Order, but they were unknown; his most famous friendship being the one he shared with the Marauders. Most of the original members of the Order were killed during the Second Wizarding War; only a few of them managed to survive.