Harry Potter

## Harry James Potter

**Harry James** **Potter** (b. 31 July 1980) was an English half-blood wizard, and one of the most famous wizards of modern times. The only child and son of James and Lily Potter (née Evans), Harry's birth was overshadowed by a prophecy, naming either himself or Neville Longbottom as the one with the power to vanquish Lord Voldemort, the most powerful and feared Dark Wizard in the world. After half of the prophecy was reported to Voldemort, courtesy of Severus Snape, Harry was chosen as the target due to his many similarities with the Dark Lord. In turn, this caused the Potter family to go into hiding.

Voldemort made his first attempt to circumvent the prophecy when Harry was a year and three months old. During this attempt, he murdered Harry's parents as they tried to protect him, but this unsuccessful attempt to kill Harry led to Voldemort's first downfall. This downfall marked the end of the First Wizarding War, and to Harry henceforth being known as "The Boy Who Lived", as he was the only known survivor of the Killing Curse due to being magically protected by his mother's loving sacrifice. As per the terms of the prophecy, this attempt on his life also established him, not Neville, as Voldemort's nemesis.

One consequence of Lily's sacrifice was that her orphaned son had to be raised by her only remaining blood relative, his Muggle aunt and uncle Petunia Dursley and Vernon Dursley. While in their care, he would be protected from Lord Voldemort due to the Bond of Blood charm Albus Dumbledore placed upon him. This powerful charm would protect him until he became of age, or no longer called his aunt's house home. Due to Petunia's resentment of her sister and her magical abilities, Harry grew up abused and neglected.

Shortly before Harry's 11th birthday, there were several attempts from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to send him a letter inviting him to not only come to Hogwarts, but also to explain that he was a wizard. Though Vernon Dursley ultimately made the decision to leave their residents at 4 Privet Drive temporarily to evade the letters. His attempts were in vein. On his eleventh birthday, Harry learned that he was a wizard from Rubeus Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid takes Harry from the Dursley family the next day to Diagon Alley. This is where Harry withdraws money from Gringotts Wizarding Bank, where Rubeus Hagrid buys Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig. While he was in Diagon Alley, Harry also gets his school supplies. Books from Flourish and Blotts, his robes from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and his potion equipment from Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. Harry began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991. The Sorting Hat told Harry that he would do well in Slytherin House, but Harry pleaded "*not Slytherin*". The Hat heeded this plea and sorted the young wizard into Gryffindor House. At school, Harry became best friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He was also the youngest Seeker in a century, making the house team in his first year when Minerva McGonagall introduced him to Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's Quidditch captain at the time. He later became the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team in his sixth year, winning two Quidditch Cups. While in school, Harry also demonstrated an extraordinary talent for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

He became even better known in his early years for protecting the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort, saving Ron's sister Ginny Weasley, solving the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, slaying Salazar Slytherin's basilisk, and learning how to conjure a corporeal Patronus at the age of thirteen which took the form of a stag. In his fourth year, Harry won the Triwizard Tournament, although the person had to be seventeen to enter, Harry was only 14. The competition ended with the tragic death of Cedric Diggory and the return of Lord Voldemort. During the next school year, in defiance of Dolores Umbridge's and the Ministry of Magic's strict regime against the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and the continued introduction of new Educational Decree Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger first had the idea of creating an illegal defence against the dark arts group called Dumbledore's Army. At first, Harry was reluctant to the idea. But gradually he began to like it and eventually he agreed to start the group. He also fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, during which he lost his godfather, Sirius Black and the prophecy was destroyed.

Harry played a significant role in many other battles of the Second Wizarding War. He, Ron, and Hermione hunted down and destroyed Voldemort's Horcruxes. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry personally saw the deaths of Severus Snape and Fred Weasley while learning that Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Colin Creevey, and many others had fallen in battle as well. He encountered Voldemort and nearly sacrificed himself, knowing that his doing so was the only way to destroy the fragment of Voldemort's soul inside of him. In limbo, after Voldemort cursed him in the forest clearing, Dumbledore gave Harry advice and background information on the Dark Lord. When told he could choose to live or to "move on", Harry chose to live. After he awoke, Harry confronted Voldemort and defeated him once and for all.

Harry was also noted for being the only known Master of Death, having united the three Deathly Hallows at the mere age of seventeen.

After the war, Harry became an Auror and helped reform and revolutionise the Ministry of Magic. At some point, he married Ginny, with whom he had four children: James Sirius, Albus Severus, Lily Luna and Cedrella Minerva. He was also named the godfather of Edward "Teddy" Remus Lupin. In 2007, Harry was promoted to Head of the Auror Office at the age of 26, and would occasionally deliver Defence Against the Dark Arts lectures at Hogwarts. He was later promoted to Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement by the summer of 2020.