Harry Potter

## Harry James Potter

**Harry James Potter** (born 31 July, 1980) was an English half-blood wizard, 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 nemisis.

One consequence of Lily's sacrifice was that her orphaned son had to be raised by her only remaining blood relative, his Muggle aunt Petunia Dursley. While in her 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 magic gifts, Harry grew up abused and neglected.

On his eleventh birthday, Harry learned that he was a wizard from Rubeus Hagrid. He 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' and the Hat heeded this plea, instead sorting the young wizard into Gryffindor House. At school, Harry became best friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He later became the youngest Quidditch Seeker in over a century and eventually the captain of the Gryffindor House Quidditch Team in his sixth year, winning two Quidditch Cups.

He became even better known in his early years for protecting the Sorcerer'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 stag Patronus at the age of thirteen. In his fourth year, Harry won the Triwizard Tournament, although the competition ended with the tragic death of Cedric Diggory and the return of Voldemort. During the next school year, Harry reluctantly taught and led Dumbledore's Army. He also fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

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.