In the Harry Potter series of novels, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, and ordinary creatures sometimes exhibit magical properties. Magical objects are also described. Witches and wizards refer to the rest of the population, who are generally unaware of magic, as "Muggles" in the United Kingdom and "No-Maj" in the United States.
In humans, magic or the lack thereof is an inborn attribute. It is usually inherited and carries "dominant resilient genes".[1] Magic is the norm for the children of magical couples and less common in those of Muggles. Exceptions exist: those unable to do magic who are born to magical parents are known as Squibs, whereas a witch or wizard born to Muggle parents is known as a Muggle-born, or by the derogatory term "Mudblood". While Muggle-borns are quite common, Squibs are extremely rare.
Rowling based many magical elements of the Harry Potter universe on real-world mythology and folklore. She has described this as "a way of giving texture to the world".[2] The magic of Harry Potter was the subject of a 2017 British Library exhibition and an accompanying documentary. The exhibition, entitled Harry Potter: A History of Magic, is the first at the British Library to be inspired by a single series by a living author.[3]
Using magic
Witches and wizards must learn how to control their magic. In young and untrained children, magical effects will occur spontaneously during moments of strong emotion.[4] For example, at various times Harry Potter made his hair grow back after a bad haircut; liberated a boa constrictor at the London Zoo; and inflated his Aunt Marge to an enormous size. While this reaction is usually uncontrollable, as an untrained child, Tom Marvolo Riddle was able to make things move without touching them, make animals do what he wanted without training them, make "bad things happen" to people who annoyed him, or make them hurt if he wanted to.[5] In addition, Lily Evans could guide and control a flower's blooming simply by wanting it to happen.
Almost all magic is done with the use of a wand. On the subject of wandless magic, Rowling says:[citation needed]
You can do unfocused and uncontrolled magic without a wand (for instance when Harry blows up Aunt Marge) but to do really good spells, yes, you need a wand.
A wizard or witch is only at their best when using their own wand. When using another's wand, one's spells are not as strong as they normally would be.[6]
Spellcasting
Spells are the every-purpose tools of a wizard: short bursts of magic used to accomplish specialised tasks such as opening locks or creating fire. Casting usually requires an incantation, often in a modified form of Latin (see dog Latin), and gesturing with a wand. However, Rowling has revealed that particularly talented wizards can cast spells without the aid of wand, although magic produced with one is generally more precise and powerful.[7] Spells can also be cast non-verbally, but with a magical wand. While most magic shown in the books requires the caster to use their voice, some do not (and this may depend on the witch or wizard). Dumbledore has been known to do impressive feats of magic without speaking.
It is possible to use a wand without holding it. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry performs lumos to light his wand when it is lying on the ground somewhere near him.[8]
Spells are divided into rough categories, such as "charms", "curses", "hexes", or "jinxes". Although offensive and potentially dangerous curses exist in number, three are considered usable only for great evil, which earns them the special classification of "Unforgivable curses".
The limits of magic
Before publishing the first Harry Potter novel, Rowling spent five years establishing the limitations of magic – determining what it could and could not do. "The most important thing to decide when you're creating a fantasy world," she said in 2000, "is what the characters can't do." For instance, while it is possible to conjure things out of thin air, it is far trickier to create something that fits an exact specification rather than a general one; moreover, any objects so conjured tend not to last.[9]
In the novels, Hermione explains that food cannot be conjured out of nothing. Wizards can prepare it using magic and even multiply it, but they cannot create it. According to Rowling, money also cannot be conjured out of thin air.[9]
Death
In Goblet of Fire, Albus Dumbledore tells Harry that there is no spell that can truly and permanently bring the dead back to life. Corpses can be transformed into obedient inferi, but they have no soul or will of their own. However, there are methods of communicating with the dead in a limited way. For example, all Hogwarts headmasters appear in a magical portrait when they die, which allows future generations to consult with them. However, the portrait is a reflection of who the wizard was, and is not a link to their spirit. The Resurrection Stone allows the bearer to speak with the dead, but it cannot bring the dead back into the living world.
Likewise, it is not possible to make oneself immortal unless one uses an object of great power to sustain life, such as the Philosopher's Stone or a Horcrux. If one were to possess the three Deathly Hallows, it is fabled that they would possess the tools to become the "master of death". Other methods of extending life include drinking unicorn blood, which will keep a person alive even if death is imminent, but at the terrible price of being cursed forever. Being magical can contribute to one's longevity, as there are several characters in the series who are unusually long-lived. It is revealed by Nearly Headless Nick in the fifth book that all witches and wizards have the choice of becoming ghosts upon dying; however, it is described as "a pale imitation of life". Rowling has stated that death is the most important theme in the novels.[10][11]
Emotion
As explained earlier, young untrained wizards can trigger uncontrolled magic when they are in a state of intense emotion. But emotions also affect trained witches and wizards and their magical abilities. For instance, in Half-Blood Prince, a heartbroken Nymphadora Tonks temporarily loses her power as a Metamorphmagus when Remus Lupin starts distancing himself from her; the form of her Patronus changes to reflect her depression. Another example is Merope Gaunt, who only demonstrated any magical ability when removed from her father's oppression, but then lost it again when her husband abandoned her.
Several magical spells require the use of certain emotions when casting them. The Patronus charm, for example, requires the caster to concentrate on a happy memory.[lower-alpha 1] Another example is the Cruciatus Curse, which causes immense pain; as Harry discovers during a duel with Bellatrix Lestrange, effective use of this forbidden dark magic requires sadistic desires.[8]
Love is depicted as a particularly powerful form of magic. According to Dumbledore, love is a "force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature".[8] Lily's voluntary sacrifice on Harry's behalf saves him from Voldemort as a baby, and Harry makes a similar sacrifice to save his friends at the end of Deathly Hallows.[13] A certain key prophecy in the series describes Harry as having "power the Dark Lord knows not", referencing his capacity for love.[8]
True love is impossible to create magically; Amortentia, a love potion, can only create a powerful sense of infatuation and obsession.
Magical abilities
The following is a list of special abilities that a wizard or witch in the Harry Potter universe may have.
Animagi
An animagus is a wizard who can turn into a particular animal at will. This ability is acquired by magical means. By law, all British animagi must register with the Ministry of Magic. During the course of the series, several unregistered animagi are depicted, including James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Rita Skeeter. Minerva McGonagall is a registered animagus who takes the form of a domestic cat. A wizard's animagus form is determined by their personality.[14]
Animagi transformation can be performed wandlessly. When animagi transform they take on the appearance, not necessarily all traits, of a normal animal. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it is noted that Ron's pet rat Scabbers (later revealed as Peter Pettigrew's animagus form) has lived over twelve years, when a genuine rat would only live about three. Also, an animagus in animal form retains the ability to think like a human, which is the principal difference between being an animagus and being transfigured into an animal.
Metamorphmagi
A metamorphmagus is a wizard who can change their appearance at will.[15]Nymphadora Tonks and her son, Teddy Lupin, are the only living metamorphmagi mentioned in the novels. At various points, Tonks changes her hair colour and style according to her mood. She is a relatively young woman, but she occasionally chooses to appear elderly.
Parseltongue
Parseltongue is the language of snakes. Those who can speak parseltongue are called parselmouths. The ability is rare; the only parselmouths mentioned in the novels are Harry, Voldemort, Salazar Slytherin and Slytherin's descendants. Rowling said she derived the term "parselmouth" from "an old word for someone who has a problem with the mouth, like a hare lip".[16]
Seers
A seer is a wizard with the clairvoyant ability to foresee future events. The predictions given through this ability can sometimes be self-fulfilling prophecies, and Dumbledore states in Order of the Phoenix that not all of them come true, depending on the choices made by those involved. In the Hall of Prophecy at the Department of Mysteries, thousands upon thousands of glass spheres are imbued with records of prophecies made by seers. Only a person mentioned in a prophecy can safely retrieve it; anyone else who tries to do so will be driven insane. According to McGonagall, true seers are extremely rare. Sybill Trelawney is the only seer portrayed in the novel. She has twice made true prophecies – both significant to Harry Potter – but had no recollection of either prediction afterward.
Legilimency and occlumency
Legilimency is the practice of extracting feelings and memories from another person's mind – a form of magical telepathy. It also allows the practitioner to convey visions or memories to another person. A wizard possessing this skill is called a legilimens, and can, for example, detect deceit in another person, witness their memories, or plant visions in their mind. The counter-skill to legilimency is occlumency, which is practised by an occlumens. It can be used to prevent a legilimens from discovering the practitioner's thoughts or memories. Voldemort, Severus Snape, and Albus Dumbledore are all skilled in legilimency and occlumency.
Apparition
Apparition is a magical form of teleportation, by which a wizard can disappear ("Disapparate") from one location and reappear ("Apparate") in another. It is usually accompanied by a cracking or popping sound, although highly skilled wizards such as Dumbledore can Apparate silently. A wizard can use side-along apparition to take others with them. According to Harry, Apparition feels like being squeezed through a tight rubber tube.[17] A wizard must be at least 17years old to Apparate, and must obtain a license. Students at Hogwarts may take Apparition lessons during their sixth year.
Learning to Apparate is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching—being physically split between the origin and destination. To remedy a splinch requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, although essence of dittany can also mend certain wounds. Splinching is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable (and at times rather gruesome) depending on the body parts splinched, but is ultimately harmless if promptly and properly reversed.
The characters in the novels consider it rude to Apparate directly into a private area, such as a home. Dumbledore states in Half-Blood Prince that it would be "as rude as kicking down the front door". Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced practitioners sometimes prefer other means of transport. Rowling has stated that cross-continental Apparition "would almost certainly result in severe injury or death."[18] For reasons of security, Hogwarts is protected by anti-Apparition spells, which prevent most humans from Apparating on the school grounds.
Other teleportation
Some magical creatures have their own forms of teleportation. House-elves are not affected by anti-apparition enchantments, and can therefore apparate into and out of Hogwarts. Phoenixes such as Fawkes can disappear and reappear in a burst of flame.
The unbreakable vow is a voluntary agreement made between two wizards. It must be performed with the assistance of a witness, known as a "bonder". The vow is not literally unbreakable, but breaking it will cause death.
Priori incantatem
Priori incantatem (from Latin: priorem incantatum – "previous incantation"), or the reverse spell effect, is used to display the spells cast by a wand. The spells cast by the wand will emerge in smoky or ghost-like replicas in reverse order, with the latest spell emerging first. It is first encountered in Goblet of Fire when Barty CrouchSr.'s house elf Winky is caught holding Harry's wand. This spell is used to reveal that it was indeed Harry's wand (that was used by Crouch's son) that cast the Death Eaters' dark mark. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it is revealed that the teenage Voldemort murdered his father and grandparents using his uncle Morfin's wand, knowing that, when examined, the wand would incriminate Morfin as the murderer. In Deathly Hallows, Harry fears that a priori incantatem spell will be used on Hermione's wand after the Death Eaters get hold of it. This would reveal that she had accidentally broken his holly-and-phoenix-feather wand when a curse misfired when they both narrowly escaped Voldemort earlier. As a result, the protection of the shared cores was lost and, worse still, this would now become known by Voldemort. During the final duel between Harry and Voldemort, the latter mentions that he knows that the holly and phoenix wand is destroyed, implying that the priori incantatem has indeed been performed on Hermione's wand, as they had feared.
Forcing two wands that share the source of their cores to battle can unintentionally cause a potent form of priori incantatem. The tips of the two wands will connect, forming a thick golden "thread" of energy, and the two wands' masters fight a battle of wills. The loser's wand will regurgitate shadows of spells that it has cast, in time reverse order. This side-effect occurs during the duel between Harry and Voldemort at the end of Goblet of Fire. Their simultaneous, contrary spells (Harry casts expelliarmus and Voldemort casts avada kedavra) trigger the threads, and as Voldemort loses the battle of wills, his wand regurgitates, in reverse order, echoes of the people his wand had most recently murdered: Cedric Diggory, Frank Bryce, Bertha Jorkins, and later Harry's parents.
Dark Arts
The Dark Arts are magical spells and practices that are usually used for malicious purposes. Practitioners of Dark Arts are referred to as Dark Wizards and Dark Witches. The most prominent of these is Voldemort, known to them as the Dark Lord. His followers, known as Death Eaters, practice the Dark Arts while doing his bidding.
The type of spells characteristic of Dark Arts are known as curses,[19] which usually cause harm to the target. All, to a certain degree, are in some circumstances justifiable. The motivation of the caster affects a curse's result. This is most clearly outlined for the Cruciatus curse: When cast by Harry, angered by the death of his godfather at Bellatrix's hands and desiring to punish her, it causes a short moment of pain. As Bellatrix herself comments, righteous anger does not allow the spell to work for long. When cast by figures such as Voldemort, who desire to inflict pain for its own sake, it causes intense agony that can last as long as the Dark witch or wizard persists.
Use of Dark Magic can corrupt the soul and body; Voldemort has used such magic in his quest to prolong his life and obtain great power. The Dark Arts also cause Voldemort to look deformed and inhuman, a side effect of splitting his soul into Horcruxes.
According to Snape, the Dark Arts "are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal ... unfixed, mutating, indestructible".[20] In magical dueling, there are any number of spells that may be used to attack, immobilise, or disarm an opponent without causing pain or lasting harm; however, spells such as the Cruciatus Curse[lower-alpha 2] wound or seriously distress a victim in some way. Dark spells can be classified into three groups: Jinxes, hexes, and curses.
In the wizarding world, use of the Dark Arts is strongly stigmatised and extreme forms are illegal; however, these spells are prevalent enough that even before the rise of Voldemort, many schools (including Hogwarts) taught Defence Against the Dark Arts as a standard subject. Techniques include anti-curses and simple spells to disable or disarm attackers, or fight off certain creatures. Some schools, such as Durmstrang, teach Dark Magic. A Dark Arts class is also taught at Hogwarts while it is under Death Eater control.
Unforgivable curses
The Unforgivable Curses is a wizarding law category for the three worst known spells of the Dark Arts. They were first so-classified in 1771. These curses are used by the books' villains, such as Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and in some cases the Ministry of Magic; their use inspires horror and fear among other magical persons. They are so-named because their use is legally forbidden and unpardonable in wizarding law, and is punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban. The only exception is if a person is proven to have done them under the influence of mind control. These curses are thus normally used secretly.
The killing curse (incantation: avada kedavra) manifests as a jet of green light that causes immediate death. The killing curse has no cure, and cannot be blocked by most magical means. However, it can be blocked by love (e.g. Lily Potter giving up her life for her son created a reflex charm that defeated it, but since she died, how she did it is not known); further, the green energy bolt is shown as being dodged, blocked by solid objects, and deflected with a few other powerful and fast spells, in particular stunning spells.[lower-alpha 3]
The cruciatus curse (incantation: crucio, Latin for "I torture") causes the victim intense pain and is used for torture, but does not physically harm them. The strength of the curse is determined by the person who cast it. It was used regularly by the Death Eaters. The curse can torture a person to the point that they are exhausted to death, or in a more sadistic case, it causes permanent amnesia and insanity. Effective casting requires the caster to have sadistic desires. It is shown as a bright-faded blue light (though it is usually invisible or even a red bolt of light in the films).
The imperius curse (incantation: imperio, Latin for "I command"[lower-alpha 4]) is used for mind control or hypnosis, and can force the victim to do things they would normally be unwilling or unable to. The strength and duration of the curse depends on the caster, as well as the level of resistance by the victim. The curse is shown as a bright haze. (It was depicted as either invisible, or a green, mist-like haze in the films.)
The use of the unforgivable curses was authorised against Voldemort and his followers by Bartemius Crouch Sr., during the First Wizarding War. (Shortly after his reincorporation, Voldemort names two Death Eaters "killed by aurors".)[citation needed] In addition, in Deathly Hallows, the unforgivable curses are used liberally by protagonists, ranging from Professor McGonagall with the imperius curse, to Harry effectively using both the imperius and cruciatus curses. He uses the imperius curse on a goblin and a suspicious Death Eater during a disguised attack on Gringotts Bank, and Dolores Umbridge during an incursion into Ministry of Magic, while it was under control of the Death Eaters.
Dark Mark
The Dark Mark is the symbol of Voldemort and the Death Eaters and takes the form of a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth in place of a tongue. The mark is cast into the sky by Death Eaters whenever they have murdered someone. Morsmordre is the spell to conjure the Mark. It first appears in Goblet of Fire and is described as a "colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue". Once in the sky it was "blazing in a haze of greenish smoke". Dark Marks are also branded on the left forearm of the closest followers of Voldemort. The mark serves as a connection between Voldemort and each who bears it; he can summon them by touching his mark, causing it and those of his followers to burn and change colour. Death Eaters can summon Voldemort in the same fashion. Following Voldemort's ultimate defeat, the Dark Marks on his Death Eaters fade into a scar "similar" to Harry's.[21] In the books, the Dark Mark is described as green; however, in the films, it was only green at the Quidditch World Cup. In all other film appearances it has been grey.
An inferius (plural: inferi)[lower-alpha 5] is a corpse controlled by a dark wizard's spells. An inferius is not alive, but a dead body that has been bewitched into being a puppet for the witch or wizard; this is depicted in the films as a white mist in the controlled corpse's eyes. The inferi do not think for themselves: They are created to perform a specific duty assigned by the dark wizard who commands them, and as seen in the inferi guarding Voldemort's horcrux in a seaside cave, remain idle until their task to be performed is triggered. The task is then thoughtlessly carried out per the prior direction, whether or not it will produce any result. Inferi are difficult to harm by magic; however, they can be repelled by fire or any other forms of heat or light, as the inferi in Voldemort's cave are. When defeated but not destroyed, they return to their idle state.
Inferi are considered dangerous and frightening enough by the magical world that impersonating an inferius (as Mundungus Fletcher is reported to have done in Half-Blood Prince) is an offense worthy of imprisonment in Azkaban.
The Ministry of Magic fears that Voldemort is killing enough people to make an army of inferi: As they are dead, they are very difficult to stop. When Voldemort was hiding one of his horcruxes in the past, he filled a lake in a cave with many inferi, which were to attack and drown anyone but Voldemort who came into the cavern and took the locket. When Harry and Dumbledore took the locket, the inferi attacked Harry; Dumbledore repelled them with a rope of magical fire. It is also revealed that the inferi almost killed Kreacher after he drank from the basin to help Voldemort hide his horcruxes, but having been ordered to return to his master after his task with Voldemort was complete, he managed to apparate out of the cave. These inferi later killed Regulus Black when he stole the horcrux and ordered Kreacher to destroy it.
A horcrux is an object created using dark magic to attain effective immortality. The concept is first introduced in the sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, although horcruxes are present in earlier novels without being explained or identified as such.
To create a horcrux, a witch or wizard must first prepare the chosen object[24] in a ritual which Rowling described only as "too horrible to go into detail about". Following the preparation of the object, the witch or wizard must then take a life, an act which splits the soul. Following that, further dark rituals are required in order to remove the soul shard from the maker and place it into the prepared object. Once this is done, the horcrux becomes magically protected from almost all forms of destruction, requiring extremely powerful magic or especially destructive substances to do so.
Ordinarily, when one's body is killed, the soul departs for the next world. If, however, the body of a horcrux maker is killed, that portion of his soul which was still in his body will not pass on to the next world, but will rather exist in a non-corporeal form capable of being resurrected by another wizard. If all of someone's horcruxes are destroyed, then his soul's only anchor in the material world would be his body, the destruction of which would then cause his final death. To destroy the horcrux, the destroyer must destroy it in such a way that it is put beyond magical repair. In the second book, Tom Riddle's diary (later found to be a horcrux) is destroyed by Harry with a basilisk's venomous fang. In the seventh book, Gryffindor's sword, which is impregnated with basilisk venom, an old basilisk fang, and fiendfyre are the substances used to destroy them.
At Hogwarts, students must study a core group of subjects for the first two years, after which they must choose between several electives in addition to the core subjects. Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Astronomy, History of Magic, and Herbology are compulsory subjects for the first five years, as well as flying lessons for the first year, which becomes optional for the remaining six years. At the end of their second year, students are required to add at least two optional subjects to their syllabus for the start of the third year. The five choices are Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Divination, Study of Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures.
Portraits
In the Harry Potter series the subjects of magical portraits (even those of characters that are dead) can move, interact with living observers, speak and demonstrate apparent emotion and personality. Some can even move to other portraits to visit each other, or relay messages, or (if more than one painting of the subject exists) move between separate locations by way of their portraits. An example of this is Phineas Nigellus Black, who has a portrait in the headmaster's office to offer advice to the current headmaster.
Portraits are enchanted to move by the artist, but the degree to which they can interact with others depends on the power of the subject.[25] Rowling has commented that a portrait is merely a faint imprint of the deceased subject, imitating their basic personality and thought patterns. They are therefore "not as fully realised as ghosts".[26]
Portraits in the Headmaster's office
The portraits in the Headmaster's office depict all the former Heads of Hogwarts, with the exception of Dolores Umbridge. They advise the Headmaster and are "honour-bound to give service to the present headmaster" (according to Armando Dippet). Rowling has explained that portraits of past headteachers tend to be more realistic than most, as the subject in question usually imparts knowledge and teaches them how to behave before their death. The portrait of Snape was installed in the Headmaster's Office at Harry's request.[25]
Photographs
Wizarding photographs of people have similar properties to magical painted portraits: The figures within move about or even sometimes leave the frame. They appear in wizard newspapers and other print media, as well as on Chocolate Frog cards.[6]Colin Creevey mentions in Chamber of Secrets that a boy in his dormitory said that if he develops the film from his Muggle camera "in the right potion", the pictures will move.[27]:ch. 6 However, unlike portraits, figures in wizarding pictures cannot speak and display little sentience. It appears that they do have some knowledge of current events, as in Order of the Phoenix, the family photograph on Arthur's desk shows everyone except Percy "who appeared to have walked out of it".[28]
Notes
↑ Intense motivation, under extenuating circumstances, helps a lot. An example of this is when Harry is able to conjure a corporeal Patronus when Sirius is in danger of being administered the Dementor's Kiss.[12]
↑ also Sectumsempra, judged to be Dark by reliable authorities[citation needed]
↑ Harry Potter is the only person known to have survived (twice), nullified (once), and deflected (once) the killing curse.
↑ The Latin word inferus (plural: inferi) means "those below", often referring in the plural to "the gods below" (see di inferi) or the spirits of the dead (q.v. lemures and manes).[22]Inferius is a neuter singular form of inferior, a comparative adjective meaning "lower".[22][23]
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The fictional universe of the Harry Potter series of novels contains two distinct societies: the "wizarding world" and the "Muggle world". The term "Muggle world" refers to a society inhabited by non-magical people ("Muggles"), while the term "wizarding world" refers to a society of wizards that live parallel to Muggles. The wizarding world is described as a veiled society wherein magic is commonly used and practised; the wizards live in self-enforced seclusion and hide their abilities from Muggles. The novels are set in 1990s Britain, which contains both Muggle and wizard communities. Any new works taking place in this universe are released under the Wizarding World brand.
Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He was introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as a half-giant who is the gamekeeper and groundskeeper at the wizarding school Hogwarts. He is a member of the Order of the Phoenix and eventually becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor. Hagrid is portrayed by Robbie Coltrane in all eight Harry Potter films.
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He was introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a first-year student on his way to the wizarding school Hogwarts. During the school year, Ron befriends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Being the only member of the trio who was raised in wizarding society, he provides insight into wizarding customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron is portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight Harry Potter films. He was one of the first Harry Potter characters that Rowling created.
Sirius Black is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter. His character becomes prominent in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he is the titular prisoner, and is also revealed to be the godfather of the central character Harry Potter. He is portrayed in the film adaptations by Gary Oldman.
Neville Longbottom is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series. He is described as a round-faced Gryffindor student in the central character Harry Potter's year. Throughout the series, Neville is often portrayed as a bumbling and disorganised character, and a rather mediocre student, though he is highly gifted at Herbology. However, the character's personality appears to undergo a transition after he joins Dumbledore's Army in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The encouragement he receives gives him confidence in his magical abilities, turning him into a more competent wizard. Eventually, Neville becomes the leader of Dumbledore's Army during Harry, Ron and Hermione's absence searching for Horcruxes. Neville is instrumental in the downfall of Lord Voldemort and eventually destroys the final Horcrux, which allows Harry to defeat The Dark Lord once and for all. Neville is portrayed in the film adaptations by Matthew Lewis.
Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. She evolved from an unnamed peripheral character in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire into a major antagonist in subsequent novels. In the final installment of the story, Rowling established her as Lord Voldemort's "last, best lieutenant". Bellatrix was the first female Death Eater introduced in the books. Bellatrix had a fanatic obsession with the Dark Lord although she was clearly fearful of his magical abilities and absolute power over his forces. She is almost as sadistic and homicidal as Lord Voldemort, with a psychotic personality.
Dolores Jane Umbridge is a fictional character from the Harry Potter series created by J.K. Rowling. Umbridge is the secondary antagonist of the fifth novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where she has been stationed at Hogwarts by the Ministry of Magic to take power away from Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, who have both been informing the Wizarding World of Lord Voldemort's return.
References
↑ "FAQ". jkrowling.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
↑ Harry Potter: A History of Magic. 28 October 2017. BBC.
↑ Rowling, J.K. (6 September 2016). Short stories from Hogwarts of heroism, hardship, and dangerous hobbies. Pottermore Presents. Pottermore. ISBN978-1-78110-628-0.
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