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Harry Potter
The
protagonist and central character. As a baby, Harry faced Lord Voldemort
and survived, earning the lightning bolt–shaped scar on his forehead.
Harry is kind, stubborn, and resourceful. He has faced many hardships
but always seems to emerge victorious.
Read an
in-depth analysis of Harry Potter.
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Albus Dumbledore
The headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. Dumbledore is an old and powerful wizard. Aside from Harry,
Dumbledore is Voldemort’s only true nemesis. He represents wisdom, strength,
and integrity.
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Dolores Umbridge
The Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic,
and the self-appointed High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Physically,
Umbridge resembles a toad, and her behavior is just as ugly. She
is arrogant, vindictive, and untrustworthy.
Read an
in-depth analysis of Dolores Umbridge.
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Lord Voldemort
Also
known as the “Dark Lord.” Most Wizards are afraid to speak his name.
Voldemort embodies pure evil. He was once a student at Hogwarts
named Tom Riddle, but he quickly became the most powerful dark force
in the Wizarding world. Voldemort killed Harry’s parents and is
responsible for the deaths of many others.
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Ron Weasley
One
of Harry’s best friends. A shy, nervous boy prone to embarrassment,
Ron is a brave (if bumbling) young wizard. He comes from a pureblood
Wizarding family. His twin brothers, Fred and George, and younger
sister, Ginny, also attend Hogwarts.
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Hermione Granger
One of Harry’s best friends. Strikingly intelligent
and very hard-working, Hermione is always reminding Harry and Ron
to study. She is extremely brave and at the top of her class at
Hogwarts.
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Sirius Black
Harry’s
godfather, and his father’s best friend and schoolmate. Sirius is
an Animagus, which means that he can turn himself into a shaggy
black dog, named Padfoot, at will. Sirius was wrongly imprisoned
for murder, and, since his escape, has been forced to remain in
hiding.
Read an
in-depth analysis of Sirius Black.
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Professor Severus Snape
Head of House for Slytherin, and a former Death Eater.
Snape teaches Potions and is a member of the Order. Harry does not
trust Snape, but Dumbledore has long deemed him loyal.
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Professor Minerva McGonagall
Head of House for Gryffindor and instructor of Transfiguration.
Professor McGonagall is tough but fair and has earned the respect
of her students.
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Hagrid
The
gamekeeper at Hogwarts and instructor of Care of Magical Creatures.
Hagrid is part giant and a very good friend to Harry. He is a member
of the Order of the Phoenix and extremely loyal to Dumbledore.
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Cornelius Fudge
The Minister of Magic. Fudge is corrupt and anxious.
He believes that Dumbledore is after his job and thinks Harry is
a liar.
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Mrs. Weasley
Ron’s
mother. Mrs. Weasley is tough and overprotective, with her children’s
best interests always in mind. She is a member of the Order and
loyal to Dumbledore. She considers Harry a member of her family.
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Mr. Weasley
Ron’s
father and an employee of the Ministry of Magic, Misuse of Muggle
Artifacts Division. Mr. Weasley is kind, loyal, and obsessed with
Muggle culture. He treats Harry as his own son.
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Neville Longbottom
A close friend of Harry’s and an awkward young wizard.
Neville’s parents were members of the Order of the Phoenix and tortured
into lunacy by Bellatrix Lestrange. Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom now reside
in St. Mungo’s Hospital.
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Luna Lovegood
A
student and outcast at Hogwarts. Luna’s father owns the Quibbler,
a Wizard tabloid. She is often mocked at school
but doesn’t seem to mind.
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Ginny Weasley
Ron’s
younger sister. Ginny is sweet and brave and used to have a crush
on Harry.
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Draco Malfoy
The
seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team and Harry’s arch-enemy at
Hogwarts. Like his father, Draco disapproves of half-bloods or Mudbloods studying
at Hogwarts. He is arrogant, ignorant, and terribly mean.
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Lucius Malfoy
Draco’s
father. Lucius is a Death Eater and servant of Voldemort.
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Bellatrix Lestrange
Sirius’s cousin and a Death Eater. Bellatrix is responsible
for torturing Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom into insanity. She is loyal
only to Voldemort.
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Professor Sybill Trelawney
Instructor of Divination at Hogwarts. Professor Trelawney
is scatterbrained, and her predictions are generally ridiculous.
She is the great-great-granddaughter of a famous Seer, and she is responsible
for the prophecy about Harry’s powers.
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Mad-Eye Moody
A
retired Auror who once taught Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.
Moody is a member of the Order and loyal to Dumbledore.
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Remus Lupin
A
werewolf and a member of the Order. Lupin once taught Defense Against
the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. He was a good friend of Harry’s father.
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Dobby
Formerly
the Malfoy House-Elf, and freed by Harry at the end of Book II.
Dobby has grown increasingly loyal to Harry. He helps Harry and
the D.A. discover the Room of Requirement. Even though he has been
freed, Dobby is still prone to self-punishment and often hurts himself
when he feels he has not served his master well.
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Kreacher
The
Black House-Elf. Kreacher is loyal only to Bellatrix Lestrange and
defies the Order to serve her. Kreacher lies and tells Harry that
Sirius is at the Ministry when he is actually in the attic. Kreacher
is inadvertently responsible for Sirius’s death.
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The Dursleys (Dudley, Vernon, and Petunia)
Harry’s Muggle cousin, uncle, and aunt. The Dursleys
are terrible people, and Harry dreads spending his summers with them.
The family raised Harry until his eleventh birthday, when Dumbledore
called for him to enroll at Hogwarts.
