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Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery & Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells & Harry Potter: Magic Awakened. |
- "The Potter family is a very old one, but it was never (until the birth of Harry James Potter) at the very forefront of wizarding history, contenting itself with a solid and comfortable existence in the backwaters. Potter is a not uncommon Muggle surname, and the family did not make the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight for this reason; the anonymous compiler of that supposedly definitive list of pure-bloods suspected that they had sprung from what he considered to be tainted blood."
- — Early description of the Potter family[src]
Potter was the surname of an old wizarding family descended from Ignotus Peverell and Linfred of Stinchcombe.[5] The Potters were, for many generations, Pure-blood, up until the birth of Harry Potter in 1980, but they were excluded from the Sacred Twenty-Eight due to their egalitarian stance on blood purity. The Potters have traditionally been sorted into Gryffindor House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[8]
The family also had a branch in the United States, whose members presumably attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The most prominent member of the American branch was Auror Abraham Potter, one of the first in his profession on American soil. The family was also very wealthy, with a vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank containing a great deal of gold.[9]
The Potters were related to the Peverell, Fleamont, Black, Evans and Weasley families, and more distantly to the Gaunt, Riddle, Flint, Bulstrode, Crabbe, Dursley, Prewett, Delacour, Johnson, Granger and Granger-Weasley families. It is unknown who the family was related to through the American branch.
During the First and Second Wizarding Wars, the Potters supported the Order of the Phoenix and opposed Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. James and Lily Potter were both Order members who defied Voldemort three times and fought in the First Wizarding War. On 31 October, 1981 James and Lily's fourth encounter with Voldemort was their last. He murdered them as they attempted to protect their infant son, Harry.
Harry survived and went on to be the youngest Seeker in a century and leader/teacher of Dumbledore's Army. He also played an important role in many battles and skirmishes of the Second Wizarding War. These battles included the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts. During the Battle of Hogwarts he defeated Voldemort once and for all, thus ending the war.
After the war Harry became an Auror and helped reform and revolutionise the Ministry of Magic.[10] At some point he married fellow Gryffindor and Dumbledore's Army member Ginevra Weasley. The couple had three children: James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna Potter, all three of whom were named in honour of family, friends, and allies.
In 2007, Harry was promoted to Head of the Auror Office at the young age of 26.[11] Before the autumn of 2020 he became the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Harry also had a Chocolate Frog Card made in his honour that detailed his various accomplishments.[12]
The Potter family, despite being excluded from the Sacred Twenty-Eight and not seeming to care about blood supremacy, were (or must have been) once a "respectable" pure-blood family, as Dorea Black was not disowned by her family after marrying Charlus Potter.
History[]
Early history[]
- "The wizarding family of Potters descends from the twelfth-century wizard Linfred of Stinchcombe, a locally well-beloved and eccentric man, whose nickname, 'the Potterer', became corrupted in time to 'Potter'."
- — The beginning of the use of the name Potter[src]
The family tree of the Potter family
The Potter family descended from a twelfth-century wizard named Linfred of Stinchcombe, a locally well-beloved and eccentric man, whose nickname, 'the Potterer', became corrupted in time to 'Potter'.[5]
Linfred was a vague and absent-minded fellow whose Muggle neighbours often called upon his medicinal services.[5] None of them realised that Linfred's wonderful cures for pox and ague were magical; they all thought him a harmless and lovable old chap, pottering about in his garden with all his funny plants.[5] His reputation as a well-meaning eccentric served Linfred well, for behind closed doors he was able to continue the series of experiments that laid the foundation of the Potter family's fortune.[5]
Historians credit Linfred as the originator of a number of remedies that evolved into potions still used to this day, including Skele-Gro and Pepperup Potion.[5] His sales of such cures to fellow witches and wizards enabled him to leave a significant pile of gold to each of his seven children upon his death.[5]
Death reluctantly handing over a piece of his own cloak to Ignotus Peverell
Hardwin Potter, Linfred's eldest son, married a beautiful young witch from the village of Godric's Hollow who went by the name of Iolanthe Peverell.[5] She was the granddaughter of Ignotus Peverell and as the eldest of her generation in the absence of male heirs within the Peverell family, inherited her grandfather's Cloak of Invisibility.[5] It was, as Iolanthe explained to Hardwin, a tradition in her family that the possession of this cloak remained a secret, and her new husband respected her wishes. From this time on, the cloak was handed down to the eldest in each new generation.[5]
The Potters continued to marry to neighbours, occasionally Muggles and lived in the West of England for several generations, each one adding to the family coffers by their hard work and by the quiet ingenuity that had characterised their forebear, Linfred. Occasionally, a Potter made it all the way to London.[5]
Ralston Potter, a later descendant of the Potter family, served as a member of the Wizengamot from 1612 to 1652.[5] He was a supporter of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, instead of wishing to declaring war on Muggles like the more militant members of the Wizengamot.[5]
American branch[]
Abraham Potter and the other original twelve Aurors of MACUSA
At some point prior to 1693, a branch of the Potter family emigrated to the United States of America. Abraham Potter was among the original twelve Aurors trained and appointed by the first President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, Josiah Jackson. Abraham had descendants which were given particular respect in America ever since. Abraham's relation to Harry Potter was uncovered by eager genealogists centuries later.[13]
Recent history[]
- "It was Fleamont who took the family gold and quadrupled it, by creating magical Sleekeazy's Hair Potion ('two drops tames even the most bothersome barnet')."
- — Fleamont invented Sleekeazy's Hair Potion[src]
Henry Potter (known as Harry to his friends), also served in the Wizengamot from 1913 to 1921. He condemned the Minister for Magic at the time, Archer Evermonde, for forbidding the magical community from helping the Muggles fighting during the First World War. His outspokenness on behalf of the Muggle community, along with the fact that Potter is also a relatively common surname in the Muggle world, led to the exclusion of the Potter family from the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' list.
Fleamont Potter, Henry's son, attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was Sorted into Gryffindor House. Most of his classmates there teased him about his name, goading him into later attributing his dexterity at duelling to the fights he made in return. After graduating, Fleamont took up a potioneering career in which he invented Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, the sale of which quadrupled the family gold and enabled him to woo even American witches by 1926. He retired with his wife Euphemia a few years later, but sold the company at a vast profit.
Dorea Black, born into the House of Black, one of Britain's oldest, largest and wealthiest wizarding families, married Charlus Potter, with whom she had a son. This meant that, despite being branded "blood traitors" for their openness to Muggles, the Potters were considered a respectable family with a certain status, on a par with others such as the Macmillans, the Longbottoms and the Prewetts. In any case, the union of Dorea and Charlus connected the Potters with many other British wizarding families.
James after being Sorted into Gryffindor, sitting next to Lily Evans
James Potter, Fleamont and Euphemia's only son, was born late in the couple's lives on 27 March, 1960. By that time, his parents were both elderly (even by wizarding standards), but they pampered and cherished their child accordingly to the point where he became a proud yet arrogant boy. However, James was still considered a good person.
James attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978, and was sorted into Gryffindor like his father. While there, he became leader of a small gang of Gryffindors in his year known as the Marauders, along with Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin. He played as Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and was very aware of his talents.
While at Hogwarts, James met Lily Evans who was also in Gryffindor. He developed a crush on her, but James was somewhat an obnoxious youth due to his love of showing off and his exceptional self-confidence. He often hexed other students with Sirius out of boredom, including Lily's friend.
The Marauders in their Animagus forms
James was also an accomplished Animagus, along with Sirius and Peter as they sought to accompany Remus each month when he became a werewolf. James' Animagus form was a shining red stag with pronged horns, from which his nickname "Prongs" was derived. They also made the Marauder's Map, a small piece of parchment enchanted with a Homonculous Charm which displays a map of the Hogwarts Castle and grounds, and all the school's inhabitants — including all staff, ghosts and students — in great detail.
By the end of his time at Hogwarts, James lost the less savoury aspects of his personality and was appointed Head Boy. The Potter family welcomed Sirius to their home one summer after he was disowned by his own pure-blood supremacist family, making him an unofficial member of the Potter family. Sirius himself was later provided a home after his uncle Alphard Black left him with some of the Black family gold (which saw Alphard disowned from the family as well), but Fleamont and Euphemia would often welcome him back to their home for Sunday lunch.
First Wizarding War[]
Service in the war[]
- "It's a secret society. Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time."
- — Lily and James joined the original Order of the Phoenix[src]
James and Lily Potter's in 1979 shortly after getting married
James and Lily were married immediately after Hogwarts, sometime around 1978 and 1979. The wedding was kept very quiet because of the First Wizarding War that was taking place. The war was the result of Dark wizard Lord Voldemort's (a distant Potter relative) rise to power. Voldemort spawned a dark rebellion and gained followers known as Death Eaters. Also, in the fall of 1979, Lily became pregnant with their future son.
James and Lily as members of the original Order of the Phoenix
The Dark Lord sought to recruit the Potters to his cause as well, possibly due to Snape who joined the Death Eater ranks and urged his master to do so in spite of Lily being Muggle-born. However, the couple refused and defied him three times, instead joining the Order of the Phoenix. The order was an organisation led by Albus Dumbledore designed to oppose Voldemort's regime directly.
By 1979, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter died of Dragon Pox within a few days after each other, leaving James to inherit the vast family fortune. This enabled him to comfortably support the family without the need for a paying job, and also used this wealth to support Lupin, who was unemployable due to his werewolf status.
Near-extinction[]
- "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies"
- — Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy[src]
Harry as an infant with his late parents
Harry Potter, James and Lily's son, was born during the height of the war on 31 July, 1980. At the same time, Dumbledore witnessed a prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney at the Hog's Head Inn which predicted that a child with the power to defeat the Dark Lord would be born to parents who had defied him three times "as the seventh month dies". Voldemort was only told part of the prophecy, because Severus Snape, who was eavesdropping on the interview, was caught by Aberforth Dumbledore (Albus' brother) and thrown out of the pub.[14][15]
Even though two infants were born at the end of July, Voldemort picked Harry as he believed their shared blood status made them equal. Severus Snape and Dumbledore made arrangements for the Potters to go into hiding by using the Fidelius Charm over the Potter cottage in Godric's Hollow.
James and Lily made Peter Pettigrew their Secret-Keeper, but he betrayed them when he secretly defected to the Death Eaters as a spy within the Order's ranks and, as a result, betrayed the Potters' whereabouts about a week after the Fidelius Charm was performed. They originally intended for Sirius to be the Secret-Keeper, but he suggested Pettigrew instead thinking he would be less obvious.
Lord Voldemort murdering Lily Potter and trying to murder infant Harry
Lily and James were murdered by Voldemort with the Killing Curse at their cottage on 31 October, 1981. He gave Lily the chance to step aside at the request of Snape, but she refused. Her death invoked ancient magic that protected Harry when Voldemort tried to kill him. The Killing Curse rebounded, leaving Harry its only known survivor and Voldemort temporarily defeated. The incident also caused a piece of Voldemort's soul to be embedded in the lightning-bolt-scar on Harry's forehead, inadvertently turning the boy into one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.[16]
Harry was taken by Rubeus Hagrid by the request of Dumbledore, to the care of his maternal relatives, the Dursley family. He spent the next ten years without any knowledge of his wizarding heritage and was treated poorly by his aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. Dumbledore believed Harry would benefit from being with blood relatives in order to preserve the protection his mother gave him with her death.
The Potter's destroyed cottage in Godric's Hollow
The Potter's cottage was kept in its ruined condition and made invisible to Muggles. There was a sign outside the cottage that commented on the state of the house and what happened to the Potters. Witches and wizards often wrote words of support for Harry on the sign. The messages were "long live Harry Potter", "if you read this, Harry, we're all behind you!", and "good luck, Harry, wherever you are". Others wrote their name in Everlasting Ink, as proof that they've visited the cottage.
The memorial dedicated to James, Lily, and Harry Potter
Sometime later, a memorial was placed in the village square in honour of James, Lily, and Harry. From a distance, it appeared as an obelisk, carved with the names of people who died in a war (presumably Muggle casualties of one or more previous conflicts). The memorial actually depicted a sitting James and Lily, looking down at an infant Harry, with Lily holding him.[17] In the winter snow would gather on the heads of the statues, they looked like they were wearing white caps.
Between the wars[]
- Rubeus Hagrid: "Harry — yer a wizard."
- Harry Potter: "I'm a what?"
- Rubeus Hagrid: "A wizard, o' course, an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be?"
- — Rubeus Hagrid telling Harry Potter the truth about his heritage[src]
Harry was finally informed he was a wizard on his eleventh birthday by Rubeus Hagrid when the time came for him to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991. Harry was sorted into Gryffindor house. During his education, he proved to be highly talented in the areas of Defence Against the Dark Arts and Quidditch. He also proved to be a wizard of superior magical ability, as he was able to conjure a corporeal stag Patronus at the incredibly young age of thirteen.[17]
James and Lily Potter as seen by Harry in the Mirror of Erised
Harry's time at Hogwarts was met with the return of Lord Voldemort, in which Harry prevented him from obtaining the Philosopher's Stone in 1992. Harry also received the Cloak of Invisibility and saw his family for the first time in the Mirror of Erised. He was also the youngest Seeker in a century, due to playing for his house team in his first year.
In his second year, he solved the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, saved Ginny Weasley's life, and slayed Slytherin's basilisk. He would eventually find out the truth about his parents' death and learn of Sirius Black's innocence. In his fourth year he became one of the champions in the Triwizard Tournament, while later winning said tournament.
Second Wizarding War[]
- "I am the chosen one. I have to kill him."
- — Harry Potter's future regarding Voldemort[src]
Harry Potter fighting in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries
Voldemort eventually returned in body form by using Harry's blood to regenerate his own body in 1995, while unknowingly anchoring his life to Harry's own.[18] After Voldemort's return, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge led a smear champion against Harry and Dumbledore in a misguided attempt to discredit their claims that Voldemort had returned.This caused the majority of the wizarding community to turn against him.
Also, during his fifth year, Harry reluctantly taught and led Dumbledore's Army. He also fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and played a significant role in many other battles of the Second Wizarding War (the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle of the Seven Potters).
Harry sought to destroy every known Horcrux of Voldemort, which led to their final confrontation at the Battle of Hogwarts in May 1998. When he found out he was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, he decided to sacrifice his life in order to give everyone a chance at defeating him. Harry spoke with his parents, Sirius, and Remus briefly through the Resurrection Stone. During the one-hour armistice that marked the end of the first half of the battle, Harry found out through the memories of Severus Snape that he himself was the last Horcrux. As he was walked to his death Harry was finally able to retrieve the Stone. He placed the Snitch to his lips and revealed his intentions to die.[19]
Harry brings back his family and friends
At this, the Snitch opened and the Stone fell into his hand. Harry turned it over in his hand thrice, and was immediately joined by the shades of his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. The presence of his loved ones was enough to give him the courage to keep going, and they remained with him until he made his way to where Voldemort was.[19] At this point, the stone slipped from Harry's hands and he never went to search for it, with the intention that it would be lost in the forest forever.
Harry willingly lets Voldemort hit him with Killing Curse
Afterwards, he willingly stood before Voldemort and was struck with the Killing Curse, which destroyed the part of Voldemort's soul within him. He woke in limbo were Dumbledore was waiting for him.[20] Dumbledore proceeded to explain his plan and the Deathly Hallows. While in limbo Harry also glimpsed Voldemort's mangled and mutilated soul. With Dumbledore prompting him, Harry concluded that, because Harry let himself be killed by Voldemort, the part of Voldemort's soul that was in Harry had now gone. Harry's soul was whole and completely his own.[20] Harry later asked Dumbledore if he had to return to the land of the living. Dumbledore replied that Harry had a choice, since they were in King's Cross, Harry could go back or board a train and go "on". Harry choose to return to the living, so he could complete his mission.[20]
Harry was also notable for being the only known Master of Death, on account of having united the three Deathly Hallows at the mere age of seventeen.
Harry's final defeat of the most dangerous Dark wizard of all time
Harry survived for the second time as Voldemort had taken some of Harry's blood — and thus Lily's blood — with the magical protection that was created when he tried to murder Harry as a baby, which, in turn, protected him for the second time. It also protected the defenders of Hogwarts in the final stages of the battle. Voldemort and Harry duelled one last time, and Harry defeated Voldemort once and for all, thus putting an end to the Second Wizarding War.[16]
After the war[]
- "Harry and Ron utterly revolutionised the Auror Department in — at the Ministry of Magic. So they — I mean, they are now the consummate — they are experts... And by the time — 19 years later — I would imagine that Harry is heading up that department, which is not corrupt in any way."
- — J. K. Rowling regarding Harry's career after the war[src]
After the Second Wizarding War, Harry was recruited into the Auror training programme by Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. He became the youngest Head Auror ever appointed at age 26. Along with his friend Ron Weasley, Harry is considered an "expert" and helped reform and revolutionise the Auror department and the rest of the Ministry.
Harry and his children at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup
At some point he was featured on a Chocolate Frog Card for his accomplishments. He also married Ginny Weasley sometime before 2014. The couple had three children — James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna Potter — and thus a new generation of Potters were born into a more peaceful and stable world.[16]
The Potter family also attended the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, where Ginny was covering the match as the sports correspondent for the Daily Prophet. During the match, Rita Skeeter made many scathing comments about Harry and the other members of Dumbledore's Army that were present in the VIP box.
Harry and Ginny Potter escorting their sons to the Hogwarts Express
James Sirius began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 2015 and was sorted into Gryffindor House. Lily Luna, who began attendance in 2019, was also sorted into Gryffindor. The exception was Albus Severus who began attending Hogwarts in 2017 and was sorted into Slytherin House, thus making him the only one in his immediate family who was not in Gryffindor.
At some point during Kingsley's tenure as Minister Harry helped advance werewolf rights. He did this by setting up an outreach programme.[21] He also proposed providing free Wolfsbane Potions to any werewolf who wanted the potion. However, his Wolfsbane proposal never came to fruition, as politics and protocols prevented it from happening.[21]
Harry standing with Minister Granger, as the head of Magical law Enforcement
Shortly after, Harry was made the leader of the members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force. This task force was an emergency response team established by the International Confederation of Wizards with the help of the British Ministry of Magic to deal with a series of large-scale breaches of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy known as the Calamity.[21] He congratulated those who choose the career of an Auror, but warned them that it could either be the best or worst job depending on their abilities.[21]
During his time at Hogwarts, Albus faced many challenges; some of them happened due to having a famous father and others due to his lack of magical talent. Harry went on to be the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, having been promoted sometime before the fall of 2020.[22]
Family members[]
Main family[]
James Potter was the only child of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. James married Lily Evans and they had one child, Harry, who famously defeated Lord Voldemort. Harry eventually married Ginny Weasley and they had three children: James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna Potter.
| Wizard(s) | Notes |
|---|---|
| Linfred of Stinchcombe | Nicknamed "the Potterer". 12th century Pioneering Potioneer who invented many medicinal potions, including Skele-Gro and the Pepperup Potion. He was the founding patriarch of the Potter family. |
| Hardwin Potter | Moved the family to Godric's Hollow; eldest son of Linfred the Potterer, from whom he inherited a sizeable sum of gold. |
| Iolanthe Potter
(née Peverell) |
Granddaughter of Ignotus Peverell who inherited the Cloak of Invisibility from her father due to the lack of any male heirs in her generation; wife of Hardwin Potter. |
| Ralston Potter | Member of the Wizengamot from 1612 to 1652, and staunch advocate of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. |
| Abraham Potter | One of the original twelve Aurors in the United States of America, who was not among the two to survive into old age. |
| Henry Potter's father | Father of Henry Potter and grandfather of Fleamont Potter. |
| Mrs Potter (née Fleamont) | Mother of Henry Potter, who she asked on her deathbed to preserve her maiden name, which would otherwise die out with her as she was apparently the last of her line. |
| Henry Potter | Member of the Wizengamot from 1913 to 1921, who condemned Minister for Magic Archer Evermonde for his decision to forbid the wizarding aid to Muggles during the First World War; father of Fleamont Potter, grandfather of James Potter, and great-grandfather of Harry Potter. |
| Fleamont Potter | Cosmetic Potioneer who invented Sleekeazy's Hair Potion in 1926; son of Henry Potter, father of James Potter (I) and grandfather of Harry Potter. Died of Dragon Pox in 1979. |
| Euphemia Potter | Wife of Fleamont Potter, mother of James Potter, and grandmother of Harry Potter. Died of Dragon Pox in 1979. |
| Charlus Potter | Husband of Dorea Black and father of one son. |
| Dorea Potter (née Black) | Pure-blood witch, wife of Charlus Potter, and member of the House of Black. Died in 1977. |
| James Potter | Unregistered stag Animagus who joined the original Order of the Phoenix in 1978; son of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, and father of Harry Potter. Murdered by Voldemort on the night of 31 October, 1981. |
| Lily J. Potter (née Evans) | Muggle-born who joined the original Order of the Phoenix in 1978; wife of James Potter and mother of Harry Potter. Murdered by Voldemort on the night of 31 October, 1981. |
| Charlus's son | Son of Charlus and Dorea Potter. |
| Harry James Potter | Half-blood who famously defeated Lord Voldemort and served as Head of the Auror Office from 2007 to 2019, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as of 2019, and Guest Lecturer for Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; son of James and Lily Potter and father of James S., Albus and Lily L. Potter. |
| Ginevra Molly Potter (née Weasley) | Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies from 1999 to 2004 and Senior Quidditch Correspondent for the the Daily Prophet as of 2010; wife of Harry Potter and mother of James S., Albus, and Lily L. Potter. |
| James Sirius Potter | Half-blood Gryffindor wizard[23] who was the eldest child and first son of Harry and Ginny Potter. He had a younger brother and sister. He was named for his paternal grandfather and his father's godfather. |
| Albus Severus Potter | Half-blood Slytherin wizard[7] who was sorted in 2017. He was the second child and son of Harry and Ginny Potter. He had an older brother and a younger sister. He was named after Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, who were both Headmasters of Hogwarts. |
| Lily Luna Potter | Half-blood Gryffindor witch[7] who was sorted in 2019. She was the youngest child and only daughter of Harry and Ginny Potter. She had two older brothers. She was named after her paternal grandmother and one of her parents' dearest friends (Luna Lovegood). |
Potter relatives[]
After James Potter married Muggle-born Lily Evans, the Potters were then related to the Muggle Dursleys and Evans families. Through Harry Potter's marriage to Ginny Weasley, the Potters gained many relatives as the Weasleys were quite a large family. Also, through Charlus' marriage to Dorea, the Potters gained several relatives from House of Black.
| Wizard(s) | Notes |
|---|---|
| Cygnus Black (II) † | Member of the House of Black, father of four children, one of whom was Dorea. Charlus Potter's father-in-law and grandfather to his son. |
| Violetta Black | Mother-in-law of Charlus, and grandmother to his son. |
| Pollux Black † | Older brother of Dorea and uncle to Charlus's son. |
| Irma Black | Related through marriage, wife of Pollux, and aunt to Charlus's son. |
| Walburga Black † | The eldest child and only daughter of Pollux and Irma Black. Sister of Alphard and Cygnus Black, mother of Sirius and Regulus Arcturus Black, and aunt of Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa Black. First cousin of Charlus' son. |
| Alphard Black † | The second child and first son of Pollux and Irma Black. Brother of Walburga and Cygnus Black, uncle of Sirius, Regulus Arcturus, Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa Black. First cousin of Charlus' son. |
| Cygnus Black (III) † | The youngest child and second son of Pollux and Irma Black. Brother of Walburga and Cygnus Black, father of Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa Black, and uncle of Sirius and Regulus Arcturus Black. First cousin of Charlus' son. |
| Cassiopeia Black † | Older sister of Dorea and aunt to Charlus's son. |
| Marius Black † | Older brother of Dorea and uncle to Charlus' son. Disowned and burned off the Black family tree tapestry for being a Squib. |
| Mr Evans † | Muggle parents of Petunia and Lily, also the grandparents of Harry Potter. |
| Mrs Evans † | |
| Petunia Dursley † | Muggle older sister of Lily and aunt to Harry Potter. |
| Dudley Dursley | Harry Potter's blood related first cousin and son of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. |
| Vernon Dursley | Related through marriage, husband of Petunia, and uncle to Harry Potter. |
| Arthur Weasley | Previously employed by the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects as of 1996. Harry's father-in-law and grandfather to his children. |
| Molly Weasley | Housewife/homemaker, mother-in-law of Harry, and grandmother to his children. |
| William Arthur Weasley | Eldest child; works as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts Bank. |
| Fleur Weasley | Wife of Bill Weasley and mother of Victoire, Dominique, and Louis Weasley. |
| Victoire Weasley | The three children of Bill and Fleur Weasley. Victoire is the eldest, Louis is the youngest and only boy. Victoire was born on 2 May and is named in honour of the Order of the Phoenix's and Harry Potter's victory over Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. |
| Dominique Weasley | |
| Louis Weasley | |
| Charles Weasley | Studies dragons in Romania. |
| Percy Ignatius Weasley | Worked at the Ministry of Magic from 1994 to 1998 before reaffirming his loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix; later worked at the reformed Ministry under Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. |
| Audrey Weasley | Wife of Percy Weasley and mother of Molly and Lucy Weasley. |
| Molly Weasley (II) | Daughters of Percy and Audrey Weasley. Molly is the eldest and named after her paternal grandmother. |
| Lucy Weasley | |
| Fred Weasley † | Co-owner of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Died in an explosion during the Battle of Hogwarts. |
| George Weasley | Co-owner of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Twin of the deceased Fred Weasley. |
| Angelina Weasley | Wife of George Weasley and mother of Fred and Roxanne Weasley. |
| Fred Weasley (II) | Children of George and Angelina Weasley. Fred was the eldest and named in honour of his father's twin brother that was killed during the Battle of Hogwarts. |
| Roxanne Weasley | |
| Ronald Billius Weasley | Best friend and brother-in-law of Harry Potter; worked as an Auror for two years, then in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes after the end of the Second Wizarding War. |
| Hermione Granger | Close friend and sister-in-law of Harry Potter; helped reform the Ministry of Magic after the end of the Second Wizarding War. |
| Rose Granger-Weasley | Children of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Rose was the eldest of the two and was in the same year as Albus at Hogwarts. |
| Hugo Granger-Weasley |
Family tree[]
Heirlooms[]
Cloak of Invisibility[]
The Potters' Invisibility Cloak
The Potters descend from Ignotus Peverell, whose Cloak of Invisibility is one of the three Deathly Hallows. Unlike most Invisibility cloaks, it has remained intact for centuries, and has been passed on from generation to generation until it reached Harry Potter. Harry temporarily became the "Master of Death" in 1998, as he was in possession of the Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone, and the Elder Wand. The last item's loyalty to Harry was crucial to his defeat of Lord Voldemort, as the Elder Wand refused to harm its true owner and caused Voldemort's Killing Curse to backfire. Of the three Hallows, Harry only kept the Invisibility Cloak for himself, as it rightfully belongs to his family.
Through the Peverell family, Harry and Voldemort were distantly related, as the House of Gaunt descended from Ignotus's brother Cadmus Peverell, who passed the Resurrection Stone to his descendants in a signet ring.[16]
Vault 687[]
- "Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts."
- — Description[src]
The Potter vault
This vault in Gringotts Wizarding Bank belongs to the Potter family. It appears to be of moderate depth and deeper underground than the vault of the Weasley family, but not as deep as Vault 713. It is accessible only by a cart operated by one of the bank's goblin employees and by the use of a small gold key.
The vault contains a small fortune, heaps and mounds of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Most of the fortune derives from Fleamont's invention of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, in which its sales quadrupled the family gold. Upon retirement, Fleamont sold the company at a vast profit.[5]
Etymology[]
- "Potter" is a very common surname of English origin.[24] It traditionally refers to the occupation of making pottery.
- Beatrix Potter was a well-known English children's author.
- Potter's Field is the name for a burial ground for the unknown or unclaimed dead, particularly soldiers and orphans; the Potter family has had many members that fit that description.
- The Potter Box is a model for making ethical decisions that was developed at Harvard University. J. K. Rowling has also commented that she has liked the name since childhood.[25]
- There is a pattern in many members of the Potter family whose names allude to figures and ideas or positions related to leadership and war:
- Hardwin Potter, one of the earliest ancestors of the family, had a name which comes from Old English and means brave friend, a curious fact considering that many of the Potters have been sorted into Gryffindor House, where dwell the brave at heart.
- Harry's great-grandfather and his possible namesake, Henry Potter, had a name derived from Old French Henri or Henry, whose more concrete meaning is ruler. Henry was an important member of the Wizengamot, the wizarding Britain's high court of law and parliament, in theory a governing body for British wizarding society, so his name fits the role he played. Henry is also the name of several kings and other authority figures throughout history.
- Charlus Potter's name, a member of the family whose ancestry is unclear (being a sort of relative of James's), could refer back to the name Charles. It is derived from the Germanic Karl or Hari. It can mean man, army or warrior. This can relate to many members of the Potter family.
- James Potter's name is derived, through Old French James, of Vulgar Latin Iacomus, a derivative version of Latin Iacobus, Latin form of the Hebrew name Jacob. Their meanings are supplanter and one who follows. James shares a given name with two of the more loyal Apostles of Jesus, James the Great and James the Less. James the Great was beheaded during the persecution of Christians ordered by the king of Judea, Herod Agrippa I (he is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles), while James the Less was stoned to death on the orders of the High Priest Ananias, who had him and others tried by the Sanhedrin for having "transgressed the law". James Potter was one of the most loyal members of the original Order of the Phoenix, led by Albus Dumbledore, his former headmaster, and he died in similar circumstances to his namesake apostles, trying to protect his family and, more specifically, his son, who was being persecuted by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. James is also the namesake of the eldest of his grandchilds. Similar to Henry, James is the name of several kings and other famous rulers.
- Harry Potter shares possibly a given name with his great-grandfather, Harry being in fact a spoken form of Henry in medieval England. However, Harry's name has the Norse meaning of war chief, which fits his role as leader of Dumbledore's Army and head of the faction opposing Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, as well as their respective allies, during the Second Wizarding War.
Behind the scenes[]
- In the films, the Potters are played by the following actors:
- James Potter is played by Adrian Rawlins in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2. The 15 year old James Potter I was played by Robbie Jarvis in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the 11 year old James Potter I was played by Alfie McIlwain in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Lily J. Potter (née Evans) is played by Geraldine Somerville in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2. The 15 year old Lily Evans was played in a deleted scene by Susie Shinner in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the 11 year old Lily Evans was played by Ellie Darcey-Alden in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Harry James Potter is played by Daniel Radcliffe in all of the films. Baby Harry was played by the Saunders triplets in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and by Toby Papworth in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Ginevra Molly Potter (née Weasley) is played by Bonnie Wright in all of the films.
- James Sirius Potter is played by Will Dunn in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Albus Severus Potter is played by Arthur Bowen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Lily Luna Potter is played by Daphne de Beistegui in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- It is seen in two generations that Potter men have fallen in love and married red-haired women: James Potter married Lily Evans, and their son Harry Potter married Ginny Weasley.
- Harry and his sons James and Albus are the only known Potters to have godfathers. Harry's godfather is Sirius, James' godfather is Ron, and Albus' godfather is Neville.
- The Potter family wasn't one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, though it wasn't known to have had Muggle ancestry until Harry Potter's birth in 1980. In spite of this, the Potters were once considered a "respectable" pure-blood family by some prominent bloodlines such as the Blacks, to whom they were related. Other families belonging to the Sacred Twenty-Eight to whom the Potters were related were the Weasleys, the Gaunts, the Flints, the Bulstrodes and the Prewetts.
- It is shown in several generations of Potters that they suffer from bad eyesight and are shown to wear full-moon glasses. It is seen in the males of the family such as: Abraham Potter, Fleamont Potter, James Potter I, and Harry Potter.
- According to their family tree published on Pottermore, each generation of the Potters consists of a single male child who has carried the family name through the centuries, while only two members of the family have had more than one child: Linfred of Stinchcombe, who had seven children, and Harry Potter, who has had three. It is possibly a Potter family tradition to have only one male heir in order to wear the Invisibility Cloak.
- It is also likely that this copy of the Potter family tree omitted the rest of the Potter family to focus solely on the heirs of each generation, as other members of the family are omitted, including Ralston Potter, a prominent member of the Wizengamot in the 17th century, Abraham Potter, one of the original twelve Aurors in the United States and the best known face of the American branch of the family, Charlus Potter and his wife Dorea and son, as well as Hardwin Potter's own six younger siblings.
- James I, one of the creators of the Marauder's Map, is one out of two of its creators to have children; the other is Remus Lupin. Notably, both children were orphaned at a young age in Voldemort-related battles. (Harry, James' son, was named godfather of Teddy, Lupin's son).
- The usage of the Sacrificial Protection charm has been only seen and used by two members of the Potter family: Lily Potter (nee Evans) on her son Harry Potter in 1981, and eventually, Harry himself, on the Hogwarts army in 1998. The usage of the charm hasn't been shown in any other family besides the Potter family.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned in a newspaper)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Mentioned only)
- Quidditch Through the Ages (Mentioned only)
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
- J. K. Rowling's official site
- Pottermore
- Harry Potter (website)
- Harry Potter prequel (Mentioned on Title)
- J. K. Rowling: A Year in the Life (Mentioned only)
- The Art of Harry Potter: Mini Book of Graphic Design
- Harry Potter: The Wand Collection
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Motorbike Escape
- The Queen's Handbag
- Harry Potter: Magical Places from the Films: Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Beyond
- Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book
- Harry Potter: The Character Vault
- Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
- LEGO Harry Potter
- LEGO Brickheadz: Harry Potter
- LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
- LEGO Harry Potter
- LEGO Creator: Harry Potter
- Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- LEGO Dimensions
- Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
- Harry Potter for Kinect
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only) (Appears as statue)
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
- Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
- Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Malfoy Family" at Harry Potter (website) - The defining requirement of a pure-blood family is not marrying Muggles or Muggle-borns. When James Potter married Lily Evans, a muggle-born witch, the family would no longer be considered pure-blood and their child Harry was a half-blood due to his Muggle-born mother and Muggle grandparents. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17 (The Heir of Slytherin), Tom Riddle states he and Harry are “both half-bloods.”
- ↑ FAQ at J. K. Rowling's official site (Archived) - For an individual to be pure-blood, the witch or wizard should at least have no Muggle or Muggle-born parents or grandparents. Therefore, the children of Harry and Ginny Weasley are also half-blood as Muggle-born Lily is their grandmother.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12 (Silver and Opals) - "Even as he said it, Harry remembered that his father had been pure-blood, but he pushed the thought out of his mind; he would worry about that later...."
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Potter Family" at Harry Potter (website) - "Potter is a not uncommon Muggle surname, and the family did not make the so-called 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' for this reason; the anonymous compiler of that supposedly definitive list of pure-bloods suspected that they had sprung from what he considered to be tainted blood." This implies they would have met the criteria for being a pure-blood family if their surname was not suspected of originating from Muggles.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Potter Family" at Harry Potter (website)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 In Chapter 4 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Horace Slughorn states: "The whole Black family had been in my house, but Sirius ended up in Gryffindor!" This implies that all Blacks except Sirius were Sorted into Slytherin while Slughorn was Head of House. Dorea, born in 1920, presumably attended Hogwarts c. 1931 or 1932 to 1938 or 1939, and thus would most likely have been a student of Slughorn, who was stated to have begun teaching at Hogwarts around the same time as Albus Dumbledore in Chapter 5 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, in 1938 or earlier.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act One, Scene Four
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33 (The Prince's Tale) - it is stated that James' father was a Gryffindor. James, Lily, Harry were all Gryffindors as well.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley)
- ↑ Finished 'Potter'? Rowling tells what happens next
- ↑ J. K. Rowling's official site - Wizard of the Month Dec 2007
- ↑ J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, July 30, 2007
- ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA)" at Harry Potter (website)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Pottermore
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 34 (The Forest Again)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35 (King's Cross)
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act One, Scene Five - Harry is head of Magical Law Enforcement immediately before Albus leaves for his fourth year at Hogwarts
- ↑ Have just heard that James S Potter has been Sorted (to nobody's surprise) into Gryffindor. Teddy Lupin (Head Boy, Hufflepuff) disappointed. posted by JKR on Twitter on 1 September 2015
- ↑ Behind the Name: Rankings for 'Potter'
- ↑ MuggleNet: Name Origins
