James Potter

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(This article refers to the father of Harry Potter. For Harry's eldest son, see James Potter II.)

James Potter was Harry's father.

During James' years at Hogwarts, he was known to be a very intelligent, yet arrogant student. He, along with his friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew created the Marauder's Map and were known to each other by the nicknames of 'Moony', 'Wormtail', 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs' (also known as 'MWPP'). This was due to the 'animagus' forms that they each illegally learned how to assume in order to accompany Remus whilst he was a werewolf. James was smitten with Lily Evans for years before they actually went out in their final year at Hogwarts. James was Head boy of his year. He was also in the same year as Severus Snape, and took thorough amusement in mocking and jinxing him at every opportune moment. Lily did not agree to go out with James until he put a stop to his bullying. James and Lily ultimately married and were both members of the first Order of the Phoenix. James was killed by Lord Voldemort in 'Godric's Hollow' on the night of Halloween, together with his wife Lily, when Harry was one year old.

James' wand was 11", pliable, mahogany, and good for transfiguration. It is commonly believed that his patronus was a stag (due to his animagus form), but this fact has not been confirmed.

[edit] James Potter Harry Potter character James Potter

Adrian Rawlins as James Potter in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. House Gryffindor Actor Adrian Rawlins (adult), Robbie Jarvis (teenager) First appearance Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone James Potter is the father of Harry Potter. According to the Chronology of the Harry Potter stories he was born on 27 March, 1960, and died on 31 October, 1981. On the night he was murdered, James was the first to witness Voldemort approaching. He then warned his wife with a cry to flee with Harry, then one year old; he sacrificed his life in the hope that Lily and Harry would be able to escape; however, having thrown down his wand and facing the Dark Lord weaponless, he is killed easily.

Rowling describes James and Harry to having similar attributes: the same thin face, same hands, and the same untidy black hair sticking up at the back, and (nearly) the same height as his son during their school days. However, Rowling also describes James Potter as having hazel eyes and a slightly longer nose than Harry does. Like Harry, James is generally described to be a good, loyal friend who "regarded it as the height of dishonour to mistrust his friends".[5] He attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978 where he was in Gryffindor. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban it is revealed that James's best friends were Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, and that the four were known as The Marauders. They illegally became Animagi in order to keep Remus company when he involuntarily transformed into a werewolf in the Shrieking Shack. James became a stag, thus he was nicknamed Prongs. (Harry's Patronus takes the form of a stag, clearly a likeness of "Prongs", his father). Rowling confirmed that the animal one turned to as an Animagus reflected one's personality.[6] James' wand was 11 inches long, made of mahogany, pliable and excellent for Transfiguration.

Characters in the books often comment on the personality of James. The Hogwarts student population seems to have admired James back in his day[7]. Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, Madam Rosmerta, and Rubeus Hagrid maintain positive feelings about him[8][9][10], whereas Severus Snape constantly tells Harry that he considered James to be "exceedingly arrogant".[11] Even Lily once calls him an "arrogant toerag",[12] and at one occasion, Sirius admits that he and James could sometimes be "arrogant little berks" but that "[James] grew out of it" (which Lily is said to have noted by their seventh year).[7] In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, after seeing a scene from Snape's memories of a fifteen-year-old James within a Pensieve, Harry agrees with Snape's assessment of his father's arrogance after witnessing his father and Sirius bullying Snape; the revelation leaves Harry deeply depressed and disheartened. According to Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, however, James and Snape shared a rivalry not unlike that of Draco Malfoy and Harry. In addition, Lupin tells Harry in Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix that Snape "never lost an opportunity to curse James".[7] According to Rowling in a recent interview: "James always suspected Snape harboured deeper feelings for Lily, which was a factor in James' behaviour to Snape".[13] However, when Sirius had attempted to goad Snape into the Shrieking Shack where Lupin was transforming into a werewolf, James saved Snape's life.

At Hogwarts, James was a brilliant student, and in Philosopher's Stone, he is said to have become Head Boy, although in Order of the Phoenix it is said that Remus was a prefect, not James, though he may have become Head Boy by his seventh year with maturity and the growth of responsibility and common sense. He was also a player on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. In the film version of Philosopher's Stone, Harry and his friends find James' name listed on a plaque as a Seeker on his Quidditch team; however, Rowling stated in an interview that he was in fact a Chaser.[14] He was shown playing with a Golden Snitch outside of games and practices[15], ostensibly to show off for Lily, and he apparently had a habit of rumpling up his hair to suggest that he had just stepped off a broomstick.

After graduating from Hogwarts, James — along with his friends and Lily — were "full-time fighters" for the Order of Phoenix, and did not hold regular jobs. Remus's status as a werewolf made him unemployable, and so James supported his friend, himself, and Lily off inherited family gold.[16][17]

It is revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that James was a descendant of Ignotus Peverell and thus inherited the Cloak of Invisibility. The epilogue mentions that Harry names his first son James.