James Potter

James Potter is a young wizard who fought against Voldemort in the 1970s, only to be killed along with his wife Lily while trying to protect their 15-month-old son Harry.

James is the father of Harry Potter, and nearly identical to him in appearance except with hazel eyes (OP28). He was a descendant of Ignotus Peverell and the only child of wealthy, elderly parents, who were very kind and who both died shortly after he left Hogwarts (OP6, TLC, AOL, Pm). James was a “pampered” child (TLC), and could be cocky and somewhat cruel in his childhood (OP28). He “deflated his head a bit” his seventh year, was named Head Boy, and started dating Lily Evans, who he later married (PS4, OP9, OP30). He was twenty when his son, Harry, was born on July 31, 1980.

At Hogwarts, James was very popular; he was on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team as a Chaser (Sch2) and rather liked to show off (OP28). He was best friends with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew; they were known for mischief (PA10) and dubbed themselves the “Marauders” (PA17). When they learned that Lupin was a werewolf, James, Sirius, and Peter set out to become Animagi so they could join him; they succeeded in their fifth year (PA18); James earned the nickname “Prongs” because his Animagus form was a stag (PA22).

As popular as he was, James also had a bitter enemy at Hogwarts: Severus Snape. Sirius and Lupin attributed Snape’s attitude toward James to jealousy (OP29) though it was true that James started bullying Snape from the moment they met, mocking him and calling him “Snivellus” (DH33). However, when Sirius played a joke on Snape and sent him toward Lupin in his werewolf form, James stepped up and saved his life (PA19). Snape’s resulting life debt to James only made him hate James all the more (PA17), and when James ended up dating and marrying Lily – who Snape had loved his entire life – it sealed Snape’s hatred for good (DH33).

A lifelong despiser of the Dark Arts, James was extremely loyal to Dumbledore and fought full time for the Order of the Phoenix against Voldemort (OP9, OP30). Together he and Lily defied Voldemort three times, but a prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney marked Harry for death, and Voldemort came after the Potters (OP37). They were tipped off and used the Fidelius Charm to hide, but James put his faith in the wrong person – his old friend Peter Pettigrew – and was betrayed (PA19). Voldemort killed him and Lily on October 31, 1981, in their borrowed cottage at Godric’s Hollow (DH17).