Potter family

Potter is the surname of an old wizarding family. They were once pure-bloods, but James Potter married Muggle-born witch Lily Evans, thus their son Harry James Potter was half-blood. The Potters have traditionally been sorted into Gryffindor house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they are also very wealthy, with a vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank containing a great deal of gold.

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 leader of Dumbledore's Army. He played an important role in many battle of the Second Wizarding War and was the one to defeat Voldemort once and for all.

After the war Harry 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 are named in honour of family, friends, or allies.

First Wizarding War
"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

Harry Potter was born during the height of the First Wizarding War. His parents, James and Lily Potter, were both members of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation created and led by Albus Dumbledore for those who wanted to battle Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. In 1979, Dumbledore witnessed a prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney that 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 told part of the prophecy by Severus Snape, who had been caught outside the door after the prophecy was heard.



At the end of July in 1980, two infants were born matching this description: Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. Voldemort went after Harry, resolving to kill him, and thus marked Harry as his equal, as the prophecy foretold. The Potters went into hiding through use of the Fidelius Charm, first choosing their close friend Sirius Black as Secret-Keeper, but Black persuaded the Potters to use Peter Pettigrew instead, thinking that this less obvious choice would further protect the Potters. Pettigrew, however, betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, who attacked the family in Godric's Hollow on 31 October, 1981. Voldemort murdered James and then Lily with the Killing Curse, but he first gave Lily the opportunity to save herself, at the request of Snape, who had been in love with Lily for years. When she refused, Voldemort killed her, unknowingly invoking ancient magic that protected Harry when Voldemort then attempted to murder 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 scar on Harry's forehead, inadvertently making him into a Horcrux.

Sirius soon discovered what had happened and pursued Pettigrew, who faked his own death and escaped. Sirius was subsequently framed and imprisoned in Azkaban for Pettigrew's crimes. Harry, who became known as "The Boy Who Lived" for his miraculous survival, was taken in by his mother's sister, Petunia Dursley, her husband Vernon and their son Dudley. Harry was raised in the Muggle world by the Dursleys, who treated him poorly and never told him about his wizarding heritage. Because they were blood relatives of his mother, however, Harry benefited from magical protections as long as he could call Number 4 Privet Drive "home."

Inbetween the wars
"Yer a wizard, Harry, and a thumpin' good one I'd wager, once yer trained up a bit, o' course."

- Harry finding out he's a wizard

Despite his relatives' efforts to force him to be "normal", Harry was a wizard, and was informed of this fact by Rubeus Hagrid when the time came for him to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991. He entered the wizarding world, learned his family's history, and once again became a target of Lord Voldemort, who was still alive but in non-corporeal form and seeking to return to power.

Voldemort's inability to touch Harry, due to the lingering protection from his late mother, continued all the way up to his resurrection in 1995. Professor Quirrell, acting as host to Voldemort's soul, attempted to attack Harry to gain the Philosopher's Stone in 1992, but was prevented from stealing the Stone when he came into contact with Harry's skin, leaving Voldemort forced to return to his non-corporeal state.

Second Wizarding War
"I am the chosen one. I have to kill him."

- Harry Potter talking about Lord Voldemort

Voldemort eventually overcame this by using Harry's blood to regenerate his own body in 1995. Unbeknownst to Voldemort, this act also anchored Harry's life to his own. This was brought to light when Harry and Voldemort had their final confrontation in 1998 during the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry had spent almost a year destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, only to discover during the Battle of Hogwarts that he himself was a Horcrux Voldemort made accidentally that fateful Hallowe'en night in 1981.

Harry willingly stood before Voldemort and was struck with the Killing Curse. Because of this, the part of Voldemort's soul within him was destroyed. Because Voldemort had taken some of Harry's blood — and thus Lily's blood, with its magical protections for Harry — within himself, Harry survived the Killing Curse for a second time. The two duelled one last time, and Harry defeated Voldemort once and for all.

After the War
After the Second Wizarding War, Harry Potter became the youngest Head Auror ever appointed and married Ginny Weasley. 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 world.

Recent family members
James Potter was the only child of Mr and Mrs Potter. James married Lily Evans and they had one child, Harry, who famously defeated Lord Voldemort. He eventually married Ginny Weasley, and they had three children: James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna Potter.

Family tree
It is unknown who James Potter's parents were. They may, however, be Charlus Potter and Dorea Black, who are shown to have had one son on the Black family tapestry.

It is known that James's parents were older when they had him, and Dorea would have been forty years old when she had a child if James was her son. However, it is also known that the Potters died of natural causes when they were old in wizarding terms, but Dorea Potter was only fifty-seven years old when she died, although, going by the ages that members of the Black Family — from which Dorea descended, did die —  she lived to "old age" since most of them died in their fifties, possibly due to incest within the pureblood families.

If Charlus and Dorea Potter were James's parents, James and his best friend Sirius Black would have been first cousins, once removed. Harry and Sirius, his godfather, would have been second cousins. Also, Harry's best friend/brother-in-law, Ron and wife, Ginny Weasley would be his third cousins. Harry would also be related, albeit distantly, to the Malfoys, Longbottoms, and Lestranges.

Cloak of Invisibility


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, 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 are 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.

Vault 687


"Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts."

- Description

This vault in Gringotts Wizarding Bank belongs to the Potter family. It appears to be of moderate depth and is deep underground, it is said to contain a small fortune.

Etymology

 * "" is a very common surname of English origin. It traditionally refers to the occupation of making pottery.
 * was a well-known English children's author.
 * is the name for a burial ground for the unknown or unclaimed dead, particularly soldiers and orphans; the Potter family had many members that fit that description.
 * The is a model for making ethical decisions developed at Harvard University. J. K. Rowling has also commented that she has liked the name since childhood.

Behind the scenes

 * In the films, the Potters are played by the following actors:
 * James 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 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 is played by Daniel Radcliffe in all of the films. Baby Harry Potter 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.
 * Ginny 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.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone  (First appearance)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Notes and references
Familia Potter Famille Potter Rodzina Potter