20 Things You Might Not Know About Harry James Potter

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It's been very long since the Harry Potter series ended with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. However, it hasn't stopped fans from talking about it and getting excited about the story at every opportunity they get. Whenever there's a chance to talk about the lore of this universe, you bet that there will be many people ready to do so.

One of the reasons that Harry Potter is so popular is because of how deep the universe is. Even if you read all of the books and watch all of the films, there's still so much more information that you won't know. Rowling has created the Wizarding World with depth and offered more to learn apart from the classic story.

Even the characters themselves were created with this depth in mind. Every quirk, every nuance, and every moment they have were all placed there with a purpose. Never has that been clearer than with Harry James Potter himself. As the protagonist of the entire series, Rowling put so much effort into making sure that he was just right. There are numerous details with this character that far surpass anything the movies and books tell you, and it's all interesting as well.

Here are 20 things you didn't know how about Harry James Potter.

He Never Casts a Spell in Sorcerer's Stone

When Harry makes his first venture to Hogwarts in The Sorcerer's Stone, many people look at him with awe. Many times, he's cited as a great wizard that will go on to accomplish great things. There's no denying that taking down a troll and defeating Professor Quirrel were both amazing accomplishments, but there's just one problem: Harry didn't cast a single spell.

This fact becomes more evident through repeated watches of the film. Ron and Hermione are both seen casting spells, but Harry never does. Instead, he relies more on his knowledge, wit, and Quidditch skills to get through his first year. While an interesting choice, it was a nice way of showing his newness to the Wizarding World.

90 Takes in Deathly Hallows

That entry title is a little vague, so allow me to explain. There's a scene near the beginning of The Deathly Hallows where many of Harry's friends take polyjuice potion so that they can turn into duplicates of him. That way, the Death Eaters wouldn't be able to figure out which one was the real Harry.

The film shows all of the characters turning into direct copies of Harry. Despite it being such a simple scene, it took a long time to get it just right. Daniel Radcliffe had to go through 90 takes in order to accomplish the scene, just so that he could appear to be in multiple places at once. Thankfully they didn't try to use CGI for that effect.

Harry Wore Glasses for a Purpose

Perhaps one of the most recognizable aspects of Harry Potter is his glasses. Ever since the series began, he's always had those round lenses gracing his face. However, they weren't there just for decoration. As a matter of fact, JK Rowling had a specific intention in mind when she gave him glasses.

Because of how legendary Harry was and the fact that he was the protagonist, Rowling wanted to give him some aspect that made him vulnerable and reminded the audience of that. That's how she ended up giving him glasses. They reminded us that Harry was still human and could be hurt. This choice is even more symbolic when considering how frequently his glasses broke.

His Son Stole the Marauder's Map

When Harry first attended Hogwarts, it was clear that he had a particular disregard for the rules (when it came to the greater good, for the most part). As it turns out, this trait came directly from his father, who was a bit of a rule breaker himself. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) for Harry and Hogwarts, this trait would not die with Mr. Potter. Instead, it would be passed down to his children.

Harry's first-born son, James Sirius Potter, was extremely curious about the Marauder's Map. Seeing it on Harry's desk one day, he snatched it and managed to sneak it into Hogwarts. Needless to say, Harry didn't have a lot of room to be mad, as that was exactly the kind of thing he would've done around the same age.

Rowling Almost Played His Mom

Despite how central they were to Harry's character, James and Lily Potter don't appear frequently in the series (due to them being dead and all). Because of this, the filmmakers of The Sorcerer's Stone thought it would be a great opportunity to give Rowling the credit she deserved for making the film possible. It was originally pitched to her that she would play the part of Lily Potter. However, in an interesting turn of events, she turned it down.

Whether this was because she didn't want the credit or because she felt it would've been a little cheap is unclear. At least the actress who did end up playing Lily Potter brought enough gentleness and love to the role.

Teddy Lupin's Godfather

Remus Lupin proved to be one of the more interesting and heartfelt characters of the Harry Potter series. Thankfully, he got a happy life of sorts when he married Nymphadora Tonks. By the time The Deathly Hallows rolled around, she was pregnant with a little boy. However, due to the dark times and impending war, Lupin took action to ensure that his son would have a life.

Midway through The Deathly Hallows, Lupin met with Harry Potter to ask him if he would be the godfather to his son. Harry graciously accepted. Unfortunately, Harry would have to think about raising Teddy Lupin very soon because both Lupin and Tonks died during the Battle of Hogwarts. This didn’t cause Teddy to have a rough life, though; he went on to be very involved in Hogwarts.

Michael Jackson Musical

Due to the success of the Harry Potter franchise, there were a lot of people who wanted to get a piece of the action. Even the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, wanted to be involved with this series. He approached J.K. Rowling with the idea for a musical centered around the Boy Who Lived. He went on to state that he would handle all of the choreography.

However, Rowling denied the request and felt that it would be an unnecessary extension of her beloved franchise. Instead, Rowling was more focused on narrative rather than pizazz. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ended up being a play (for some reason), and Fantastic Beasts is the second series in the Wizarding World.

Draco Hated Harry for a Reason

The rivalry between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter is as petty as it is legendary. It seemed that Draco hated Harry for no reason at all. However, some insight gives more explanation for his actions.

There exists a phenomenon known as Expectancy Violations Theory. This theory suggests that people set expectations for just about anything. When those expectations are violated, there is either a positive or a negative response.

This is precisely what happened with Draco. He had heard stories of Harry Potter as a kid and pictured this prideful dark wizard. When he finally met Harry, though, his expectations were shattered when he was just a kid like anyone else and had no interest in Draco. From that point on, he despised Harry to his core.

Harry and Rowling Have the Same Birthday

It's no secret that Rowling created many details of the Harry Potter universe from her own life. From the dementors to the Dursleys, many aspects were inspired by her own experiences. One of the clearer examples of this was when selecting Harry's birthday. After going through several dates, Rowling eventually settled on giving him the same birthday that she had.

It's interesting symbolism when you think about it. Harry Potter was created because of Rowling, so them sharing the same birthday only points to that fact. There would be no Harry without Rowling, and to some extent, there would be no Rowling without Harry. Just think about that the next time you see Harry drawing a birthday cake in the dirt.

He Lost His Parseltongue Ability

From the first moments of the series, it was clear that Harry was something special. However, it wasn't until Chamber of Secrets that we discovered how special he was. Harry had the ability to talk to snakes (something called Parseltongue by the magic folk). Apparently, it was a skill that few wizards had, and it rarely meant good things (at least it helped him find the basilisk, though).

As it turns out, the reason Harry could do this was that he was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Because of this, when the Horcrux was removed from Harry, he lost many of the powers related to Voldemort, including the ability to speak Parseltongue. It was forever a distant memory of how the Dark Lord tried to corrupt his mind.

He Could Beat Hermione in a Duel

When Harry Potter first entered Hogwarts, it was clear that some wizards were destined to be greater than him, including Hermione Granger. Right from the get-go, this young witch proved to be brilliant beyond belief and had amazing knowledge of just about any spell in the book. Because of this, she was often the de facto leader of the trio, as neither Harry nor Ron had the experience or knowledge to do it.

Then, Harry managed to unlock his ability for Defense Against the Dark Arts when he was taught by Lupin in Prisoner of Azkaban. Due to his natural gift at it, Rowling has gone on the record to say that he could beat Hermione in a duel after that point. While she was much better at utility, Harry's greatest gifts lay in battling other witches and wizards.

Harry and Hermione Were Almost a Couple

As our favorite Harry Potter characters grew up, we watched them deal with emotions, puberty, and everything associated with it. It wasn't long before they developed feelings for other people. In terms of Harry, whom he was going to end up with wasn't clear until near the end. However, for Ron and Hermione, it was almost always set in stone.

Despite their growth into a couple, Rowling originally had plans to not put them together. The idea was for Harry and Hermione to be together, and she often looks back and feels that they would've made for a better pairing overall. There were several scenes in the books and films that hint at the relationship these two could've had.

Harry and Dudley Still Visit

Out of everybody we hated in the series, Dudley was easily in the top 5. This spoiled brat made Harry's life a living hell (when Harry was away from Hogwarts, that is). Whether it was making his cousin sleep in a cupboard under the stairs or shoving him down on the ground, it seemed that Dudley was truly irredeemable.

Yet, their connection didn't end after The Deathly Hallows. After those climactic events, Harry and Dudley kept in touch and made it a point to visit from time to time. The intention for this was for their kids to get to know each other. Harry and Dudley mostly sat in silence during these meetings. At least they made the effort to come together again.

His Children's Names

Harry is a person who is motivated by those he loses. Throughout the series, we see people constantly dying because of the war that ensues. The death toll increases as the story moves on, and it becomes heartbreaking at every turn. However, there's a sense of justification and satisfaction in the Epilogue of it all.

Harry and Ginny are taking their kids to Hogwarts. Their oldest son is named James Sirius Potter (after Harry's father and godfather). The middle child is Albus Severus Potter (named after Dumbledore and Snape). Then their youngest child is Lily Luna Potter (named after Harry's mother and Luna Lovegood). It's a heartwarming prospect that Harry always keeps a piece of those he loves with him.

He Became an Auror

There are many occupations that a witch or wizard can take up after they graduate from school. One of the more popular and dangerous choices is an auror. These magical police personnel are trained to protect the Wizarding World from various magical threats as well as make sure it stays hidden from the Muggle World.

Harry Potter chose to become an auror after the events of the Deathly Hallows. Considering his natural excellence at defense against the dark arts as well as dueling, this is a position that perfectly suits Harry Potter's skills. Furthermore, many of his loved ones were aurors as well, meaning that he's also carrying on the legacy of his loved ones. Rest in peace, Sirius, and Mad-Eye Moody.

He Never Went Back To Hogwarts

Harry Potter never finished his seventh year at Hogwarts. Due to the impending threat of Lord Voldemort and the death of Albus Dumbledore, Harry and his friends decided not to go back, to instead hunt down each of the Horcruxes. This proved to be for the best, as they got the time they needed to find all of the objects and take down Lord Voldemort.

Afterward, though, the three of them were given the opportunity to go back and finish their education. As you might expect, Hermione (in classic Hermione fashion) was the only one who did so. Harry and Ron never went back, both feeling like they had amassed enough experience to be able to go out into the Wizarding World and begin their lives as adults.

He Was Given Hagrid's Motorcycle

When Harry was first found in Godric's Hollow, Hagrid brought him to Privet Drive in his magic motorcycle. This machine would become a staple of Hagrid's character. However, the motorcycle used to belong to Sirius Black, who then gave it to Hagrid for safekeeping. Hagrid would later use the cycle to take Harry away from Privet Drive in the beginning of The Deathly Hallows.

During this event, the motorcycle was shot down from the sky and destroyed. However, Arthur Weasley found its remains near his own home and decided to fix it up. After it was all put together, he gave it to Harry, as it was rightfully his (due to it coming from Sirius). Perhaps Harry could take his own children to school on that machine?

He Had His Own Chocolate Frog Card

Saving the Wizarding World is no small feat, and Harry was already famous before he even knew he was a wizard. After he defeated Lord Voldemort, he went down in history as the savior of the Wizarding World. There wasn't a single witch or wizard that didn't know his name, and word spread quickly about him beating the Dark Lord.

For their efforts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were each given their own Chocolate Frog cards after the series was over. Considering that this series held people like Godric Gryffindor and Albus Dumbledore, being on your very own magical card was an impressive legacy to leave. Thankfully, due to his humble upbringing, it was unlikely that Harry would let the recognition go to his head.

His Dad Was a Jerk

A big part of Harry's character was that he never knew his parents -- they died protecting him from Lord Voldemort. As he grew up, Harry always wondered what his parents were like and whether they would've been proud of him or not.

Many people reference that Harry looked a lot like his father, from the glasses to his stature. Many of those same people spoke fondly of James Potter, and that gave Harry hope that his parents were every bit as loving as he imagined. Then Snape involuntarily revealed his secrets in Order of the Phoenix. As it turns out, James Potter was actually a bit of a troublemaking jerk who bullied Snape as a child. It wasn't until after he met Lily that James started becoming a better person.

Harry Had Green Eyes

Here's something that people who watched the movies would never know: Harry Potter's eyes are green. Many times, it is referenced that he had his mother's bright green eyes. It was a key element of the story. However, in the movies, Harry had clear blue eyes.

The reason for this is a little unfortunate. They had green contact lenses for Daniel Radcliffe to wear, but it turned out that he was allergic. Because of this, they had to keep his natural eye color. They also took the opportunity to take the eye color of Lily Potter in the movies so that they could still have his eyes be the same of his mother's. After all, Snape was destined to look into Harry's eyes at the end of it all. If they weren't Lily's eyes, it would've been weird.

Source: Pottermore