Chances are you have fond memories of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but do you remember meeting all your favorite characters for the first time? Here’s a handy guide.
We all have our own mental images for our favorite Harry Potter characters, which have expanded over the years as we read through the whole series. But do you ever try to think back on our first impressions of those individuals who would go on to mean so much more to us?
Here’s are the first lines dedicated to all of your favorite (and maybe some of your least favorite) Harry Potter characters:
The Dursleys
Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on neighbors.
The Dursleys are actually the first characters we meet in the Harry Potter series, for better or worse. They certainly have a lasting influence on the Boy Who Lived, though one could argue that’s not necessarily a good thing. Still, they’re memorable characters nonetheless — or, at the very least, their necks are.
Minerva McGonagall
[Dumbledore] turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead, he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.
The first time we meet Professor McGonagall, she’s actually in the form of a cat, reading a map. As you do. When she finally transforms back into her usual self, the impression she makes is one of great seriousness. Severity would go on to be her defining trait, although we would later learn she equally kind and warm.
Albus Dumbledore
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.
Professor Dumbledore gets one of the biggest and most detailed descriptions of any character in the series, and for good reason. Though he was introduced as a strange, otherworldly sort of man, we would later get to know him on an intimate level and in a way that would shine a somewhat unforgiving light on his life. From his sparking eyes to his buckled boots, this description alone should have forewarned us how important this man would be to Harry Potter and his time at Hogwarts.
Rubeus Hagrid
If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild—long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.
Impossibly tall and impossibly wide, Hagrid is perhaps more otherworldly than Dumbledore. Out of context, this is perhaps a character who might be intimidating, dangerous, or unhinged — but within moments of meeting him, we learn that Hagrid is kind, gentle, and really just a big teddy bear. He is by far one of the most memorable characters in the series in terms of looks, an aspect of his character that would define many of his encounters with those he met along the way.
Harry Potter
Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley’s, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.
How could anyone ever forget Harry Potter’s introduction? From the beginning we were told Harry was special, so when we finally got to meet him for the first time, it wasn’t all that difficult to soak up every minute detail. From the baggy clothes to the shaggy hair to the bright green eyes, the only other features of Harry Potter that would become even more celebrated would be his round glasses and his lightning bolt-shaped scar.
Dudley Dursley
Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel—Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.
The first time we met Dudley was actually as an infant when we encountered the Dursleys for the first time, but that description proves no more forgiving. Dudley put Harry through a lot over the course of the series (and Harry often dished it back), but despite his rather unbecoming introduction, the younger Dursley would prove to be twice the person his parents were by the end.
Professor Quirrell
A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.
How interesting it is that Quirrell’s introduction is so inconsequential. Of course, it had to be. For the entirety of Philosopher’s Stone, we’re meant to suspect Snape of wrongdoing, whereas Quirrell had been in front of us all along. We know almost nothing of his actual physical appearance, but his nervous demeanor is at the forefront, making him even less of a suspect. If only we had known it was a ruse.
Draco Malfoy
In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes.
It is immediately obvious that Draco Malfoy is a tiresome, braggadocious boy. It’s even more clear that Harry has very little time to spare for a child as snobby and mean-spirited as the soon-to-be Slytherin. If only we knew then what Draco would put Harry through over the course of the series, and if only we knew then how Draco’s presence would intricately weave its way through the latter half of the books.
Mr. Ollivander
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
Ollivander is another one of those characters whose introduction seems like nothing more than a passing thought. We meet the wandmaker time and time again throughout the series, but it’s only in the final book that we really understand his role in this world. Those shining eyes would dim over the course of seven novels, and it’s almost sad now to look back on a man who seemed so carefree and ethereal.
Mrs. Weasley
Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry’s in front of him—and they had an owl.
There’s nothing quite like meeting the Weasleys for the first time. Most of the family gets lumped into this one introduction, only to be presented as the only girl or the oldest boy or the set of twins. Ever-present is that flaming red hair, however, and it’s no wonder it became their defining feature. Molly in particular, however, is seen as a kind, maternal woman. Little did we know she was also a secret badass.
Ron Weasley
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.
Oh, Ronald. He’s all arms and legs, awkward and a little left of center. It was mere coincidence (or Fate?) that he and Harry would meet that day, but it was the beginning of a life-long friendship for the two boys. A little later in the story we learn more about how he feels he fits into the family, but here it is obvious that Ron is a Weasley through and through.
Neville Longbottom
[Harry] passed a round-faced boy who was saying, ‘Gran, I’ve lost my toad again.’
Neville’s introduction is funny and sweet; losing Trevor would become a favorite punchline of the series. But now we know the true significance this boy had, not only on Harry himself as a friend, but on the world as a whole. He could’ve just as easily filled Harry’s shoes, and how interesting it is to speculate how differently this story would’ve played out. Attending Hogwarts isn’t going to be easy for you, Neville, but trust that you will find your inner badassery before it’s over.
Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep. ‘His name’s Scabbers and he’s useless, he hardly ever wakes up.’
Perhaps it would’ve been better if Scabbers had just stayed asleep forever. Only in hindsight do we know that the fat rat introduced at the very beginning of the first book would go on to play a major role starting in the third book. Peter Pettigrew was a stupid, misguided boy who turned into a stupid, misguided man. Without him, Voldemort would not have had as easy of a time coming back, and poor Ron had him in his pocket all along.
Hermione Granger
She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.
This is all you need to know about Hermione in the beginning, as these do seem to be her defining characteristics all throughout the series. Luckily, however, she is also kind, loyal, brilliant, and brave. We as readers aren’t meant to find her particularly charming at first, but that only allows for more character growth as the series moves on.
Severus Snape
Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.
So fitting that Quirrell would lead the sentence that gives way to a description of Professor Snape. It is here where Harry’s scar prickles with pain, though little did we know that it was the former, not the latter, who was the cause of that. Only later would we go on to understand his motivation for everything he did throughout all seven books.
The Sorting Hat
On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard’s hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn’t have let it in the house.
Anyone who says the Sorting Hat is not a significant character is wrong. Talk about not judging a cap by its stitches, the Hat is one of the most fascinating magical items in all of Harry Potter. It is here where we first learn about the qualities lauded by the different Hogwarts Houses, and it is here where we first understand the brilliance of the Sorting Hat, which would go on to play a major part in not only giving us fair warning of Voldemort’s return, but actually aid in his defeat.
Professor Flitwick
Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry’s name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.
Small and squeaky describe Flitwick quite well. Though he never was as important as Professors Dumbledore or McGonagall, Flitwick played his part as a kind, understanding, and competent teacher. He taught the trio plenty of useful spells, and he did his bit in rebelling against not only Professor Umbridge, but Voldemort and the Death Eaters as well. Ferocity can come in any size.
Oliver Wood
Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane [Professor McGonagall] was going to use on him? But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick’s class looking confused.
Oliver Wood isn’t the major character we all wanted him to be (bless Sean Biggerstaff), but his introduction is certainly a comical one. Poor Harry was so worried he’d be kicked out of Hogwarts before his first term even really got off the ground, but much to his delight, he was awarded rather than punished for his rebelliousness. So while Wood would end up being an item of torture in the long run (he was quite totalitarian leader when he wanted to be), he at least came with a cute smile and a Scottish accent.
Fluffy
They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.
We know right from the beginning that Fluffy is a dangerous creature, but we don’t yet know his significance to the story. The fact that he was guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone meant we’d inevitably be coming face-to-faces with Hagrid’s gigantic pet by the end of the book. While he’s certainly introduced as a vicious and terrifying animal, the revelation that a bit of music makes him fall straight asleep is in great contrast to our first impressions.
Lily and James Potter
She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes—her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green—exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry’s did.
We were told from the very beginning that Harry had his mother’s eyes, and this is perhaps one of the smallest details in all of Harry Potter that would prove to be of great significance. It is because of Harry’s eyes that Snape looked out for Harry, as it was a constant reminder of his love for Lily. In the same vein, Harry’s untidy hair would be another reason why Severus could never let James’ son rest without a bit of poking and prodding. To recall time and time again that your childhood tormentor had won over the love of your life must have been the greatest torture of all.
Firenze
A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body. […] He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires.
We meet the aforementioned centaurs earlier in the chapter, and their introductions are used as comparison for when we finally meet Firenze, the one centaur who would go on to be brave enough to continue his relationship with the humans despite the fear of and hatred for his kind, thanks to both the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort’s Death Eaters. It is no wonder, then, that Harry’s encounter with Ronan and Bane is violent and terrifying, whereas Firenze immediately proves himself as a friend and ally, albeit quite a mysterious one.
Lord Voldemort
Harry would have screamed, but he couldn’t make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell’s head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone all culminates in this — meeting Voldemort for the very first time. This isn’t Voldemort’s true form, and it certainly is not the last we’ll see of him, but his white skin, red eyes, and snake-like nostrils would go on to become hallmarks of the character. It is truly the most terrible face we’ve ever seen, and yet this would prove to be only the beginning for the Dark Lord’s reign of terror.