by Jane Healy

Created on: February 21, 2010   Last Updated: February 22, 2010

My favourite character is, undoubtedly, Harry Potter himself, the unlikely hero. From a world where he is locked in the cupboard under the stairs and is a timid nobody, he is thrown into a world of magic, intrigue and celebrity. From this small boy in book one, we watch him grow and develop into a strong, courageous, well-rounded young man. He carries the weight of the world upon his shoulders and triumphs over Voldermort in an unassuming but very powerful and emotional way. Harry is by far my favourite character because without him being this changeable human being, the rest of his world would fall down around him. It is essential that he pulls the reader in which is exactly what he does.

His relationship with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia in the muggle world is the exact opposite of his relationship with his friends, and the adults such as Dumbledore and Sirius, in the wizarding world. With the latter’s’ guidance, Harry grows into himself and slowly believes that he can make the difference and save the fate of his world.

Although he has money, Harry is not materialistic in any way. JK Rowling chose to set her story within a world where mobile phones, fashion, computer games etc all take a back seat. I think this is why a lot of people can relate to him, rich and poor. What he fights so hard to protect are the relationships he has; the people he loves. The theme of love runs throughout the books and it’s very important to Harry, to know that the reason he could not be murdered by Voldermort, is because of the strength of his mother’s love for him.

As he gets older, Harry becomes a more rounded character. After the death of Cederic and the re-birth of Voldermort in the graveyard, Harry shows a side of him we have not seen before:  anger. At the start of Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, he is a moody, brooding teenager. He points out to the adults that he should be informed of everything that The Order are doing, not kept in the dark. He feels that he doesn’t need protecting. After all, he was the only person who did face, and defeat, Voldermort after the Tri-Wizard tournament. The very fact that Cederic was there, is the result of Harry’s fair character. He believes that he and Cederic both deserve to win; he is a very selfless individual who believes in justice.

Harry has a strong support group, all of which play vital roles in the immediate action of the stories, but also who shape Harry as a person. His

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