Searching for Albus Potter

Albus and Scorpius's time-travelling antics created two separate alternate timelines. This was something
that could have disastrous effects for everyone. In one, Harry received a dream revealing Albus's
location in the Forbidden Forest. As he and the others searched, Harry came across the centaur Bane.
Bane warned him that a "dark cloud" haunted Albus. He took this "dark cloud" to mean Scorpius and his
doubts regarding his son's friendship with him strengthened even more. He, Ron, and Ginny found the
boys just after they return from the past. Scorpius was uninjured, but Albus sustained a broken arm.

Harry dumbledore's portrait

Harry conversing with the portrait of Albus Dumbledore

Albus was brought to the school's hospital wing, where Harry conversed with a portrait of Albus
Dumbledore. After Harry aired decades of pent-up emotion left over from the horrors of his childhood
and Dumbledore reassuring him he did what he though was best for Harry's well being at the time, the
portrait advised him to see Albus as he is. Harry demanded that Albus break off his association with
Scorpius. He even went so far as to bully Headmistress Minerva McGonagall into using the Marauder's
Map to keep them apart. This was something that he would not normally do. Harry's worry for his son
had intensified so much that it blinded him to the bigger picture.

When Albus and Scorpius went time travelling again, Harry and Ginny received a visit from Draco. He
and Harry argued about their children, which resulted in a premature wizards' duel. When Ginny
intervened and reminded them their children were missing, Draco surprised them by explaining how
lonely he was at Hogwarts and how lucky Harry was to have such great friendships.

Harry and Draco finally gained a mutual respect for one another, and looked upon each other as friends.
When Draco speaks of the great bond and sacrifices he has made for Scorpius and his late wife, Harry
finally realised he was dangerously isolating Albus. They returned to Hogwarts, where Harry apologised
to Professor McGonagall and they attempted to locate the boys, ultimately discovering that they had
the Time-Turner.

However, in the other timeline, Albus and Scorpius had created a world where Harry had died at the
Battle of Hogwarts. Fortunately, Scorpius managed to salvage the original timeline and returned both
Harry, and Albus to life. Harry visited Albus in his dormitory where despite his anger, he manages to
plant the seed for a reconciliation with Albus.

Harry Albus argue

Harry visiting Albus in the Hospital Wing and the two begin to reconcile

Later, Harry and his friends learn that Albus and Scorpius were missing again and were last seen with
Delphi. They went to see Amos to find out what he knows, and found out he had been Confunded by
Delphi into believing she was his niece and carer.

Searching the room for clues to find out Delphi's true identity, they stumbled upon a prophecy that, if
fulfilled, would enable the return of Voldemort, and realised Delphi's true identity as Voldemort's secret
daughter with Bellatrix Lestrange. However, since they did not know where in time Delphi, Albus, and
Scorpius were, they could only bide their time and wait.

Skirmish at St Jerome's Church

At home, Harry looked at the blanket he had tried to give Albus. He noticed writing on it, and found out
it was a message sent by Albus from the past. He and Ginny noticed the date, being 30 October, 1981 —
one day before the night that Voldemort murdered Harry's parents. They alerted Ron and Hermione.
Draco, who joined in, secretly revealed to them that his family had a Time-Turner that would be more
potent and valuable than the one seized by the Ministry, which was merely a prototype and thus not as
desirable to a true Death Eater.

Potterplay

Harry, Ron, Draco, and others travelling back in time to assist Albus and Scorpius

They travelled back in time to join Albus and Scorpius. However, under Ginny's prodding, they realised
that Delphi did not to want to kill baby Harry, but rather to stop Voldemort from doing so in the hope he
would live and his reign would continue. Delphi thought she could make her father stronger as he would
know love when he met her, which its lacking was what had originally led to his downfall.

Everyone agreed they had to transfigure Harry to look like Voldemort in the hope that they could fool
Delphi and hinder her in saving the real Voldemort. They picked Harry because he not only knew
Voldemort well through the connection they shared when he was a Horcrux, but he now also
understood Parseltongue again.

Delphi pleaded with her "father" to recognise her, which Harry managed before the transfiguration spell
came undone. However, when Delphi sees she had been set up, she engaged in a fierce duel with Harry,
who is later joined by his friends and Albus. They managed to subdue her and she pleaded that she only
wants to know her father. A surprised Harry explained that this would not be possible; they cannot
change the past.

Upon hearing the real Voldemort arrive to kill Harry's parents, Delphi tried calling out to him, but
Hermione and Malfoy silenced her and sent her back to present day. Harry decided to watch the scene
of his parents' murder once more, with Albus by his side, to provide a sense of closure for them. They
later returned to the present when a devastated Hagrid arrived at the scene to bring Harry to the
Dursleys.

Visiting the dead

Back at Hogwarts, Albus is asked by Harry to join him one afternoon for a hike up a steep hill. Harry
revealed that he had brought Albus to Cedric Diggory's grave, which he regularly visits so he could
apologise for his role in his death.

Harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone1

Harry in his first year, age 11

Physical appearance

"Harry has his father's and mother's good looks."

—J. K. Rowling comments on Harry's appearance[src]

Harry was a near-spitting image of his father, having inherited his untidy jet-black hair. However, his
almond-shaped startlingly green eyes were identical to those of his mother. Harry's physique as a boy
was described as "small and skinny", with a thin face and knobbly knees. This skinniness was due to his
poor quality of life in his childhood. Despite the neglect he suffered, Harry seems to have grown at the
same rate as James. When he was fifteen he was within an inch of James at the same age, and when he
was seventeen he was exactly the same height his father was, and James was often described as tall.
Harry was so much like his father that Harry mistook his future self for him while saving Sirius’s life from
the Dementors, although his father was then dead.

Harry wore round-rimmed glasses, peculiarly similar to his father's glasses. During his time hunting
Voldemort's Horcruxes, Harry's black hair grew shoulder length as was described when he saw his
reflection in Malfoy Manor. This was due to his preoccupation with the hunt for the Horcruxes and his
lack of interest in his physical appearance, it is the longest his hair has ever been.

Harry Potter movies hbp promostills 6

Harry in his sixth year, age 16

Upon Harry's forehead, covered by his unruly black hair, was a scar shaped like a lightning bolt. The scar
was a result of the failed (and famed) Killing Curse cast on him by Lord Voldemort when he was an
infant. It burned painfully whenever Voldemort was near Harry or feeling particularly strong emotions,
but this stopped after Voldemort's death and was reduced into an ordinary scar.

Harry also had a faint scar on the back of his right hand which said, "I must not tell lies". This scar was
caused while Harry spent detentions with Dolores Umbridge, who forced him to use the Black Quill that
carved the words into the back of his hand. In addition, Harry has an oval-shaped scar over his heart
where the locket-Horcrux seared his skin during the confrontation with Nagini in Bathilda Bagshot's
house, Godric's Hollow.

When possessed by Lord Voldemort at the end of the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Harry's
eyes became somewhat glassy green in appearance, and his voice became a mixture of his own and
Voldemort's.

HP 19753 Harry FL

Middle aged Harry Potter

Harry had "great skin" and never suffered from zits.[93]

At age 33, Harry already had "a couple of threads of silver" in his hair, according to Daily Prophet gossip
columnist Rita Skeeter.[90] In the summer of 2014, Harry made an appearance in the Patagonian Desert,
where he would attend the final of the 427th Quidditch World Cup with his family, sporting a nasty cut
over his right cheekbone, which was a result of his top-secret work for the Auror Office. At the age of 40,
it is cited by Moaning Myrtle that Harry seems to have gotten more handsome in his older age.[90]

Personality and traits

"I see Harry as someone who is struggling to do the right thing, who is not without faults, who acts
impetuously as you would expect someone of his age to act, but who is ultimately a very loyal person,
and a very very courageous person. So, in as much as he has qualities that I admire most I would say he
is a good role model. That doesn't mean that he is saintly, but then frankly, who is? But I think you do
see enough of Harry’s inner life, the workings of his mind in the books to know that he is ultimately
human, struggling to do the right thing, which I think is admirable."
—J. K. Rowling on why Harry's an excellent role model[src]

Harry was an extremely brave, loyal, and selfless person who possessed tremendous strength of
character. He willingly went to what he truly believed to be his death, because he believed that this was
the only way to defeat the Dark Lord. Harry was also marked by what Lord Voldemort once deemed a
"weakness for heroics" — he would go to great lengths and take great risks in order to help others,
particularly his loved ones. Notably, this was taken advantage of by Voldemort in 1996, when he lured
Harry to the Department of Mysteries by making him believe that his godfather was in danger.[94] Harry
was also very strong-willed and unafraid to stand up for himself. The fact that he was capable of
repelling the Imperius Curse suggests that he had an unusually strong sense of himself and his
morals.[95] Dumbledore once made parallels between Harry's traits and qualities that Salazar Slytherin
looked for in his own hand-picked students. He also noted that Harry's choice not to draw on those
qualities really defined who he was, rather than the simple fact that he had them.[96]

DH2 Harry Potter in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault

Harry resourcefully using the Sword of Gryffindor, as a way of retrieving Hufflepuff's cup from mounds
of burning treasure

"Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my
goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

—The Sorting Hat looking into Harry's mind[src]

Harry was perfectly prepared to put his friends' needs and best interests first, shown by how he ended
his relationship with Ginny Weasley, due to his concern for her well being (even though being with her
was one of the best things that ever happened to him).[97] The amount of trust that Harry put into his
friends was so strong that he absolutely refused to consider that any of them would betray him to
Voldemort. Considering that Harry knew a person (Peter Pettigrew) who had betrayed all of his closest
friends to Voldemort, this proves Harry's ability to love so unequivocally.

The closeness that Harry felt for many was great enough for him to behave violently if any of them were
harmed.[98] When his godfather was murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange, Harry attacked her in a grief-
stricken rage of righteous anger and attempted to use the Cruciatus Curse on her. He also attacked
Severus Snape after the latter murdered Dumbledore. Ironically, the only people with whom Harry ever
initiated a duel were Snape and Bellatrix and he only desired to do so right after they killed someone he
loved. This highlights Harry's bravery even further because Harry was fully aware that Snape and
Bellatrix were two very skilled and experienced duellists, but did not hesitate to harm them as soon as
he was pushed into it. This can also happen if a loved one of his is, even if it isn't true, insulted in front of
him, as he so enraged he was seriously considering attacking Albus Dumbledore himself when he stated
he believed Sirius was wrong to have treated Kreacher the way he did and that he was trying to keep
Sirius alive by keeping him in 12 Grimmauld Place, as Harry believed that Dumbledore had no right,
despite knowing fully well he was completely outmatched by Dumbledore, who he acknowledged to be
the greatest wizard in history, but fortunately for Harry Dumbledore did not resort to such means and
calmly levelled with him.

"Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked
students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue; resourcefulness; determination; a certain disregard for
the rules..."

—Dumbledore discussing some of Harry's personality traits[src]

However, Harry was also accused of being arrogant, in particular by Severus Snape (although Snape's
perspective was skewed due to his poor relationship with James Potter, and Harry often found being
famous and admired very difficult), and could be hot-tempered and impulsive. This could sometimes
make him rude to authority figures such as Professor Snape and Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour. In
contrast, Dumbledore stated that "many teachers report that [Harry's] modest, likeable, and reasonably
talented".[46]

Deathly-hallows1-Harry-snitch

Harry brooding over the Snitch, left to him in Dumbledore's will

Harry was prone to moodiness and unkind remarks towards even his friends during his adolescence,
though this is likely the result of the great emotional stress and trials he endured during this period.
Harry displayed many signs of clinical depression throughout his mid-to-late teens, however this
extended to his older life. In his mid-to-late teens, Harry showed signs of these symptoms: general
discontent, guilt, hopelessness, mood swings, insomnia (nightmares), agitation, irritability, social
isolation and even lack of concentration. These symptoms were continued to be well into his mid ages. It
was clear that Harry received limited assistance in his depression during his adolescence, although this
was possibly improved in his later life.

Harry was also not one to let bygones be bygones. He had at best a vengeful and at worst a spiteful
streak towards those who did him wrong. This varied from wanting to murder/torture those whom had
performed unforgivable acts like: Bellatrix, Voldemort, and Dolores Umbridge to a desire for pettiness
towards: Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Snape, and the Dursley's. Harry even wanted Sirius (before
learning of his innocence) and Pettigrew to suffer the Dementor's kiss for their crimes and spent the
entirety of the Horcrux hunt angry at Dumbledore for the latter's lack of trust.

"You're a sharp boy, Potter."

—Barty Crouch Jr's opinion of Harry's intelligence[src]

Harry possessed an instinctual, intuitive intelligence. This intelligence allowed him to make intellectual
leaps, as opposed to the logical intelligence of Hermione. For example, Harry divined the truth about the
Deathly Hallows well before Hermione would accept it.[99] And although he was clever, Harry lacked
intellectual curiosity. He rarely put forth effort into school work; for instance, he relied on the notes of
the Half-Blood Prince to get ahead in his sixth year Potions class rather than devoting time to
studying.[100] Although he did study reasonably hard for his Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the only set of
wizarding qualifications he sat at Hogwarts. Harry generally did his best magical work when tackling
practical exams rather than theoretical ones. This could be a result of the lack of confidence that Harry
developed from growing up with the Dursleys.

Barty Crouch Jr (disguised as Alastor Moody) remarked that Harry possessed a streak of pride and
independence that almost cost him the Triwizard Tournament. His pride didn't allow him to ask for help
regarding the problem of breathing underwater for an hour, which was required for the Second task
that took place in the Black Lake, was what almost cost him the competition.[95] Harry was also known
for wanting to tackle challenges and obstacles on his own, without the aid or interference of others. His
friends had to frequently remind him that he needed their assistance and that he "did not always have
to go it alone".

Harry also seemed to have a bit of an obsessive personality, a trait he shared with his arch enemy Lord
Voldemort. He could be somewhat nosy and was known for sleuthing around and getting involved in
things that did not concern him. For instance, during his sixth year Harry became intensely preoccupied
with finding out what Malfoy was doing in his free time.[100] He also developed on unhealthy obsession
with the Deathly Hallows, to the point where he was listless with longing for the three artefacts. This
period of listlessness lasted for many weeks during the hunt for Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Harry & Ginny kiss

Harry and his love for Ginny Weasley, his then ex-girlfriend and future wife

Harry's greatest strength was his ability to feel love, despite having a miserable childhood of neglect.
Harry was extremely loyal to and protective of his loved ones and that love was what allowed him to
overcome Voldemort. Dumbledore noted that Harry's strength of will at resisting the temptation of the
Dark Arts, even when granted a direct insight into Voldemort's mind and methods was due to Harry's
ability to love. Harry even claimed that he felt sorry for Voldemort because of his inability to feel or
understand love. Ginny, his wife, commented that he was the kindest and most loving man anyone
would ever meet.[101]

Albus Dumbledore noted that Harry was unfailingly kind and compassionate. This is shown by how he
freed Dobby from the Malfoys and by standing up for Muggle-borns, half-bloods, and half-breeds (like
Hagrid). This is likely attributable to his childhood, during which the Dursleys deprived him of
compassion and discriminated against him due to his magical abilities. His compassionate led him to
spare the life of Delphi, the daughter of Lord Voldemort, despite the history between himself and the
Dark Lord. Also, Harry was not a cruel person and he never wished anyone harm. He rarely initiated
duels, instead fighting in self-defence. Even after Bellatrix Lestrange had murdered his godfather, Harry
failed to cast the Cruciatus Curse on her. Bellatrix noted the he had failed to cast the curse properly
because he had cast it out of righteous anger and not malicious intent.[102] However, he did use the
Cruciatus Curse more effectively on Amycus Carrow after he spat at and insulted Minerva McGonagall.
In addition, he saved Peter Pettigrew from being killed by his (Pettigrew's) former friends Sirius Black
and Remus Lupin, though this was not done for humanitarian reasons but for the memory of his father.

"I see Harry as an old soul."

—J.K. Rowling regarding Harry's spirit[src]

Remus Lupin once noted that Harry had very good and nearly always right instincts.[99] Harry had a
strong awareness of the incalculable power of certain acts, which is never more apparent than when he
refused to allow Lupin to accompany him and leave his wife and child at home and realised that Ron
Weasley was meant to destroy Slytherin's locket.

Harry temper

Harry loses his temper with "Aunt" Marge

In some ways, Harry can become extremely intimidating toward people such as: Gilderoy Lockhart,
Mundungus Fletcher, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. It is seen that Harry can become extremely
frightening when pushed to the point of anger or extreme annoyance. When in a bad mood and
argumentative, even Harry's closest friends have been shown to be wary of him, usually replying to his
angry tone in a calm and appeasing voice. The only person who does not appear to be afraid of him
when he is angry (other than his teachers and other authority figures in his life) is Ginny Weasley.
Dumbledore is a special case, as he acts fatherly towards Harry and has managed to successfully calm
him down whenever he got angry with him.

Harry seems to have good and long memory, as he remembers the motorbike ride to Privet Drive with
Hagrid when he was eleven and could remember the deaths of his mother and Voldemort's laughter
when the events occurred ten years earlier.[48] Despite needing glasses, Harry possessed a tremendous
eyesight as well, he was able to locate the Golden Snitch (which was approximately the size of a golf
ball) in a massive Quidditch field. Harry also cared very much for his children. He comforted his
daughter, Lily Potter when she was upset about not going to Hogwarts. He also made sure his younger
son Albus Potter would not be teased a lot by Harry's older son, James Potter.
Harry: "Yes,"

Severus Snape: "Yes sir."

Harry: "There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor."

— Harry being cheeky to Snape during a DADA lesson[src]

Although never as given to sarcasm or humour as his best friend Ron, Harry often displayed a dry wit.
For instance, on finding out that Hermione Granger intended to take twelve O.W.Ls, he asked her if she
planned to eat or sleep at all that year. This humour often became more cutting when applied to people
Harry disliked. When threatened by Draco Malfoy and his cronies after the Battle of the Department of
Mysteries, Harry remarked that he supposed that "Lord Voldemort's just a warm-up act compared to
you three?", responding to Malfoy's threat that he was dead by casually commenting "funny, you'd
think I'd have stopped walking around".[6] Harry also displayed wittiness when he first encountered
Crookshanks, remarking that he was either "a very large cat or quite a small tiger".[103]

He was also known to apply his cutting wit to Severus Snape and Dudley Dursley as well. During his first
Potions lesson, Snape antagonised Harry with question after question. This was until Harry responded
with "I don't know. I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"[48] He also commented that
he was surprised that Dudley was intelligent enough to know the days of the week, after Dudley stated
he knew what day it was. When Harry was eleven, Dudley suggested that he and Harry should do
upstairs and practise shoving heads down toilets. Harry then stated that the toilet had never had
something as disgusting as Dudley's head down it.

HP5-01765

Harry as the leader of Dumbledore's Army, while teaching a lesson on the Stunning Spell

Although he never sought power himself and would be content with a normal life, when a situation
required him to step up he would do so. Such as when he, Ron, and Hermione discovered Voldemort
and Quirrell's attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone and his time as teacher/leader of Dumbledore's
Army. Harry has shown not-inconsiderable leadership abilities, to the point that Dumbledore reflected
that Harry was a better leader than him as he never sought power for himself but simply had to assume
the mantle of leadership due to circumstances beyond his control and found in the process that he did it
well.

During his youth, Harry tended to see things in a rather stark, absolute manner, particularly when it
came to the Hogwarts Houses. Harry generally regarded members of Slytherin House as evil and
therefore his enemies, while Gryffindors, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuffs were allies. The former part could
be due to his own status as a Gryffindor and that many of the Slytherins he encountered, such as Lord
Voldemort, Draco Malfoy, and Severus Snape, were significant enemies of his during this period. In
addition, many of his friends and allies, such as: Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Hagrid, were fellow
Gryffindors. However, this mentality eroded as he aged, since he encountered both allies among
Slytherin, such as Horace Slughorn (and later, Snape) and enemies among the other three Houses, such
as Peter Pettigrew (a fellow Gryffindor) and Quirinus Quirrell (a Ravenclaw). By 2017, Harry had adopted
a more moderate attitude on the Houses, telling his younger son Albus Potter that "it doesn't matter to
us" if Albus was Sorted in Slytherin or Gryffindor. In addition, Harry named that same son after Severus
Snape, whom he recounted as "the bravest man [he] ever knew".

In the aftermath of the Secondary Wizarding War, Harry is shown to suffer from survivors guilt and also
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These two symptoms extend into his childhood and throughout his life
at Hogwarts. Because of his depression he also claims that he was supposed to die and everyone knew
it, but he survived it all. He also claims that too many people died for the "Boy Who Lived" and that he
wasn't worth dying for at all. Harry's depression and trauma are caused by not having removed
Voldemort completely from his life. He fears that he will always allow Voldemort to have some mental
and emotional control over him.

Harry also has shown signs of suffering from recurring clinical depression, such as his sullen and
withdrawn demeanour during his mid-to-late teens as a result of the tragedies in his life. A particular
symptom of this is his outrageous temper during his bouts of depression, which frighten all but Ginny by
their sheer force and magnitude alone. Overall, Harry is much the same as any other soldier, struggling
to carry on despite the horrors of his past and the brutality he has been a part of for so long.

Harry does have some fears, though he hides them extremely well from his family. In fact he hide them
so well that his younger son considered his father to be utterly fearless. These fears include the dark,
pigeons, small spaces, and seeing his family in danger.

It is commented by his son that Harry's personality is complicated and this is furthered by Ron, who calls
him intense in terms of his traits and past experiences.[104]

Magical abilities and skills

Patronus PM SilverStagPatronus MomentIllust

Harry's corporeal stag Patronus

"Harry.... is becoming exceptionally good at Defence Against the Dark Arts. So that's the one area in
which, almost instinctively, he is particularly talented. Apart from Quidditch."

—J. K. Rowling regarding Harry's magical talents[src]

Harry was seen and had proven himself to be a very powerful and talented wizard. His power was
evident from the start: he demonstrated immediate command of a broomstick, was able to conjure a
corporeal Patronus at an exceptionally young age (a mark of superior magical ability),[88] and even
survived numerous encounters with Lord Voldemort. He mastered a wand made of hawthorn, which
one should only ever consider placing in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent.[105] Harry was
also a very gifted flyer and Quidditch player, the youngest Seeker in a century.

Love: Harry's greatest power of all was his ability to love. In spite of being raised by a family that treated
him with anything but affection, Harry remarkably turned out capable of very strong love. For example,
Harry's love for his friends caused him to sacrifice himself to Lord Voldemort. This loving sacrifice
conferred a certain amount of protection onto his allies, making it so that spells Voldemort tried to place
on them quickly wore off.[106] Harry's ability to love has also protected and helped him on several
occasions. Those occasions are: when he produced a Patronus that could drive hundreds of Dementors
away,[107] repelled Voldemort when he possessed him,[98] and the times he was able to close the
connection between himself and Voldemort.[108] His love was strongest when directed at Ginny
Weasley, who was the driving force that kept him going until Voldemort was defeated. Harry also felt
strong love toward his three children, such as when he deliberately placed himself between his son
Albus and a Killing Curse. Harry even felt compassion and pity for his enemies, offering Voldemort a
chance to feel remorse for his actions.

"Harry — he has an extraordinary instinct for the right thing to do. He's just got the right instinct, and
that's what would make him, in due course, a phenomenal Auror."

—J. K. Rowling regarding Harry's time as an Auror[src]

Auror skills: Harry was extremely young for an Auror, which spoke highly of his magical abilities. He
became Head of the Auror Office at the age of 26, presumably the youngest Head appointed. During his
time in the department, he gained skills in various areas of magic such as: Concealment and Disguise,
Stealth and Tracking, and poisons and antidotes. Being a fully qualified Auror meant three additional
years of study, all of these areas of magic were essential. He also had high skill in Transfiguration, as
Aurors had to frequently transfigure and untransfigure things in their line of work.[109] Harry also
possessed a great instinct for the right thing to do, especially when faced with stressful and difficult
situations. This instinct contributed to him becoming a fantastic Auror. Harry has also been stated as
being a consummate expert in his line of work.[110]

"Harry, you're the best in the year at Defence Against the Dark Arts."

—Hermione Granger emphasising Harry's talent in defensive magic[src]

Tumblr lvya0rfkNa1qgt0vro7 r1 250

Harry defends himself against Grindylows in 1995

Defence Against the Dark Arts: Harry was extremely adept at Defence Against the Dark Arts, having
mastered all manners of spells. Some of the spells include: Stunning Spell, Disarming Charm,
Impediment Jinx, Full Body-Bind Curse, and Reductor Curse.[111] In fact, his Stunning Spell was so
strong that opponents would get knocked out if they were hit directly. He was also skilled at defending
himself against Dark creatures such as: Grindylows, Red Caps, Hinkypunks, Boggarts, Erklings, and
Dementors. In his third year, he was the only student who flawlessly made it through the end-of-the-
year exam (an obstacle course containing some of the said creatures.[112]) In his fifth year, Professor
McGonagall stated that Professor Lupin said he showed a "pronounced aptitude" for the subject and
that he had "achieved high marks on all his Defence Against the Dark Arts tests".[113] In fact, Harry had
beaten Hermione in two of the three Defence Against the Dark Arts exams they had taken together. The
only exam she beat him in was their first year exam and Hermione later reflected that it did not count,
as Quirrell "wasn't a particularly good teacher".[114] During his O.W.L. examination, Professor Tofty
(Wizarding Examinations Authority) expressed pleasure at Harry's performance of Defence Against the
Dark Arts, calling it "excellent".[115] This statement was later proven true when he achieved an
'Outstanding'[81] Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. (something that not even Hermione achieved), a
testament of his extraordinary talent in defensive magic. In 1996, Ron stated that it came as no surprise
that Harry was top of the class at Defence Against the Dark Arts.[81] Indeed, Harry was so good at DADA
that when the Ministry of Magic prevented the subject from being taught effectively in 1995, he set up
his own DADA club and successfully taught members how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts.
He immediately became an Auror after the Second Wizarding War, which also required considerable skill
in both defensive and offensive magic. Harry also developed a high level of resistance towards the
Imperius Curse, demonstrated when it was cast upon him by Barty Crouch Jr (disguised as Alastor
Moody) in 1994 and by Lord Voldemort himself in 1995.[95]

"...there's no point pretending that you're not good at Defence Against the Dark Arts, because you are.
You were the only person last year who could throw off the Imperius Curse completely, you can produce
a Patronus, you can do all sorts of stuff that full-grown wizards can't, Viktor always said... Harry knew
how to do stuff even he didn't, and he was in the final year at Durmstrang."

—Hermione Granger regarding Harry's abilities in 1995[src]

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Harry duelling Voldemort in Little Hangleton graveyard

Duelling: Despite his young age, Harry was an accomplished and skilful duellist. He was able to single-
handedly defeat some of the most formidable Death Eaters and even survive numerous encounters with
Lord Voldemort himself. He eventually defeated Voldemort by becoming the master of the Elder Wand.
In many battles of the Second Wizarding War, he was able to incapacitate much more experienced
Death Eaters. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries; he, Albus Dumbledore, and Remus
Lupin were the only fighters on the Order's side to emerge from the battle physically unscathed. In that
time, he had held off Lucius Malfoy and Antonin Dolohov twice and was able to hold his own against the
extremely powerful Bellatrix Lestrange.[116] In 1997 Harry defeated Yaxley, Fenrir Greyback, and one of
the two Carrows.[117] He fought off several Death Eaters in the Battle of the Seven Potters. During the
Skirmish at Malfoy Manor he overpowered Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and Fenrir Greyback and
avoided direct conflict damage all throughout the Battle of Hogwarts.[118] Harry was known to be very
quick off the draw and had an aggressive duelling style, even incorporating Unforgivable Curses. He was
also known to taunt his opponents and would get them to talk at length, angering them and throwing
them mentally off-balance. He did this in order to buy himself time to strategise or to lull them into
lowering their guard. Harry was especially skilled in the Disarming Charm and used it so much that it was
seen as his "signature spell" by many Death Eaters. His most notable uses of the Disarming Charm were
when he formed Priori Incantatem with Voldemort and when he finally killed the Dark Lord. At the
remarkably young age of seventeen, Harry became an Auror and was promoted to Head of the Auror
Office at the age of 26.[55][119] He was able to quite easily defeat without any injuries to himself the
skilled Theodore Nott in a duel during a raid on Nott's home and while holding back, could fight Draco,
who had similarly improved his duelling skills, to a standstill. Harry was even able to hold his own against
Delphini, they "fired bolts mercilessly at each other" during their church duel, long enough for his
friends to come to his aid, after which they swiftly defeated Delphini.[120]

" Imperio" Harry said again; his voice echoed through the stone passage as he felt the familiar sense of
heady control that flowed from brain to wand."

—Harry casting an Unforgivable Curse on Bogrod[src]

Dark Arts: Harry was one of the few non-Dark Wizards who was highly proficient in the Dark Arts at all
levels. On top of being able to cast simple dark charms like the Leg-Locker Curse, Full Body-Bind Curse,
Reductor Curse, Pimple Jinx, Knockback Jinx, Revulsion Jinx, and Melofors Jinx, he could cast more
powerful dark spells such as the Blasting Curse.[121] He was also able to flawlessly cast the jinxes, hexes
and curses in the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion-Making, such as the Toenail-growing hex
and the extremely dangerous curse Sectumsempra, which he cast at Draco Malfoy in 1997, severely
slashing and wounding him.[100] Harry even used two of the three Unforgivable Curses, the Imperius
Curse on Travers and a Goblin called Bogrod during the 1998 Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank,[122]
as well as the Cruciatus Curse on several occasions. However, his first successful attempt was in 1998
against Amycus Carrow, but it did not result in the prolonged, excruciating pain that the curse was
famous for — instead, Carrow screamed and was incapacitated.[123] He never used the Killing Curse for
obviously moral reasons, even in his final battle with Voldemort.

"You're the youngest Seeker in a century."

—Ron Weasley discussing Harry's flying talent[src]

HBP Harry Playing Quidditch™

Harry on his broom

Flying: Harry had inherited his father's talent for flying and for Quidditch. Harry showed immediate
command of a broomstick in his first year, which made him a naturally good Seeker. This was the first
magical skill for which he discovered an aptitude, as he found in 1991. In fact, at the mere age of eleven,
Harry became the youngest Seeker in a century.[124] As a Seeker, Harry was capable of surpassing even
far more experienced Seekers, near-always winning the Quidditch matches for Gryffindor, and was
considered to be even better than Charlie Weasley, with the only time he ever lost to Cedric Diggory
being due to the presence of Dementors. Sirius Black noted that Harry's Quidditch skills were equal to
his father's own. His extraordinary flying skills also aided him when pursuing the Winged Keys enchanted
by Professor Flitwick in the Philosopher's Stone Chambers, with him being the primary leader of the
trio's chase of the Keys and the one who noticed and captured the Key needed to unlock the door. It
also helped him in the Triwizard Tournament (where he had to steal a golden egg from a Hungarian
Horntail), managing to successfully irritate the dragon into chasing him by dodging all her flame attacks
and then outrace her into the egg, a display that highly impressed all of the witnesses and earned him
the first place among the Triwizard Champions. During the Battle of Hogwarts he also managed to
escape a Fiendfyre inferno in the Room of Requirement, via broomstick.