Laura Mortiers
1
Ghent University
Faculty of Arts and Philosophy
From Orphan to Family Man
Family, Gender and Choice in Harry Potter
Supervisor:
Paper submitted in partial
Prof. Dr. Gert Buelens
fulfilment of the requirements for
the degree “Master in de Taal- en
Letterkunde: Frans-Engels”
by Laura Mortiers
May 2014
Laura Mortiers
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in
each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.
(Bach, “Family”)
2
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Preface
Growing up with Rowling's work, Hogwarts became in many ways a second home to me. Reading
the Harry Potter novels meant – and still means – a return to a world that is magical and
mysterious, one that offers me a moment away from everyday life. At Hogwarts, I meet old friends,
who have changed and grown up, as I have. Indeed, having now reread the whole series while
writing this paper, I have noticed that, though with each perusal new ideas strike me and characters
have developed even more, that magical world is still that very same, well-known and, above all,
comforting place it has always been to me.
This reading pleasure and comfort, I think, is the essence of what childhood reading should be all
about. Whatever may be the lessons a reader draws from the work at hand, it is important that,
before any other considerations come into play, a novel has a lasting effect on its reader. Whether
talking about straightforward morality, more abstract life wisdom or the work's direct reflections on
life, a reader should always cherish that pure joy of opening a book, reading it, and being under its
spell from page one, right through to the end.
While doing my research for this paper, I read how Peter Hunt sees his work on children's literature
as “the public face of an intensely private reading” (Hunt viii.). I cannot possibly express my
feelings about this paper any better. To me, writing about Harry Potter has been a dream come true,
but also an incredibly instructive experience. The novels have always been a passion of mine, but
writing about a story with which I am so intimately familiar has taught me how to look beneath the
story's surface, loving it as I have never done before.
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Acknowledgements
To Kristof
I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Dr. Gert Buelens, who has been wonderful, helping
me along by always asking the right questions about my work and making me think more critically
about what I was writing. Likewise, I would like to thank his daughters, who know even more about
Harry Potter and have, even if they might not know it, helped my work along marvellously.
Next, I want to thank my family and friends, who were utterly bewildered when I announced the
topic of my dissertation, but still supported me along the way. Special thanks also to my dear friend
Christine and her husband, Patrick, for taking the time to read this paper and provide me with some
very useful feedback.
I am also grateful to Professor Kimberley Reynolds, from Newcastle University, for personally
taking the trouble of sending me her essay on “Changing families in children's fiction”, which I was
unable to find anywhere in Belgium.
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Table of contents
I. Introduction
7
Situating Harry Potter : modern family fiction
8
Biological family
10
Father figures
10
Mother figures
11
Family of choice
13
II. Family in Harry Potter
14
1. Biological family
14
The Dursleys
14
The Potters
18
In the Family's Footsteps: Recognizing Right from Easy
24
2. Surrogate father figures
25
Rubeus Hagrid
25
Sirius Black
28
Albus Dumbledore
32
Severus Snape
36
Following the Father: Considering Advice
40
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3. Surrogate mother figures
6
42
Molly Weasley
42
Minerva McGonagall
46
Rubeus Hagrid
49
Hermione Granger
51
Following the Mother: a Paradigm of Care
54
4. Family of choice
56
Ronald Weasley
57
Hermione Granger
60
Neville Longbottom
64
Ginny Weasley
67
The Weasleys
68
Groupings: Gryffindor, Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army
69
Family of Choice: a Labour of Love
73
III. Conclusion
74
Harry Potter: the Family story
74
Gendered parental roles
76
A Choice Story: Exceeding Expectations
79
IV. Works cited
81
Word count : 26,551
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I. Introduction
From the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997 to the seventh and last
instalment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, published in 2007, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter
series has become a worldwide literary phenomenon that has enchanted its readers from the very
beginning. Stretching over the seven books, the feud between the heroic Harry Potter and his everevil enemy, Lord Voldemort, has become one of the most legendary battles of our time. Aside from
the essentially simple storyline that portrays Harry's quest to defeat his parents' killer, however,
Rowling has also infused her stories with an abundance of images depicting the development of life
at school, of a new family and of an overall community that has to deal with social and moral issues
on a daily basis. What makes the stories so remarkable, then, is the way in which all of the values
which Rowling's story cherishes come together in the surrogate family circle that gathers around the
central character of Harry Potter. At first sight, the roles of these characters in Harry's life are
superficially conventional, in that they conform to traditional roles, within the family and otherwise.
In line with the overall story, however, each and every one of them also deviates from the norm,
transforming an outwardly conservative role into a personally practicable one. What this paper will
then try to demonstrate is how, in showing Harry's family to be holding the middle between
convention and novelty, J. K. Rowling has constructed a complex image that confuses the
traditional representation of family, while also giving a whole new meaning to the long-standing
debate surrounding fate and free will. Departing from a brief overview of the prevailing ideas about
family in children's literature, including the gendered nature of parental roles, a thorough discussion
of the characters that constitute the family of Harry Potter will determine how, though starting out
with a traditional representation, the additional element of choice ramifies the seemingly
straightforward theme that is family.
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Situating Harry Potter : modern family fiction
Locating J. K. Rowling's work in a literary era what is often called the Third Golden Age of
children's literature seems no less than appropriate, not only because of the series' enormous
success, mirroring the consumerist trend so often noticed in recent children's literature, but more
specifically also in the story's portrayal of family life, which, while not remarkably progressive,
does hint at the recent changes in family conditions.
The Third Golden Age, first of all, is a literary era marked by the immense commercial
success of children's literature, a development that started in the second half of the twentieth
century and has continued into the twenty-first century. Because of its increasing popularity, several
authors have claimed that children's literature today has become a part of “an era of literacy fastfood consumerism” (Blake 74). Moreover, an increasing commercialization of children's books as
profitable goods has made the genre the victim of a “relentless progress of globalization” (Zipes
2008: 21). In short, these authors argue that recent developments have taken the attention away
from the books' cultural merits, making children's literature into, quite simply, globally marketable
merchandise. Moreover, authors have also claimed that the result of this development has been not
only the obvious, namely that the popularity and production of books have grown, but also that
quality has become secondary to the economic interests of the publishing industry (Hunt 82; Zipes
2008: 5). Seen most pessimistically, then, the Third Golden Age is not, as its name would imply, a
period of literary merit, but rather a time when “the cart of marketing is driving the horse of
creativity” (Hunt 82). Still, when discussing Harry Potter, it is clear that popularity and quality are
equally important, going hand in hand, as the publication history and astonishing success of
Rowling's series are never discussed without also doing credit to Rowling's writing talent and
masterful use of complex and intertextual forms and topics (Bürvenich; Blake; Eccleshare; Smadja;
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Zipes 2008). In short, “the Harry Potter effect” (Grenby 200), created by Rowling's writing and
marketing skills, is both a reflection of the spirit of the Age, that is, the public popularity of
children's literature, and an achievement of remarkable literary value.
Within the context of this era, a change has taken place in the representation of the family in
children's literature, more specifically in the way it develops parallel to changes that are taking
place in present-day society. Numerous observations have led to the strong belief that many
contemporary children's books are trying to find a new way of representing family life, as reality,
too, is changing and moving away from the traditional nuclear family (Grenby 136; Reynolds 203;
Thiel 157). However, as Alston observes, children's literature has not yet completely caught up with
this reaction against the domestic ideal, which did last well into the twentieth century; instead of
being either deeply traditional or openly progressive, children's literature today is making a
transition and is currently still torn between nostalgia for a past ideal and acceptance of the present
changes (Alston 136). Taking this evolution into account, Rowling's work is indeed a product of the
age, as it is marked by that same transitional character. Even though the story's central families,
such as the Dursleys and the Weasleys, are essentially traditional, they are not always perfect, and
are, in the children's lives, often supplied by additional, non-biological family bonds. To be precise,
whereas the form of the story is indeed traditional, the emotions and beliefs bubbling beneath its
surface are often more innovative than they seem at first sight. Harry Potter, then, is essentially “a
contemporary boy” (Blake 71); though he is initially driven by a desire to reconstruct that lost
nuclear home, Harry's eventual family includes surrogate parents, as well as an extensive family of
choice, all of whom are bound together by both choice and love.
In short, while Rowling's Harry Potter series superficially adheres “to the conservative
conventions of children's literature” (Alston 136), the truth turns out to be much more complex, as
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her story is one that attempts to reconcile those conventions with a more modern view on family as
a bond that can be created both biologically and by choice; Harry Potter is truly a child of the age.
Biological family
The first people to belong to Harry Potter's extensive family circle are without a doubt his relatives,
the Dursleys, as well as his deceased parents. The basis for the discussion of his biological family
will be how, “[o]ftentimes, for a hero, [the] beginning lies within one's heritage” (Pharr 54). Harry's
biological family not only serves as the foundation of his heroic identity, but, more importantly, also
contributes to the formation of his character, developing as an individual. Indeed, the undeniable
and functionally important presence of Harry's biological family in the story stresses the overall
importance of “[d]escent relations”, that are “relations of 'substance' (by blood or nature)” (Sollors
6); in line with a widespread wizarding mentality, Harry's descent relations are often of crucial
importance to his story. However, without disregarding their importance in his life, Harry's story
also underlines that, even though “heritage is a crucial starting point”, it is “never an end unto
itself” (Pharr 65). Despite the fact that his family identity, both past and present, forms the basis of
his personality, Harry has also much more to learn by searching his own way in life, choosing
whom to resemble and how to act. In short, the biological family of Harry Potter serves mainly as
an example, not only teaching him about his heritage as it is the basis of his heroic status, but also
making him see the importance of prudently choosing his way in life.
Father figures
Breaking with tradition, Rowling has given the male parental figures in Harry Potter not only a
central place in her narrative, but also a counselling function essential in the success of Harry's
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endeavours. What is remarkable about Harry's surrogate fathers is the fact that Rowling does not
portray them the way father figures typically are portrayed in children's literature, that is by
picturing them as “distant and most often feared” (Avery 454). Indeed, according to the conventions
of children's stories, fathers are always in some way separated from the rest of the family, be it by
their being absent from the home (Avery 456) or simply because they have their own place within
the house which children are not allowed to enter (Alston 98). Because of this separation, the father
often seems to have little influence over the children, who, instead of staying protected within the
family home, go out to enjoy “their own adventures”, leaving their parents behind (Avery 454). In
Harry Potter, then, despite the fact that Harry's biological father is indeed a distant figure, Harry's
surrogate fathers all come into close contact with the boy. Hagrid, Sirius, Dumbledore and Snape, as
well as other paternal characters, such as Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin, all help Harry along
without having to be fearsome or distant. Hagrid and Sirius, especially, openly accept Harry into
their homes, this in contrast to the more private characters of Dumbledore and Snape. Aside from
their physical presence in the hero's life, then, Harry's surrogate fathers influence his development,
as each of them teaches the boy what he knows. This functional presence is more in line with
traditional children's literature, where “[t]he majority of information about the outside world is first
passed through the father” (Alston 97); Harry's fathers all possess information and wisdom that
might help him, be it about the past, the magical world, or quite simply about human nature. In
short, what makes modern father figures recognizable is how, being present in their children's lives,
they often still have a unidirectional advisory role, providing the family with information.
Mother figures
When having to identify maternal characters in Harry Potter, food is most useful, as well as their
common functionality, that is caring for and protecting their family. In a discussion of mother
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figures, firstly, it is apt to follow Lévi-Strauss' idea that “food is good to think with” (Keeling &
Pollard 16). Even though food does not a mother make, the activity of cooking, when present in a
story, is a useful marker of a woman's maternal identity. Indeed, “[t]he symbol of the maternal body
that cooks for and nourishes children […] is inseparable from women's role in Western domestic
economy” (Blackford 2009: 42). Food, in short, is “a primal cultural mover” (Keeling & Pollard
13), for, in using and transforming it, a mother can assert her status within the household, while also
preparing her children for the outside world. In addition to a mother's involvement in her children's
diets, she is also concerned with their general well-being, trying to keep them healthy and out of
danger. The perfect mother, in short, does not just cook for the family, but is truly proud of her
function, doing all in her power to perfect a task which she considers to be her calling (Alston 23).
Ideally, the mother takes care of all aspects of family life, from preparing food and household tasks
to assuring the personal safety of each and every one of the family members. In Harry Potter, then,
this caring personality is easily distinguishable both in Lily Potter's sacrifice and in the appearance
of several surrogate mother figures in Harry's life. Expressed not only by the female characters of
Molly Weasley, Minerva McGonagall and Hermione Granger, but also by male Rubeus Hagrid, a
general concern for Harry's safety identifies those characters as the most overtly maternal personae
in the story. However, these traditional traits notwithstanding, Harry's surrogate mothers also
possess more subversive characteristics, from fierce magical skills to overt rejection of the
stereotype. Quite simply, their highlighted presence in the story, in both intellectual deliberation and
actual combat, contradicts the literary tradition of “keep[ing] mothers in the background” (Avery
454). Aside from being simply protective when it comes to their family, the mother figures in Harry
Potter insert themselves in the lives of their children, becoming useful in ways that transcend the
stereotypical cooking and nursing. In conclusion, the overall representation of maternal characters
in the series is a mixture of tradition and progress, as the use of mother figures, though descriptively
more traditional, often serves a larger purpose, especially in bringing to light issues of gender.
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Family of choice
Finally, the core of Harry's newly constructed family is his group of friends, who serve most clearly
to underline his ability to assemble around him a 'family of choice'. As to the specific significance
of this term, Kimberley Reynolds explains that it refers to “same-generation 'family' groups” that
have been “created through choice rather than biology”; in children's fiction, child characters have a
tendency to form their own, interdependent family bonds in order to survive outside of the family
home (Reynolds 204-205). Such families, then, are bound together by what Werner Sollors calls
“consent relations”, the essential effect of choosing one's relations being that it “stresses our
abilities as mature free agents and 'architects of our fates'” (Sollors 6). In the case of Harry Potter,
this notion of forming a family by choosing its members from among a closely knit group of
friends, as well as from some larger organizations, is wholly applicable. Singling out some of his
friends, Harry creates “a notional blood bond” (Reynolds 206) that binds them together so closely
that their friendship survives not only the dangerous adventures narrated in the series, but also the
absolutely normal everyday lives they lead following their schooldays. Therefore, instead of opting
for the traditional return to the family hearth after the conclusion of the children's adventures
(Alston 28; Blake 38), Harry and his family of choice create a whole new life in which they
themselves have become the new heads of household, promoting their own family ethics.
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II. Family in Harry Potter
1. Biological family
Before discussing Harry Potter's considerable chosen family, a discussion of the importance of his
relatives is necessary to show how the hero's biological family functions in and exerts its influence
upon his identity. The Dursley family, first of all, seems to give no more than a cartoon of family
life (Kornfeld & Prothro 188). However, in their awfulness, the Dursleys do give an outstanding
negative example, showing the unacceptability of certain types of behaviour toward others, which
will greatly influence Harry's development and later choice of friends and family. In contrast,
despite their physical absence from the story, Harry's parents serve largely as a positive example of
familial love, in that their sacrifice saved their son's life. Nonetheless, James Potter's appalling
bullying behaviour also serves as a negative example to Harry, moving the boy to make the
conscious decision not to follow in his parents' footsteps at all times. All in all, Harry Potter's
biological family is therefore very much influential in his life, mainly for the simple reason that
they serve as examples, both positive and negative, of how to conduct his family life, as well as
who to choose as friends. More often than not, while in the process of forming his own identity,
Harry can decide whether or not to follow those examples.
The Dursleys
Harry Potter's aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Dursley, are introduced in the very first sentence of the
saga as the most ordinary family imaginable (Stone 7). Since they are the only living family Harry
has left, he is forced to grow up within their family, even though they quickly turn out to be
“unimaginative and often unpleasant adults […] who neither understand [him] nor care to”
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(Nodelman & Reimer 125, quoting Stephen King). During the time Harry spends with them, which
comprises not only his entire childhood to the age of eleven, but also his summer vacations away
from Hogwarts, the Dursleys continually treat their nephew as garbage. As it is, Harry does not
learn of the true reason for his having to call the Dursleys' house his 'home' until his fifth year at
Hogwarts. Only at the end of that year does Dumbledore finally disclose the truth, namely that
Harry is “protected by an ancient magic” (Order 918):
'While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or
harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge.
You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, whilst you are there he cannot
hurt you. Your aunt knows this. […]' (Order 918-919)
As Dumbledore explains, upon sacrificing herself for her son, Lily Potter cast a protective charm
over the boy, that would protect him for as long as he lived in his family's house. It is therefore
because of his mother's protection that Harry is forced to call the Dursleys his family, at least until
he comes of age at seventeen, or leaves before that time, in which cases the charm and its protection
will be lifted. Moreover, Lily's protection exists solely in the blood ties between Harry and the
Dursleys; their consanguineous relationship is what makes the charm effective. Moreover, aside
from this reinforced genetic connection, the mutual antipathy between Harry and the Dursleys does
not cancel out the possibility of redeemability. More specifically, in the beginning of the last novel,
Dudley says goodbye to Harry by shaking his hand, a belated expression of gratitude for having
saved his life the previous summer, and even aunt Petunia momentarily looks as if she wants to say
goodbye to her nephew (Hallows 52). This parting scene shows that Harry's cousin and aunt are, in
the end, at least “partly redeemed” (Winters 219). In short, despite their unlikeability, the Dursleys
remain Harry's only living relatives and the only remaining link to his mother; despite all else, the
biological connection or “descent” relation (Sollors 6) remains fundamental.
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Next, where the Dursleys' behaviour is concerned, the outrageous way in which they
conduct their family life is portrayed acutely from the very first paragraph of Philosopher's Stone.
The ironic tone, used to describe the characters, instantly underlines what the family is and will be
about, thus setting the tone for the rest of their appearances throughout the story:
Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank
you very much. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious,
because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense. (Stone 7)
From this initiating scene, it is clear that Mr and Mrs Dursley are obsessed with keeping up
appearances. What they want, above all else, is for people to see them as an example of “the
domestic idyll” (Thiel 157), that is, perfect parents with a perfect child, living in a perfectly kept
house. Mr Dursley, head of the household, is a bred businessman, obsessed with making good deals
and with having the perfect family to put on display to his business relations. Mrs Dursley, the stayat-home mother and housewife, is a nosey woman, obsessed with having a perfectly kept house, as
well as with spying on the neighbours, therein seeking reassurance that Mr and “Mrs Next Door”
(Stone 12) are far from having as perfect a family as the Dursleys themselves have. Finally, the
Dursleys' son, Dudley, is “a thoroughly unpleasant person all told” (Webb 114); fat and lazy,
obsessed with food, television and videogames, Dudley is interested in only one sport, namely
punching Harry. Despite their outward perfection, then, it rapidly becomes clear that the Dursleys,
in a way very much similar to the description cited above, are only perfect in form. Once that façade
is removed, it becomes clear that the Dursleys are in reality boring, manipulative and often cruel to
Harry, regarding his deviation from the family ideal as a threat to perfection. Specifically, as Harry
is placed with them, his magical inheritance immediately makes him the embarrassing family
member, the shameful element that threatens the Dursleys' strived-for perfection. Trying to ignore
him and hide away his magical “nonsense”, the Dursleys often resort to locking up their nephew
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(Stone 37; Chamber 21; Order 55). By behaving thus, Mr and Mrs Dursley make clear how, in their
family, the traditional domestic ideal is still “the template by which all [is] gauged” (Thiel 157);
their life's ambition is to maintain a perfectly kept, perfectly organized household, where not one
object or person is allowed to be out of place. In short, what goes on in the Dursley household reads
“like theater of the absurd” (Kornfeld & Prothro 189), providing the reader with a less than subtle
commentary on the dangers of the overall prevalence of the domestic ideal. If anything, the
Dursleys are portrayed as a “parody of the familial ideal” (Thiel 169), who are, in their hyperbolic
“monstrosity […] crucial in Harry's early development” (Pharr 56) as they come to function as a
manifestly negative example of what family life should be like.
In conclusion, as horrible as they might be, the Dursleys do have an important role in the
development of Harry's personality. Their obsession with maintaining normalcy, first of all, causes
the Dursleys, from the very beginning, to see Harry, a budding wizard who produces magic that he
cannot yet control, as a rule-breaker, applying to the boy a label that he eventually comes to accept
as an inherent part of his person. Moreover, Harry is also confronted with the unfairness of the
extensive set of family rules, most of which seem to have been created for the sole purpose of
undermining his development; whereas Dudley's escapades are lovingly covered up, the rules seem
to apply only and most strongly to Harry, viewing to suppress his growing magical powers. Since
these rules are so unfair, then, Harry sees no reason to follow them, even when he has learnt to
control his powers, a reasoning that lies at the origin of his predisposition to break the rules, not
only at Privet Drive, but also later on at Hogwarts. Most importantly, however, growing up as the
victim of not only Dudley's, but also his parents' constant bullying, Harry's childhood with the
Dursleys has taught him what it means to be pushed around, by extension giving him a negative
example of the sort of friends and family he should choose later in life. This almost traumatic
childhood might indeed be the reason that Harry chooses not to befriend Draco Malfoy, preferring
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instead the more gawky Ron Weasley as his friend. Moreover, the Dursleys' function as a negative
example of family life is made strong in contrast with the more congenial Weasley family (Alston 2;
Thiel 168); as Harry's living relatives represent what one should not want for a family, they also
serve to emphasize the appropriateness of his choosing, later in life, the Weasleys as family. All in
all, as “[t]he neglect inherent in Harry's upbringing fails to damage him” (Winters 218), the
parodical use of the nuclear family in the Dursleys is by no means a weakening of the family idea,
but rather just an ironic portrayal of those families who covet traditional perfection. In their failure,
the nuclear family of the Dursleys “promotes, by negative example, ideologically constructed
notions of normality” (Alston 75). In the end, the overall effect of his upbringing with the Dursleys
is that they teach him how not to conduct his family life, therein forcing him “to seek home and
family elsewhere” (Kornfeld & Prothro 197).
The Potters
Next, Harry's orphanhood and heritage from his parents define, as becomes increasingly clear
throughout the series, both his personality and adventures (Pharr 54; Gruner 219). More
specifically, Harry's parents are implicated in his life by three powerful, magical tools: the
prophecy, Lily's protective charm, and a selection of other character's memories about James.
Interpreting the prophecy, first of all, family proves to be essential, not only as it offers a
way of identifying the hero, but also as it will determine Voldemort's choice of opponent:
'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 …' (Order 924)
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The first marker of the hero's identity is the fact that he is the son of extraordinarily brave and
capable parents, which, in addition to the precise date of birth, points to Harry Potter and Neville
Longbottom. The prophecy therefore also predicts a choice; giving Voldemort two possible
opponents, the actual choice of foe is left up to him. Seeing the Lily and James as the more
dangerous of the two families, Voldemort kills them, thus personally marking as his equal “the boy
he thought most likely to be a danger to him” (Order 925). Therefore, in looking at the prophecy,
family and genes, as brought into view magically, influence the fate of Harry and Neville showing
that they are destined to be heroes. At the same time, however, the prophecy also underlines how
the villain himself has to choose a worthy opponent. In short, the prophecy itself holds the middle
between fate and free will, as both familial heritage and choice have their respective roles in the
fulfilment of the prediction.
Next, with respect to Lily Potter, her protective charm has a remarkably lasting influence
upon her son's life (Carmeli 16; Ionoaia 62), even as she is physically absent from his life.
Sacrificing her life for her son's, Lily cast a protective charm over the boy. A strong narratological
device, it is this “lingering protection […] that flows in [Harry's] veins” (Order 918) that forces
Lily's son to live with the Dursleys, linking them until he comes of age at seventeen. Moreover,
Lily's protection works throughout the story as a reminder of the lost mother figure. Despite the fact
that Harry does not enjoy living with his relatives, they constantly bring to light the absence of a
maternal authority figure in his life. On the whole, Lily's role in Harry's life underlines how “the
absent mother is a powerful tool” (Thiel 27); through the biological connection with the Dursleys,
the absent mother continues to have a strong influence over Harry's life. In the end, it is clear that
“Lily's love for her child was significant and lasting” (Carmeli 16), resulting in a “moral choice to
mark Harry's life – literally and figuratively” (Ionoaia 62), as, even beyond death, Lily Potter
continues to be an important figure in the life and development of her son.
Finally, Harry also learns more about his father, both by means of other people's memories,
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experienced in the Pensieve1, and through the narratives of his parents' friends. The first novel to
give such a high amount of information about James' earlier life is Prisoner of Azkaban. When
Harry is brought into close contact with Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, two of James' best friends,
they tell him about how James once heroically saved Snape while they were still students at
Hogwarts. However, as the series continues, Snape's side of the story is revealed in Order of the
Phoenix, when Harry takes an unauthorized look at his teacher's memories in the Pensieve and
learns that fifteen-year-old James Potter was not just the popular boy his friends say he was, but
also a bully. Struggling with this knowledge, Harry eventually chooses to accept this aspect of his
father's personality, but only as Remus and Sirius swear to him that James grew up to be an
honourable man (cf. infra). All in all, this introduction to James Potter by means of others'
memories and narratives is very informative, but also very confusing for the young Harry, who is
continually torn between loyalty to his father's memory and rejection of his father's faults.
On the whole, the bond between Harry and his parents is very strong, despite the fact that
they have long since been deceased. Through several magic constructs, “maternal love and the
'natural' family is shown as the ultimate power” (Thiel 169). The prophecy, the charm and the
stories all underline the Potters' bond and pave the way for the formation of a more complex
relationship, as Harry learns all about his parents. In doing so, Harry will learn not only about the
people his parents were, but also in what ways they influence him to the present, from some
inherited character traits to his quest against Voldemort (Nodelman 329). Harry, in short, can only
become the story's hero if he knows about his family's past, accepting their faults and choosing his
own way of continuing their legacy.
As for Lily and James' parenting, a lack of information makes it difficult to discuss what
they were like as parents. Even so, as mentioned before, a lot of information is given about their
respective characters. A discussion of their personalities will therefore provide a clear notion of
1 The Pensieve is a basin in which surplus thoughts and memories can be stored and, if necessary, relived later on.
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what the Potters were like and in what ways their characters might have influenced their son. Lily
Potter, first of all, had a character similar to that of Harry's friend Hermione; next to being a
Muggle-born witch who turns out to be an incredibly gifted student, Lily was also a socially
engaged, broad-minded young woman, accepting any kind of difference as an intrinsic part of life.
Moreover, Lily is clearly shown to be unaccepting of the set social hierarchy; while at school, rather
than being impressed by James' juvenile alpha male behaviour, she defends Severus 'Snivelly'
Snape, a social outcast at Hogwarts (Order 712-713). Eventually, this information about Lily
naturally underlines her later maturity, as she has evidently developed from an understanding
adolescent girl into a caring mother, willing to give her life for those people whom she loves.
Moreover, Lily Potter is, though posthumously, indeed an affirmation of the archetypal mother
figure in children's literature, that is the character “who holds the home together” (Avery 454); it is
only because of his deep respect for his mother's sacrifice, that Harry will be prepared to overlook
his father's disquieting macho behaviour toward Snape. James Potter, then, was the quintessential
alpha male teenager. Gathering around him a supporting group of friends, James and his gang not
only had a habit of breaking the school rules, but they also liked to laugh at and bully the social
outcasts, Severus Snape in particular. This behaviour earned James the deep dislike of Lily, who
saw him as a rule-breaking, “arrogant, bullying toerag” (Order 712). In Harry, too, James' behaviour
eventually causes a profound confusion, as the boy realizes that he has more in common with his
father than just his looks, an innate proneness to misbehaviour being not the least of them.
However, at the same time, the young James did already display some more admirable
characteristics, being both intelligent and courageous. Not only did he and his friends create the
very useful and powerful Marauder's Map 2, demonstrating their intellectual and magical
capabilities, but he also once saved his very rival, Snape, from a joke almost gone wrong this “at
great risk to his own life” (Prisoner 261). Moreover, as Lupin and Sirius explain, James did not
2 The Marauder's Map is a magical guide to Hogwarts and its surrounding grounds. Moving dots on the map indicate
where the school's inhabitants are located.
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always remain the bully he was at fifteen. As it was, Lily eventually did start dating him, but not
until he had changed thoroughly and “had deflated his head a bit” (Order 738). The love Lily then
showed for James, despite his earlier escapades, is without a doubt an indication of his having
changed dramatically, for Lily, insofar as her indirect portrayal allows an assessment of her
character, would probably not have accepted James without a profound transformation of character.
From these hints, then, it gradually becomes clear that James, later in life, became a responsible,
though still at times slightly playful and careless, adult man, prepared to fight and sacrifice himself
for his family. On the whole, the Potters, even though they are not characterized directly in the
story, are indirectly portrayed as having been loving, responsible parents, willing to save their son,
“the only cost [being] their mortal lives” (Pharr 55). Eventually, their sacrifice will be an important
motivation for Harry, as it moves him to desire to remain loyal to his family identity, thus
continuing his parents' legacy.
Finally, with regard to the actual influence Lily and James have on their son's life, both
continuity and discontinuity can be observed in the way Harry experiences his familial heritage.
Continuous, first of all, are Harry's attempts to live up to his parents' legacy, his desire to be more
like his parents and to be worthy of their love and sacrifice. As numerous teachers, such as Snape,
Lupin and Dumbledore, point out to Harry throughout the story, he resembles both of his parents
very much; physically resembling his father, though having his mother's eyes, Harry also inherited
certain of their character traits, including his mother's unprejudiced acceptance of difference, as
well as his father's tendency to break the rules. This resemblance, to his father especially, comes to a
climax in Prisoner of Azkaban, when Harry is convinced of having seen his father casting the
Patronus spell3, whereas, in fact, it was a future version of himself, travelling through time. Though,
mainly because of the time travel, this seems a very complex situation, Dumbledore observes
3 The Patronus spell serves to protect its owner from the depressing effects of a Dementor's presence. The silvery
form of the Patronus, as it comprises the wizard's happiest memories, is representative of his or her personality.
Harry's Patronus is a stag, which turns out to have been the animal into which his father could transform.
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simply that, “[y]our father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have
need of him” (Prisoner 312). In other words, “Harry uses the father image inside him to feel
confidence in himself. He is, after all, his father's son.” (Carmeli 19); when others tell him he is like
his father, Harry clearly feels proud. This pride then moves Harry to tread in his parents' footsteps,
because he is their son and because he wants to be like them, in appearance as well as in
personality. The family legacy, in short, is continued as both a congenital and a chosen part of his
identity. Specifically, as Harry learns more about his father, a certain trend of discontinuity also
jumps forward, especially in his confusion about and deliberate choice not to become the bully his
father was at fifteen (Order 737). This active refusal to become a bully like his father might be
motivated by his childhood with the Dursleys; unlike James, who grew up protected from any
outside harm, Harry learned from a very early age what it was like to be the victim of Dudley's
constant bullying. As it is, Harry is only able to accept this defect in James' character when he
learns about his becoming a better person later in life, as well as the love between his parents. In
short, Harry's initial pride in the family resemblances is counterbalanced by his bewilderment at
learning about his father's less positive attributes and his consequent hesitations when it comes to
resembling his parents. All in all, Harry's relationship with his parents is a descent relationship in
that the Potters' love, sacrifice and overall personalities form the foundation of Harry's identity,
therein greatly influencing his psychological development (Eccleshare 100). However, Harry also
transforms the relationship with his deceased parents into one of consent, as he consciously decides
in what aspects to resemble his parents, as well as when to ultimately forgive them their mistakes.
In the end, the bond between Harry and his parents is marked by both descent, in the family
resemblances, and consent, as Harry simultaneously chooses when to follow and when to set aside
his family heritage.
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In the Family's Footsteps: Recognizing Right from Easy
In conclusion, Harry Potter and his biological family are intrinsically linked, especially as their
genetic connection is repeatedly underlined and made strong magically; through the magic
constructs of the prophecy and Lily's protective charm, Harry remains connected to the Dursleys, as
they form the intermediate link between the boy and his parents. Functionally, both the Dursleys
and the Potters serve, directly and indirectly, as examples to the budding hero, illustrating what
relations with friends and family can be like, giving Harry the option to either follow or discard
their examples. As the Dursleys show the danger of overindulgence (Webb 116), Harry's parents
are, in contrast, the paragon of unconditional love and sacrifice. More generally, as Harry's family
does, in the end, exemplify how the 'natural' family is still the most influential and powerful image
of family to be used in literature (Alston 40; Thiel 169), Harry deals with all of them in a similar
way, becoming an outstanding example of how family identity can be supplied by choice. Harry
alone is responsible for choosing his way in life, either in line with or in spite of his family
background. All in all, Harry can be said to have “learned empathy from the old school of hard
knocks” (Pharr 58), as it is because of the loss of his parents and the abusive relationship with the
Dursleys that he is able to think empathically and make his own choices in life, instead of blindly
following his heritage. In short, Harry has learned that it will always be essential “to make a choice
between what is right, and what is easy” (Goblet 784), not only when he is confronted with others,
but also when it comes to his family.
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2. Surrogate father figures
As numerous authors have noted, Harry Potter's adventurous journey is counselled by several
surrogate father figures (Ghesquière 189; Gruner 219; Nodelman 330; Pharr 60). Moreover, each of
the father figures in Harry's life, “instructing him in different areas with varying degrees of success”
(Pharr 60), has his own respective function, embodying a particular facet of fatherhood. Hagrid,
first of all, initiates Harry in the world of magic by giving him some of the most basic information
about that wizarding world and its past. Next, Sirius Black is, as Harry's godfather, more involved
in the hero's emotional state of mind, helping him deal with the emotional aspects of his adventures;
Sirius possesses, above all, an immense knowledge of human nature. Thirdly, Dumbledore has to
teach Harry about the past surrounding the Harry's family, Voldemort and his Horcruxes 4. Finally,
Severus Snape also turns out to have Harry's best interests in mind, though not for love of the boy
himself; only for the sake of his love for the boy's mother, Lily, is Snape prepared to protect and
help him throughout his adventures. All in all, as the following discussion will try to point out, these
surrogate fathers, from Rubeus Hagrid to Severus Snape, become not only increasingly important in
Harry's life, but also increasingly complex and ambiguous characters, offering Harry a diversified
image of fatherhood, masculinity and the values that are associated with them.
Rubeus Hagrid5
Rubeus Hagrid is, from his very introduction into the story, one of Harry Potter's most important
friends and caregivers. From the moment he meets Harry, right at the beginning of Philosopher's
Stone, Hagrid is characterized as being, despite his enormous figure and wild looks, an incredibly
4 A Horcrux is an object in which a wizard has stored part of his or her soul, in order to become immortal. As to its
creation, Dumbledore explains that a Horcrux is produced “[b]y an act of evil – the supreme act of evil. By
committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart.” (Prince 587).
5 Later on, Hagrid will also be discussed as a mother figure.
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caring, parentlike figure. As he leads Harry through his first steps into the magical world, Hagrid
has to give the young boy all the necessary, basic information that he needs to grow up in its
fantastic, though also confusing society; from the story about what really happened to Lily and
James Potter, to the workings of Hogwarts and its teachers, Hagrid is Harry's introduction into the
world of magic. Next, as the story continues, Harry and Hagrid develop a mutually beneficial
friendship, with Hagrid helping the trio through numerous trials, from the dangers of the Forbidden
Forest to their everyday lives and quarrels, occasionally also letting them help him, such as, for
example, when his love for dangerous creatures causes problems at Hogwarts (Stone 256; Prisoner
163). For all that, Hagrid's role undeniably does transcend that of just a friend, as not only his help
and advice, but also his home is accepted as an important place in the friends' lives. Hagrid's hut, a
cosy one-man household, comes to represent, within the story, a “place of deep human emotions”
(Eccleshare 60); as Harry, Ron and Hermione go about their tumultuous lives at Hogwarts, Hagrid
accepts them into his home, where he helps them and gives them advice. This, in itself is an
important mark of the bond of family between Hagrid and the children, for “home and family here
are most inseparable […] for home is essentially family” (Alston 69). In its own way, Hagrid's cosy,
warm hut becomes an important locus in the story, a second home for Harry and his friends, as it
stands for guidance and safety. All things considered, Hagrid can be identified as a surrogate father
figure, not only in his giving Harry the information he needs to thrive in the magical world, but also
in his providing Harry and his friends with a place, outside of the Hogwarts castle, where they can
feel safe, as Hagrid tends to their worries.
As to his person, Hagrid's extraordinary physique, being “twice as tall as anyone else”
(Stone 75), gives him the force he needs to fulfil his duties as Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys, tending to
the school's grounds and the numerous magical creatures that inhabit them. His house, located on
the school grounds, is primitive and in its own way representative of its owner, who is somewhat of
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a “noble savage” with a close bond to the natural world and a simple lifestyle that reflects his
honest, straightforward nature (Eccleshare 60). As the reader gets to know Hagrid better, it becomes
clear that he is a very kind person, who feels very strongly about loyalty, sympathy and family.
Hagrid's loyalty, first of all, is unconditional; once he has decided for his own whether or not
someone is trustworthy, he puts his faith in that person, be it Dumbledore, Harry, or any other of his
friends, without ever doubting his decision. Sympathy for others, too, is a value promoted strongly
by Hagrid. Even though his love of dangerous animals is often ridiculed, the story also stresses how
animals are not always inherently dangerous, simply because the official Ministry of Magic
classification says so. In this, Hagrid is indeed one of the only characters in the series who openly
defies the traditional stigmatization of creatures who are different. Lastly, with regard to family,
“Hagrid re-emphasises the significance of family when he states 'Makes a diff'rence havin' a decent
family'” (Alston 136; Order 621); Hagrid, a half-blood giant himself, shows that he is well aware of
the “wizardly obsession with lineage” (Blake 104), that is the emphasis laid on having a pureblood
'descent' family line. At the same time, however, as he brings his half-brother, Grawp, back to
Hogwarts to be able to take care of him, Hagrid shows how family, within the Harry Potter series,
is not always all that “stereotypical and regressive” (Alston 136). Being a half-giant and social
outcast himself, Hagrid embraces his giant half-brother as part of his family, despite the danger and
worries this course of action might cause him at Hogwarts. On the whole, Hagrid can be considered
as a noble savage figure who promotes the value of unconditional love. Disregarding all doubts and
dangers, the values of loyalty, acceptance and family are put forward as the very foundation of all
human and non-human relationships.
Harry's relationship with Hagrid is from the very beginning one of mutual fondness. Though
confused at the appearance of the enormous figure, Harry is also thankful for the birthday cake
Hagrid brought for him, as well as curious as to who the giant personage actually is (Stone 57).
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Along the way, as they get to know one another, Hagrid's status as a moral example becomes all the
more clear. Introducing Harry to the workings of magic and Hogwarts, first of all, Hagrid fulfils the
more straightforward function of a mentor, giving his pupil the basic information upon which he
will later build the knowledge necessary to continue his quest against the villain Voldemort. Serving
as a mediator in the numerous quarrels between Harry, Ron and Hermione, Hagrid emphasizes that
one should “value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all.” (Prisoner 202); Hagrid teaches
the trio that friendship can and should transcend all worldly worries, as there will be enough of the
latter as it is. Finally, then, Hagrid does succeed to some extent in making Harry accept the fantastic
beasts of whom his teacher is so fond, as being not always as dangerous as the Ministry makes them
out to be. For example, after once having thought of the gaunt, black-winged, horse-like Thestrals
as horrible and scary creatures, Harry finally grows to accept their otherness (Order 837). Indeed,
this scene is a decisive moment, for it stands as a symbolic representative of Harry's finally
accepting difference even more thoroughly than ever before Hagrid has taught Harry not only to
accept others, but also to see the inner beauty in all humans and creatures. All in all, Hagrid's
example makes Harry accept difference and see the inner beauty of others, all the while also
teaching him and his friends that love and friendship should be unconditional.
Sirius Black
Sirius Black, introduced in the course of Prisoner of Azkaban, is the second surrogate father figure
to appear in Harry's life. His position is enhanced both by his childhood friendship with Harry's
parents and by his legal status as Harry's godfather. Because of his friendship with Lily and James,
first of all, Sirius functions as “a direct link to the past Harry cannot himself remember” (Pharr 61),
in that he is one of the few people in Harry's life who are able to give him detailed information
about his parents and the kind of people they were. In honour of their long-standing friendship, the
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Potters named Sirius as Harry's godfather, thus reinforcing his later status as a legally sanctioned
authority figure in Harry's life. Years later, as Harry knows of Black only as the vicious mass
murderer who escaped from Azkaban, the wizard prison, Sirius and Remus barely succeed in telling
Harry the truth, namely that it was Peter Pettigrew, and not Sirius, who betrayed his parents to
Voldemort. When, after this scene, Harry finds himself in conversation with his godfather, who asks
him if he would like to live with him, Harry's instant enthusiasm at the proposal shows that it has
only taken clearing Sirius of the charges against him to make Harry accept the man as part of his
family (Prisoner 277-278). This instantaneous bond is a direct consequence of their “both having
survived the unsurvivable” (Pharr 61); the losses Harry and Sirius have suffered are so terrible that
none of Harry's other friends could be expected to understand. As Sirius then enters Harry's life, the
advice he gives his godson focuses primarily on supporting “the growth of Harry's emotional wellbeing” (Pharr 61). When Sirius is asked for guidance, it is always to help Harry figure out the
meaning of a certain event, or to help him deal with the emotions that are an inevitable by-product
of his tempestuous and dangerous adventures. Some examples of the communication between Harry
and Sirius are Harry's hurting scar (Goblet 33), his fears about being a forced competitor in the
Triwizard Tournament (Goblet 320) and his suspicions about the malevolent Professor Umbridge
(Order 335). At the same time, however, Sirius eventually proves to be “somewhat of a
disappointing paternal figure” (Carmeli 23), as he fails to fulfil his authoritative paternal duties.
While very much concerned with his godson's emotional health, Sirius seems rather unconcerned
with his physical safety, oftentimes giving Harry more freedom than seems appropriate for a boy his
age. In short, even though, of all Harry's surrogate fathers, Sirius is emotionally the most important
one, he turns out to be the least commanding in his relationship with Harry.
Next, as far as his character is concerned, Sirius Black can be described as a morally
admirable man who is also a great risk-taker. As a teenager, very much like his friend, James Potter,
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Sirius used to be a bully who liked to laugh and joke at the cost of others, especially those of lower
status than himself; as Sirius himself admits, he and his friends used to be “arrogant little berks […]
all idiots!” (Order 737-738). In contrast, the Sirius whom Harry gets to know is an adult man, who
has learnt to distinguish right from wrong, a lesson drawn from his lifelong fight against evil as a
member of the Order of the Phoenix. However, the problem in Sirius' life is not just his careless
behaviour, but the fact that he is “not a man of his chronological age” (Carmeli 24). In fact, Sirius
seems to possess two personalities, a risk-taker and a hero, which collide in the present. This
conflicting identity is largely due to Sirius' twelve year long imprisonment in the wizard prison
Azkaban, followed later on by a well-meant confinement to number twelve, Grimmauld Place,
which is not only his own family home, but also Headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix.
Continually imprisoned in one way or other, Sirius is portrayed as frustrated, unable to get out of
the house except on a few occasions, when he ventures into the outside world, be it to visit the
bustling town of Hogsmeade (Goblet 566) or to see Harry off to school at the overcrowded King's
Cross Station (Order 203). These outings, moments when he risks his safety to be among people,
show how, after all that he has been through, Sirius still remains the risk-taker that he was at fifteen.
Unlike his friend James, however, Sirius did not grow out of his dangerous behaviour by means of
human interaction and adult relationships; when information is given about his later adult life, his
only friends still seem to be those same childhood friends, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter
Pettigrew. This recklessness eventually affects his godfatherhood, as Sirius does not consider
outside dangers as seriously as do, for example, Molly Weasley and Remus Lupin. Whereas they try
to keep information from Harry, Sirius is continually one of the “few adults [who] “break the rule”
of silence” (Elster 215), giving his godson more information about Voldemort and his movements
than the other Order members would have preferred. In the end, Sirius Black is portrayed as a
thoroughly good-natured, energetic and courageous man, prepared to give his life for the people he
loves, as he actually does by duelling to the death with the Death Eaters who threaten to kill Harry
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and his friends (Order 886). At the same time, however, because of his long imprisonment, Sirius is
the series' greatest example of the danger of taking unnecessary risks, both in his personal life and
in his function as Harry's godfather.
Finally, Sirius' impact on Harry combines a wealth of wisdom with an indirect lesson in
parenting. The advice Sirius has to offer Harry, first of all, mostly deals with adventures and danger,
as well as with the emotions that accompany such events. Indeed, most of Sirius' wisdom is related
to Harry's adventures and emotional safety:
'[…] If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.'
(Goblet 571)
'[…] the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters […]' (Order 336)
As these examples show, the wisdom Sirius has to offer Harry focuses on human nature. As his
advice is mostly concerned with how his godson manages emotionally, Sirius also wants to raise
awareness in Harry when it comes to assessing the moral nature of others. However, despite his
great advice, Sirius himself does not think over his actions all that much, becoming increasingly
less caring as a mentor, and more foolhardy as an individual. His irresponsible behaviour, from
exposing his disguise to the public to failing to protect his godson, is therefore in great contrast with
his parental role. Sirius, in short, shows that neglecting his parental duties is not at all “a mark of
good parenting” (Winters 216), but the opposite, as he not only risks the safety of Harry and the
Order members, but eventually also causes his own death, having to save Harry's life from the
Death Eaters. Not so great at following his own advice, Sirius eventually becomes an irresponsible
parent. This irresponsibility leaves its marks on Harry, as he, though missing his godfather very
much, worries about becoming “just as reckless a godfather to Teddy Luppin as Sirius Black had
been to him.” (Hallows 570). In the end, Harry comes to learn the dangers of hasardous behaviour,
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and openly desires to become a more sensible person than Sirius Black was. On the whole, while he
is also an ambiguous and reckless godfather, Sirius Black is a great moral example to Harry and his
friends, in that he is an avid supporter of the fight against evil, promoting good moral values such as
love of family and friends.
Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore, then, is probably the most important surrogate father figure in Harry's life.
Dumbledore's role, evolving from benevolent grandfather into wise mentor, is largely concerned
with giving Harry the necessary knowledge about the prophecy, Voldemort and his decision to make
Horcruxes, all of which will be essential in helping Harry along with his quest. First of all, though,
during Harry's earlier years at Hogwarts, Dumbledore did already show a certain interest in the boy,
it might be argued that his role then was more one of a grandfather, “indulgently allowing him more
independence than a father might” (Pharr 60). In that early stage of the story's development,
Dumbledore, who is well aware of the dangers that lie in Harry's future, does indeed seem to be
repeatedly “foiled by his desire to keep Harry happy” (Winters 223):
'I cared about you too much,' said Dumbledore simply. 'I cared more for your happiness than your knowing the
truth, more for your peace of mind than my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan
failed. In other words, I acted exactly as Voldemort expects we fools who love to act. […]' (Order 921)
Time and again, Albus decides to delay telling the boy the truth, for the sole purpose of giving him
time to enjoy his youth. Essentially, he fulfils his role as Harry's surrogate father almost too
benignly, showing a deep love for a boy whom he considers it his duty to protect, for as long as
possible, from the evil forces that rule outside of the safe home that is Hogwarts. The close
relationship between Harry and Dumbledore, then, does not fully develop until Harry's sixth year at
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Hogwarts, as portrayed in Half-Blood Prince, a story that shows a “movement from innocence to
experience or knowledge” (Blackford 2012: 100). It is only during that particular year that
Dumbledore's private lessons about Voldemort's past create a bond of complicity between him and
Harry, as he gives his student the secret information about the Horcruxes. For that reason, Harry's
sixth year is, within the overall story of the series, essential, in that it is the final educational stage
before he and his friends are forced to leave the school and face danger on their own. Finally, the
last stage in the relationship between hero and mentor takes place when Harry's faith in Dumbledore
is put to the test with a series of revelations about young Albus' dubious childhood choices. As
Carmeli notes, it is only at the end of the story that Harry becomes “capable of perceiving
Dumbledore for what he is – human.” (Carmeli 26); despite his earlier doubts, it is only then that
Harry comes to realise that sometimes, he has to forgive others for their human mistakes.
Sometimes, instead of letting emotional doubts and quarrels get in the way, “you've got to think
about the greater good!” (Hallows 624), that is, the protection of the wizarding world against the
threat of Voldemort's power. On the whole, despite Dumbledore's dubious past and problematic
parental protectiveness in the earlier stages of the story (Winters 223), the bond between Harry and
Dumbledore shows the mentor's increasing trust in the development of his pupil. To all intents and
purposes, their relationship, which holds the middle between a father-son and teacher-pupil
relationship, eventually results in a “transfer of the seed of power to Harry” (Blackford 2012: 103),
as Dumbledore realises that Harry is much better fit to lead the revolt against Voldemort. From his
position as both surrogate father and teacher, Dumbledore gives Harry not only the necessary
information, but also the freedom to make his own choices, to decide for himself which path to take
in the quest to vanquish Voldemort.
As to his private person, Albus Dumbledore stands within the story as “the epitome of the
powerful, good wizard” (Elster 215), who remains, for a very long time, “a seemingly omnipotent
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enigma” (Pond 192). An ambiguous character throughout, Albus was once a very conflicted young
man, who embraced altruism only as he had to make up for his past mistakes. Firstly, during one
summer, as he was friends with a villain in the making, Gellert Grindelwald, Dumbledore was an
avid supporter of the concept of wizard rule over the non-magical population, an idea that is, within
the series, generally seen as malignant. However, as the friendship between the two boys ended
when a fight broke out at the Dumbledore house, and Albus' sister, Ariana, was killed, so did their
mutual understanding and joint motivation come to an end. Though it was too late, Albus' guilt then
finally taught him to value family and love above status and power:
'I loved them, I loved my parents, I loved my brother and my sister, but I was selfish, Harry, more selfish than
you, who are a remarkably selfless person, could possibly imagine. […]' (Hallows 784)
Albus, not knowing who actually cast the spell that killed his little sister, tells Harry about having to
“learn to live with my guilt, and my terrible grief, the price of my shame.” (Hallows 786), about, in
short, having to live a life that is about atoning for his bad choices in the past. For the rest of his
life, Dumbledore tries to make up for his past mistakes, fighting off evil and educating young
wizards, teaching them to uphold those same values which he unfortunately chose to ignore for one
summer. What the experience then taught Albus Dumbledore is not to trust himself when exposed to
the temptation of power, which, nonetheless, remains a difficult thing for him to do. For example,
upon his finding the cursed ring that was turned into a Horcrux by Voldemort, Albus cannot refrain
himself from trying it on, thus incurring upon himself its deadly curse (Hallows 745). Nevertheless,
despite his succumbing to the ring's alluring power, Dumbledore proves himself to be a wise man
afterwards, when, aware that he is dying, he asks Snape to kill him, so that Draco Malfoy, who has
been given that very same order by Voldemort, will not have to do it. This request, however harsh it
is toward Snape, shows how Dumbledore remains, to the end, concerned with the psychological
well-being of his students. In short, while Dumbledore is a man who struggles with the temptations
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of power, who is “not perfect; perhaps he's not even entirely likeable”, he does also possess “his
own brand of ethics” (Willson-Metzger 303), protecting other people for his own, cathartic reasons.
In conclusion, where Dumbledore's influence on Harry is concerned, two issues, aside from
his lessons about Voldemort, are put forward: power and choice. Power, first of all, is something of
which Dumbledore has a lot. Time and again, his position as Hogwarts' headmaster and several
honorary functions at the Ministry of Magic underline his high status within the wizarding world.
However, because of his friendship with Grindelwald, Dumbledore has also come to fear this “lust
for power that he distrusts in himself” (Blackford 2012: 104):
'[…] I had proven, as a very young man, that power was my weakness and my temptation. It is a curious thing,
Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you,
have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that
they wear it well. […]' (Hallows 787)
As Dumbledore himself observes here, those who seek power are unworthy of the responsibility,
whereas those who have power because they are forced into the position are always more worthy of
the trust put in them. Dumbledore's point here is that he realises that Harry is a worthy leader, not
only because he accepts the power thrust upon him, but also because he chooses not to stray from
the path laid out for him. Secondly, as to choice, Dumbledore is a self-professed believer in making
one's destiny, in choosing one's own way in life (Blackford 2012: 94):
'Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think.'
'It only put me in Gryffindor,' said Harry in a defeated voice, 'because I asked not to go in Slytherin…'
'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, beaming once more. 'Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our
choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.' (Chamber 245)
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With this outspoken faith in free will in mind, Dumbledore's reluctance to tell Harry about the past
seems problematic, as it apparently takes all choice away from Harry. Nonetheless, Dumbledore is
not as unfair as he seems at first sight, for, when the time is ripe, it is not him, but Harry who is the
one to decide whether or not to move on to the next phase of preparation. Indeed, Ghesquière
argues that it is exactly that gradual obtention of information that gives Harry the time, not only to
enjoy his youth, but also to make his own decisions, at a time when he himself feels ready to do so
(Ghesquière 189). All in all, Dumbledore's role as surrogate father and mentor has a great influence
over Harry, teaching him both “the significance of history” (Carmeli 28) as creating the present and
the danger of power and its ability to corrupt even the most purehearted individuals. Harry, in the
end, learns from Dumbledore to take the past decisions of others into account, as well as to make
his own choices in the present. Therefore, despite the fact that Harry's adventures are in many ways
a fated course of action, Dumbledore proves that it remains essential for the hero to choose his own
path while fulfilling that destiny.
Severus Snape
Last but not least, Severus Snape is, though only belatedly, revealed to be a man so brave that he, in
a way very similar to Dumbledore, has sacrificed his whole life to atone for his past mistakes, some
of which led to the deaths of Lily and James. Where his image in the story is concerned, first of all,
Snape is “interestingly ambiguous” (Eccleshare 91), being both a cruel teacher and an admirably
brave, private person. As a teacher, Snape has led all students to dislike and fear him, excepting
those who are in his House, Slytherin, as those students are the only ones who do not have to suffer
from his misuse of power. Because of this unfairness, only the Slytherins respect him and listen to
what he has to say, whereas all other students, including Harry, take no notice of whatever
knowledge Snape has to offer, during or outside of class. Even when Harry learns that Snape never
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tried to kill him during his first Quidditch game, but that he was actually trying to save him, he
refuses to accept that Snape might be more honourable than he thought (Stone 310). As it is, Harry's
loathing for his teacher only seems to heighten as the years go by, coming to an absolute peak when
Harry witnesses how Snape murders his beloved mentor, Dumbledore (Prince 703). Ultimately, it is
only near the end of the saga that the hero finally learns the truth about Severus, and that he can
concede that he was indeed “a Slytherin and […] probably the bravest man I ever knew” (Hallows
830). As to Snape's personal relationship with Harry, it is clear that, similar to Sirius, Severus Snape
is involved in Harry's life because of a close connection to the Potters, more specifically because of
his deep love for Lily. When she dies, Snape “marks Harry as his own” (Carmeli 31), of all
characters becoming, interestingly enough, “the most concerned for Harry's well-being” (WillsonMetzger 299). Unlike Sirius, however, Snape chooses to keep his role in Harry's adventures a secret,
his obnoxious behaviour toward the boy, too, making sure that he does not in the least suspect the
truth. In the end, it is only when Harry becomes acquainted with the truth about Snape's profound
love for Lily, and all that he sacrificed in order to save her son, that he can accept the man as having
been one of the greatest persons he has ever known. In conclusion, it turns out that “Harry can
indeed learn from Snape, but only when Snape is not actually his teacher” (Gruner 223); it is only
when Snape leaves his public role of teacher behind, and unlocks his private person for Harry to
see, that Harry can finally see the brave man Snape was all along, in spite of his behaviour.
Once Snape's true story has been revealed, it becomes clear that he is no less than a true
“Byronic hero” (Blackford 2012: 96). Ambiguous throughout, the antihero's appalling behaviour
toward others is redeemed only with the exposure of his secret past. As a teenager, firstly, Severus
Snape was a social outcast. Poor and from an insignificant background, the half-blood wizard boy
found himself with only one friend, Lily Evans. Having developed a deep fondness for the girl,
Severus' romantic hopes for the future are destroyed when, at their arrival at Hogwarts, Lily is
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Sorted into the House of Gryffindor, whereas he himself becomes a Slytherin. Then, when, soon
after starting at Hogwarts, Snape starts hanging out with students from his own House, the majority
of whom will grow up to become Death Eaters, his friendship with Lily is damaged even further, as
she does not approve of his new 'friends' (Hallows 737). Finally, during their last year at Hogwarts,
all hope is lost for Snape when Lily starts dating James Potter, and eventually marries him. Years
later, as Snape has become a Death Eater, one of the followers of Lord Voldemort, he eavesdrops on
Dumbledore's meeting with Sybill Trelawney, runs off to Voldemort and gives him an incomplete
account of the prophecy. When this information causes Voldemort to want to kill the Potters, Snape
realises the mistake he has made, and asks Dumbledore for help. In short, Severus' “lifelong
devotion to a single human” (Willson-Metzger 299) is strong enough to overcome his personal
hatred of James Potter and, though it is too late for Lily, Snape decides to do anything in his power
to help her son, Harry, all for the love of his mother:
'I have spied for you, and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to
keep Lily Potter’s son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter –'
'But this is touching, Severus,' said Dumbledore seriously. 'Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?'
'For him?' shouted Snape. 'Expecto patronum!'
From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe: she landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office,
and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back
to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.
'After all this time?'
'Always,' said Snape. (Hallows 753)
Snape's Patronus takes exactly the same form as did Lily's, thereby evidencing how, after all those
years, his love for her remains as strong as ever. However, as Severus does not want his secret to be
known, he acts as a double agent, continuing to fulfil his role as a Death Eater, all the while passing
on Voldemort's information to Dumbledore. Sadly, this loyalty to Dumbledore includes a
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confidential agreement, namely to kill the already dying headmaster when the time is ripe, to save
Draco Malfoy's soul from the damage that murdering someone would cause it. Dumbledore's death,
in short, is as much an assisted suicide as it is an act of mercy; instead of being a murderer, Severus
turns out to be an extremely compassionate man, prepared to set aside his personal feelings to save
Dumbledore from a violent death. All in all, Severus Snape is a complex character with a limitless
layering (Nodelman 332), who, in his attempts to save Lily Potter's son, as well as in his granting
Dumbledore's extraordinary request, remains a true antihero to the end.
Finally, as mentioned before, Snape's influence on Harry's personality can only be accepted
when he no longer holds his official position as Hogwarts teacher; it is only when Harry leaves
Hogwarts, that Snape's influence becomes more obvious, and only when Harry enters Snape's
memories in the Pensieve that the man's true nature becomes apparent. Snape's more perceptible
help, first of all, includes his trying to save Harry from Quirrell's hex during the Quidditch game
(Stone 206-207), convincing the other teachers of Harry's innocence (Chamber 109), trying to teach
Harry the art of Occlumency6 (Order 584), as well as casting the silver doe Patronus to help Harry
find his way to the sword of Gryffindor7 (Hallows 405). These and other instances in the series
show how Snape, as a surrogate father figure in Harry's life, tries to do his best to mentor the boy, as
well as he can, all the while hiding the true nature of his involvement. As a teacher, however,
Severus Snape is too horrific to make Harry accept the knowledge he has to offer. He only becomes
a full-fledged mentor by proving his true, worthy nature, thus making Harry and the others accept
the wisdom that he has to offer them. More specifically, Severus Snape has two important pieces of
wisdom to give to the hero and his friends. First of all, “[p]art of his role in the series seems to be to
demonstrate to Harry that hasty conclusions are inherently weak” (Pharr 59), a lesson Snape himself
6 Occlumency is “[t]he magical defence of the mind against external penetration” (Order 572). In Harry's case, it
serves to keep Voldemort from invading his mind, either to steal information or to implant false memories.
7 The sword of Gryffindor is a powerful magical heirloom from one of the Hogwarts founders, Goderic Gryffindor.
Made by goblins it is indestructible and only takes in those substances that makes it stronger. Impregnated by deadly
Basilisk venom, the sword is one of the only means to destroy a Horcrux, which is why Harry needs it.
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learnt only the hard way, in having to bear the consequences of his thoughtlessly telling Voldemort
about the prophecy. This lesson proves to be important to Harry, who only in Deathly Hallows
realises that “[h]e could not remember, ever before, choosing not to act.” (Hallows 553). In many
ways too late, Harry finally understands the imprudence of his many rash decisions in the past and,
choosing not to pursue a quest for the Deathly Hallows 8, instead focusing on the Horcruxes, he
drastically changes his way of thinking, finally becoming more heedful in his adventures. Secondly,
Snape's very story teaches Harry that “things are rarely as simple as people might like” (Nodelman
332), and that outward behaviour does not necessarily directly reflect a person's true nature. In this,
Snape's story finally makes Harry see the truth of something Sirius once said, namely that “the
world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters” (Order 336). In the end, then, despite his
unpleasant personality, Snape does possess wisdom that Harry needs to become a wise, adult man
(Blackford 2012: 98). Severus' story teaches Harry to consider the danger of hasty decisions, as well
as the importance of not judging others before really knowing them.
Following the Father: Considering Advice
In conclusion, though other figures, such as Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin, also try to assist
Harry, the four characters discussed above are the most important ones, each of them trying to help
the hero to his own abilities; as a friend, a godfather, a teacher and a secret supporter, they all use
the knowledge they possess to support Harry as he gradually becomes the hero he is needed to be.
Moreover, as each father figure helps Harry in a most personal manner, their increasingly complex
functions, in relation to both the information they have to share and their chosen methods, are
accompanied by their increasingly ambiguous personalities, each of them having had a difficult
past. Nonetheless, though “Harry's father figures may not have been perfect”, they have been able
8 The Deathly Hallows are three object – the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak – that,
when reunited by one owner, make that person 'master of Death', that is to say that such a wizard would be supposed
to be immortal.
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to fulfil his needs and help him become a better person, and eventually also a better father, than they
were (Carmeli 31). In addition, surveying the overall father-son relationships in the series proves
that, though, superficially, the wizarding world is a patriarchal one, where power and information
are transmitted unidirectionally from one male to another (Blake 43), Harry's surrogate fathers also
go beyond the traditional paternal figure, as their mentoring function brings them into close contact
with Harry. All things considered, Harry Potter's surrogate father figures mix both tradition and
innovation, giving him some incredibly important moral lessons, while also posing as possible
examples of fatherhood, ultimately creating in Harry a wise and heroic man.
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3. Surrogate mother figures
With regard to the maternal figures in Harry Potter's life, four main characters have, to a greater or
lesser extent, the function of surrogate mother: Molly Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, Rubeus
Hagrid and Hermione Granger. In contrast to the surrogate fathers in the series, each of whom has
his own distinct function, giving advice to the best of his personal abilities, the female parental
figures are oriented toward a more central cause, supporting values that are already underlined
throughout the story, as well as drawing attention to highly gendered nature of parental roles. Molly
Weasley, first of all, is the principal mother figure in the story, as she is the only one of the
characters to have her own family, acting out her function mainly by worrying over the children's
activities and diets. Next, Minerva McGonagall is a teacher acting as a parent, as she watches over
the students of Hogwarts, those of Gryffindor house in particular, all the while showing incredible
loyalty to the school and its ideals. Thirdly, Rubeus Hagrid is the only male character to show
maternal feelings, not only toward Harry and his friends, but also toward the magical creatures
under his care; Hagrid is one of the most liberal and caring characters in the whole series. Finally, as
Hermione Granger grudgingly takes upon herself the role of caretaker, she brings to light the gender
stereotype that is the foundation of the mother figure, emphasizing that caring for others should be a
choice. In the end, the maternal characters in the Harry Potter series have two principal functions:
promoting a liberal, caring nature and underlining the gendered nature of their role.
Molly Weasley
As an example of surrogate motherhood, Molly Weasley's role within the Harry Potter series is at
first sight a traditional one; not only is she, of all the stories' characters, “most often seen doing the
actual work of parenting” (Winters 223), but she is also the surrogate parent who most explicitly
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embraces Harry as part of her family. As the mother of the Weasley household, first of all, Molly
holds a central place in the family home, carrying out her function from the central locus that is the
kitchen. Her role as a mother is accentuated especially by her extensive cooking exploits, that range
from a traditional English breakfast with eggs and sausages (Chamber 31) to a Snitch-formed
birthday cake for Harry (Hallows 136). As a cook, then, Molly is incredibly gifted, but not
overindulgent, regulating the family's diets and eating routines. Doing this, though without aiming
to manipulate, Molly represents a very traditional image of the ideal mother as a good and kindhearted cook (Alston 112). Moreover, next to having the task of preparing the family's food, Molly
Weasley also occupies the main position of authority within the household (Bürvenich 74), as most
discussions about the children and their education end with her husband's giving in to her demands.
In this, Molly Weasley is less traditional, as she refuses to remain in the background, the position
where mothers are traditionally preferred to be kept (Avery 454), choosing rather to be in the
middle of both her family and its activities. However, trying to protect her family, Molly tends at
times to be overprotective and too worried about her children's dealings. This mothering, from
which the children often try to break free by breaking the house rules, is not an innovating image,
since, traditionally, a mother's “love is so embarrassingly obvious that it can't be overlooked”
(Grenby 119, quoting Gillian Avery). In the end, the parental role Mrs Weasley occupies in Harry's
life reflects the way she handles her own family, from making sure that the boy has enough to eat to
being overprotective of his personal safety.
As a woman, then, Molly Weasley is not just the pivot of her family, for, as a private person,
Molly is not without ambitions or desires. As mentioned, she does indeed embody the very
stereotype of the maternal figure, who is a great cook, worried about the children's safety and, at
times, embarrassing the children and Harry with her “mollycoddling” (Winters 223). At the same
time, however, Mrs Weasley is an example of how motherhood necessitates constant change, of
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how it is necessary to adapt oneself to the circumstances. This evolutionary interpretation of a
mother's role becomes most clear toward the series' end, when, during the Battle of Hogwarts, Mrs
Weasley fights Bellatrix Lestrange to protect Ginny (Hallows 806). As that crucial scene reveals,
Molly's motherly worries and overprotectiveness are effective only when they are upheld in action;
“[o]nly a change in tactic”, transforming from a worried stay-at-home mother into a woman
prepared to fight ferociously, “enables her to save” her children (Winters 224). Moreover, the scene
can been interpreted as the outing of Molly's inner warrior as, far from what her extensive cooking
and interfering at home would have suggested, she turns out to be an extremely gifted witch, a truly
fierce warrior on the battlefield, prepared to kill to protect her family. Within the context of this
very duel, J. K. Rowling herself noted the importance of a woman's capability to choose whether or
not to fulfil the traditional role of a mother:
“Very early on in writing the series, I remember a female journalist saying to me that Mrs Weasley, 'Well, you
know, she’s just a mother.' And I was absolutely incensed by that comment. Now, I consider myself to be a
feminist, and I’d always wanted to show that just because a woman has made a choice, a free choice to say,
'Well, I’m going to raise my family and that’s going to be my choice. I may go back to a career, I may have a
career part time, but that’s my choice.' Doesn’t mean that that’s all she can do. And as we proved there in that
little battle, Molly Weasley comes out and proves herself the equal of any warrior on that battlefield.”
(Rowling, “Choice”)
What Molly's duel with Bellatrix shows is that, while Molly has skills that would have been more
than sufficient to have given her a great career, she chose to stay at home and take care of her
family instead, taking the conscious decision to let her family have precedence over the possibility
of a career. Finally, aside from her public role as a mother, Molly's private life, though well hidden,
sometimes becomes visible, showing that motherhood does not exclude personal desires and
ambitions. For example, such a moment is observed when, instead of using passwords, the Order of
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the Phoenix uses personal questions to identify one another. At that point, Mr Weasley has to ask his
wife how she likes him to call her in private, the answer being “Mollywobbles” (Prince 107).
However embarrassing this is for Mrs Weasley to admit in public, this scene does contradict the oldfashioned ideal that “mothers, like children, should be asexual” (Alston 115); the couple's use of
endearments underlines the existence of their private life and desires. More subtly then, Molly's
extensive cooking is also a sign that she is a woman who wants to get the most out of life;
transgressing the purely functional, the food she produces not only tastes great, but is also beautiful
to behold. When this type of cooking by a mother, such as is reflected for example in Harry's
Snitch-formed birthday cake, is presented, it can be considered as “an aesthetic expression of the
female self, a subtle expression of female desire” (Blackford 2009: 42); through her elaborate
cooking, Molly shows a passion for the beauty in life that is not traditionally associated with the
mother figure. On the whole, Molly Weasley represents both the stereotypical mother figure and the
private woman, as she shows that conforming to tradition should not exclude having private
ambitions and desires.
Finally, as an influence in Harry Potter's life, Molly Weasley seems at first sight to be less
salient, but serves nonetheless to reinforce values that already hold a central place in the story, more
specifically inclusion and loyalty. Inclusion, first of all, Molly demonstrates in her open acceptance
of Harry as a son into her family, showing how unrelated people can also become part of a family, if
one only makes the choice to welcome them. This tendency to include is repeated nineteen years
later in Harry's own family, when Harry, Teddy's godfather, sets himself up as a surrogate parent for
the orphan, including him in the family life, to the point where Teddy lives with them on an almost
permanent basis (Hallows 829). Secondly, loyalty is also held high by Mrs Weasley, in that her
character demonstrates the permanent precedence of family over all other worldly worries; family is
worth the fight, and, if necessary, the sacrifice. Sure enough, loyalty and sacrifice are also essential
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in Harry's life, who, throughout his whole story, fights to protect the people he loves, to the point
where he sacrifices himself for the whole of Hogwarts' students, thus casting upon them the very
same protective charm his mother's sacrifice cast upon him as a baby (Hallows 809). All in all,
though Molly Weasley influences Harry Potter in a more indirect manner, she does serve to
underline the mores already present and central in the story, particularly those of accepting others
into the family and of unconditionally loving them.
Minerva McGonagall
Secondly, in contrast to Mrs Weasley's guarding over the children outside of school,
Professor Minerva McGonagall, a teacher “acting in loco parentis” (Winters 221), takes upon
herself the motherly responsibilities at school. As Deputy Headmistress, it is, from the moment the
students arrive at Hogwarts, her task to introduce them to Hogwarts and the school rules. Because
of her proud and stern looks, however, she is not immediately seen as a motherly person (Smadja
83), but rather the embodiment of strict authority. Only later on in the story does McGonagall
become more of a “mother figure, concerned that students get enough sleep and stay well”
(Heilman 225). As the head of Gryffindor House, Minerva McGonagall worries about the wellbeing of that smaller group of students, who are even more directly under her care than the general
population of Hogwarts. McGonagall's pride at her students' successes, then, includes, but is not
limited to, Harry Potter, and underlines the maternal role she has taken upon herself:
'Why would Harry Potter try to get inside Ravenclaw Tower? Potter belongs in my House!'
Beneath the disbelief and anger, Harry heard a little strain of pride in her voice, and affection for Minerva
McGonagall gushed up inside him. (Hallows 649)
What this scene shows is not only how, at Hogwarts, the students should regard their respective
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school Houses as family (cf. infra), but also how Minerva McGonagall sees herself as having
parental responsibility for the students of Hogwarts, more specifically for those who belong to her
House. As to her relationship with Harry, McGonagall does seem to have a soft spot for the boy,
which she sometimes shows by offering him food, either because he arrives late at school and
misses the start-of-term feast (Chamber 65) or because she wants to show him that she agrees with
his rebellious behaviour toward the insufferable Professor Umbridge (Order 275). Nonetheless,
though the offering of food shows Minerva to be a character motivated by maternal instincts, the
refreshments she offers Harry have none of the allure of Mrs Weasley's home-cooked meals; having
been produced magically, the food McGonagall offers is more functional and less comforting. On
the whole, while Professor McGonagall sometimes seems to have a personal liking for Harry Potter,
she does not let it obscure her maternal judgement; Harry is a part of her family, not because of his
heroic actions or because he is superior to the other students, but, quite simply, because he is a
Gryffindor student. All in all, Minerva McGonagall's role in Harry's life is not a very personal one,
as her function of Gryffindor supervisor obliges her to assume parental responsibility for all of its
students, rather than for Harry in specific; as a maternal figure in Harry's life, she is more distant,
attending to his safety from afar.
Regarding Minerva McGonagall's personality, then, it is clear that she is more than the
person portrayed by Heilman as simply “book smart, but not wise, powerful, or brave” (Heilman
225). While indeed book wise, Minerva McGonagall is also an incredibly gifted witch, “a strong,
independent […] empowered female” (Dresang 234-5). Aside from her bookish wisdom, Minerva
undoubtedly holds a position of power within the story, which she can maintain only by acting upon
her power wisely. From that position of power, more specifically her function as Deputy
Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall is often left to lead the whole school, rising to
the occasion especially by taking charge when Hogwarts is under siege by Voldemort and his Death
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Eaters (Hallows 653). Moreover, apart from her bravery and wisdom in battle, Minerva is also a
concerned teacher, the very “epitome of fairness” who “seems to 'embody wisdom'” (Dresang 235);
unlike Severus Snape, McGonagall punishes and rewards all students alike, including those of her
own House, Gryffindor. Finally, in addition to her fair treatment of the students, Minerva
McGonagall shows true bravery as she stands up to others to protect people who are in some way
victimized, even if that means having to personally face Voldemort's Death Eaters to protect the
students of Hogwarts:
'We can push it off on the kids,' said Amycus, his pig-like face suddenly crafty. 'Yeah, that's what we'll do. [...]
Couple of kids more or less, what's the difference?'
'Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice,' said Professor McGonagall, who had
turned pale, 'a difference, in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciate. But let me make one
thing very clear. You are not going to pass off your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not
permit it.' (Hallows 649-650)
Other examples of Professor McGonagall's standing up for the ill-used are her saving haughty
Slytherin student Draco Malfoy from a corporal punishment by Professor Moody (Goblet 227) and
protecting her least favourite colleague, Divination Professor Trelawney, from being fired by
Dolores Umbridge (Order 655). All in all, then, despite the fact that there is little information about
her person, Minerva McGonagall is “neither a caricature nor a stereotype” (Dresang 234), but a
wise, brave and powerful woman who, above all, strives to be just, following through with her
commitments, whatever may be her opinion of the people with whom she is confronted.
Overall, Minerva McGonagall personifies several values that are held high in the Harry
Potter series, loyalty, fairness and protectiveness toward others being the most important ones. First
of all, she shows that staying true to one's identity and choices is indispensable. Loyalty to friends,
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whatever may be their familial or cultural background, should be, above all, unconditional and
incorruptible, no matter what the circumstances are, whether in safety or in danger. Fairness, then, is
the wise usage of power, as McGonagall shows that, instead of using it to exploit others, power
should be used to punish wrongdoing, to reward success and to protect the disadvantaged. In this,
McGonagall is therefore an exceptional counterexample to characters such as Voldemort, who see
power as an instrument that exists for the sole purpose of being misused, whatever may be the
consequences. Thirdly, offering protection to others is, as mentioned, encouraged as an almost
inevitable duty of those who have power. As a surrogate mother figure to the students of Hogwarts,
Minerva shows that power always comes with responsibility. On the whole, Minerva McGonagall is
a role model, not just to Harry specifically, but to the whole body of Hogwarts students, in that she
shows true earnestness in upholding the values for which she stands.
Rubeus Hagrid
The third example of surrogate motherhood in the Harry Potter series is found, remarkably enough,
in a male character: Rubeus Hagrid. As previously stated, Hagrid's home is a central place in the
story, a “place of deep human emotions” (Eccleshare 60) where Harry and his friends go to talk
about their worries; Hagrid's paternal advice is intricately linked to the locus of his home. However,
next to his advisory role in their lives, he is also “more maternalistic […] tremendously capable of
expressing his feelings in a feminine fashion” (Liedl 19). Hagrid is of a deeply caring nature, hence
his being, next to a surrogate father, also a surrogate mother figure. Interpreting his person as a
mother, then, Hagrid's house, too, receives a whole new interpretation:
There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was
boiling on the open fire, and in a corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it. (Stone 153-154)
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Interpreted as a more feminine place, the homeliness of the hut is not only associated with the
advice Harry and his friends receive there, but also with food and other traditionally female
handiwork. This association between Hagrid and his homely hut, as well as the safety it offers
Harry and his friends, is an important literary marker of Hagrid's maternal character, as “[m]other
and home, like mother and family, are constantly linked” (Alston 78). As to his food, more
specifically, Hagrid's very introduction into the story is made by his giving Harry a home-made
birthday cake (Stone 56). That cake is followed throughout the series by other examples of Hagrid's
food and treats, which, though often terrible and almost inedible, are always home-cooked and
prepared with love. Whatever else Hagrid's function is within the story, his cooking activities and
caring function in the home therefore make him into an endearing figure, displaying both male and
female characteristics, playing both the father and the mother.
With regard to his personality, Hagrid exemplifies not simply a mother's caring nature, but
also the more generally applicable strength of maternal love; he is, without a doubt, “the most
emotional character in the series” (Willson-Metzger 297). As noted before, Hagrid has a
predilection for the magical creatures of whom he takes care, shielding them from discrimination.
This nurturing protection, then, as well as his seeing almost any creature as helpless, is not only a
sign of his broad-mindedness, but also brings to mind the more feminine, maternal supervision of
innocent children. For example, when, in Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid takes care of the Norwegian
Ridgeback called Norbert, a newly hatched baby dragon, he unveils that he is not just willing to
take care of the creature as if it were his child, but also that he has no problem with openly taking
on the role of its mother:
“Isn’t he beautiful?” Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon’s head. It snapped at his
fingers, showing pointed fangs.
“Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!” said Hagrid. (Stone 254)
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While this scene comes across as somewhat comical, the value Hagrid places on caring for others is
also quite endearing, as, even more than Molly Weasley and Minerva McGonagall, Hagrid
represents the unconditional purity of a mother's love, and the power it has in transgressing class
and race boundaries. All things considered, Hagrid is the series' greatest example of maternal love
and care, as the protection he offers the magical creatures is given unconditionally, without the
expectation of receiving anything in return.
All in all, Hagrid's maternal personality exemplifies what it means to be of a truly liberal and
caring nature. Broad-mindedness, on the one hand, is put forward as a way of dealing with others
who are new or different; Hagrid is an incredibly tolerant character who accepts difference as
intrinsic to all persons. In this, he is still quite similar to the series' other male characters, such as
Sirius and Dumbledore, in that they, too, strive to protect the less powerful, whether Muggles or
non-wizard magical creatures, from the caprices of the more powerful wizards. Hagrid's caring
nature, on the other hand, is a powerful reminder of a mother's pure love and is therefore a more
feminine value, connected not to the unknown other, but to those who are close and loved as part of
the family. Caring for someone not only implies accepting them for who or what they are, but also
embracing them as equals, as part of one's extended family. All things considered, then, Rubeus
Hagrid embodies, in a way that will prove to be similar to Hermione's and Harry's androgynous
portrayals, both male and female character traits, showing that neither one should exclude the other,
and that there is no shame in embodying the best of both.
Hermione Granger9
Finally, while Hermione Granger is also an important member of Harry's 'family of choice' (cf.
infra), it is important to bear in mind that she also functions, though only to a limited extent, as a
9 Later on, Hermione will also be discussed as a member of Harry's family of choice.
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surrogate mother to Harry and Ron, helping them with their work and cooking their food. While at
school, she serves as a mother in that she helps the boys with their homework, proofreading and
correcting their numerous essays, and constantly reminds them of the work they still have to do
(Stone 197; Order 317; Prince 532). More outspoken, however, is her role in the last novel, as the
three friends embark upon their solitary quest for Voldemort's Horcruxes. During their journey, the
tasks of setting up the protection around their campsite and of cooking befall Hermione, who
accepts the second task only reluctantly, having little talent or inclination for preparing food:
'Harry caught the fish and I did my best with it! I notice I'm always the one who ends up sorting out the food;
because I'm a girl, I suppose!'
'No, it's because you're supposed to be the best at magic!' shot back Ron.
Hermione jumped up and bits of roast pike slid off her tin plate on to the floor.
'You can do the cooking tomorrow, Ron, you can find the ingredients and try and charm them into something
worth eating, and I'll sit here and pull faces and moan and you can see how you–' (Hallows 325-326)
This scene is particularly strong, as it shows how Hermione accepts the task of cooking only out of
necessity; because of the dire circumstances of their journey, she is prepared to cook, but she wants
Harry and Ron to be aware of the fact that she should not have to do it simply for being a woman.
Hermione does not look upon cooking as in any way her duty as a woman, and the boys, therefore,
should not complain about the poor results, as she has, at least, tried her best. In the end, Hermione's
cooking and caring role notwithstanding, she is not motherly because she is the only girl in the
party; Hermione has indeed assumed a fairly stereotypical female function, but she also underlines
how she has done so by choice, rather than by gendered force.
With regard to Hermione's mothering personality, then, it should be said that the
characterization is ambiguous at best. While she is indeed very caring and socially engaged,
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Hermione is also very determined, to the point where she almost becomes aggressive. Her
warmheartedness, first of all, is shown most clearly in her social engagement, as she fights social
inequality between the wizard and non-wizard races. As an example, her self-made organisation
S.P.E.W., “Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare” (Goblet 246), serves throughout the story to
underline her preoccupation with the issue of wizard superiority over other magical creatures, as she
fights to free House Elves from their enslavement. Despite the exaggeration and ridicule with which
S.P.E.W. and Hermione are treated within the story, this social engagement on her part is a frequent
reminder of the social inequality from which magical creatures suffer; Hermione, as a moral
example to her friends, “is going to stand up for the downtrodden” (Dresang 228). In short,
Hermione's caring nature is expressed in a general desire “to do some good in the world!” (Hallows
141), rather than to take care of only those people closest to her. Furthermore, the construction of
Hermione's character transcends the purely feminine, for, even as she fulfils a mother role in the
story, she embodies a rather “androgynous model of moral and ethical development” (Dresang 232).
Hermione's caring nature, a trait traditionally considered to be more feminine, is fortified by a
tenacity and obstinacy that become highly apparent as she tries to achieve her goals. In contrast to
the stereotypically female “comforting, consoling, and providing of emotional support” (Heilman
225), this more aggressive, goal-oriented thinking of Hermione's shows that she simultaneously
takes a more male stance. In short, Hermione's character is about uniting “both masculine and
feminine traits and thereby subverting the stereotypes” (Dresang 224). As a person, Hermione is a
caring, warmhearted maternal character who, at the same time, shows a resoluteness that is more in
line with the male characters in the story.
In summary, if Hermione's role as caregiver teaches Harry and Ron one lesson, it is, above
all, that they should not take gender stereotypes for granted. As a girl, Hermione is well aware of
the gendered roles laid out for her, forcing her to cook, clean and take care of the heroes. As she
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cooks for Harry and Ron, she makes sure to tell them that she only does so out of necessity, and not
because she sees it as her duty; Hermione draws attention to the possibility of refusing to accept
stereotypes. In her protest, she therefore mitigates gender restrictions, showing that women can be
capable of occupying a caring position, while at the same time being self-determined and
independent persons. After Hermione's example, then, being a caring person, whether female or
male, implies fighting to protect those who are weaker than others, extending the traditional motherchild care to all possible types of protective relationships. All things considered, the general matter
of care in the Harry Potter series is differentiated by Hermione at two levels, as she shows that
being a caring person is something all people, men and women, young and old, should try to
achieve, as well as that they should do so by choice, rather than because they see it as a gendered
obligation.
Following the Mother: a Paradigm of Care
In conclusion, the mother figures in Harry Potter are much more than simply “the nurturing
mothers whose role involves cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children” (Kornfeld & Prothro
189). Despite their not having a specific purpose during Harry's adventurous journeys, as do the
father figures, maternal characters certainly have their importance, supporting fundamental qualities
and drawing attention to gender issues. Specifically, with Molly's protectiveness, Minerva's fair
supervision, Hagrid's pure, liberal love, and Hermione's social engagement, the Harry Potter series
engages in a paradigm of care that transcends not only familial, but also race and gender
boundaries. Therefore, while ostensibly fulfilling a more traditional mother role within the family,
the mothers in Harry's life also serve to raise awareness of race and gender issues; while these four
characters use their skills to take care of others, they do so in a personal manner, always staying
loyal to who they really are. On the whole, this mixture of maternal protectiveness, family loyalty
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and pure love is reflected in Harry, especially as his character, too, becomes an “integration of both
masculine and feminine characteristics” (Billone 191); Harry Potter, like his surrogate mothers,
grows up to be a caring, liberal and loyal person, prepared to fight for the values for which he
stands and the people whom he loves.
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4. Family of choice
Finally, as the last part of Harry Potter's extended familial connections, his family of choice shows
how and when he chooses his friends, specifically indicating what values are important in a family
setting. The term 'family of choice', as mentioned before, refers to “same-generation 'family'
groups” in a children's story, who can be distinguished by their “ethos of interdependence based on
equality” (Reynolds 205); a family of choice is not bound by biological connections, but by a
reciprocal commitment between its members. Harry's chosen family, then, consists of his friends, as
well as some more general groupings of which he is a part. Of his friends, first of all, Ronald
Weasley is the first person whom Harry befriends, therein already showing an early determination
to follow his instinct when it comes to making friends. Secondly, Hermione Granger is included as
third member of the trio when Harry and Ron, who do not yet like her at that point, choose to risk
their lives to help her escape a mountain troll. Next, Neville Longbottom is also a central figure in
Harry's adventures, especially in the later stages of the story, as his transformation into a hero takes
a course similar to Harry's development, therein underlining the prophecy's accuracy, as well as its
ambiguity. Finally, Ginny Weasley not only inspires the hero's romantic hopes, but also underlines,
yet again, those characteristics that are central in the Weasley family and, by extension, in Harry's
family. Next to Harry's individual friends, then, the Weasley family represents an extension of the
family bond beyond friendship, as they accept Harry into their home and provide him with an
outstanding example of true family loyalty and support. Finally, the groupings that are Gryffindor,
Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix underline the overall importance of having,
within a family, something to share, ranging from specific character traits to a common cause. All in
all, Harry's family of choice consists of a large group of people, all of whom have their own distinct
personalities, but who, more importantly, strive to support and protect one another through life.
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Ronald Weasley
As the first member of Harry's family of choice, Ronald Weasley is by far the greatest example of
how Harry insists on personally choosing his friends and extended family; Harry Potter, as he
himself makes sure to tell people, chooses his own allies, based on what he deems appropriate. The
origin of their friendship, first of all, lies in the reciprocal interest that arises between Harry and
Ron at their first meeting on the Hogwarts Express (Stone 110). Harry, new to the wizarding world,
gains in Ron a friend who knows a great deal about wizards, and Ron, the insecure sixth boy of the
Weasley family to go to Hogwarts, gets to satisfy his curiosity about Harry's scar and life with his
Muggle family. Moreover, when Harry notices Ron's impoverished familial background, he decides
to share with his newfound friend the enormous amount of candy he just bought; Harry, having
grown up without money or friends with whom he could have shared anything, can easily
sympathize with Ron's unfortunate situation (Bürvenich 75). Next, Harry and Ron's friendship is
sealed during the same train ride, when haughty Draco Malfoy interferes and offers Harry to
become his ally. However, as Harry is aware, due to their meeting once prior to the train ride,
Malfoy is a wizard who openly despises anything less than a pureblood status, and who is only
interested in becoming Harry's friend for his fame:
'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making
friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'
He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.
'I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly. (Stone 120)
Harry's rejection of the odious Draco here underlines the fundamental appropriateness of choosing
Ron as his friend, showing a readiness to remain himself, a determination to stick to his own
intuition and beliefs. During the next years, then, Harry and Ron's friendship becomes an almost
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unbreakable bond, interrupted only occasionally, as they quarrel over Ron's jealousy of Harry's
selection as Triwizard Champion (Goblet 314) and over his frustrations with the unproductiveness
of their quest (Hallows 340). In the end, however, Harry and Ron's friendship comes out as strong
as ever; even nineteen years after their collaborative efforts to defeat Voldemort, they continue to
support each other, confiding in one another and sharing secrets, such as Ron's having cheated on
his Muggle driving examination (Hallows 827). Consequently, Ronald Weasley is the greatest
example of what being a family of choice truly means, as, even before really knowing the other's
character, Harry and Ron choose to become friends, keeping up their mutual support through thick
and thin, continuing unchanged, friends for life.
As a person, Ron transcends his earlier, rather empty-headed image only toward the end of
the series, when he is finally able to become his own person, instead of the insecure teenager he is
during the previous years of their life at Hogwarts. In the course of the first years of the story, first
of all, Ron is a “relatively flat” character (Morris 157), in that he seems to be dominated by one
characteristic, that is his lack of academic motivation. Having little inclination for academic
achievements, Ron's school career is founded on the idea of succeeding with the least possible
effort, therein incarnating Snape's belittling stereotype of the Gryffindor student as someone who
would “rather be brawny than brainy” (Hallows 736). At the same time, however, though he does
show insufficient academic ambition, Ron's awkwardness also stems from a more deep-rooted
insecurity, caused mainly by his family identity, especially as his penurious background is
contrasted with Harry's high standing in the wizarding world. First of all, growing up as the
youngest of six Weasley boys, with only one younger sibling, his sister Ginny, Ron has the
continual feeling of having to live up to his parents' and teachers' expectations:
'I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have
already left – Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a Prefect. Fred and
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George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny.
Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. […]'
(Stone 110-111)
As Ron explains here, he feels unequal to the task of exceeding at school, as it would, in any case,
be no great achievement to live up to expectations. Secondly, both at Hogwarts and in the outside
world, it seems that Ron's “lack of family money weakens his male authority” (Heilman 234);
within the magical world, possessing money is next in importance to having a pureblood status.
Throughout the series, then, as he is often ridiculed by others students, Draco Malfoy in particular,
for being of a relatively poor background, this lower social status profoundly affects Ron, making
him even more insecure. Finally, Ron's self-assurance is also impaired by feelings of resentment
toward Harry, whose fame and money often cause bitterness between the friends, and has a hard
time dealing with that contrast in personal status (Ghesquière 190). Ultimately, however, this does
not destroy their friendship, as, toward the end of the story, Ron learns to accept Harry's manifestly
high status within the wizarding world:
A great number of faces, both on the train and off, seemed to be turned toward Harry.
'Why are they all staring?' demanded Albus, as he and Rose craned round to look at the other students.
'Don't let it worry you,' said Ron. 'It's me, I'm extremely famous.' (Hallows 831)
On the whole, the teenage Ron is an insecure person who lacks ambitions. Only belatedly does he
become a brave man, rising to the occasion in the last novel especially, as he helps Harry and
Hermione destroy the Horcruxes. Growing up, Ron has become a responsible adult who is able to
leave behind him his childhood worries, coming to look at his earlier insecurity from a more
cheerful point of view.
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Finally, with respect to his function in the story, in spite of the fact that he is almost always
present when something happens to Harry, Ron is of less importance during their adventures than is,
for example, Hermione with her bookish knowledge (Elster 204). Essentially, Ron Weasley is
present as a reminder of family life, both as it causes insecurity and as it offers emotional support.
His insecurity, first of all, demonstrates how growing up in a loving home can have its drawbacks.
Not only does Ron have to live up to his family's expectations, but he also suffers the more from the
isolation as their solitary quest deprives him of his family's comforting presence and of his mother's
copious, home-cooked family meals. At the same time, however, Ron also serves as a
counterexample to Harry, having had a happy childhood that is almost directly opposite to Harry's
wretched upbringing with the Dursleys. Above all, having grown up in a cosy home, surrounded
with a loving family, Ron is a constant reminder of what Harry's life might have been like, had his
parents not been killed. Ron's character underlines the importance of growing up in a warm family
home, portrayed in the story by means of various family scenes such as the copious family meals,
where parents and siblings are an unending source of support. Though also the source of his
insecurity, Ron's family background is therefore one of his greatest strengths (Morris 157) as it
“enable[s] him to support Harry emotionally” (Eccleshare 96). All in all, aside from the more
striking aspects of his personality, such as his lack of intellectual curiosity and deep-rooted
insecurity, Ron's life is all about family and about showing true friendship. In short, Ron's function
in the story is to support his friend, offering him comfort and relief in times of tension, as well as to
emphasize the blind acceptance that gives their family of choice such a strong bond.
Hermione Granger
Harry and Ron befriend Hermione Granger only after a few months at Hogwarts. Her earlier
boastful behaviour toward the other students preventing any cordiality on their part, it is only when
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Harry and Ron save Hermione's life that she shows a more sociable disposition and becomes also
more friendly and engaging toward other students. As a new character, first of all, Hermione is
presented in the story as the girl with “a bossy sort of voice” who immediately starts boasting about
her bookish knowledge (Stone 116). This manifest conviction of self-worth does not abate for
another few months at Hogwarts, as Hermione continues to boss around other students, giving them
unwanted advice and getting on their nerves. Finally, it is only when Harry and Ron help her defeat
a mountain troll, that she becomes their friend:
But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share
without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them. (Stone 195)
This shared experience becomes the foundation of the trio's friendship, which continues throughout
the story as an interdependent relationship (Dresang 230) as Harry, Ron and Hermione depend on
one another to survive the trials of life, from passing their school exams, to ultimately defeating
Voldemort. Within the group of friends, then, it has been argued that Hermione, having only an
intellectual role to fulfil, “remains secondary in her role to the males in her story” (Dresang 240). In
the story of the earlier novels, this statement is true, as those years are the ones during which
Hermione serves primarily to help Harry and Ron catch up with their school work. Often ridiculed,
her sole purpose seems to be to correct Harry's and Ron's homework and help them pass their tests,
as well as to help them solve mysteries. In Deathly Hallows, however, Hermione's function
transcends her earlier function, as she becomes increasingly important in the story, not only caring
for Harry and Ron (cf. supra), but also motivating them and moving along their quest through
tenacious inquiry and critical thinking. Altogether, while Hermione Granger, one of Harry's best
friends, always remains secondary in importance to the hero, her position in the last novel is more
central, as the snobby young girl transforms into a smart, self-confident, sympathetic young woman.
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As an individual, Hermione possesses a diversity of traits, ranging from her idiosyncratic
bookishness to an admirable perseverance in fighting, both figuratively and literally, that show her
to be a strong, independent character who is much more than a “damsel in distress” or “tag-along”
who depends on the boys to protect her (Schoefer n.p.). Hermione's scholastic enterprises, first of
all, make her stand out as very “knowledgeable and adept at analytical thinking” (Dresang 227), an
asset that becomes extremely useful during their quest. Despite the ridicule with which her
bookishness is treated from early on in the story, other students seem to be well aware of the
advantages of Hermione's expertise, as they often go to her for help with homework. Later on in the
story, Harry and Ron become even more dependent on Hermione, as she often has to share her
knowledge with them in order to move along their quest for Horcruxes; from her ability to read
runes to her suggestion to visit the Lovegoods, Hermione's knowledge and perceptiveness are an
integral part of the search. Next to that industrious side, then, Hermione's social engagement, as
exhibited in her involvement in S.P.E.W., shows from an early stage on how she really “sticks to
what she believes” (Dresang 227) and how she is prepared to adopt an aggressive approach to
communicate her message successfully (cf. supra). All things considered, despite the fact that she is
a character secondary to Harry Potter himself, Hermione's strong role in the series is quite unique,
especially since it “is not achieved by construction of a typically male role for her” (Dresang 225),
nor that she remains “a 'flat' character in that she has a single dominant quality” (Morris 158).
Particularly, rather than becoming a blatantly masculine character in order to fulfil her role by the
hero's side, Hermione stays true to herself, a curious mixture of austere bookishness and fierce
moral convictions (Bürvenich 77), and learns how to use those memorable idiosyncrasies to her
own and to others' advantage. On the whole, Hermione's determination in the later stages of the
story is no surprise; not only has she proven herself to be a tenacious fighter for social equality, but
she is also, and has always been, a true Gryffindor, showing that particular House trait of “daring,
nerve and chivalry” (Dresang 228) in each and every one of her endeavours.
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In the end, with regard to Hermione's direct familial influence on Harry and Ron, her
siblings of choice, she teaches them how to use abstract knowledge in real life, as well as that they
should stick to their moral convictions. Regarding knowledge, firstly, Hermione is the one character
in the series who is most clearly “learning how to reconcile her love of learning with the limitations
of life” (Dresang 222). From the beginning obsessed with books and knowledge, Hermione
eventually evolves into a more balanced figure, becoming an increasingly indispensable participant
in the trio's adventures. More specifically, as her preoccupation with books and knowledge rubs off
on Harry and Ron, they, too, come to accept that information found in books can be very useful in
reality (Gruner 231). As an example of this intellectual influence Hermione has over Harry and
Ron, the scene where they fight off the mountain troll is significant; whereas, before the adventure,
Ron laughs at Hermione's advice on how to use the levitation charm “Wingardium Leviosa”, it is
only with her particular instructions that he can perfect the spell, using it to defeat the troll (Stone
186-192). In short, “Hermione's intellectual prowess helps save the day” (Liedl 245), not only as
she solves problems by herself, but also as she teaches the others how to apply abstract knowledge
to life. Her exemplary presence of mind, thinking before acting, teaches Harry and Ron to consider
their knowledge and options, instead of acting mainly on instinct. Secondly, apart from her
intellectual influence on Harry and Ron, Hermione's persistent adherence to her beliefs intensifies
the importance of moral constancy. The unending flow of support Hermione has to offer, as was
first exemplified in her founding S.P.E.W., becomes especially apparent in the last novel in the
series; whereas Ron has a crisis of faith in their quest and temporarily leaves the fellowship,
Hermione, disregarding her romantic feelings for Ron, remains supportive and tries to promote the
search in any way she can. In the end, Hermione Granger is at least as important as a helper in
Harry's life as is Ron, if not more so (Elster 204); in contrast to Ron's more straightforward,
comforting presence, Hermione is functionally more important, as she offers the others advice and
knowledge to promote their quest. Hence, as a part of Harry's family of choice, Hermione Granger
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is not only crucial as she assists the others in their survival, but also as she teaches them to value
knowledge and to respect themselves and others.
Neville Longbottom
Thirdly, Neville Longbottom, too, is an essential member of Harry's family of choice, not only as a
school friend, but also later on in Harry's life, when “Professor Longbottom” has become a close
friend of the Potter family. With his first appearance in the story, as “a round-faced boy” who has,
yet again, lost his pet toad (Stone 105), Neville seems to be no more than a blundering secondary
character. During the following four years at Hogwarts, he is indeed no more than a clumsy and
“bullied underachiever” (Elster 207) who is only “occasionally given the limelight”, standing up to
bullies such as Malfoy (Heilman 234). However, as the students begin their fifth year at Hogwarts,
Neville's presence in the story becomes more conspicuous as he joins Dumbledore's Army (cf.
infra). Dedicated to learning how to defend himself and others, he improves his magical skills
perceptibly (Order 434). Moreover, during the same year, Harry and his friends learn about
Neville's traumatic past, specifically about how his parents, who were also members of the Order of
the Phoenix, were tortured by Death Eaters, leaving them psychologically damaged for the rest of
their lives. What is more, only a few months after learning that the Longbottoms are permanent
residents of the wizarding hospital's closed ward, Harry's finally hears the prophecy, including how
it could also have meant Neville. This abundance of new information about Neville Longbottom, all
compressed into Order of the Phoenix, causes Harry and the others to reassess their friend's
potential, thus influencing his role in the story. During their fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts, then,
Neville is sometimes even “included as a fourth member” in “Harry's heroic group” (Elster 207),
becoming increasingly capable and confident.
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Nonetheless, it is not until the last novel in the series, Deathly Hallows, that Neville
Longbottom genuinely “rises to the task” (Nodelman & Reimer 330) and progresses to the
“fulfillment of his potential” (Pond 202). With Harry, Ron and Hermione absent from Hogwarts,
Neville, with the aid of Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood, forms a new gang at Hogwarts,
protesting against the school's newly instated Death Eater administration. The tenacity Neville
shows in his protests then, risking his own safety to protect other students from harm, already
shows a selfless, heroic nature that is in no way inferior to Harry's bravery. Next, Neville's rising
status in the story culminates when Harry confides in him and asks him to kill Voldemort's pet
snake, Nagini, who is also the one of the last Horcruxes 10. Indeed, the moment he is given the
opportunity, Neville heroically carries out the deed:
In one swift, fluid motion Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming Hat fell off him
and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle –
The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd, or the sounds of the
clashing giants, or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke,
Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the
Entrance Hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's
body thudded to the ground at his feet – (Hallows 803)
This description underlines the truly heroic nature of Neville's actions. Not only does he dare to kill
the snake under Voldemort's very eyes, but he does so using the sword of Gryffindor, which only
presents itself to the people who most completely embody those traits of bravery and chivalry
inherent to being a Gryffindor. Putting his own well-being at risk to save the others, Neville shows
himself to be a genuine hero. In the end, it cannot be clearer that “Neville's confidence was really
there all of the time – it just took Harry and others believing in Neville to enable him to believe in
10 The fact that Voldemort succeeded in making the snake one of his Horcruxes shows that it is possible to store part of
one's soul in a living creature, the risk being that, if the creature dies, the Horcrux is destroyed as well.
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himself” (Morris 150). Growing increasingly powerful, Neville's self-assurance and heroic status
climax only when others give him the opportunity to prosper.
All things considered, Neville Longbottom becomes as great a hero as Harry Potter is, the
difference being that Neville grows up at “a more natural pace” than Harry, not having to live up to
the same, extremely high expectations (Pond 201). After all that happened, “the prophecy really
turned out to mean both Harry and Neville, as it took both of their efforts to vanquish Voldemort”
(Morris 151). The portrayal of Neville's development is, like Harry's, the coming-of-age story of a
hero, but, in contrast to Harry's, Neville's coming-of-age story allows its hero to develop at a slower
pace, ultimately showing what Harry's life could have been like, had Voldemort chosen to kill the
Longbottoms, rather than Harry's parents. In the end, as a last reminder of Neville Longbottom's
competence, a conversation between Ginny and her son James tells the following:
'Don't forget to give Neville our love!' Ginny told James as she hugged him.
'Mum! I can't give a Professor love!'
'But you know Neville –'
James rolled his eyes.
'Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him
love...' (Hallows 829)
This conversation serves to show how, later in life, Neville became a great wizard who, having
always had a gift for Herbology, became a teacher at Hogwarts, a school where, it must be said,
positions seem to be scarce and only exceptionally vacant. Moreover, the scene indicates how
Neville has truly become a part of Harry's close circle of friends, that is his family of choice,
knowing not only his Hogwarts peers but also their children. In conclusion, Neville Longbottom's
development as a character is in many ways similar to that of Harry, metamorphosing from an
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insecure young boy into a self-confident adult hero. Within the family of choice, Neville is, as it
were, Harry's twin brother; their similar transformations underline not just the worthiness of the
prophecy's second option for a hero, but actually create a second hero within the story, a hero who
helps Harry, but who also remains true to himself.
Ginny Weasley
A late addition to the gang, Ginny Weasley's indirect characterization does not prevent her from
becoming an eye-catching presence in the last three novels of the series, not only attracting Harry's
romantic attention, but also developing an increasingly powerful set of magical powers. In
Philosopher's Stone, first of all, Ginny is no more than Ron's small, red-haired baby sister, who is
excessively eager to meet the famous Harry Potter (Stone 108). During the next year, as she attends
Hogwarts, Ginny has a more central role to play, specifically as she falls victim to the Heir of
Slytherin, who takes her to die in the Chamber of Secrets, and has to be saved by Harry ( Chamber
217). In all other respects, however, during the first four novels, “Ginny remains a cypher”
(Eccleshare 98), about whom little information is given. Vaguely characterized, aside from some
extremely girly traits, the only time Ginny is given attention is when she is faced with Harry,
moments when she invariantly starts giggling or blushing (Chamber 31; Prisoner 51; Goblet 63). It
is then only from Order of the Phoenix onward that Ginny becomes more prominent, not only as
she joins the DA, learning to perform powerful protective charms, but also as she becomes an
independent young woman who has her own private pursuits, including several romantic interests.
In Half-Blood Prince, Ginny Weasley becomes even more appreciable, not only as Harry finally
starts to notice her as a possible romantic partner, but also as she displays increasing magical
powers, such as, for example, her performing “the most marvellous Bat Bogey Hex”, thereby
earning herself a place in the elitist “Slug Club”, into which Harry is also invited (Prince 175).
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Lastly, in Deathly Hallows, Ginny shows her dedication to moral justice as she joins Neville
Longbottom and Luna Lovegood in their defiance of the new authorities at Hogwarts. The
fierceness evident in Ginny, a trait which she seems to have inherited from her mother, is not left
unnoticed by Harry, who remarks that Ginny has indeed become a tough woman:
She was not tearful; that was one of the many wonderful things about Ginny, she was rarely weepy. He had
sometimes thought that having six brothers must have toughened her up. (Hallows 132)
Finally, this characterization of Ginny as a warmhearted, fiery woman is continued to the end, when
the way she handles her family, scolding her sons for teasing one another, but also promising her
youngest to write every day of the week, if he wants her to (Hallows 825), reflects the firm, but
loving upbringing she herself enjoyed at the Burrow. In short, despite the relatively vague
description of Ginny Weasley, it is clear that she does evolve into a woman who is both affectionate
and powerful, the remarkable addition to Harry's family of choice who becomes wife and the
mother of his children.
The Weasleys
As Ron's best friend, Harry becomes a part of the Weasley family, in whose home he is instantly
welcomed with open arms, allowing him to become a part of their biological family. Within the
story, the Burrow, the Weasleys' home, serves as a sanctuary, offering protection equal to that which
the students are given at Hogwarts; at both locations, Harry is shielded, both magically and
familially, from outside harm. The Weasley house, in short, is not simply a “hospitable
environment”, but in fact a truly “self-contained world of unconditional affection in which the
family is inclusive and all-important” (Thiel 168). At the Burrow, family support reaches out to all
of its members, showing how, in an ideal family situation, love and care are integral parts of family
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life. As Harry is brought into their family life, then, the Weasleys show him how, in contrast to his
upbringing with the Dursleys, family can indeed be an “emotional power base” (Eccleshare 95).
Supportive throughout, to the point where the whole family fights together in the Battle of
Hogwarts, the Weasleys become the foundation of Harry's family of choice. Consequently, when
Harry later forms his own family, this image of family life in “stereotypical lines” that is seen in the
Weasley family life (Thiel 168) is reflected in the combination of lively banter and unconditional
love of the young Potter family (Hallows 825). All things considered, in becoming a part of the
Weasley family, which is both a natural family and a family of choice, outsider Harry is given an
emotional foundation for his family life, not only during his schooldays, but also later on in his life.
Groupings: Gryffindor, Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army
Finally, before concluding, a brief discussion of Gryffindor, the Order of the Phoenix and
Dumbledore's Army will point out the groupings' import in the formation of Harry's identity, as well
as their common functionality, uniting characters “around their family theme” (Kornfeld & Prothro
193), especially as they come together by choice. While these groups, the DA and the Order
especially, do not have the traditional make-up of a family, being oriented towards defensive and
military purposes, they do signal the centrality of the elements of choice and survival, both of which
are essential impulses that lead to the creation of a family of choice.
Gryffindor, first of all, is the school House to which Harry belongs, after having deliberately
asked the Sorting Hat not to sort him with Slytherin. The school Houses, first of all, are in their very
being important factors in the identities of their students:
'[…] The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like
your family within Hogwarts. […] The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and
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Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. […]'
(Stone 126)
As McGonagall explains to the new students upon their reaching the school, the Sorting ceremony
serves to assign students to the four Houses according to “certain key personality traits and
perspectives” (Kornfeld & Prothro 193). As each of the Houses requires a different set of character
traits in its students, the Sorting Hat determines what characteristics are or will be most prominent
in the students, in its own way determining their respective personalities. However, as Harry's
deliberate choice not to become a Slytherin student indicates, the Houses do not completely “create
another social order of a determinist nature” (Eccleshare 77); the Sorting Hat takes into account not
only the students' pre-existing character traits, but also their conscious contributions to the decision
that is being made. Of those four Houses, then, Gryffindor is, as the Hat explains, “[w]here dwell
the brave at heart” (Stone 130). The fact that Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville, whether by choice
or because of who they are, become Gryffindors is therefore an early indicator of their having the
potential to become heroic individuals, possessing abilities that do rise to the surface throughout the
story. On the whole, the school Houses provide the students with “more than just a physical
demarcation”; each of them forms a microcosm within Hogwarts, representative of its respective
history, values and ambitions (Kornfeld & Prothro 193-195). That being so, Gryffindor stands
within the series as a House composed of brave and liberal individuals, many of whom, such as
Harry, will prove themselves valiantly when the opportunity presents itself.
Secondly, another student organization that holds a central place in Harry's life is
Dumbledore's Army, formed on Hermione's initiative, during their fifth year at Hogwarts. Essential
in understanding the DA is the fact that its members are tied together by a common cause: in spite
of Dolores Umbridge's continual attempts to prevent such an event from happening, the students
want to learn how to perform defensive spells. Their sincerest desire is therefore not to become
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military, as their name would suggest, but to learn how to defend themselves and others, revealing a
protectiveness that is evocative of the care family members take of each other. Moreover, although
the DA is also a student grouping, it is vital to see how it is distinctively different from Gryffindor;
unlike the distinctive traits of the school Houses, DA members are of different ages and come from
different backgrounds, as well as from three out of four of the Houses, Slytherin being the
exception. For that reason, since they are not bound together by similar personalities, the members'
informed choices to join the group is the very basis of the DA's commitment. Choice is what binds
the members together. Nevertheless, unlike the strong, almost hereditary family bond that seems so
essential in uniting the student Houses, the bond between the members of Dumbledore's Army is
more delicate, a fact of which Hermione is well aware, as she hexes the membership register, signed
by all members, so that, if someone betrays their secret, the DA can easily find out who was the
traitor. In designing this document, Hermione betrays a certain lack of confidence in the
trustworthiness of the students, a distrust that eventually proves to be founded, as one of the
members is forced to give up their secret meeting place. At the same time, however, the occasional
fragility of the affiliation pales when compared to the bond of trust forged between the group's core
members, as is unequivocally demonstrated in their cooperation at the Ministry of Magic (Order
836), fighting off Death Eaters at Hogwarts (Prince 706) and taking up arms against Voldemort and
his followers during the Battle of Hogwarts (Hallows 639). Ultimately, the DA prompts in Harry, as
well as Neville and many of the others, a confidence in others that was absent before. In contrast to
the previous years, Harry's teaching the DA members how to use defensive spells teaches him that
others might, in fact, be able to help him. Everything considered, it follows that Dumbledore's Army
is indeed a family, in that it is a group of unrelated young people with a common cause, tied
together not only by their choices, but also by their bonds of mutual trust and the protective
fondness they show for one another.
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Finally, also in the fifth novel, Harry is introduced to the Order of the Phoenix, yet another
organization with a common goal: the Order members all share the desire to fight off Voldemort's
increasing power and, ultimately, to defeat him. The difference with Gryffindor and the DA,
however, is that Order membership is restricted to those wizards who have come of age, the
reasoning being that, whereas students are supposed to stay safe at school, the members of the
Order have to risk their lives on an almost daily basis. As follows, the Order is less like a family
than the other two groupings, not only because its military purposes do overshadow interpersonal
relationships, but also because its membership has an age limit and is, in that respect, far from
unconditional. Nonetheless, the Order of the Phoenix is still a group of choice within which loyalty
is based purely on the decision its members make to join; though not unrestricted, Order
membership is always optional. Finally, because the Order, like the DA, is bound together by
choice, the bond of trust between its members is both more fragile and more important. Its fragility
stems from the fact that Order members all come from different backgrounds and have contrasting
personalities, yet the bond is also more significant, as they put their lives in each other's hands. The
Order of the Phoenix, in short, draws its power both from the incredibly powerful magic performed
by its adult members and from the unconditional loyalty and trust between them, all of which serve
as reminders of the loyalty and trust that unite a family.
In conclusion, each of these family groups to which Harry belongs consists of unrelated
individuals, bound together by a common cause, forming a purposeful collective round their
“family theme” (Kornfeld & Prothro 193). Gryffindor students are brave heroes in the making, DA
members want to learn how to protect themselves and others from dark magic, and the Order of the
Phoenix defies official rules and regulations in their mission to defeat the Dark Lord. All in all,
these organizations show that one of the strongest foundations upon which to found a familial
connection of choice is that of the common cause, as only that, combined with the choice made to
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join, gives each and every one of its members a sound reason to show loyalty to and trust in the
others, working together to ensure the survival of the family group of choice.
Family of Choice: a Labour of Love
In the end, it has become clear that Harry Potter's substantial family underlines within the story
those generic values that are central in family life, upholding its own commitment to the
interdependent relationship that unites non-relatives and makes them into a family. The values
portrayed in the story, ranging from open-minded acceptance of others to unquestioning support and
protection of one's kin, eventually all come down to the same ideal, namely that the essence of
family is unconditional love. Demonstrating this absolute love and faith, all characters involved
show that any family of choice rests on the mutual support its members offer one another. From the
instinctual commitment between Harry and Ron to the momentous allegiance between the members
of the Order of the Phoenix, the mutually beneficial nature of these relations of choice reinforces
their very existence. Ultimately, Harry's family of choice is made by labours of love, that is to say
that, without ever asking for anything in return, its members offer unconditional loyalty, protection
and support.
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III. Conclusion
To sum up, the overall image of family life and its implications on gender in Harry Potter,
especially as they demonstrate Rowling's skilful blend of tradition and innovation, eventually boils
down to a story in which set structures and fate are always the point of departure, and where the
characters' free will allows the supplementation and completion of that first, basic impression.
Harry Potter: the Family story
Where the Harry Potter family story is concerned, it is undeniable that “[w]hile in descriptive terms
Rowling falls readily into caricature […], in emotional terms she is both understanding and caring”
(Eccleshare 95). The traditional appearance of and the sympathetic addition to Harry Potter's family
story are, in fact, two sides of the same coin. Instead of having a countervailing effect, the
superficially burlesque description and its compassionate subsurface story are, in fact,
complementary in how they allow the construction of a story that is recognizable and enticing, yet
without being alienating.
With regard to the traditional traits of Rowling's depiction of family life, it is clear that each
of its members incorporates such qualities as to make them instantly recognizable to all who are
familiar with the basic conventions of children's literature. Harry's biological family, first of all, is
an undeniable presence in the story that forms the basis of his identity; the orphaned protagonist is a
hero because he is the Potters' son, and an empathetic one for having grown up with his terrible
aunt. Next, father figures, on the one hand, stand tall as they occupy the most visible posts within
the story, assisting their son by giving him advice on how to deal with his problems, especially as
they relate to his adventures. Mother figures, on the other hand, are much more subtle characters
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than their male counterparts, since their general task consists of taking care of the children, cooking
for them and making sure that they stay safe and healthy. Finally, the construction of a family of
choice shows the literary convention of same-age children bonding over schoolwork and emotional
distress, disregarding their parents' rules and having their own adventures. All in all, these
traditional aspects of the story are not easily ignored, as they form the very basis of family life in
Harry Potter. The series is therefore an outstanding example of how “[i]t is impossible to be
phenomenal without conforming to conventionality” (Zipes 2002: 175). Making the unknown,
magical world recognizable, utilizing tradition is Rowling's way of beginning a family story,
allowing the construction of an elaborate family in which tradition is only the point of departure.
Rooted in those institutionalized features, Harry Potter's family expands, reconciling the set
image of the nuclear family with a modern conception of the family as a group who is bound by
love and choice, meaning that, as Harry's family grows, the bonds between its members tighten.
Harry's relatives, first of all, serve as examples in his life, not only where the pleasing family
similarities are concerned, but also as their behaviour underlines their own defects. These
shortcomings are important incentives for Harry to become more critical of his family background,
giving him the opportunity to become something more than a mere replica of his relatives.
Secondly, Harry's fathers are, though traditional in their standing within the story, novel in their
close involvement in his life. As they give Harry advice, their role often transcends the purely
consultatory, at times even becoming emotional, especially as they share information about their
own past. Thirdly, the mothers of Harry Potter are all remarkable persons, in that they are
independent and powerful women who combine their personal pursuits with their maternal
responsibilities. Finally, while a conventional family of choice already resembles the relationship
between siblings in a natural family, Harry Potter's family of choice is exceptional in that their bond
is extremely strong, surpassing its functionality beyond their adventures. Instead of disbanding and
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going back home when their adventures are over, Harry and his friends take the concept of a family
of choice to a whole new level, consolidating their consent relations by marrying and having
children within the group, thus creating a new natural family that is bound by both consent and
descent relations. In the end, this means that the overall foundation of innovative families in Harry
Potter is not a harsh departure from the known, comfortable domestic ideal. Rather, Harry's family
is pulled together even closer, as fathers get involved in the children's lives, mothers become more
fully developed, realistic persons, and siblings of choice become a permanent part of the family.
In conclusion, family in Harry Potter is as much a caricature of traditional roles as it is an
open-minded reinterpretation of those roles. Using a conventional form as the basis for her family
story, Rowling depicts an intricate picture in which the additions of surrogate parents and family of
choice deepen the sympathetic relationships that exist within a family. All in all, what makes the
story so remarkable is, without a doubt, that “[t]he Harry Potter books are so full of love they burn
us when we touch them; it is in their very skin” (Billone 199). Whether talking about Harry's
biological family or surrogate relatives, love is always the foundation upon which the family's
relationship is built.
Gendered parental roles
Where the issue of gender is concerned, the functions and mentalities of Harry's biological
and surrogate parents demonstrates how the novels are not simply “formulaic and sexist” by
reducing women to be silly subordinates (Zipes 2002: 171). instead, the story brings to light the
severity of stereotypes, as they regulate both male and female characters. What is most important to
keep in mind, therefore, is to see gender as “a relational term” (Nodelman & Reimer 160) which
refers not only to men and women, but also to the relationship between them. From that point of
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view, then, Harry's fathers are at least as problematic as his mothers; fathers problematize
stereotypical maleness by behaving indecently, mothers by surpassing their clearly delineated,
gendered roles. Moreover, some characters embody such an equally divided amount of male and
female characteristics as to make them become androgynous. In short, gender restrictions in Harry
Potter are examined by underlining both the defects of stereotypical maleness and the shallowness
of conventional femininity, as well as by occasionally blending the two genders into one character.
Firstly, the portrayal of male characters in the Harry Potter series is especially problematic
in the way they do conform to stereotypical masculinity. In particular, Harry's fathers draw attention
to the stereotypes because of their complex and ambiguous characterization. Conform to tradition,
first of all, they take on the more standard role of the male advisory figure who is an important
source of information about the outside world. Moreover, they also exemplify the gendered
conception that “boys are wild things again and again” (Nodelman & Reimer 166); from Hagrid's
love of wild creatures to Snape's love of dark magic, Harry's fathers all follow their own paths,
disregarding rules and regulations along the way. In their spontaneity, it seems that fathers are
always “wiser, braver, more powerful, and more fun than females” (Heilman 223). It is, however,
also their male wildness that problematizes the men's situation within the story. Specifically, rather
than being outstanding male figures of authority, the men's faults, from a strong tendency to break
the rules to a confusion of good and evil, serve as negative examples to Harry, showing him how
not to lead his life. This problematization of male authority in the story brings to light how, in
reinforcing “the idea that masculinity is natural […] books about boys do, in fact, reinforce ideas
about maleness” (Nodelman & Reimer 166). Using Harry's reaction against the behaviour of his
fathers, Rowling highlights in what ways their conduct is improper, thus aggrandizing the otherwise
subtle nature of male stereotyping. In short, the overall characterization of father figures in Harry
Potter uses the men's masculine behaviour to question stereotypical maleness.
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Next, with regard to the depiction of female characters, the story is again a combination of
stereotype and subversion. Whereas the women in the story are most often seen occupying caring,
feminine roles, a closer look at Harry's mothers has proven that their roles do not exclude the fact
that they are, at heart, ardently independent figures. Firstly, the fact that the women in Harry's life
can be identified as maternal figures, cooking food and protecting the children, corroborates the
prevalent image of “women [as] the primary caretakers of children” (Nodelman & Reimer 165).
Moreover, as this paradigm of care is extended beyond the maternal circle, women are assigned the
more general, yet still stereotypical function of “helpers, enablers and instruments” to the hero and
his friends (Schoefer n.p.); from Molly Weasley's food to Hermione Granger's knowledge, it seems
that the women in Harry's life primarily serve to promote his quest. This functional presence,
however, is not the only role of the women in Harry Potter, for magical females are so much more
than mothers. “[E]employed in a variety of positions”, witches' functions range from stay-at-home
mothers to high-ranking teachers and officials (Liedl 260). What is more, the powerful magic they
can perform shows them to be fierce warriors with personal agendas, evoking the image of the
modern woman who strives to build a career for herself. All in all, Rowling's female characters have
both traditional and modern mannerisms in them, demonstrating together how an otherwise
stereotypical role can go hand in hand with a subversive and self-governing personality.
Thirdly, before concluding this discussion of gender, it has to be noted that, while the story's
male and female characters each have their singular ways of transforming stereotypes, a third class
can sometimes be distinguished: characters who incorporate both masculine and feminine traits.
With Hagrid as a maternal figure, for example, behaviour that is normally considered to be feminine
is poured into a male character. The characterization of Hermione, too, is androgynous, as she is of
a gentle and caring nature, but also, when the circumstances require it, a tenacious fighter.
Eventually, this fusion of male and female characteristics can also be found in Harry, as well as, to a
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lesser extent, characters such as Dumbledore and Mrs Weasley, all of whom have both
compassionate and adamant sides to their personality. In short, some of the characters in Harry
Potter, including, but not limited to, Hagrid, Hermione and Harry, unite the best of both genders.
What they bring to light, above all, is the compatibility of those heterogeneous characteristics,
evidencing the fundamental difference between and interchangeability of gendered mannerisms and
biological sex.
In conclusion, the relational application of gender to the story of Harry Potter has come to
show how gender stereotypes concern men, as well as women. As to the question whether
Rowling's overall representation of gender is innovative or stereotypical, a valid assessment would
be to say that “Rowling inscribes this question within her stories themselves” (Billone 198).
Starting out with stereotypical descriptions of the positions men and women occupy in the
wizarding world, the deeper truth of the characters underlines how every one of them, men and
women alike, has his or her way of deviating from the formulaic, whether by exaggerating
conventions or by rejecting them. In short, J. K. Rowling combines, over and over again, tradition
and innovation, creating a complex picture of the issue of gender that shows innumerable
possibilities for both men and women.
A Choice Story: Exceeding Expectations
Family tradition and innovation, gender stereotype and subversion, it eventually all comes down to
one time-honoured duality, namely the duality between fate and free will. Even from the finite
scope of this paper, that is, the construction of family life, it has become clear that both
predetermination and choice are present in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and that they have become
interdependent concepts. Specifically, fate forms the basis upon characters can choose to build.
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Present in aspects of the story such as the prophecy, family resemblances and the prearranged makeup of parental roles, fate is found not only in straightforward predetermination, but also in aspects
of the story such as genetic heritage and gendered positions. Providence, such as it is portrayed in
Harry Potter, determines the key features of a character's identity, from their innate personality
traits to their function in the story. However, fate's influence on life, being very much similar to the
way literary tradition influences a story, consists of paving the way for personal creativity and selfgovernment. In other words, fate initiates a course of action, a personality, a role, but allows those
to be diversified by the character in question, so that he or she can choose to outstrip mediocrity.
Choice is what allows characters to become distinguished persons with an personalized identity.
From Harry's choosing to sidestep some of his family resemblances to his surrogate parents'
subverting gender roles and the formation of a close family of choice, all members of Harry Potter's
family make their own choices in life, becoming who they are, not just because of fate, but also
because those choices. In conclusion, Rowling's Harry Potter series is an intricate web of
connections between convention and transformation, cliché and change, all because the characters
are given the opportunity to expand their lives beyond the ordinary, making choices as they go.In
line with Nietzsche's theory, Harry Potter is a story in which “free will is attainable within the
limits of personal fate”; characters are allowed to make their own choices, “rather than remaining
passively average” (Pond 196). Through their choices, Rowling's characters can distinguish
themselves, becoming more than what their predetermined self would have been, exceeding
expectations. It is, in short, this ability to reconcile fate and free will, accepting the one and
demanding the other, that makes Rowling's family of characters so exceptional.
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IV. Works cited
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Rowling, Joanne. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury: 2000. Print.
Rowling, Joanne. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London: Bloomsbury. 2003. Print.
Rowling, Joanne, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. London: Bloomsbury. 2005. Print.
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