A—Albus Dumbledore: (Played by Richard Harris in the first two films, Harris died some time after the second film and the part was played in the subsequent films by Michael Gambon.) Birth name: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. A great wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood and for his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.
“He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.”
B—Broom: Common transportation of witches and wizards, available in a variety of sizes and models. Harry rides a Nimbus 2000 (1991–3) and a Firebolt (1994–97).
C—Crucius Curse: One of the “Unforgivable Curses,” this spell causes the victim to suffer almost intolerable pain. Some victims of prolonged use of this curse have been driven insane. A victim of this curse is said to have been Cruciated.
D—Deatheaters: Followers of “The Darklord.”
Dementors: “Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can’t see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself . . . soul-less and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life.” —Remus Lupin, Hogwarts professor/werewolf
E—Expecto Patronum: [ex-pek-toh pa-troh-num] Conjures a Patronus, a silvery phantom shape, usually that of an animal, which is the embodiment of the positive thoughts of the caster. A Patronus will drive away Dementors. Harry’s Patronus is a stag (like his father’s). Hermione’s Patronus is an otter. Ron’s Patronus is a Jack Russell terrier, and Dumbledore’s Patronus is a phoenix.
F—Fawkes the Phoenix: Dumbledore’s beloved pet bird whose tears have magical healing properties. Harry was healed by Fawkes’ tears on several occasions. The phoenix has crimson feathers on its body and a golden tail as long as a peacock’s. Its claws and beak are gleaming gold and its eyes are black. (These colors happen to be the colors of Gryffindor House, interestingly.)
G—Ginny Weasley: (played by Bonnie Wright) Younger sister of Harry’s best friend Ron.
H—Harry James Potter: (played by Daniel Radcliff) Son of James and Lily Potter who were murdered by Voldemort when Harry was a baby. The spell that killed Harry’s parents was meant to kill Harry as well but failed. He became known as “The boy who lived” because he is the only known person to survive the Killing Curse. J.K. Rowling said, “I got the name Potter from people who lived down the road from me in Winterbourne. I liked the surname so I took it.”
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Where students go to study magic. Made up of three schools: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, named for three famous witches and wizards.
Horcruxes: The term “Horcrux” is used to refer to any object in which a person has concealed a part of his or her soul. Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Voldemort, became obsessed with avoiding death at a very young age. At some point during his early years at Hogwarts, despite the fact that the topic of Horcruxes was not part of the curriculum and was in fact banned at the school, Riddle learned of their existence.
Hermione Granger: [Her-MI-o-nee] (played by Emma Watson) The class bookworm and the smartest in her year, she befriends Harry and Ron in their first year at Hogwarts. She was also Muggle-born (her parents were dentists) Pet: a cat named Crookshanks. Harry and Ron owe a large part of their success to Hermoine because it is her research and knowledge that gets them out of many dangerous situations.
I—Invisibility Cloak: A cloak of silvery-grey material that, when worn, makes the covered parts of the wearer invisible. Harry inherited one from his father, which was given to him anonymously by Professor Dumbledore.
J—Joanne Kathleen “J.K.” Rowling: Mastermind of the Harry Potter series. For more on J.K. and a unique, interactive, web-browsing experience, visit jkrowling.com.
K—Killing Curses: Aveda Kadavraan—unforgivable curse that causes instant death in a flash of green light, usually leaving no sign of physical damage or of the cause of death detectable by Muggle autopsy.
L—Longbottom (Neville): (played by Matthew Lewis) Harry’s quiet, unpopular friend whose parents were also killed by Voldemort. His pet is a toad named Trevor and he has a knack at herbology. With Harry’s tutelage, Neville gained confidence and mastered quite a few Defense Against the Dark Arts spells, and he maintains a dignity that eventually makes him an effective leader.
M—Muggle: Someone who isn’t magical
Marauder’s Map: This magical map of Hogwarts Castle shows the entire castle and grounds of Hogwarts, including seven secret passages out of Hogwarts and into Hogsmeade. The map also shows the location of people. It would seem that people only appear on the map if there is some reason for them to be there. A little miniscule figure of Harry only appeared once he gained possession of the map and needed to use it. The map looks like a large but empty piece of old parchment until it is activated with the words “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” To clear the map, the phrase “Mischief managed” must be spoken.
N—Number 4 Privet Drive: The home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, their son Dudley and their nephew Harry Potter. Little Whinging is in Surrey, which is located to the south and southwest of London.
O—Occlumency: The art of magically defending the mind against external penetration, sealing it against magical intrusion and influence. Harry takes occlumency lessons from Professor Snape to prevent Voldemort from reading his mind.
P—Parseltongue: The language of snakes, which to a human who cannot speak it, sounds like hissing without taking a breath. A speaker of Parseltongue is referred to as a Parselmouth.
Q—Quidditch: The premier sport of the wizarding world, everyone follows Quidditch. Quidditch is a fast, dangerous, exciting game in which two teams flying on broomsticks compete for points scored by throwing a ball—the Quaffle—through hoops on either end of a large grassy pitch. Quidditch is played by kids on broomsticks in the back apple orchard, by teams of students at Hogwarts, and by professional athletes whose exploits are followed avidly all over the world. The World Cup matches attract hundreds of thousands of fans.
R—Ronald “Ron” Weasley: (played by Rupert Grint) Quidditch captain and Harry’s best friend whose family of nine, all with red hair and freckles, is considered one of the prominent wizarding families. His pet is Scabbers the rat.
S—Severus Snape: (played by Alan Rickman) The Half-blood Prince whose old spell book makes its way into Harry’s possession in Half-Blood Prince. Harry’s least favorite professor, Potions Master & Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts.
“a professor with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.”
T—Transfiguration: Magic that changes one object into another. It is possible to change inanimate objects into animate ones and vice versa. Some Transfiguration spells alter a part of something, such as changing a person’s ears from normal into rabbit ears.
“Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts.”—Professor Minerva McGonagall, first lecture to first-years.
U—Unforgivable Curses:
Imperius Curse: A curse that lets one control the thoughts and actions of someone else.
Crucius Curse: The torture curse.
Aveda Kedavra: The killing curse.
V—Voldemort: (played by Ralph Fiennes) The most evil wizard that ever lived. (a.k.a.: “Lord Voldemort,” “You-Know-Who,” “He Who Must Not Be Named,” “The Dark Lord”). Dumbledore says that Tom began using “Lord Voldemort” a few years after he began his schooling at Hogwarts.
W—Wand: Most human magic is done using a wand. It is possible to cast spells without using a wand, but for most wizards, results are unfocused.
“Wandlore is a complex and mysterious branch of magic.” —Mr. Ollivander, [Britain’s famous wandmaker whose shop, Ollivander’s (Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.) is located in Diagon Alley.]
“Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people’s.”—Hermione Granger
X— Xenophilius Lovegood: Father of Harry’s friend, Luna Lovegood, and editor of The Quibbler. Widdower. Questor after fantastical magical objects and creatures, inventor and collector of things that don’t quite work or aren’t exactly what he thinks they are. Unusually open-minded, to the point where The Quibbler is not taken seriously. (Xenophilius: derived from the word “xenophile,” denoting a person attracted to that which is foreign or alien)
Y—Yorkshire pudding: A dish of light, risen batter. It is often eaten with roast beef and it can be found around the joint of meat or served separately, in small ‘cakes’. It often has a soggy, sliceable middle, with highly crisped edges, and may be served as a savoury or sweet dish. It is eaten throughout Britain.
Z—Zonko’s: Though it closed in 1996, Zonko’s was for years a joke shop in Hogsmeade.
For more on the world of Harry Potter, visit hp-lexicon.org.
