James Potter: Harry's Father, from Marauder to Hero

For years Harry only heard that his father was a hero. James Potter was brilliant, brave and loyal, and also a teenager capable of humiliating someone out of boredom. The books show him whole, without hiding either side.

Who he is

James was born on March 27, 1960 and died on October 31, 1981 (Deathly Hallows, ch. 16). He was in Gryffindor, formed the Marauders with Sirius, Lupin and Pettigrew, and married Lily Evans. His wand was mahogany, eleven inches, "pliable, excellent for Transfiguration," says Ollivander (Philosopher's Stone, ch. 5).

He was an unregistered Animagus. He turned into a stag, hence his nickname, Prongs. He did it to keep Lupin company during full moons (Prisoner of Azkaban, ch. 18).

Key moments

• Philosopher's Stone, ch. 12: Harry receives the Invisibility Cloak that was his father's. Dumbledore had kept it until Harry was old enough to use it.
• Prisoner of Azkaban, ch. 10: the Marauder's Map reveals the nicknames of the four friends, including Prongs.
• Goblet of Fire, ch. 34: his shadow comes out of Voldemort's wand and tells Harry how to escape.
• Order of the Phoenix, ch. 28: in Snape's worst memory, James and Sirius hang him upside down in front of half the school. Harry finds out his father could be cruel.
• Deathly Hallows, ch. 34: he appears with the Resurrection Stone and tells Harry they will be beside him to the end.

Relationships

With Lily it started badly and ended well: at first she despised him as arrogant, and he grew up. With Sirius he had a brother's friendship. With Lupin and Pettigrew he shared secrets, and one of the two betrayed him.

With Snape the enmity started early and never healed. Snape hated James all his life, and Harry carries that hatred without having caused it.

What almost nobody notices

The last thing James did was stall Voldemort. Harry hears it through the Dementors: James tells Lily to take Harry and run, that he'll hold Voldemort off (Prisoner of Azkaban). It was not a fight with any chance. It was buying seconds.

The books don't turn him into a saint. Harry ends up understanding that his father was a good man who had to grow into being a better one.

To find out which house you'd be in among the Marauders, take the house quiz.