The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter

by Tere Stouffer

  • Wicca: A religion characterized by nature worship and the practice of witchcraft. The term originates from the Old English wicce, meaning sorcerer. Although Wicca is never mentioned in Harry Potter’s magical world, those who attempt to ban the novels from schools often say they base their actions on the fear of their children turning to Wicca.

  • Pureblood: In the wizarding world, this term refers to a wizard born of two wizarding parents, who themselves were born of two wizarding parents, and so on. Only a few wizarding families are pureblood, meaning generation upon generation of wizards have never married a Muggle or anyone with a Muggle anywhere in the family. (At least, not that they admit to.) The term originates from purebred, which refers to a type of plant or animal (most commonly, a dog—for example, a Labrador retriever) that belongs to a single breed (also called a bloodline), generation after generation, without mixing with other breeds or with mixed breeds. Each breed shows specific characteristics; for example, Labradors are athletic, playful, loyal dogs who love to eat.

  • Half-blood: In the wizarding world, this is a wizard with one wizard parent and one Muggle parent, or anyone who has even one drop of nonmagical blood in his or her lineage. Most wizards are considered half-blood, a phrase commonly used to denote a relationship through a single parent—in other words, although you are fully related to your siblings, you are related to your cousins on your mom’s side only through half-blood (that is, only through your mother). The term is antiquated today. A similar—and terribly pejorative—term is half-breed, which refers to children of parents of different ethnicities, especially when one parent is Native American and the other is of European descent.

  • Squib: A Squib is a child born into a wizarding family who just doesn’t have it—no magical powers at all. By definition, a squib is a witty essay or lampoon, which is likely where the word originated: Squibs are considered a bit of a joke in the wizarding world.

  • Muggle: Someone without magical powers. The word’s origin likely comes from the British slang mug, which means a victim or dupe. Several years ago, Nancy Stouffer (no relation to the author of this book!), author of The Legend of Rah and the Muggles, sued J.K. Rowling over the term Muggle. The case was eventually dismissed.

  • Mudblood: A pejorative term for a Muggle-born wizard (that is, with two Muggle parents); it comes from the equally pejorative dirty blood, which is the opposite of pureblood.

  • Magic: What wizards do; using potions or spells to manipulate a situation, control an outcome, and/or overcome the laws of nature. Often spelled magick in folktales and literature. The word originates from the Greek magikos, or “of the Magi”; the Magi were wise religious men, three of whom were said to have visited the baby Jesus upon his birth.

  MAGIC TALE

  According to Rowling, magic leaves "traces,” which means that the potion or spell of a wizard will have the mark of that wizard. This means that if the rest of the wizarding world is paying attention, no one can get away with using a potion or casting a spell without others knowing from whom it originated.

  • Potion: In the Muggle world, a potion is a drink or medicine of some sort, although it tends to have magical overtones. Derived from the Latin potio, meaning “to drink,” in the wizarding world, this is something a wizard mixes together, usually in a cauldron. The components of a potion include herbs, stones, and parts of creatures (eyes, tails, hearts, feathers, and so on). See Chapter 10 for information on herbs and Chapter 11 for more on potions.

  • Spell: In the wizarding world, spell, charm, jinx, hex, curse all mean virtually the same thing: something said by a wizard, with the help of a wand, that results in magic being done to an object, creature, or other person. Chapter 12 defines the most common spells and discusses the etymology of all of these wizarding terms.

  • Dark Side: Just like the Dark Side in the Star Wars movies, this is the bad side; the side you don’t want to be on; and the side you don’t want to run into when alone in an alley. Also called the Dark Force and the Dark Order. The term “sorcery” in literature and folklore has often implied the use of Dark Magic, although that is not the case in Harry Potter’s wizarding world.

  • Dark Wizards: In the wizarding world, these are wizards who are on the Dark Side.

  • Dark Magic: In the wizarding world, the type of magic practiced by Dark Wizards, including the Unforgivable Curses (see Chapter 12). Dark Magic is deeper than simple magic that can annoy or even defraud someone; instead, it has evil intentions that start with a desire to frighten people, manipulate them, or even control them, and eventually involves desires for absolute power, world domination, and immortality. Dark Wizards, like evil people in any world, possess a general distain for human life. Dark Magic and black magic (a term not used in Rowling’s novels) are one and the same.

  • Death Eaters: Dark Wizards who have committed their lives to the cause of Lord Voldemort (see the following section). Because they believe they can achieve immortality, these wizards are trying to “eat death.”

  • The Order of the Phoenix: Lest you believe that only Dark Wizards are organized, a group of good wizards and Aurors (see Chapter 15) has twice convened to form The Order of the Phoenix. This group’s mission is to stop Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort from gaining control of the wizarding world. See Chapter 2 for more on the legendary phoenix and its presence in both the wizarding world and Muggle folktales.

  Who Who’s in the Wizarding World

  Although this book is not intended to offer plot summaries or character sketches from the Harry Potter novels, you’ll need to be familiar with some key characters, and along the way, you’ll discover a bit about their backgrounds, name origins, and the like.

  Albus Dumbledore

  Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore is a very famous wizard in Harry Potter’s magical world, eclipsed only by Harry himself and Lord Voldemort. However, even if others are a tad more famous, Dumbledore is recognized as the most powerful wizard of his time.

  Professor Dumbledore is a deeply complex character; he delights in candy, games, and jokes, but takes on the most evil wizard of all time.

  As Headmaster of Hogwarts, he grows to love Harry, but he keeps valuable information from him, the lack of which causes Harry great pain.

  Rowling is said to have used the last name Dumbledore because it is an Old English word meaning bumblebee, and she envisioned the aging headmaster buzzing and humming around Hogwarts Castle. His first names are interesting as well:• Albus is Latin for “white,” which is the opposite of “black” or “dark.” From the get-go, Dumbledore is identified as one of the good guys.

  • Wulfric was the name of a twelfth century saint who, upon meeting a homeless man in the street, gave up his career and fortune, took up the life of a hermit, and became a deeply holy man.

  • Percival was a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table; son of King Pellinore and companion to Galahad on the quest for the Holy Grail. Some have suggested that this name also may allude to “pierce the veil” (veil meaning death), possibly alluding to an ability to return from the dead.

  • Plain-sounding Brian is a Celtic name meaning strong, fitting for the most powerful wizard of his age.

  KING’S ENGLISH

  One of Dumbledore’s titles is Supreme Mugwump, which is ironic, because "mugwump” is a decidedly North American, not British, term. To the Algonquian Native American, it meant "great chief,” and that term likely applies to Dumbledore’s resumé. But in 1884, the term was used derisively in the United States to denote Republicans who supported the Democratic presidential candidate. Throughout the rest of that century in American politics, the term came to describe a traitor or turncoat, a politician who waffled on an issue, and someone who’s minor position of authority caused him to become obnoxiously self-important. Dumbledore fits none of the latter descriptions.

  Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort

  Tom Riddle, although a handsome, exceptional wizard many years ago at Hogwarts, tended to frighte
n, rather than befriend, most people. As he got older, Riddle set out to create a world of pureblood wizards (which is interesting, given that he himself was not of pure blood … he is, indeed, a riddle!). As he gained power, Tom created the name Lord Voldemort for himself, a name that represents three French words: vol (theft), de (of), and mort (death)—“theft of death”—which is another way to say “immortal.” In the second Harry Potter novel, Rowling also shows us that “I am Lord Voldemort” is an anagram of “Tom Marvolo Riddle,” his full name.

  In an attempt to gain immortality, Voldemort created horcruxes (see Chapter 13), in which he stored pieces of his soul. The idea was that even if his physical body were killed, he could still live. This is why, although he was nearly killed when his curse against Harry Potter bounced back at him, he was able to survive. Through the use of magic, he slowly regained human form, first by cohabitating the body of another person, and later by taking on his own human form, although he appears much more snakelike than human throughout this process. (See Chapter 16 for the final word on Lord Voldemort and what his intentions are.)

  Because of his great power—and the fear his power instills—Lord Voldemort is often referred to as “You-Know-Who” and “He-Who-Must -Not-Be-Named.” Even evil wizards who work for Voldemort abstain from using his name, calling him the Dark Lord.

  MAGIC TALE

  When Lord Voldemort inhabits another human being, that person has two faces, with Voldemort’s looking out the back of the head. The Roman god Janus (for whom the month of January is named) had similar features—two faces, with one in the front of the head (the usual position), and one in back. In fact, it’s from Janus that we get the term two-faced, meaning one who lies or tells contradictory information to two different people (that is, each "face” tells a different story).

  Voldemort is, in essence, the leader of the Dark Wizards. Like Hitler’s campaign to put Aryan Germans in charge and eradicate those of Jewish descent, Voldemort is a demagogue, appealing to the emotions of pureblood wizards, touting the idea of purifying the wizarding community by putting purebloods in charge and somehow getting rid of those born to Muggle parents. Pureblood wizards, who fear changes in their world, tap into that emotion and are persuaded to do evil.

  Harry Potter

  What better name for a common, ordinary boy than “Harry Potter”? A “potter’s field” is, in fact, a cemetery in which people of unknown identity or the very poor are buried. Although a hero in the wizarding world, Harry is as common as dust in the Muggle world; Harry is overshadowed by his spoiled bully of a cousin, Dudley Dursley, who, like his parents, wants nothing more than to be ordinary.

  Harry’s story is a tantalizing one to young readers, who are at an age when it is normal to wish for and hope to be reunited with a powerful, wealthy blood relative living in a distant land. Centuries of folk and fairy tales tell the tale of a child ripped from the arms of a loving and powerful king or queen (or other respected person), “adopted” by ordinary people (used for slave labor is more like it—the orphan is usually treated badly), and eventually reunited with his or her true family (or loved by someone of similar rank). Cinderella, anyone? Harry’s story contains many elements of this typical folk and fairy tale.

  Harry, someone who is utterly invisible in his world, is, in another world, a hero, a sports star, and a savior. He simply needs to find his place, as do most children and middle-grade readers.

  MAGIC TALE

  Harry’s story, although utterly unique in its details of the wizarding world, follows typical heroes’ journeys in mythology and folklore, in which heroes are destined to save something (the country, the princess, civilization as we know it) and must overcome great odds (not the least of which is their own lack of skills, abilities, and confidence) to achieve that end. In the process, the heroes are themselves changed, from a boy into a man. They then return home a hero, as every Harry Potter reader hopes he will.

  Hermione Granger

  Every hero has a sidekick, and Harry has two of them: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley (see the following section). Hermione is Muggle-born (her parents are, believe it or not, dentists), and she is an only child. That the name Hermione (her-MY-oh-nee) is from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale (many believe Shakespeare’s inspiration for the name was from Helen of Troy’s daughter in Greek mythology; the name stems from the name of the Greek god Hermes) says more about her parents and their desire to impress people with their daughter’s literary name than it does about Hermione as a character. Hermione, too, is extremely intelligent; Harry ranks her as one of the best wizards to ever study at Hogwarts.

  The Weasleys

  The Weasley family is a pureblood family that lives simply, in a house they call The Burrow. Unlike other pureblood families, they do not use their influence or magical abilities to manipulate others, enhance their wealth, or gain power. The Weasleys are all exceptional wizards and students; all have red hair, fair skin, and freckles; and all are loyal to Professor Dumbledore and against Lord Voldemort.

  The word “weaselly” means to avoid commitment or responsibility, which doesn’t fit the family per se, but that definition would match the opinion of many other pureblood families, who find the Weasleys’ friendships with both Muggle-borns and half-blood wizards to be a betrayal.

  Rubeus Hagrid

  Part wizard and part giant, Rubeus Hagrid is a large, yet gentle man, standing head and shoulders above his peers, but often seen knitting or tending to orphaned magical creatures. He is Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, has taught Care of Magical Creatures, and was the first person at Hogwarts with whom Harry had contact. They remain good friends.

  Rubeus is Latin for something produced from a bramble or thicket, which fits Rowling’s description of Hagrid as “wild.” Hagrid may come from the term “haggard” (or “hagard”), which also means wild, untamed, and unruly.

  Cedric Diggory

  The only student to have died in Rowling’s novels, Cedric Diggory is portrayed as an exceptional student, wizard, and person. He died because he arrived unexpectedly during one of Lord Voldemort’s plots to get to Harry Potter.

  Pronounced SED-rick, Cedric is a common Welsh name that appears in both Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Little Lord Fauntleroy (although Cedric was a bit of a sissy in the latter novel).

  But the last name has an interesting heritage: the professor in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is Digory Kirke. When Digory was a young boy, he traveled with his friend Polly to Narnia, where he picked an apple that he brought back to save his dying mother. The seeds from that apple grew a tree from which the wardrobe was made.

  The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

  It was likely not without intention that Rowling used the name “Black” for this wizard family, obsessed with their pure blood and turning to the Dark Side to protect the wizarding world from the effects of Muggles intermarrying wizards. “Black” and “Dark” go hand in hand. Here are the key players in the Black family:• Sirius Black: Best friends with James Potter while at Hogwarts and godfather to Harry, Sirius had a rather tragic life. Sirius is the name of a prominent star, the Dog Star, which is fitting, given that Sirius has the ability to shapeshift into a black dog. Sirius is the brightest star in our sky.

  • Regulus Black: Sirius’s younger brother, who turned to the Dark Side and was killed by Voldemort, possibly while trying to do something heroic. Like his brother, Regulus’s name is also that of a star—the Lion Star or Lion’s Heart, the twenty-first brightest star in the sky. The star Regulus is known as the guardian (regulator) of the skies.

  • Narcissa Black Malfoy: Sirius’s cousin; sister to Bellatrix and Andromeda; married to Lucius Malfoy. She is not so much evil as afraid. Her name comes from the Greek mythological figure, Narcissus, who becomes obsessed with his own reflection; this is where we get the word narcissist, a person who is obsessed with him- or herself.

  • Bellatrix Black Lestrange: Sirius�
�s cousin; sister to Narcissa and Andromeda; married to Rodolphus Lestrange. She is definitely evil. Bellatrix is Latin for female warrior—and warrior she is, having killed many people. Lestrange is le (French for “the”) + strange (foreign, uncommon, or bizarre).

  • Andromeda Black Tonks: Sirius’s cousin; sister to Narcissa and Bellatrix; married to a Muggle, Ted Tonks; mother of Nymphadora Tonks, an Auror (see Chapter 15 for more on Aurors). She is not evil in the least. Like Sirius and Regulus, Andromeda is an astronomical term: a constellation (or group of stars) between Cassiopeia and Pisces. It is named for a princess from Greek mythology.

  The Malfoys

  Like the Blacks, the Malfoys are a powerful wizarding family obsessed with their pureblood heritage. Malfoy is French for “bad faith” (mal is bad; foy is faith).• Draco Malfoy: Draco (DRAY-koh) was the name of a seventh century B.C.E. Athenian politician—the over-the-top harsh code of laws attributed to him is where we get the word Draconian. Because dragons were monsters with many characteristics of serpents, the word dragon is derived from that Latin word for snake or serpent (draco), and the Latin has now also come to take on the meaning of “dragon.” But Draco’s name is not, per se, derived from the word “dragon”; instead, Draco Malfoy comes from a long line of wizards who were trained in Slytherin house, the symbol of which is the snake.