James Potter

Biographical Facts

Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact - but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers -"
   -- Professor McGonagall (PA10)

c. 1960 - 1981

James Potter was born c.1960 (CR) of a Wizarding family. He inherited quite a fortune (AOL). James was probably the only son in that family (OP6). While at Hogwarts (c. 1971-1978) James made quite a name for himself. He was a brilliant student who became Head Boy in his last year. He was one of the the ringleaders of a group of mischievous students and was seldom seen without his best friend, Sirius Black, by his side (PA10). One of his accomplishments, although unknown to most people at the time, was to become an Animagus, quite a feat for an underage wizard. He did this because another of his dearest companions, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf. In animal form, all of the group of friends could join Lupin in adventures around the countryside once a month when he had transformed.

A fellow student, Severus Snape, hated James. (Sirius Black and Remus Lupin have indicated to Harry that they attributed this to jealousy over James' talent at Quidditch (PA18) and envy in general of James' popularity and cleverness (OP29).) Snape followed James and his friends around, trying to find reasons to report them and get them into trouble. James and his friends were dismissive and sometimes downright cruel to Snape (OP28). Severus eventually figured out that Lupin's secret whatever it was, involved a trip through the secret tunnel under the Whomping Willow, and was convinced by Black to go in and find out. Snape would have been killed by the werewolf - or at best been bitten and become a werewolf himself - if James hadn't warned him at the last moment. James therefore saved Snape's life, a fact which angered and annoyed Snape for years afterwards.

At Hogwarts, James met Lily Evans, a witch of Muggle parentage, who was also quite a brilliant student. At first she would have nothing to do with James, who was somewhat arrogant (OP28). Eventually the two became a couple and by the time they were seventh years, they were Head Boy and Girl. Lily and James were married straight out of Hogwarts (c. 1979) and had a son, Harry, on July 31, 1980. James and Lily were strongly loyal to Dumbledore in the fight against Voldemort. They were members of the Order of the Phoenix and fought against the Dark Lord (OP). When Voldemort became aware of the prophesy concerning a baby born at the end of July of 1980, they became a particular target of the Dark Lord, and they went into hiding in 1981, in a place called Godric's Hollow. They used the Fidelius Charm to hide themselves, but the person they chose as Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew, was actually a spy for Voldemort and betrayed them. On October 31, 1981, Voldemort came to Godric's Hollow and apparently killed James and Lily.

James owned an invisibility cloak, inherited from his own father as a family heirloom (AOL), which fell into Dumbledore's possession after he died. Dumbledore passed the cloak on to Harry Potter on December 25, 1991, with a note saying that he thought it was time for Harry to have it and to use it well (SS12).

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