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Pub trivia – fun facts you didn't know about wizarding inns

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__Spoiler warning! There are some mild spoilers ahead – turn back now if you’re not familiar with the stories…__

## The Leaky Cauldron is the oldest pub in London

Despite what many [Muggles](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/muggles) think, the title of oldest pub in London goes to this well-loved wizarding establishment. Found on Charing Cross Road, the [Leaky Cauldron](/fact-file/locations/the-leaky-cauldron) was built in the 1500s – long before Charing Cross Road was even planned! Its true address is number one, [Diagon Alley](/fact-file/locations/diagon-alley).

## Muggles used to frequent the Leaky Cauldron

This wizarding institution wasn’t always a place that where only magical folk congregated. As it was built two centuries before the imposition of the International Statute of Secrecy, it was initially visible to Muggle eyes too. Muggles weren’t made to feel unwelcome or turned away. Having said that, thanks to the *interesting* conversations and even more *interesting* magical pets, many scarpered before finishing their mead.

![LeakyCauldron WB F1 SomeoneOutsideLeakyCauldron Illust 080615 Land](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5sxx5inySIAWsKA0gcuUEG/ca736eb81e715e092136f42c579a2719/LeakyCauldron_WB_F1_SomeoneOutsideLeakyCauldron_Illust_080615_Land.jpg)

## Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott lived above the Leaky Cauldron

In a turn of events that we find extremely adorable, after leaving [Hogwarts](/fact-file/locations/hogwarts) not only did [Neville](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/neville-longbottom) continue his passion for magical plants as [Herbology](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/herbology) professor, but he also married [Hufflepuff](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/hufflepuff), [Hannah Abbott](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/hannah-abbott-fact-file). The happy couple decided to make a home for themselves living above the one-and-only Leaky Cauldron.

## A pub was the headquarters of a rebellion

Although we never learnt which one it was, according to *Sites of Historical Sorcery*, one of the wizarding pubs in [Hogsmeade](/fact-file/locations/hogsmeade) was said to have been the headquarters of the 1612 [goblin](/fact-file/creatures/goblin) rebellion. Could it have been the [Hog’s Head Inn](/fact-file/locations/the-hogs-head) which was known for its dubious dealings and schemes? Or perhaps it was the cosiness of the [Three Broomsticks](/fact-file/locations/the-three-broomsticks) that convinced the goblins to make it their base?

![pottermore-moments-hp-b5-hogs-head-homepage-hero](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/2zygTLqXtChkWM7Asbbca3/14624eac244b6e0d0dd667458176dd1a/pottermore-moments-hp-b5-hogs-head-homepage-hero.jpg)

## The Hog’s Head Inn was run by a Dumbledore

While [Albus Dumbledore](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/albus-dumbledore) ran Hogwarts, just down the road his brother, [Aberforth Dumbledore](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/aberforth-dumbledore-fact-file), ran the Hog’s Head Inn. Crochety and a big fan of goats, he and his brother didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Ultimately, they were both extremely good people and Aberforth even helped the resistance at Hogwarts after Albus’ death – thanks to a secret passage that connected the [Room of Requirement](/fact-file/locations/the-room-of-requirement) to his pub.

## Sybill Trelawney made her infamous prediction at the Hog’s Head Inn

The Hog’s Head Inn was the location of many crucial story moments from the founding of [Dumbledore’s Army](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/dumbledores-army) to [Hagrid](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/rubeus-hagrid) winning a dragon egg in a game of cards. However, there was one particular moment that changed the course of wizarding history forever. On a gloomy night, Albus Dumbledore went to interview [Sybill Trelawney](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/sybill-trelawney) for the role of [Divination](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/divination) teacher. He was thoroughly unimpressed until, among the ramshackle décor and sticky floor, she made her prediction about the boy destined to end [Voldemort](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/lord-voldemort) and rid the world of his evil!

![pottermore-moments-three-broomsticks-homepage-hero](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/YvfQFf3Sc7Y1rQNcmqoKm/7278f0704d0a659047a66375127ed129/pottermore-moments-three-broomsticks-homepage-hero.jpg)

## Katie Bell was given the cursed opal necklace at The Three Broomsticks

Run by Madam Rosmerta, the Three Broomsticks was a warm and welcoming establishment in Hogsmeade. Yet Dark Magic still managed to worm its way in there in the form of the cursed opal necklace. Part of a clumsy attempt on Dumbledore’s life, [Gryffindor](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/gryffindor) Quidditch team member, [Katie Bell](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/katie-bell), took the necklace from the pub while under the influence of the [Imperius Curse](/fact-file/spells/the-imperius-curse) and narrowly escaped its deadly power.

## It wasn’t just witches and wizards who frequented the Three Broomsticks

Said to be as old as the only all-wizard village in Britain, the Three Broomsticks was a bit of a haven for all sorts of magical beings, such as hags, who couldn’t disguise themselves particularly well in the Muggle world. In fact, Ron and Hermione once thought they spotted an ogre!

Every quote to live by from your favourite witches

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Hermione wearing a red dress and smiling at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

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and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

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## The importance of keeping things in perspective

![HP-F1-philosophers-stone-hermione-charms-learning-classroom-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/qVjLFPXczR2mwGR54M1JK/5ffbc10854b90be415e66d18504a0f56/HP-F1-philosophers-stone-hermione-charms-learning-classroom-web-landscape)

‘Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery…’

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Hermione Granger: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

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Despite being known for her exceptional brain power, [Hermione](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/hermione-granger) also knew the importance of nurturing the other elements of her personality too. It’s a lesson she learnt in her first year after finding genuine friendship. It is also one that we could do with remembering too.

## Don’t be afraid to be bold

![HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-ginny-da-wand-determined-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/3yxtbUPaKL5YRyOXEmcss7/b5f3840e6afd0c2e76548570d0532593/HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-ginny-da-wand-determined-web-landscape)

‘…anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.'

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Ginny Weasley: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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If you don’t ask you don’t get! As [Ginny](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ginny-weasley) reminds us, if we shy away from a challenge, we’re never going to achieve our dreams. If we find our courage? Well, the world is our oyster.

## Be proud of who you are

![HP-F4-goblet-of-fire-mcgonagall-desk-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/71JqjFqxFPKBLmoFUGKYJD/22d4d28400d268c5d1382d675b5ce1ae/HP-F4-goblet-of-fire-mcgonagall-desk-web-landscape)

‘It’s high time your grandmother learned to be proud of the grandson she’s got, rather than the one she thinks she ought to have...’

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Minerva McGonagall: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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The no-nonsense [McGonagall](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/minerva-mcgonagall) was a witch worth listening to! It’s all too easy to get caught up in the comparison trap, trying to think about who you *should* be and feeling inadequate next to others. However, you are brilliant just the way you are. You are one-of-a-kind. If the Head of [Gryffindor](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/gryffindor) can see that – so can you.

## There is always hope

![HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-luna-da-room-of-requirement-casting-patronus-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5zrwB81bovDEUXWbMyCWia/26babee3a72e41ff8557681a28703f5a/HP-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-luna-da-room-of-requirement-casting-patronus-web-landscape)

‘The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect.’

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Luna Lovegood: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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When times are hard, it can be easy to give up hope and become despondent. Yet this poignant point from the wonderfully eccentric [Ravenclaw](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/ravenclaw) is a reminder that good days are on the horizon – even if we can’t quite see them yet.

## Don’t be afraid to dream big

![WB-HP-F7-hermione-reading-promo-crop](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7uWvZ2RIgkybj8J1lCs5RA/39672ce02de6ff4e27d39381deb3c05f/WB-HP-F7-hermione-reading-promo-crop.jpg)

‘I’m hoping to do some good in the world!’

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Hermione Granger: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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No matter who you are, you *can* make a difference. If you channel Hermione’s determination, we’re sure you will go on to do great and brilliant things.

## An excellent reminder

![HP-F5-molly-weasley-harry-potter-web-10744](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/1ugOAEKJsmxHxy7rDSEkO8/d6f828346ab08de9e2eb69ed086fdf71/weasley-quiz-title-.jpg)

‘A good first impression can work wonders.'

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Molly Weasley: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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A sage piece of advice from [Mrs Weasley](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/molly-weasley)! She might have said this to Harry before his [Ministry](/fact-file/locations/the-ministry-of-magic) hearing, but we think this is something that can be applied to many different areas of your life. From making friends to job interviews, things are always easier if you start off on the right foot.

## Do what is right, not what is easy

![WB-HP-F2-hermione-examining-potion-ingredients-with-cauldron-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/4L5hkIozTd68acqd3hpP2I/27590dc492caea34621b56bdd472e45b/WB-HP-F2-hermione-examining-potion-ingredients-with-cauldron-web-landscape.jpg)

‘Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine… I don’t want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion.’

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Hermione Granger: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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Hermione was the witch who once declared being expelled to be a fate worse than death. To hear her trying to convince [Harry](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/harry-potter) and [Ron](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ron-weasley) to break the rules was rather shocking. Yet she raises an extremely valuable point. Sometimes you need to push the boundaries to do what is right. Following the rules can only go so far – especially if those rules cause more harm than good. It can be hard to stand up and be counted but we should all try to do so.

## Protect what is important

![WB-HP-F8-professor-sprout-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/6PcDR4xjlhQ8xtErVUHYBc/198864f4ef4413d1ed6e50f91411088e/WB-HP-F8-professor-sprout-web-landscape.jpg)

‘I feel that if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open for that pupil.’

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Pomona Sprout: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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This was a brave statement from [Professor Sprout](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/pomona-sprout) in the wake of [Dumbledore’s](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/albus-dumbledore) death. [Hogwarts](/fact-file/locations/hogwarts) was so much more than a school. For many like Harry, it was a sanctuary and place they could call home. A place that should be protected. This is a sentiment we could all take on board. We should all work hard to take care of what, and who, is important to us.

## Don’t judge a book by its cover

![hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7L4Bw903CP5Rnv0MuCknWF/16abc8334d6185d0b8be2af4c5f93c45/hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape.jpg)

‘What do I care how ’e looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave!’

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Fleur Delacour: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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You might think glamorous and goodlooking [Fleur Delacour](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/fleur-delacour) would also be extremely vain. Yet she wasn’t. Filled with self-confidence, she didn’t judge her husband based on his appearance – she knew it was the content of his character that truly mattered. That attitude is one we think everyone should embody.

## Boundaries are good

![mcgonagall-web-header-wand](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/6J6heLMpK9Lee0eL8faPnj/18ebb3e1a6694c1ed440bf094b02a127/mcgonagall-web-headrer.jpg)

‘I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking.’

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Minerva McGonagall: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Quite right too! Don’t let anybody try to take your voice or diminish you. If someone tries to talk over you, channel your inner McGonagall and lay down the law – they’ll soon learn a valuable lesson.

Your birth month tells us your Harry Potter soulmate

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## January: The determined and dedicated Oliver Wood is your perfect match

![WB-HP-F1-philosophers-stone-oliver-wood-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7iJHeRIUbca989dspC4c2t/a8eae533de5cb364c2b8ef17aa39c857/WB-HP-F1-philosophers-stone-oliver-wood-web-landscape.jpg)

When considering your ideal partner, you don’t want someone who is afraid of commitment and isn’t willing to put the work in. You want someone who is going to give the relationship their all. This is why you and [Oliver Wood](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/oliver-wood) make a perfect pair. This [Gryffindor](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/gryffindor) proved his determination time and time again as [Quidditch](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/quidditch) Captain. He was always coming up with training techniques and drills to make the team better. Yes, some of his teammates might have complained about the early starts, but it didn’t put Oliver off… and it worked. That’s the type of dedication you admire.

## February: Your soulmate is the creative and eccentric Luna Lovegood

![WB-HP-F5-luna-lovegood-wears-spectrespecs-with-quibbler-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5jiVEF9rz3GdDt6go666da/6431193cd66631881320a9921f2913fe/WB-HP-F5-luna-lovegood-wears-spectrespecs-with-quibbler-web-landscape.jpg)

There is nothing that bores you more than blending into the crowd. From your curious insights to your wacky wardrobe, you march to the beat of your own drum. You are proud to celebrate your uniqueness, and you are looking for a partner that doesn’t shy away from their individuality too. This is why [Luna Lovegood](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/luna-lovegood) with her [Spectrespecs](/fact-file/objects/spectrespecs) and radish-like earrings is your ideal match. The two of you would have a joyful relationship that celebrated creativity, eccentricity and a shared belief in the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

## March: The brilliantly hilarious Ron Weasley is the one for you

![HP-F6-ron-in-bed-smiling-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/51khMqIDGh7ltBpFgDIet4/4390b7228f2368b128a11304e8a73108/HP-F6-ron-in-bed-smiling-web-landscape.jpg)

Life’s too short not to have fun. Who wants to be miserable? Yes, serious things happen but you still want to find the joy in life, and you want a partner who can do that too. This is why you and [Ron Weasley](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ron-weasley) would make the perfect pair. From his ‘Merlin's most baggy Y-fronts’ exclamations to quippy ‘Oh, of course… I forgot we’ll be hunting down [Voldemort](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/lord-voldemort) in a mobile library’ comebacks – his quick with would keep you entertained for life.

## April: The elegant and poised Fleur Delacour is your ideal soulmate

![hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7L4Bw903CP5Rnv0MuCknWF/16abc8334d6185d0b8be2af4c5f93c45/hp-f4-fleur-arrival-beauxbatons-great-hall-uniform-web-landscape.jpg)

Graceful, elegant and gliding through life – that’s the ultimate dream. You aren’t interested in awkward situations and embarrassing encounters; you want life to be as serene as possible. As you want this from your partner too, you and [Fleur Delacour](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/fleur-delacour) would make a flawless duo. No matter what situation she faced – from walking into the [Great Hall](/fact-file/locations/the-great-hall) for the first time to rejecting [Yule Ball](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/yule-ball) dates, she was always perfectly poised which is something you appreciate.

## May: The thoroughly good Cedric Diggory is who you’re drawn to

![HP-F4-goblet-fire-cho-cedric-walking-into-yule-ball-together-happy-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/7Gg3rW3wpho401kh28ueXG/2ce6bdeb293a9f962407b31ab38c3c2b/HP-F4-goblet-fire-cho-cedric-walking-into-yule-ball-together-happy-web-landscape)

You have no time for people that like to play games in relationships. You abhor anyone who has a mean streak. You really can’t stand when people are rude to those around them. This is why [Cedric Diggory](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/cedric-diggory) is the perfect person for you. Despite being handsome, intelligent and an extremely talented wizard, this [Hufflepuff](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/hufflepuff) was also humble. He was *good*. He helped Harry despite him being his [Triwizard](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/triwizard-tournament) rival and never let being the rising star at [Hogwarts](/fact-file/locations/hogwarts) go to his head. Cedric is a partner you would always feel safe with… and he is perfect for you.

## June: Your soulmate is Lavender Brown who wears her heart on her sleeve

![HP-F6-half-blood-prince-weasleys-wizard-wheezes-lavendar-looking-at-ron-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/41iicwNjHTdrMVNZoiTdoC/ddf961f7074d912a9307c0dc9e2716aa/HP-F6-half-blood-prince-weasleys-wizard-wheezes-lavendar-looking-at-ron-web-landscape)

As someone who is often described as vivacious and an open book, you have real difficulty bonding with people who are closed off or reserved. You find those who keep their cards close to their chest rather unsettling – which is why [Lavender Brown](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/lavender-brown) is your soulmate. Whether she was snogging Ron in front of the whole [Gryffindor common room](/fact-file/locations/the-gryffindor-common-room) or giving him gaudy necklaces as a token of her affection, she was not afraid of her emotions or letting everyone else see them. This type of openness is something you can’t help but be drawn to.

## July: Your perfect match is loyal Neville Longbottom

![HP WB F4 Neville and his plant crop ](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/66z5lwGFVYTJTiW2dNdKfw/e99e49796545303b7dec644c11004840/NevilleLongbottom_WB_F4_NevilleLongbottomWithPlantPromoShot_Promo_080615_CROP.jpg)

Don’t underestimate [Neville](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/neville-longbottom). He might have initially been a clumsy underdog, but he soon surpassed that and became a [sword-of-Gryffindor-wielding](/fact-file/objects/the-sword-of-gryffindor) hero. One who was loyal to his friends, his school and loyal to what was right. As someone born in July, this is what you would like to find in a partner. You don’t want a person who could easily be swayed. You want someone who is as committed to you as Neville is to his [Mimbulus mimbletonia](/fact-file/plants-and-potions/mimbulus-mimbletonia), which is why he is the one for you.

## August: The logical and intelligent Hermione Granger is the one for you

![HP-F7-deathly-hallows-part-one-hermione-bill-fleur-wedding-red-dress-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/5aJclseoYsrr4a0y0XPiQY/be44e1bfabc2a5f7422ed6e87a5df30e/HP-F7-deathly-hallows-part-one-hermione-bill-fleur-wedding-red-dress-web-landscape)

As somebody who is known for their sharp mind and love of learning, we think you and the [cleverest witch of her age](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/hermione-granger), who takes the largest books out of the [Hogwarts library](/fact-file/locations/the-hogwarts-library) for ‘light reading’, would get on like a house on fire. Your days would be spent verbally sparring with each other, debating Ancient Rune translations and generally broadening your minds and you wouldn’t want it any other way.

## September: The discerning Draco Malfoy is your wizarding soulmate

![WB-F3-draco-in-care-of-magical-creatures-with-monster-book-of-monsters-web-landscape](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/4FeDA9gWYlkm3iFXZMUOF5/47927d38da6fcc8d4660a5cd92a7e6d6/WB-F3-draco-in-care-of-magical-creatures-with-monster-book-of-monsters-web-landscape.jpg)

There’s nothing wrong with being shrewd or ambitious, these are traits that you rather admire. In fact, you find someone who knows exactly what they want and how to get it extremely attractive. This is why [Draco Malfoy](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/draco-malfoy) is the one for you. We are in no way saying you are prejudiced or a bully like he was. However, the embodiment of [Slytherin](/fact-file/magical-miscellany/slytherin) traits, he was not afraid to openly say he liked the finer things in life or believe he deserved them – just like you.

## October: Fiery Ginny Weasley is your magical match

![GinnyWeasley WB F6 GinnyAtSlughornsParty Still 080615 Land](//contentful.harrypotter.com/usf1vwtuqyxm/4otWY19HKE4WyOOy4Q0wSu/66177ea78a84f5e28b9fb79b2b961e51/GinnyWeasley_WB_F6_GinnyAtSlughornsParty_Still_080615_Land.jpg)

If there was a witch that knew exactly who she was, it was [Ginny Weasley](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/ginny-weasley). Having had a rough start at Hogwarts she blossomed into a fierce and phenomenal person – with an excellent talent for the [Bat-Bogey Hex](/fact-file/spells/the-bat-bogey-hex). That self-assuredness is something that you are looking for in a partner. You don’t want somebody who doesn’t take the time to work on being the best version of themselves. You want someone who is confident and powerful – exactly like Ginny.

## November: Harry Potter’s bravery is what makes him your soulmate

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[Harry Potter](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/harry-potter) is not afraid to confront the difficult things in life. He doesn’t shy away from a challenge or let fear stop him. He puts himself out there whether that’s soaring through the sky on his [broomstick](/fact-file/objects/broomstick), fighting the forces of evil or summoning up the courage to ask his crush to the Yule Ball. This is something that you strongly relate to. You’re not one to be called timid and you can’t stand cowardice. We’re not saying you’re necessarily an extrovert, but you stand up when it matters and that’s why Harry is your ultimate wizarding soulmate.

## December: The glass half-empty Moaning Myrtle is your perfect match

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There is no person that gets on your nerves more than the one who is relentlessly optimistic. You don’t have time from all that chirpiness and being constantly told to look on the bright side. In fact, being stuck with someone like that would be your worst nightmare. You want someone who will always look on the gloomy side – which is why [Moaning Myrtle](/fact-file/characters-and-pets/moaning-myrtle) (emphasis on the *Moaning*) is your perfect match. Despite her crush on Harry Potter, with your maudlin outlook, we’re sure you could win her over and many (un)happy centuries sitting in the [u-bend of a Hogwarts toilet](/fact-file/locations/moaning-myrtles-bathroom) discussing all the reasons why everything is awful.

For beginners, for novices, for Harry Potter superfans going 20 years-strong, dig deep into the wizarding world with our collection of features.

Features - Wizarding World

Why Fred and George Weasley make us wish we were twins

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There’s something mysterious about twins – even when they don’t have magical powers, they still seem like something that could only have emerged from a glitch in the Matrix. Surely, some sort of sorcery must have gone into the creation of a pair of people so precisely matched.

So when you find two of a kind and add in some magic, you’ve got sublime human beings – in the form of Fred and George: brothers, pranksters, sportsmen and all-round good ginger souls.

Here’s why we’re especially jealous of the matched magical pair.

## They could even fool their mother

Molly Weasley was especially attuned to trickery, having taken on the heroic role of raising somewhere in the vicinity of 100 red-headed males. But even she, with her mother’s eye and her suspicious mind, was not immune to a Fred-and-George bait-and-switch. We’d love to be able to get away with fooling Molly – even if it would probably end with no supper, a Howler and a healthy dose of motherly guilt thrown in.

> ‘Fred, you next,’ the plump woman said. 
> ‘I’m not Fred, I’m George,’ said the boy. ‘Honestly, woman, call yourself our mother? Can’t you tell I’m George?’ 
> ‘Sorry, George, dear.’ 
> ‘Only joking, I am Fred,’ said the boy, and off he went. 
> *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*

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## They had each other’s backs

Hermione, Ron and Harry made up a heroic threesome, but Fred and George’s friendship was perfectly synced. There’s something about unflinching reinforcement that makes even the most difficult decisions and diabolical plans seem easy – like, for example, abandoning your education and jeopardising your future when a tyrant like Professor Umbridge takes hold of the place you once loved best.

> ‘George,’ said Fred, ‘I think we’ve outgrown full-time education.’ 
> ‘Yeah, I’ve been feeling that way myself,’ said George lightly. 
> ‘Time to test our talents in the real world, d’you reckon?’ asked Fred. 
> ‘Definitely,’ said George. 
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

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## They were literally two of a kind

They finished each other’s sentences, they laughed at each other’s jokes and they made up a formidable pair of Beaters on the Quidditch pitch.

> ‘You haven’t got a letter on yours,’ George observed. ‘I suppose she thinks you don’t forget your name. But we’re not stupid – we know we’re called Gred and Forge.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*

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## They supported each other in serious ventures, too

It stands to reason that the most serious scheme the pair ever embarked on was opening a shop devoted to jokes and pranks – but Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes proved that their teamed-up-talents weren’t useful only in tormenting Filch and Mrs Norris. 

Together they created their products, secured funding and opened a successful business, without so much as a misstep. Going into business together would wreak havoc on many a relationship, but it only united the Weasley twins further. Thank goodness, too, because where would the wizarding world be without U-No-Poo?

> Set against the dull, poster-muffled shop fronts around them, Fred and George’s windows hit the eye like a firework display. Casual passers-by were looking back over their shoulders at the windows, and a few rather stunned-looking people had actually come to a halt, transfixed. The left-hand window was dazzlingly full of an assortment of goods that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced and shrieked; Harry’s eyes began to water just looking at it. 
> *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*

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## They helped each other through the hard stuff

No matter how accustomed you are to trouble, it is very difficult to make light of losing a body part, even in the wizarding world, where bones can be regrown and Splinching is simply a consequence of learning to Apparate. 

But when George found himself suddenly lacking in half of his hearing and a chunk of his head, the presence of his brother made him able to turn it into a joke. After all, he still had three ears to rely on, which is more than most.

> Colour flooded Fred’s pale face. 
> ‘Pathetic,’ he told George. ‘Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humour before you, you go for holey?’ 
> ‘Ah well,’ said George, grinning at his tear-soaked mother. ‘You’ll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*

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Fred and George are about to drink Polyjuice Potion.

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## When we lost one, he lived on through the other

No one got through the years of Voldemort’s tyranny without running into a bit of tragedy, but George, arguably, was hit worst of all, with one half of himself lost to the Battle of Hogwarts. 

In the aftermath of Fred’s death, it would be easy to assume that George might have just given up. To lose both an ear and a twin all in the same short space of time is more than most could tolerate, even if they do come in pairs.

From what we learnt from J.K Rowling after the series ended, she didn’t think George ‘would ever get over losing Fred’, but that he still managed to make a happy life for himself. 

He even kept Fred’s legacy alive and named his first son after his brother. On top of that, he married Fred’s first girlfriend, the sparky Angelina Johnson. We wonder if Fred would find that amusing.

> ‘Oi! Angelina!’ 
> Angelina, who had been chatting to Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him. 
> ‘What?’ she called back. 
> ‘Want to come to the ball with me?’ 
> Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look. 
> ‘All right, then,’ she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting, with a bit of a grin on her face. 
> *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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and the Order of the Phoenix

Discover the films

Wizarding World Image Crediting

to Fantastic Beasts

In defence of Kreacher

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Let’s imagine for a moment that you are a subservient member of a cult. That cult might be a bit peculiar, with some certainly eccentric practices, but it is your cult. You love it. Plus, you live for an exceptionally long time so you see the cult flourish through the generations and gain extraordinary power.

One day everyone in that cult is sent to Azkaban or dies, and you are left to moulder in the cult’s HQ for ten years without seeing anyone or hearing any other ideas than the ones you’ve been taught for decades.

Then suddenly the disgraced son of the Biggest Cheese in the cult returns to the HQ and starts ordering you around, and invites people in who you deem to be against everything you’ve ever learned. Worst of all he expects you to feed them, clean up after them and to be in all ways a slave to these wizards who are, in your opinion, filthier than the rags you use to mop the floor.

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You are starved of love. Even your ostracised new master is worth trying to please. But he seems to despise you and disregards you entirely when he isn’t issuing orders or flinging you bodily out of the room.

You are angry, you feel a strong loyalty to a situation long past and to people long dead.

This, more or less, is the position Kreacher finds himself in when we meet him in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.*

Left alone for far too long in Sirius Black’s ancestral home at twelve Grimmauld Place, with all manner of Dark objects – not to mention a cheerful display of his ancestors’ severed heads – Kreacher has gone batty.

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The average house-elf’s lot is difficult enough. Many are trapped in the servitude of wizards, aligned to pure-blood families whose bidding they are compelled to perform without question.

Quite how sad their predicament is can be seen in Kreacher’s story even more strongly than in Dobby’s or Winky’s or any of the other house-elves we meet in the Harry Potter universe.

Kreacher’s nature has been so twisted by the environment that nurtured him that ‘his life’s ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque just like his mother’, as Ron says.

> ‘Well – well, if he is a bit strange, it’s not his fault.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* 

That the Dark magic-loving Black family is no more, and that its sole survivor for a time, Sirius, is determined to tear down every monument, every tapestry, to throw out every heirloom representing its former glory, is not something that Kreacher is prepared to accept.

When Sirius gives permission for Grimmauld Place to be used as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation founded by Dumbledore to fight You-Know-Who, Kreacher is appalled when the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and other Order members arrive in droves.

> ‘... smells like a drain and a criminal to boot, but she’s no better, nasty old blood traitor with her brats messing up my mistress’s house, oh, my poor mistress, if she knew, if she knew the scum they’ve let into her house, what would she say to old Kreacher, oh, the shame of it, Mudbloods and werewolves and traitors and thieves, poor old Kreacher, what can he do ...’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* 

Sirius makes the fatal error of underestimating Kreacher. Believing him unable to leave Grimmauld Place except on his orders, he doesn’t realise that an angrily bellowed order of ‘Out!’ is interpreted by Kreacher as an order to go outside. The elf then goes in search of Sirius’s cousins Narcissa Malfoy (née Black) and her sister Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black), family members he views as more worthy of his service.

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The fact that he is then able to pass vital information about Sirius through them to Voldemort is instrumental in the death of Harry’s beloved godfather in the Department of Mysteries – a fact that makes Harry loathe Kreacher even more.

When Grimmauld Place is bequeathed to Harry after Sirius’s death, Kreacher becomes his unwilling servant.

> ‘Kreacher will do whatever Master wants,’ said Kreacher, sinking so low that his lips almost touched his gnarled toes, ‘because Kreacher has no choice, but Kreacher is ashamed to have such a Master, yes –’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* 

Harry is understandably unwilling to be a Master to Kreacher, but when Ron and Hermione take refuge in Grimmauld Place while they are hunting Horcruxes, he comes to learn, not for the first time, that he (and Sirius) should have listened to Hermione earlier.

On Dumbledore’s advice, the S.P.E.W. founder had warned Sirius to treat Kreacher with respect, something she continued to urge an understandably angry Harry to do when he inherited him.

The product of generations of twisted treatment is, of course, so starved of love that the merest sign of affection sends him into paroxysms of gratitude – as Harry realises when he gives Kreacher Regulus Black’s locket as a thank you for his help in locating the Slytherin locket Horcrux.

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Slytherin's Locket and Voldemort's Horcrux 

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A newly won-over Kreacher is a bewildering thing: he dons an apron, scrubs Grimmauld Place within an inch of its life and makes it something of a home for the trio of friends to whom he devotedly serves fresh soup and hot rolls.

This sudden and complete switch reveals how wrong Sirius was in his treatment of Kreacher. If he’d given him the consideration, the elf might never have betrayed him and would almost certainly have come around in time to the Order’s views over the Dark Lord’s.

> ‘Sirius was horrible to Kreacher, Harry, and it’s no good looking like that, you know it’s true. Kreacher had been alone for a long time when Sirius came to live here, and he was probably starving for a bit of affection. I’m sure “Miss Cissy” and “Miss Bella” were perfectly lovely to Kreacher when he turned up, so he did them a favour and told them everything they wanted to know. I’ve said all along that wizards would pay for how they treat house-elves. Well, Voldemort did ... and so did Sirius.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*

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Harry comes to feel real affection for the elf and Kreacher features in one of his first thoughts after the dust has settled on the Battle of Hogwarts. Okay, maybe he just wanted a sandwich, but it also shows he might’ve forgiven Kreacher a little. And if Harry can, maybe so can we.

> ... he turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four-poster bed lying waiting for him in Gryffindor Tower, and wondering whether Kreacher might bring him a sandwich there. 
> *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows* 

*Each month Pottermore will try to defend the more… questionable characters from the Harry Potter stories. Come back next time when we make the case for [Petunia Dursley](/features/in-defence-of-petunia-dursley).*

Every time Ron got wooing Hermione wrong

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By about halfway through the Harry Potter books, it became more and more obvious that Ron and Hermione were simply meant to be. But instead of going on a date, they waited right until the very end of *Deathly Hallows* for a snog, much to our despair and anguish and bleeding hearts.

Over the years we loved picking up on all the mini-moments of chemistry between the pair – but there were also so many frustrating moments that made us want to rip our books to pieces. (Just kidding, our Harry Potter collections are sacred.)

From about *Order of the Phoenix* onwards, we were sure Ron and Hermione were going to get together at least at some point during the final three books. We blame this delay entirely on Ron’s terrible, terrible romantic skills. Oh, and Lord Voldemort.

## When he teased her about her crush on Gilderoy Lockhart

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Alright, so everybody was 12 years old here. And Hermione’s schoolgirl crush on the incompetent Professor Lockhart turned out to be ill-founded. But this was actually the first of many times Ron teased her about boys instead of stepping up with a bouquet of flowers. Jealousy will get you nowhere, Ron. Lying about gadding with ghouls, on the other hand…

> ‘What’ve we got this afternoon?’ said Harry, hastily changing the subject. 
> ‘Defence Against the Dark Arts,’ said Hermione at once. 
> ‘Why,’ demanded Ron, seizing her timetable, ‘have you outlined all Lockhart’s lessons in little hearts?’ 
> Hermione snatched the timetable back, flushing furiously. 
> *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* 

## When Ron spent an entire year being mad at Crookshanks

We can understand that a mate’s pet eating your pet is going to cause a bit of friction in the friendship, but we’re still beyond enraged at how Ron dealt with all this business in *Prisoner of Azkaban.*

Let’s break it down to why Ron was really annoyed at Hermione: there was a new ginger in her life.

## When he noticed Hermione was a girl – four years into their friendship

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Viktor Krum and Hermione Dancing at the Yule Ball

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By the time we reached the Yule Ball in Harry’s fourth year, the trio were now old enough to have inevitably disappointing unrequited crushes, such as Harry’s newfound infatuation for Cho Chang and Ron’s newfound hobby of gawping at Fleur Delacour with an unhinged jaw. 

At least Harry went the whole hog and asked Cho out (the Boy-Who-Lived-through-an-incredibly-awkward-setback!), while Ron’s attempt to take Hermione as his date went spectacularly wrong, due to a belated grasp of biology. ‘Hey, Hermione, you’re a girl…’

## When he dealt with Hermione’s Yule Ball date really, really badly

When Hermione rocked up to the Yule Ball looking like an absolute queen with international Quidditch success Viktor Krum by her side, suffice to say, Ron didn’t accept the blossoming friendship with open arms. Instead he had a massive row with her, accused her of going against Harry, and ignored his own date in the process. Ron, you DREAM BOAT, you.

> ‘What’s up with you?’ she said. 
> ‘If you don’t know,’ said Ron scathingly, ‘I’m not going to tell you.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire* 

## When he continued to be jealous of Hermione’s friendship with Krum... forevermore

An entire year later, Ron had still not got over Krumgate, and his reaction to discovering the pair still wrote to each other was just classic Ron.

Ron, please stop.

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## When he was still annoyed about Krum two years later

Things seemed to be going swimmingly between Hermione and Ron in their sixth year… or at least the pair were on civil levels. Not for long, though.

When Ginny let slip that Hermione and Krum once – heaven forbid! – shared a snog, all affability immediately went out of the window. Ever the smooth operator, Ron started behaving coldly towards Hermione, fell into a Quidditch funk and snogged Lavender slap-bang in the middle of the Gryffindor common room as the icing on the cake. Let us remind you, this Victor Krum snog was probably *two years ago*.

## When Ron genuinely bought a self-help book in order to help him win Hermione over

To be fair to Ron, at least he was taking steps to actually try to get on better with the ladies. But when you’re relying on a wizarding dating manual that’s ‘not all about wandwork’, you’ve probably still got a way to go.

> ‘This isn’t your average book,’ said Ron. ‘It’s pure gold: Twelve Fail-Safe Ways To Charm Witches. Explains everything you need to know about girls. If only I’d had this last year I’d have known exactly how to get rid of Lavender and I would’ve known how to get going with… Well, Fred and George gave me a copy, and I’ve learned a lot. You’d be surprised, it’s not all about wandwork, either.’ 
> *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows* 

## When his hidden fears about Harry and Hermione became a Horcrux-enhanced issue

In *Deathly Hallows,* Ron’s time wearing the Horcrux-ridden Slytherin locket brought out a very dark side in him. And yes, it must be hard to be suave when a sentient object around your neck is filling your head with intense insecurities. Nonetheless, when Ron abandoned his mission with Harry and Hermione, we couldn’t help but put our head in our hands. Really, Ron?

Also, we’re pretty sure that leaving your best friend in a time of mortal peril and asking the girl you like to choose between them is not in *Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches.*

## …Although there was this one time where Ron got wooing Hermione right

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Eventually, though, Ron grew up big time during the Battle of Hogwarts, and did something truly unexpected that caught Hermione’s eye: he showed compassion for house-elves! 

> ‘Hang on a moment!’ said Ron sharply. ‘We’ve forgotten someone!’ 
> ‘Who?’ asked Hermione. 
> ‘The house-elves, they’ll all be down in the kitchen, won’t they?’ 
> ‘You mean we ought to get them fighting?’ asked Harry. 
> ‘No,’ said Ron seriously, ‘I mean we should tell them to get out. We don’t want any more Dobbys, do we? We can’t order them to die for us –’ 
> There was a clatter as the Basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione’s arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet. 
> *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*

When Harry’s two best friends finally locked lips after years of bickering, it seemed like Ron had finally learnt to put his jealousy demons aside and stood up for something Hermione really cared about. As a young teenager, Ron would mock Hermione for S.P.E.W., but in his final Hogwarts hour, look how far the lad had come. And he didn’t need that bizarre book, either.

In defence of young James Potter

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Moony Padfoot Prongs and Wormtail at Hogwarts by the lake

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Despite maturing into a noble, self-sacrificing hero, James Potter started out – in the words of his own future wife – as an ‘arrogant toerag’ at school.

Aside from countless detentions for bad behaviour in class, young James would merrily inflict his considerable talent for hexing directly on fellow students. Sometimes at random in the corridor, or on one occasion by making the hapless Bertram Aubrey’s head swell to twice its usual size.

The meanest example of James Potter’s ruthless ways was of course against Severus Snape. Following an O.W.L. exam, James, with partner in crime Sirius Black, confronted the vulnerable young Snape, pinned him to the ground, filled his mouth with pink soap bubbles then lifted him into the air, threatening to completely undress the pale, slight Slytherin boy in front of a giggling crowd of fellow students.

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Lily Evans was the only pupil who stood up to this crowing, self-regarding ruffian. In spite of this – or, more likely, because of it – James soon became infatuated with the beguiling red-haired, Muggle-born witch.

Which was all the more intolerable for Snape. How could he, an oily-haired, pallid wraith, who’d fancied Lily since boyhood, compare with this handsome, cocksure Quidditch-playing newcomer?

In truth, he couldn’t, and Snape bore such a bitter grudge against him that he even went on to resent James’s son Harry. And who could blame him, when young Harry bore such a resemblance to Snape’s tormentor, while at the same time having the same limpid, lovely eyes of his mother Lily?

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Snape pushes Harry and Ron's heads down in the Goblet of Fire.

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So it begs the question – why was James Potter such an awful rotter? Should not those who are blessed with talent, looks and a large group of friends be all the more munificent to those less fortunate?

Sadly this is seldom the case. Perhaps one reason – not an excuse, but a reason – is James’s upbringing. Euphemia and Fleamont Potter tried and failed for many years to bring a child into the world before baby James came along. They were much older, and wealthy, so James grew up in a doting environment without the compromise of siblings, in a home without material limits.

Certainly, that’s not inherently a negative thing. Far from it – love, comfort and plenty should be the hallmark of every child’s upbringing. But, arguably, sometimes a child is more inclined to empathy if they grow up with boundaries, and an instilled sense of humility. Hence, perhaps, why James appeared to have ‘that indefinable air of having been well cared for, even adored’ which Snape so conspicuously lacked, and why he behaved in such a manner sometimes. This was only enhanced by his fortunate association with handsome, cool Sirius and thoughtful, intelligent Remus Lupin.

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Snape, to be fair, deserved some share of blame for his woes. He and James locked horns from the first time they met on the Hogwarts Express. Snape also rounded on James’s spirited wish for a place at the Gryffindor table with the acid-tongued ‘If you’d rather be brawny than brainy.’

The worst of it was that, when eventually released by Potter following the O.W.L.s incident, an enraged, humiliated Snape insisted he didn’t need the help of Lily, a ‘filthy little Mudblood’. Which didn’t go down too well with his beloved, and sure enough she eventually swanned off with the bad boy Potter.

But let’s not be too harsh. Young James Potter also did many fine things. When it emerged his close friend Remus Lupin was a werewolf, far from shunning him, he took the extraordinary step of [learning to become an Animagus himself](/feature/moony-wormtail-padfoot-prongs-marauders-illustrations "Marauders illustrated"). In his later student career he stopped hexing random students in corridors, and indeed went on to become Head Boy. Even his naughty antics came good in the end – the Marauders’ Map, co-created with his closest pals, became invaluable to the next generation of Hogwarts students in their fight against evil.

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Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail in their transfigured animal forms.

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Nobody is ever perfect. James Potter’s own wife, again, initially claimed she’d rather go out with the giant squid. But, as his best friend Sirius Black later remarked: ‘A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it.’

*Each month Pottermore will try to defend the more… questionable characters from the Harry Potter stories. Come back next time when we make the case for [Kreacher](/feature/in-defence-of-kreacher).*

Influential cats of the wizarding world

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Witches and cats have gone hand in paw for centuries. History often dictates that cats were portrayed as ‘familiars’– creatures who assist in their owners’ magic. So it figures that some of the most important characters from the Harry Potter stories were fluffy, meowing, and most likely to be found curled up asleep during the day.

## Sporadic moggie mentions

There were several occasions when cats had a merely incidental, yet remarkably significant, plot point in the stories. After all, in the opening chapters of *Philosopher’s Stone*, it was one such cat that aggrieved Vernon Dursley by taking watch on Privet Drive. (That tormenting tabby turned out to be one Professor McGonagall in her Animagus form.) Or how about the time Hermione, after months spent brewing Polyjuice Potion, consumed one of Millicent Bulstrode’s cat hairs by mistake, and thanked her lucky stars Madam Pomfrey didn’t ask too many questions?

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An illustration of Hermione after taking Polyjuice Potion of a cat 

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Plus there was the letter written by Lily Potter to Sirius Black, which described baby Harry terrorising the family cat (there was a Potter cat!) while zooming around on a toy broomstick – a brief moment of family harmony that Harry had no idea about.

## Crookshanks

There were also a pawful of pussycats who had a more direct, deliberate influence on the fate of the wizarding world. The most significant of these was Crookshanks. It should come as no surprise that Hermione, one of the cleverest witches we knew, had a pet who was dubbed one of the most intelligent of his kind. With his ‘grumpy and oddly squashed’ face framed by a mass of ginger hair (we always knew Hermione was a fan of redheads), it was actually the naturally suspicious Crookshanks who cracked *Prisoner of Azkaban’s* major plot twist: that Scabbers was not actually Scabbers.

This may have been because Crookshanks was very smart, or because he was often rumoured to be part-Kneazle; a magical cat-like creature with a plumed tail like a lion, and quite good at detecting suspicious behaviour.

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