My Top (???) Seven Harry Potter Characters

Hullo thar! There have been some fab posts recently because of the HP anniversary afoot, and also because HP is just so great, it’s inspiring new fans 20 years later.

The wonderful Sophia Ismaa tagged me to do Day Three of Margaret @ WeirdZeal’s Harry Potter Anniversary Week series. Thanks!

This tag was somewhat hard to do because there are so many HP characters and SO MANY to love on, so I decided to go with the ones that immediately sprang to mind in a comment I made on Kay’s post. There are huge spoilers going forward, so don’t read this if you don’t want to learn about HP things before you’ve read it.

Neville Longbottom

Neville was and always will be my number one with a bullet. I’ve loved him since he first almost lost Trevor and later stood up to his friends in book one (his lil fists and chubby cheeks!!) through the heartbreaking revelation about his parents and how that affected his childhood.

To the prophecy (like hot damn, almost Chosen Ones are my jam) and all the way to the bittersweet end, where he was certain he’d lost a close friend and was so close to death and he pulled the freaking Sword of Gryffindor from the Hat and was a badass (we already knew he was a badass, but HE KILLED NAGINI AND CRIPPLED VOLDEMORT *FLAILS* all while wearing the comfiest of jumpers). (Sidebar: I’ve been Neville for Halloween before // Sorting Hat, Sword of Gryffindor, striped jumper, (my own) bad teeth, and all! I felt brave that day.)

Neville is the epitome of remaining kind in the blistering face of tragedy and loss. Thinking of him always puts a smile on my face, and I’m truly glad Rowling blessed us with his character (and forever bitter that the Resistance at Hogwarts was not a part of the seventh book). Neville inspires hope in me, hope that we can all do the right thing and be brave even when we’re scared sh*tless, and live, live despite everything that’s wrong in this world.

It doesn’t hurt that I really like the actor who plays him, Matthew Lewis, and now I have to go find the episode of Impractical Jokers he’s in (thanks Sophia!!).

Rubeus Hagrid

Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid. HAAAAAAGRIIIIID. Sorry, not sorry, I love this giant gentle-hearted bloke. I want so much for Harry to have named his daughter Ruby Luna in honor of Hagrid that I almost believe it’s actually canon. I can just see him blubbering over the baby to the point that Harry would have to take her back until Hagrid could calm down.

Hagrid deserves all the hugs in the world. He baked a birthday cake for a kid he didn’t know!! And somehow kept it intact in his coat! And his broken wand is in his umbrella and he never graduated from Hogwarts and he’s a unassuming badass?! I love that he was a father figure to Harry before any wizardly stuff was revealed, before he even knew if Harry had grown up to be a git or not. He’s most often a bumbling idiot with a penchant for collecting terribly dangerous aminals, but he’s a lovable bumbling idiot who is underestimated constantly. There’s such superb casting across the board with the movies, but it does bear mentioning that Robbie Coltrane is perfect as Hagrid.

I just, Harry and Hagrid’s relationship means so much to me. Gawrsh.

Luna Lovegood

What. A. Sweetheart. Luna Lovegood is too pure, too precious for this world. She’s the cinnamon bun that would bake you the most delicious cinnamon buns and then tell you how one of the ingredients was creamed goblin toes, but it’s okay, they were donated, and goblins are actually trying to evolve beyond toes. Honestly, I most want to be Luna’s friend out of any character in HP. She would take you on so many wonderful, soft adventures and just heal your heart and make you laugh and UGH SHE’S THE BEST BEAN. I remember clutching the book to my heart when I read about how she had painted all of her friends on her ceiling!! #imnotcryingyourecrying

Fleur Delacour

“You thought that I would not weesh to marry him? Or per’aps you hoped? What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave!“

Boom, there it is. The moment I fell for Fleur. I just really appreciate that Rowling pulled out a side character like her. So many people were so nasty to her — including Hermione, Ginny, and Molly Weasley — just because of her good looks and Veela heritage. She was snobbish in book four, but she was also a teen school Champion SO, and I just really appreciate that Rowling brought her back and in such a fab way. Even our heroes can be insular and hypocritical and rude. I also really genuinely love her and Bill (and Clémence Poésy and Domhnall Gleeson!! PERF casting in these films, I tells ya) together.

Nymphadora Tonks

I LOVE HER SO MUCH OUR HUFFLEPUFF QUEEN. One of the saddest things about the movies is NOT ENOUGH TONKS. Tonks is hilarious and sweet and fun, and f/// it, I’m a big Tonks/Lupin shipper. I just, let me scream about Tonks and her life and how she lived forever with Remus and Teddy and IDK 13 dogs all named after colors and YOU KNOW NONE OF THE TERRIBLE THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED

Ahem, where were we?

Just, cuties, they deserve the world and DAMMIT ROWLING

*curls into a ball, clutches my cat, she is miffed, this’ll never stop hurting, huh???*

I thought there was a disservice in the book for her character, how little we got to see of her, because so much of her plotline does revolve around her relationship, to the point where you think she’s mourning Sirius, but really ?? Yeah, that didn’t come off the best… but that’s what fic is for, I guess.

Moody

This crotchety old fart is the best thing ever. Like, what a look, ya know? He was born to be Mad-Eye, even before he lost his eye and got the creeptastic, swirly replacement. I usually don’t want prequel expansions in series, because so much of the time it’s a retread of what we already know, but I WOULD LURVE a Marauders/First War era television show or books or whatever, especially to have more Moody. Just gimme more of this guy who gives zero f///s for propriety, but he’ll lay down life and limb for his charges. Brendan Gleeson, thank you for portraying Moody so wonderfully.

Remus Lupin

The best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Hogwarts ever had. I love this depressed, kind, loving, intelligent, broken beautiful soul. Lupin was the heart of the Marauders, and he stole my heart with pieces of chocolate and morsels of excellent advice. I ship him with Sirius, too. In any way, I think those two were heart-wrenchingly good together, and wonderful (wonderful but flawed) father figures for Harry. And David Thewlis and Gary Oldman !!! Bless this casting.

So yeah, this series as it drew to a close had me like this:

But I’m still so grateful to have known Lupin, and to be able to return to him whenever I want. Or whenever I need just a moment with someone who would listen.

Seven favorite Harry Potter characters, seven different reasons to cry. 😀 Who are your favorites from this magical series? If you could hang out with any character, who would you choose? What house are you in? Talk to me!!