Harry's Story

Harry Potter was born to two of the most liked people in the wizarding world.  Harry's father and mother both graduated from Hogwarts as exception wizards with lots of friends.  Their dream was fulfilled with they had a child, who turned out to be everything a wizard and witch could want.

The trouble started when Harry was about one year old...

Over the past couple of years, terror has reigned in both the muggle world and the magical world.  The nemesis Lord Voldemort has been on a massive killing spree in an attempt to take over the world.  Any muggle, witch, or wizard who gets in his way is murdered.  He has a large following, called deatheaters, who do most of his work for him.  Voldemort, however, wanted to kill the Potters all by himself.  As intelligent as the Potters were, Voldemort knew they would not be easy to kill.  He'd have to trick them.  And trick them is what he did.  The story is told in its entirety in the 3rd Book.

Voldemort murdered Harry's father first.  Then when he came for Harry and his mother, Harry's mother put her body in between the baby Harry and the evil Lord Voldemort in an attempt to protect him.  She begged Voldemort to take her life and to leave Harry alone, and swore that he would never take Harry.  Voldemort killed her instantly, and then turned his attention to Harry.  Using his normal curse, he attempted to kill Harry as he had killed hundreds of muggles and wizards before him.  But mysteriously the curse was repelled back at Voldemort, who instantly lost all his power.  The only evidence of this incident is a lighting bolt shape scar on Harry's forehead, which, unbeknownst to Harry, throbs painfully whenever Voldemort's powers are rebuilt.

Over the next year, all of Voldemort's followers that continued to declare their allegiance to him were either destroyed or imprisoned in Azkaban, the great wizard prison protected by the immortal dementors, introduced in Book 3.   The rest of Voldemort's followers confessed and turned their lives over to the Ministry of Magic who proceeded to use them wisely.  Some of them were given jobs in the Ministry and a few of them given jobs as professors at Hogwarts or other magical schools.

Harry Potter becomes a legend throughout the magical world as the only one capable of defeating the evil Voldemort.  He is practically worshipped by some wizards and held in contempt by those who wished to see the success of Voldemort.

#4 Privet Drive

By the orders of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Rebeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, leaves baby Harry on the doorstep of the house of his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, both muggles, at #4 Privet Drive, London.  They proceed to reluctantly raise him as a secondary member of the family.  He is mistreated and never even acknowledged as a family member.  The Dursleys pamper their own son (Harry's cousin), Dudley, to such a great extent that Dudley grows up with serious illusions of self-grandeur.  He's very fat, not very bright and bullies Harry ever chance he gets.   Harry's entire childhood was beyond miserable.

Off to Hogwarts

When Harry was eleven, he received a letter of admission from the Hogwarts School of Magic, that Uncle Vernon unsuccessfully tried to ignore.  Harry is overwhelmed with the prospect of living ANYWHERE but #4 Privet Drive.  He finally convinces his uncle to take him to the train station at the end of the summer.

At Hogwarts, all the students are divided into 4 Houses where they will remain through their years at Hogwarts.  Each house has a unique reputation and history.  They are Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.  Harry ends up in Gryffindor.

Harry immediately makes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, both in Gryffindor, who remain his friends through all 7 years at Hogwarts.   Harry's enemy quickly emerges in the form of a Draco Malfoy of Slytherin.   Draco is the son of Lucius Malfoy, a former Death Eater, and has a dislike of all "mudbloods"--half muggle, half wizards, like Hermione.  Draco is rarely seen without his two henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, also of Slytherin.