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Lily Potter
Harry’s father and Lily’s husband. Like Harry, James had black hair and a troublemaking streak when he was in school, aided by the fact that he was in possession of the Invisibility Cloak. James and Lily were both killed when Harry was just a baby, defending Harry from Voldemort. His and Lily’s love is vital to Harry, and Harry’s deepest desire is to see them again, which is why he sees their reflection in the Mirror of Erised. It is also revealed later in the story that James and Snape maintained a fierce rivalry when they were at school together, which is why Snape hates Harry so passionately.
James Potter Quotes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone quotes below are all either spoken by James Potter or refer to James Potter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1 Quotes
“He’ll be famous—a legend—I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future—there will be books written about Harry—every child in our world will know his name!”
“Exactly,” said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. “It would be enough to turn any boy’s head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous tor something he won’t even remember! Can’t you see how much better off he’ll be, growing up away from all that until he’s ready to take it?”
Related Characters:
Professor McGonagall (speaker), Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter, James Potter, Lily Potter, Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley
Related Symbols:
The Sorcerer’s Stone
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Page Number and Citation:
13
Explanation and Analysis:
In the opening pages of the novel, Dumbledore must decide the fate of newly orphaned Harry, because Voldemort has just killed the boy’s parents, James and Lily. But when Voldemort attempted to kill Harry, he was unable to and lost all of his powers—making Harry instantly renowned across the wizarding world. In choosing to give Harry to his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, two Muggles (non-magic people), Dumbledore hopes to safeguard Harry against the fame that he is sure will go to the boy’s head.
Dumbledore’s decision not only sets Harry on a path to retain humility throughout his life, but it also fuels his tendency to put others above himself and even to sacrifice his own well-being for the greater good, as he does later in this book and time and time again through the rest of the Harry Potter series. Without these values, it is possible that Voldemort might have acquired the Sorcerer’s Stone at the end of the book, and therefore have given a powerful dark wizard eternal life. Dumbledore’s wise words in this passage imply that all of this is crucially avoided because Harry is prevented from developing an ego as a result of his astronomical fame.
Chapter 4 Quotes
“Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you’d be just the same, just as strange, just as — as — abnormal— and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!”
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“See, there was this wizard who went…bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. […] This wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin’ fer followers. Got ’em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o’ his power, ’cause he was gettin’ himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry.”
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Chapter 8 Quotes
“I don’t know, sir,” said Harry.
Snape’s lips curled into a sneer.
“Tut, tut — fame clearly isn’t everything.”
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Chapter 12 Quotes
“It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.”
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James Potter Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The timeline below shows where the character James Potter appears in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived
...exist, because she and her husband are as “unDursleyish” as possible. Lily and her husband, James, have a small son who is about the same age as the Dursley’s toddler, Dudley,...
(full context)
Professor McGonagall explains to Dumbledore that Lily and James Potter are dead, and that Voldemort tried to kill their son, Harry, as well, but...
(full context)
...forehead from Voldemort’s curse. Hagrid gives a tearful goodbye to Harry, howling in sorrow over James and Lily’s deaths.
(full context)
Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys
...into a rage, saying that Lily had been a “freak.” She explains after Lily met James and they had baby Harry, Petunia knew that he would be just as “abnormal.” And...
(full context)
...year old, You-Know-Who went to Harry’s home—maybe because he thought he could persuade Lily and James to join him, or perhaps he just wanted them out of the way. You-Know-Who killed...
(full context)
...be something strange about Harry, a good beating could cure him. As for Lily and James, he says, they were “weirdos,” and the world is better off without them. He also...
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Chapter 9: The Midnight Duel
...hard, otherwise she may change her mind about not punishing him. But, she tells Harry, James would have been proud of him—he was an excellent Quidditch player, too.
(full context)
Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised
...no signature, Harry wonders who could have sent it, and if it really belonged to James.
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...has glasses and untidy black hair. Harry realizes that these are his parents, Lily and James, and that the people around them are his extended family. They smile at him. Harry...
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That night, Ron and Harry return to the Mirror. Harry once again sees Lily and James. But Ron can’t see anything, so Harry places him alone in front of the Mirror....
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Chapter 17: The Man with Two Faces
...not to be a fool, or he will meet the same end as Lily and James, who died trying to save Harry from Voldemort. He warns Harry not to let their...
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...for Harry: a leather-bound book of wizard photographs, all of which are of Lily and James. Hagrid had asked all of their school friends for photos, knowing that Harry didn’t have...
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