As many avid readers know, the best writers are able to create elaborate characters and intricate stories by pulling from what they know. Whether it be a period romance, a dark and terrifying tale, or a high fantasy series with magical creatures, there is always a hint of the author’s real life lingering throughout the pages.
J.K. Rowling, the woman who helped revolutionize the world of magic and mythical creatures through her Harry Potter series, is one of those authors who incorporated her own life into her work.
Fans of the book and movies may know that several characters (out of the hundreds) were based on people in Rowling’s past, but a few actually happened to be completely coincidental meetings that inspired her to write certain individuals into the series.
From teachers who were quick to reprimand their students to Rowling’s own childhood friends who have stuck with her for far longer than she ever imagined, there are dozens of people who have ultimately shaped the author, as well as her imagination, into who she is today.
Check out these nine Harry Potter characters who were inspired by real people.
9 Harry Potter Was Inspired by a Mischievous Neighbor
When Joanne Rowling was just a young girl growing up in England, she and a few neighborhood kids used to get together to play. Now, at that age, all imaginations were running rampant, and Rowling had no idea that she was subconsciously keeping tabs for her first successful series.
There was one particular boy named Ian Potter, who happened to live four doors down from Rowling, who just loved to play and get into a bit of trouble (per The Guardian). He was adventurous, brave, and he even liked to pretend to be a wizard. Rowling did not know it at the time, but that rambunctious boy, with his fascination for slugs, was going to serve as the inspiration for the greatest wizard of all time.
8 Ron Weasley’s Inspiration Was a Loyal Friend
While many people tend to fall in love with the hero of a story, writers know that there is great importance when it comes to creating the sidekick best friend. In Harry Potter, this honor goes to the red-haired boy, Ronald Weasley, who is not afraid to express exactly what he is feeling at all hours of the day.
The inspiration behind Ron came from Rowling’s own very loyal and lovable friend, Sean Harris, a name many people will see when they open up to the dedication page of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets just above her very kind words, “getaway driver and foulweather friend.”
Rowling admitted on her official website that some of her best memories came from when she and Harris would drive away from their homes late at night and just enjoy the wonders that came with a bit of freedom.
7 The Real Rubeus Hagrid Was Also a Gentle Giant
Rubeus Hagrid is the gentle giant who introduces Harry Potter to the wizarding world, and while his stature and demeanor may be intimidating, he is probably the most lovable character of all. Played to perfection by the late Robbie Coltrane in the film series, Hagrid will forever remain a fan favorite.
The inspiration for Hagrid was not found down the street of Rowling’s childhood home, nor was it found while surrounded by hundreds of peers in school. In fact, the person who is practically the real-life Hagrid is actually a leather-wearing, bike-riding Hell’s Angel who just so happened to find himself in the right pub at the right time.
According to Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey, Rowling met the biker in a bar in West Country where he “would sit down and talk about his garden and how his petunias had been very bad that year.”
6 J.K. Rowling Has Her Own Aunt Marge in the Family
It is common for family members to butt heads at times, but there was one particular person within Rowling’s family who was rude enough to inspire the character of Aunt Marge Dursley. Rowling’s maternal grandmother, Frieda, was someone who simply preferred the companionship of her own dogs to people, and this became ingrained in the aspiring author’s mind.
While it is safe to say Rowling was never able to use magic to make her own grandmother swell up like a balloon and float away, one has to wonder how much she wanted to during family events. Perhaps she was even approached by family members later on when others caught on to the similarities.
5 A Strict Teacher Realized He was Severus Snape
Severus Snape was a hateful, angry, and bitter man all around, so for fans to find out that Rowling used one of her very own teachers as the basis of her character is absolutely wild. John Nettleship, a former head of science teacher, told This is Gloucestershire that he was unaware of his connection to the sinister character until a reporter knocked on his door and told him so.
He recalled, “I was horrified when I first found out. I knew I was a strict teacher, but I didn’t think I was that bad.” After having some time to think it over, Nettleship later embraced the nod to his teaching style. At least he knew he had made a lasting impression on one successful student.
And of course, we all know now that Snape turned out to be one of the most noble and loyal characters in the entire series, fully redeeming himself by the end of the story, so perhaps the comparison wasn’t quite as mean-spirited as it first might have appeared.
4 The Inspiration for Dolores Umbridge was a Teacher
To think that there is someone in this world even remotely like Dolores Umbridge, the woman who forced Harry to carve words into his own hand over and over again for a crime he didn’t even commit, is enough to make a person’s skin crawl.
While creating the character, Rowling said that she thought back to a teacher who she instantly disliked on sight (per Pottermore). The teacher in question seemed like she was out to get Rowling, and Rowling, in turn, gave her no satisfaction.
It is no wonder Rowling has tried to keep the true identity of the inspiration behind Umbridge such a secret because fans would absolutely rally and try to bring her down, just like the Weasley twins managed to make the cat-obsessed frilly teacher go slightly insane.
3 Gilderoy Lockhart was Inspired By an Arrogant Storyteller
Gilderoy Lockhart portrays himself as a dreamboat, an excellent teacher, and a wonderful man, but in reality, he is just an arrogant storyteller and a learned con artist. Some might think this particular professor was inspired by a rejected love interest of Rowling’s, but at the Edinburgh Book Festival, she actually addressed her inspiration for the character.
She said, “The only character who is deliberately based on a real person is Gilderoy Lockhart… The lies that he told about adventures that he’d had, things he’d done and impressive acts that he had committed,” the man was practically making a fictional version of himself already. Rowling just put pen to paper. It’s a shame we’ll never know the real name of this rogueish character, but we’re always free to speculate to our hearts’ content.
2 Natalie McDonald was a Kind Soul
One of the lesser-known characters from the Harry Potter series who was based on a real person is a young Gryffindor witch by the name of Natalie McDonald. The real Natalie McDonald was a 9-year-old girl with leukemia who absolutely adored Rowling’s series.
Because of her diagnosis, a family friend wrote to Rowling, asking that she write to the young girl, so that she may know how Harry’s story would end. Unfortunately, McDonald had passed away by the time Rowling sent over her unpublished manuscripts to the family. To commemorate her, Rowling wrote McDonald into Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and she had her sorted into her rightful house, Gryffindor.
1 Hermione Granger is Everything J.K. Rowling Wanted to Be
One of the better-known character inspirations in the Harry Potter series is that of Hermione Granger. Rowling based the young witch on her younger self because she too always had her nose in a book, cared deeply about her academics, and greatly feared failure. During an interview at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Rowling said, “I did not set out to make Hermione like me, but she is an exaggeration of how I was when I was younger.”
Perhaps Hermione is exactly what Rowling wished she could have been, but more importantly, the sassy and smart character has become an inspiration for thousands of fans.
