Determining Basic Characteristics
Name your character. Get as creative as you want—the characters in the Harry Potter universe often have quirky or unusual names. If you're having trouble coming up with a good name, try putting magical-sounding words together in different combinations. Give your villains darker-sounding names to make them sound more sinister, like “Argyle Frostfang” or “Sophia Nightshade.” If your character is a muggle-born or half-blood, it will make more sense to give them an ordinary-sounding name.
Describe your character's physical appearance. Put some thought into how you want your character to look. How tall are they? What color is their hair? How do they dress? Your character's style should serve as a kind of visual representation of what they're like. Little touches like this can make your witch or wizard feel truly one-of-a-kind. Consider giving your character other distinguishing features, as well, like a scar, birthmark, or signature item of clothing.
Outline your character's special skills and abilities. Perhaps they're an expert in casting verbal spells, or they're an Animagi that can transform into animals. They might even have strong suits that aren't related to magic, like picking locks, giving advice, or playing pranks on people. For added realism, pick out skills for your character that make sense with their background or the house they're in. Your character's unique magic can help them in difficult situations. For instance, they might use their understanding of Parseltongue to learn about a Slytherin villain's secret plans.
Fill in the blanks with other important details. Flesh out your character even more by describing their likes and dislikes, family history, hobbies and interests, or even their favorite food. Spend as much time as you want developing your character's personality. The more information you provide about them, the more three-dimensional they'll be. If you want your character to be believable, avoid assigning them traits that don't match their behavior or upbringing. For example, a pureblood wouldn't have much knowledge about the muggle world.
Putting Your Character in the Harry Potter Universe
Choose a school for your character to join. Hogwarts is the most famous school of magic, but it's not the only one. There are many other schools that teach young wizards and witches, such as Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Durmstrang Institute, both of which are referenced in the books. Making your character from one of these schools can be a good way to help them stand out. Other lesser-known wizarding institutions include Uagadou, which is located in Africa, Ilvermorny, which is based in North America, Castelobruxo, which can be found in the jungles of Brazil.
Decide what house your character will be in. A simple way to do this is to go online and take the official Sorting Hat Quiz on the Pottermore website. Put yourself in your character's shoes and answer all the questions the way they would. Then, review the results of your quiz to see which house your character is best suited for. Of course, you can always just make up your own mind about where they belong. You'll need to create a Pottermore account in order to take the Sorting Hat Quiz. Be sure to give your character features that reflect the house they're in when you're envisioning the way they'll look, like the emblem on their uniform and the color of their scarves and other accessories.
Equip your character with a wand. Wands can be made from many different woods and cores. Generally, a wizard's wand matches some aspect of their appearance or personality. An experienced witch may wield a wand with elegant patterns and designs, for instance, while a practitioner of dark magic may use one carved from bone. Consider many different attributes, like material, shape, length, and flexibility. Write out a short description of your character's wand or draw a sketch to show off its main features. You can read more about wand types and materials by reading articles on the Pottermore website.
Select a pet for your character. Every student at Hogwarts has a pet that accompanies them and assists them with their lessons. Some of the most common pets include cats, toads, and owls. Rats are also allowed. However, you can give your character any kind of pet you like. Remember, it's your story! Think of other small animals that your character might keep as a companion, such as a spider, newt, or exotic bird.
Determine your character's boggart. Boggarts are shapeshifting creatures that take the form of what a witch or wizard dreads most. Fantasizing about what your character sees when they encounter a boggart is an imaginative way of revealing their biggest fears. For instance, it could look like a goblin, a Dementor, or a Basilisk, depending on the person. Your character's boggart doesn't have to be a fearsome creature. It could also be a professor that's constantly tormenting them, or a group of taunting peers. Remember, the only way to a overcome a boggart is to laugh at it. How will your character finally face their fears?
Creating a Backstory and Adding Details
Come up with an interesting backstory. Write out a little about your character's history, from their childhood to the present. You could go into their family history, how they discovered that they're a witch or wizard, and any secrets they're bringing to school with them. Their backstory will help explain where they came from and how they grew into the person they are now. Work other elements from the Harry Potter series into your character's background. For instance, you might make them a star Quidditch player, or point out that they were next door neighbors with Neville Longbottom growing up.
Think about who your character's friends will be. You can imagine that they're friends with characters from the books, or use the opportunity to come up with other original characters for them to hang around. Is your character a people person, or are they more of a loner? Will they associate with many different students, or mostly stick to their own house? Don't be afraid to explore unexpected relationships. Your character might be a promising young witch whose best friend is a muggle, or a conflicted Slytherin who ends up befriending a loyal Hufflepuff and changing their ways. If you decide to make up other original characters as friends, be sure to give them names so you can keep track of who's who and put them into your stories.
Dream up an enemy or villain for your character. After you've assembled a friend group for your character, choose a person or group of people to pit them against. This could be a rival student from another house or a bully from their own. Write out a couple short sentences explaining why your character and their enemy are at odds. Don't forget to name your character's nemesis and give them a basic backstory of their own.
Decide how your character fits into the timeline. They could have been around during Harry's battle with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, or they might have come along later as a new student. You might even imagine a futuristic version of Hogwarts with all new students and professors after magic has been discovered by muggles. The possibilities are endless! Basing your characters and stories after the events of the books will give you much more freedom over what happens in the world you've created.
Draw or write stories about your finished character. Once you're done building a profile for your character, draw and color a detailed picture of them to bring them to life. You might also choose to incorporate them into your own original fanfiction. Remember to include each of their identifying elements, like magical abilities, clothing, wand, and pets. Use an online character creator to model your character and try out different outfits, hairstyles, and accessories. Keep expanding your cast of characters to add to the already rich world of Harry Potter. You're only limited by the scope of your imagination!
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