Harry Potter Costumes
Dress up as your favorite Harry Potter character

Since Harry was brought to life on the big screen in 2001, the Harry Potter movies have received a huge following across the globe. Now that the film franchise is about to end, here’s a quick look at the magical Harry Potter movies that follow the adventures of The Boy Who Lived.

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

An orphan with a miserable life, Harry Potter never thought there’s a totally different life waiting for him at Hogwarts. Harry learns on his 11th birthday that he is a wizard and is famous in the wizarding world for surviving a killing curse.

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Unexplained things have terrified Hogwarts teachers and students, and a monster is out to kill students without magical blood. Harry defeats the monster and saves the life of his best friend’s sister.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry faces a new threat on his life, as mass murderer Sirius Black has escaped detention to kill him. Struggling against dementor attacks, Harry discovers the truth behind the murder of his parents.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

To his utter surprise, Harry finds himself as one of the contenders in the Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts. During the competition, he encounters Voldemort who tries to reclaim his lost glory in the wizarding world.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry has a hard time convincing the wizarding community that Voldemort is back. Together with his friends, he forms the Dumbledore’s Army to teach defensive spells to his fellow students.

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry and Dumbledore try to unravel the past of the Dark Lord to discover the way to make him mortal.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Coming in two installments, the last Harry Potter movies will follow the quest of Harry and his friends to destroy the remaining Horcruxes where bits of Voldemort’s souls are kept.

It doesn’t take a “pure-blood” fan to know who the Harry Potter characters are. For about a decade, these characters have left an indelible mark—much like the protagonist’s lightning bolt scar—to many Potter fans.

Listed here are the most unforgettable Harry Potter characters to ever grace the pages of the book.

1. Harry Potter

Harry tops the list for an obvious reason—he is the leading character in the books and movies. It’s not hard to sympathize with his character. For 10 years, he had endured unfortunate circumstances, only to find out that his status is totally different in the magical world. His courage has saved a lot of lives at Hogwarts. He survived a killing curse, thanks to his mother’s love that protected him from death. That’s why he is popularly known, both in fiction and in reality, as The Boy Who Lived.

2. Ron Weasley

Ron is Harry’s best friend and ever dependable sidekick. He provides comic relief both in the books and movies. While he is not as popular as Harry or as brainy as Hermione, his loyalty and natural charm more than made up for it.

3. Hermione Granger

Once described by Professor Snape as an “insufferable know-it-all,” Hermione consistently excels in her classes (except for Divination). Buermione does more than just that. Among the Harry Potter characters, she possesses a logical mind, which has tremendously helped Harry in most of his battles.

4. Albus Dumbledore

For Harry and most Hogwarts students, Professor Dumbledore is the greatest wizard who ever lived. This 150-something-year old Hogwarts headmaster is indeed a master of every field of magic. His wisdom and magical prowess are cloaked under his calm, serene demeanor.

5. Severus Snape

Is he on the side of Dumbledore or Voldemort? This ambiguity adds mystery to Snape’s character, making him one of the most debated and interesting Harry Potter characters.

Originally slated for release on November 2008, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince finally hit the cinemas in July the following year. Was it worth the long wait? It’s absolutely worth it if you’re talking about the Harry Potter cast of the movie’s sixth installment.

The casting of the Half-Blood Prince, which was completed on November 2007, is an awesome mix of the original actors of the film franchise and interesting newcomers. Leading the cast are Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, who are reprising their roles as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, respectively. The trio, once again, are in for dangers of the looming return of Voldemort.

They are joined by the rest of the original Harry Potter cast, including Michael Gambon (Dumbledore), Alan Rickman (Snape), and Bonnie Wright (Ginny). Tom Felton, who plays Harry’s most wicked nemesis in Hogwarts, reprises his role too—but he plays a big role in the Half-Blood Prince.

The additions to the Harry Potter cast consist of both veterans and neophytes. Two multi-awarded English thespians come on board for the Half-Blood Prince. Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent plays Horace Slughorn, the new potions professor at Hogwarts. Helen McCrory plays Narcisa Malfoy, the mother of Draco and sister of Bellatrix (played by Helena Bonham Carter).

Several young actors make their debut in the Half-Blood Prince. The most talked about is Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who portrays the 11-year-old Voldemort, the adult version of whom has been played by his uncle Ralph Fiennes in the previous two Harry Potter films. Playing an interesting role in the movie is Jessie Cave who has bagged the role of Lavender Brown.

Imagine the following: Black robes; a wand; messy black hair; black, round glasses; and a lightning bolt shaped scar on the forehead. Red and gold robes; a broomstick; a tiny golden ball with wings; messy black hair; black, round glasses; and a lightning bolt shaped scar on the forehead.

These are the two of the popular Harry Potter costumes come Halloween ever since the first Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, came out in 2001. Harry’s own brand of wizard has been widely adopted by kids and adults alike and has become a staple outfit when the calendar hits October 31st. One could see a dozen Harrys in their Hogwarts robes or in their Gryffindor Quidditch gear walking down the streets.

From the simple black school robes, costumes have evolved to depict the other well-loved characters from the movies. The tremendous popularity of the Harry Potter movies has made close to a million fans to want to dress up as their favorite characters. With all these characters wandering the streets, it might be possible to create an impromptu Harry Potter movie right in your neighborhood.

Buying Harry Potter outfits from costume shops can be expensive, however. Here are tips on how to dress like a witch and wizard and create your own Harry Potter costumes.

Harry Potter in School Robes

Find a black graduation gown and put on a Gryffindor patch. If you know how to embroider, there are a lot of patterns for the Gryffindor House patch available from different web sites. If not, silkscreened patches will do. For your inner wear, pair up black slacks with a white long-sleeve polo and a red-and-gold striped tie. Put on a black cardigan. Finish your look with a pair of black, round glasses and draw a lightning bolt scar on your forehead. Don’t forget your wand.

Quidditch Robes

Instead of a black robe, find a scarlet one and put on a Gryffindor patch. For your inner wear, put on a pair of khaki slacks and a red knitted sweater. If you can find knee and elbow pads, all the better. Don’t forget your broomstick and the trademark round glasses and lightning scar. To make your Golden Snitch, paint a small Styrofoam ball gold and attach some wings made out of yellow pipe cleaners.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger

Making a Ron Weasley costume is the same as Harry Potter in school robes, only that Ron has bright red hair and lots of freckles, which may require a wig and an orange marker. Hermione Granger’s school robes are also similar to Harry’s and Ron’s. For her inner wear, find a pleated black skirt and pair it with a long-sleeve button down polo, red and gold striped tie, and black, knee-high socks. Complete the Hermione look with bushy hair and books.

Hogwarts Student

If you don’t want to be Harry, Ron, or Hermione and be just a regular Hogwarts student, simply replace your colors of your patches and ties. Gryffindor students wear red and gold ties, Slytherins wear green and silver, Ravenclaws wear blue and bronze, and Hufflepuffs wear yellow and black. You can find the different patterns for the different House crest patches from various Harry Potter fan sites.