Harry Potter Fans With No Life

The One Question That Will Determine Which Harry Potter Character You're Most Like

JULIA SEALES
June 29

Over the years I've related to many different Harry Potter characters. Growing up, I adored Hermione Granger — after all, I was a self acknowledged know-it-all who once read a textbook cover to cover twice to make sure I knew the material well enough (I was always a nerdy bookworm, surprise!). The library was my favorite place, and I even had buck teeth. Needless to say, I was jealous that Hermione magically shrunk her teeth, whereas I got stuck with braces.

Even though I always thought I was 100% Hermione, over the years I began to identify with other characters more and more. If you're a HP fan, you know what I'm talking about — you've probably had a similar experience. That one character will always hold a special place in your heart, but suddenly you relate to the Marauders! You relate to non-main characters (and wish they had their own series)! And, because the Harry Potter generation is getting older... you (gasp) relate to the professors.

Recently my brother told me that I was "Hermione Granger from the first book but you turned into Ginny from the sixth book." I take this as a compliment, because they're both awesome characters. But if you're like me and you relate to many different characters from the HP universe, how do you settle the question once and for all: which character are you most like?

The one question that will determine this answer is: what animal would you choose as your Patronus?
Here's why.

1. Your Patronus Reveals Your Personality

According to Miranda Goshawk in Rowling's Wonderbook: Book of Spells, a corporeal Patronus is "a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity." This means that a Patronus can reveal your personality, through whatever shape it takes. Your deepest qualities are revealed through a Patronus, so naturally, this will reveal the similarities between you and other HP characters.


2. Your Patronus Reveals Your Love For Others

Ron Weasley's Patronus is a Jack Russell terrier, and Hermione Granger's is an otter. Jack Russells are known for chasing otters. Your Patronus not only reveals your personality, it might reveal how you relate to others.


3. You Don't Get To Choose A Patronus... But Actually, You Do

In the wizarding world, wizards and witches don't choose their Patronuses. In the Muggle world, you obviously can't go around shouting "Expecto Patronum" in order to find out what shape yours would take — instead, you have to rely on your imagination to transport you to the world of Harry Potter. However, isn't choice a huge part of the HP series? Harry chooses to be in Gryffindor, Snape chooses to remain loyal to Lily even after all that time... so I think the animal you choose to be your adopted fictional Patronus actually says a lot about you, and which HP character you're most like.

4. Each Patronus Is Unique


Just like people, each Patronus is unique. The purpose is to defend you, and you can only conjure them using happy memories. If you're thinking about your happiest memories and which animal's qualities fit in with them, that's getting to the core of what you value most. This will reveal which character you're like, when you compare.


5. You Can Match Your Patronus To A Character In The Wizarding World

So, you have an animal in your head right now, don't you? After thinking about your happy memories, your personality, and what you value most, you've come up with an animal that most represents yourself.

Now it's time to compare this animal to the Patronus of the characters of Harry Potter, to see which one most closely matches with yours:


Cho Chang — Swan

Albus Dumbledore — Phoenix

Seamus Finnigan — Fox

Hermione Granger — Otter

Harry Potter — Stag

Luna Lovegood — Hare

Professor McGonagall — Cat

Lily and Snape — Doe

Ginny Weasley — Horse

Ron Weasley — Jack Russell Terrier

Happy Expecto Patronum-ing. May you find your Patronus... and along with it, your perfect HP character match.

Patronus

magical effect
A silvery-white, conjured creature created by using the Patronus Charm. The Patronus is used against Dementors and Lethifolds.

Harry's Patronus is a stag (like his father's Animagus form) (PA21, OP1).

Andros the Invincible is alleged to have been the only wizard known to have produced a Patronus the size of a giant (fw)

Aberforth Dumbledore's Patronus is a goat (DH28).

Albus Dumbledore's Patronus is a phoenix (DH20, JKR)

Hermione's Patronus is an otter

and Cho's is a swan (OP27).

Seamus at first wasn't sure what his was, just that it was hairy; it turned out to be a fox (OP27, DH32).

Luna Lovegood's Patronus is a hare (DH32).

Ernie Macmillan's Patronus is a boar (DH32).

Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus is a lynx (DH8).

Severus Snape's Patronus is a doe (DH33).

Dolores Umbridge's Patronus is a cat (see) (DH13).

Ron's Patronus is a Jack Russell terrier (JKR, DH32).

Arthur Weasley's Patronus is a weasel (DH7, DH9).

A Patronus can be commanded by the caster to attack. Harry controlled his and told it to attack each Dementor in turn when they attacked him and Dudley in the alley near Privet Drive (OP1).
Members of the Order of the Phoenix used their Patronuses to communicate with other Order members (HBP8, DH8, etc.)

And, they look funny when they try to run.