Harry Potter, the novel’s 12-year-old protagonist, is a “small and skinny” boy with “always untidy” black hair and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead that remains from Voldemort’s attack on him as a child. At Hogwarts, Harry is an average student, but he excels in two areas: Quidditch and Defense Against the Dark Arts. In this book, he learns to cast a Disarming Charm, which becomes one of his most-used spells in high-stakes situations, symbolizing Harry’s desire to outmaneuver his opponents rather than injure or kill them. Personality-wise, Harry is brave, loyal, and passionate when defending his ideals, as when he confronts the Hufflepuff students who think he is the heir of Slytherin.

This novel charts part of Harry’s coming-of-age journey, which spans the entire series. Here, Harry’s lingering concerns about almost being sorted into Slytherin are compounded as he learns of potentially alarming similarities between him and Salazar Slytherin and Tom Riddle. Harry’s fears remain unresolved throughout much of the book, at least partly because Harry chooses not to divulge them to anyone else, not even Ron, Hermione, or Dumbledore. Only after defeating Riddle does Harry ask Dumbledore about the similarities he shares with Riddle, allowing Dumbledore to offer Harry wise counsel.