📚Harry Potter Series

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The brightest witch of her age who transforms from know-it-all to wise friend. Hermione's journey shows how intellectual mastery must be balanced with emotional wisdom and loyalty to truly serve the greater good.

Key Moments

• Setting Snape's Robes on Fire: Uses her knowledge boldly to protect Harry, showing mastery in service of friendship
• Founding Dumbledore's Army: Channels her organizing genius toward resistance, becoming a leader in her own right
• Obliviating Her Parents: Makes the ultimate sacrifice of belonging for the mission, showing allegiance to the flame

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The loyal friend who struggles with feeling overshadowed but always shows up when it counts. Ron's journey demonstrates that honor and friendship matter more than talent, and that courage can coexist with fear.

Key Moments

• The Chess Sacrifice: Offers himself as a sacrifice so Harry can continue, showing the Knight's true honor
• Destroying the Locket: Faces his deepest insecurities and chooses loyalty over jealousy
• Returning After Leaving: Overcomes shame to return to his friends, proving that mistakes don't define us

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The privileged bully who discovers his cruelty has consequences. Draco's arc reveals the hollowness of inherited prejudice and the possibility of choosing differently, even when surrounded by darkness—though he struggles to fully embrace redemption.

Key Moments

• Unable to Kill Dumbledore: Lowers his wand when it matters, revealing he is not truly a killer
• Not Identifying Harry: Hesitates to condemn Harry at the Manor, showing cracks in his family loyalty
• Being Saved by Harry: Receives mercy he never showed others, a chance at transformation he barely grasps

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The Boy Who Lived grows from orphan to hero through courage and love. Harry's journey exemplifies the Warrior who fights not for glory but for those he loves, always choosing what is right over what is easy.

Key Moments

• Facing Voldemort in the Graveyard: Chooses to duel rather than flee, standing against evil even when outmatched
• Walking into the Forest: The ultimate act of sacrificial courage—walking willingly to his death to save others
• Expelling the Patronus: Discovers his greatest power is not magic but the love and hope he carries within

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The greatest wizard of his age who embodies the tension between knowledge and reverence. Dumbledore guides Harry while carrying the weight of past mistakes, showing that true wisdom comes from acknowledging both power and vulnerability.

Key Moments

• The Mirror of Erised: Reveals the danger of dwelling on desires while gently guiding Harry toward accepting loss
• Confession to Harry: Admits his mistakes with Grindelwald, showing that even the wisest must reckon with their shadows
• Sacrifice at the Cave: Drinks the potion knowing what awaits, demonstrating the Guide's ultimate commitment to the greater mission

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The dark lord who sought immortality through domination represents the ultimate shadow of King and Magician. Voldemort's fear of death drove him to split his soul, losing his humanity in pursuit of power without vulnerability.

Key Moments

• Creating the Horcruxes: Fragments his soul in pursuit of immortality, showing how fear corrupts the Magician's quest
• Killing Harry's Parents: Acts on prophecy rather than wisdom, demonstrating the Tyrant's paranoid grasp for control
• Final Duel with Harry: Cannot comprehend love or sacrifice, and is undone by the very powers he dismissed

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The double agent whose entire life was an act of love disguised as cruelty. Snape embodies the wounded healer who channels his pain into protecting the son of his lost love, proving redemption possible through unwavering commitment.

Key Moments

• The Doe Patronus: His unchanged love for Lily manifests as the guiding light leading Harry to the sword
• Killing Dumbledore: Bears the ultimate burden of appearing villain while serving as secret protector
• 'Always': His final memory reveals a lifetime of hidden devotion and sacrifice

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The wrongly imprisoned godfather who never lost his rebellious spirit or his loyalty. Sirius bridges the playful Marauder past with the serious resistance present, showing how humor and defiance can coexist with deep devotion.

Key Moments

• Escaping Azkaban: Breaks free through sheer will and love, proving that connection can survive any darkness
• Offering Harry a Home: Extends family to the orphaned boy, fulfilling his role as godfather despite the risks
• Fighting at the Ministry: Rushes to protect Harry without hesitation, the loyal Knight to the end

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The werewolf professor who transforms his curse into a gift for teaching. Lupin embodies the wounded healer, using his experience with darkness and shame to guide young wizards with patience and understanding.

Key Moments

• Teaching the Patronus: Shares his expertise to help Harry master his greatest defense against despair
• Revealing His Condition: Lives authentically despite stigma, showing that our wounds can become wisdom
• Returning to Fight: Overcomes fear of leaving his family to stand where he is needed most

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The stern but fair Head of Gryffindor who holds students to high standards while fiercely protecting them. McGonagall demonstrates that true authority combines discipline with deep care, confronting threats to her charges with unwavering courage.

Key Moments

• Dueling Snape: Steps forward to protect Hogwarts when others hesitate, showing the Elder's courage
• Awarding Last-Minute Points: Recognizes true bravery over rule-following, balancing justice with wisdom
• Defying Umbridge: Stands against corrupt authority, modeling how to challenge injustice with dignity

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The unlikely hero who transforms from bumbling student to resistance leader. Neville's arc proves that courage is not the absence of fear but action despite it, and that those who seem least likely may rise highest.

Key Moments

• Standing Up to His Friends: Confronts Harry, Ron, and Hermione—showing moral courage before physical
• Leading Dumbledore's Army: Steps into leadership when Harry is gone, becoming the hero Hogwarts needs
• Killing Nagini: Destroys the final Horcrux, fulfilling the prophecy's alternative path with decisive action

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The fanatical Death Eater whose obsessive devotion to Voldemort consumes everything else. Bellatrix represents the shadow Lover and Seeker—passion without presence, allegiance without wisdom, loyalty corrupted into madness.

Key Moments

• Torturing the Longbottoms: Her cruelty knows no bounds, showing obsession devoid of any balancing mercy
• Killing Sirius: Takes sadistic pleasure in destroying family bonds, the Addict feeding on pain
• Protecting Voldemort: Fights with manic devotion, showing how love twisted becomes destruction

Archetypes

Pillar Virtues

Character Arc

The gentle half-giant whose enormous heart matches his size. Hagrid embodies unconditional love and acceptance, welcoming the outcast and caring for dangerous creatures others fear, showing that nurturing transcends conventional boundaries.

Key Moments

• Delivering Baby Harry: Carries the orphaned child to safety, beginning his role as Harry's first protector
• 'Yer a wizard, Harry': Opens the door to a new world with warmth and wonder, welcoming the outcast home
• Carrying Harry from the Forest: Believes Harry dead yet carries him with love, showing the Caregiver's devotion beyond hope