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Charlus Potter was a pure-blood[2] wizard and a member of the Potter family. He married Dorea Black and together they had a son.

Biography[]

Charlus was the uncle by marriage of Walburga, Alphard and Cygnus Black III, thus he was the great-uncle of Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy, as well as Sirius and Regulus Black. As well as this, Charlus was the great-great uncle of Nymphadora Tonks, Draco Malfoy and Delphini, and the great-great-great-uncle of Teddy Lupin and Scorpius Malfoy. Also, he was related in some way to James Potter and his son, the famous Harry Potter.

Etymology[]

  • Charlus could refer back to the name Charles. It is derived from the Germanic karl or hari. It can mean "man", "army" or "warrior". This can relate to many members of the Potter family.
  • Potter is a very common surname of English origin. It traditionally refers to the occupation of making pottery. Beatrix Potter was a well-known English children's author. Potter's field is the name for a burial ground for the unknown or unclaimed dead, particularly soldiers and orphans. The Potter Box is a model for making ethical decisions developed at Harvard University. J. K. Rowling has also commented that she has liked the name since childhood, as a family that had lived near her carried this surname.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

  • There was some speculation that Charlus Potter was the father of James Potter and the paternal grandfather of Harry Potter. Later, Pottermore has revealed that Fleamont Potter, not Charlus, is Harry's grandfather. Either way, Charlus was indeed related to James, being most likely an uncle or cousin of him. He may also have been a descendant of Abraham Potter.
  • Charlus was not featured on the Potter family tree onPottermore, but he was featured on the Black family tree. Notably, Charlus was not the only Potter not featured in the family tree launched on the platform, as Ralston Potter and Abraham Potter are also not on the tree.
  • J. K. Rowling has stated that Harry had no family remaining other than the Dursleys at the time of Lord Voldemort's attack on Godric's Hollow, suggesting that Charlus, and any descendants he might have had otherwise, were dead by this time. However, this is not fully confirmed, and it is not known exactly what happened to them, so there is a small possibility that Charlus and or his descendants were still alive during the events of the saga.
  • He may have been part of the extended family Harry saw in the Mirror of Erised, in addition to his parents.
  • Given that Dorea Black from the House of Black was not disowned and burnt off the Black Family Tree, implies that her marriage to Charlus Potter was a "respectable" pure-blood marriage.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 1 (The Boy Who Lived) – Dumbledore: "I’ve come to bring Harry Vernon and Petunia Dursley]. They’re the only family he has left now."
  2. 2.0 2.1 Since Dorea Black was not disowned by her family (who believed strongly in the importance of blood purity), it can be assumed that Charlus was a respectable pure-blood wizard it was also stated that the Potters were a pure-blood family, until the birth of Harry Potter.
  3. Barnes and Noble interview, March 19, 1999
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