What You Never Noticed About The Character Introductions In Harry Potter
Harry Potter fans, like everyone else in the world, have found themselves with some extra free time lately. People the world over have seen an increase in sedentary lifestyles — specifically among young adults, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health — as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, since even when there's something to do, there's not always a place to do it safely.
As fans of the written word circle back to old favorites from time to time, some Harry Potter fans have taken this opportunity to re-read the influential young adult series about wizards and witchcraft. As is often enough the case, one might notice things the second or third time around, things a first-time reader might not realize are significant, given a limited view of the magical world's big picture — hey, we didn't all have the Marauder's Map just handed to us out of the blue.
One observant fan noticed something particular about how some of the characters are introduced in the Harry Potter books.
How characters are introduced in the Harry Potter books could be important
How readers are introduced to a character can tell a lot about them. According to some fans of the Harry Potter books, that holds true for the characters in J.K. Rowling's series as well.
In a recent Reddit thread, user marys524 shared their thoughts, having recently picked up the books again. "I might have noticed a pattern in the way characters introduce themselves," they said. While the user admitted they could be "completely over-analyzing," they shared their findings from the first installment, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Your three favorite Gryffindor students fit the model to a T: Harry doesn't introduce himself at all, he's recognized and simply nods; Ron Weasley is introduced by his twin brothers, Fred and George, or, as OP marys524 puts it, "Even from the moment we meet Ron, his family is already doing most of the talking for him"; Hermione Granger only introduces herself after nearly a full page of dialogue, suggesting "She's more concerned about magic (and helping Neville) and then realizes that she hasn't introduced herself. It's an afterthought to her."
The same holds true for some of the series' other characters as well.
Other Harry Potter characters' introductions speak to their personalities as well
The list of Harry Potter characters well defined by their respective introductions extends beyond Gryffindor house's top-talented trio, of course. Take Slytherin's Draco Malfoy, for example (we know, you're shocked beyond belief). The future Death Eater channels his inner James Bond when introducing himself: "My name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." User marys524 suggests this implies that his surname — and the status it conveys — "is more important than his own first name," which sounds spot-on.
According to user IanRCarter, Rubeus Hagrid's introduction speaks to his personality as well, when he "tells Harry his name and his job title – keeper of keys at grounds at Hogwarts." They contend that shows the level of importance Hagrid places on his job and the extent to which it comprises his identity and "gives him purpose."
In addition to sharing their insight on how characters are introduced, Harry Potter fans have strong opinions on how viewers bid farewell to one in particular.