The Harry Potter series would be nothing without its protagonist — the boy wizard who somehow managed to survive a deadly attack from the strongest dark sorcerer the magical world had seen in a while. Harry is incredibly brave, a wonderful and loyal friend, and never hesitates to help those in need.
His growth from a scrawny eleven-year-old with broken glasses and terrible relatives into a strong hero who gained the respect of his entire community is what makes his story so compelling. Over the years, Harry has provided fans with some of the funniest and wisest quotes in the saga, showing everyone why he's one of the best characters in history.
10 "I'll Be In My Bedroom, Making No Noise And Pretending I'm Not There."
While Harry was treated as the Chosen One in the Wizarding world, things could not have been different back in his uncle and aunt's house, where he lived for seventeen years. Not only did Harry's relatives keep his magical origin under wraps, but they relentlessly bullied him and treated him like their live-in servant.
When Harry's uncle hosts an important dinner in Chamber of Secrets, he makes Harry promise to stay in his room, making no noise and pretending he doesn't exist. Accustomed to such treatment, Harry does as told, only to get in trouble when Dobby escapes and wreaks havoc in the kitchen.
9 "Why Would I Go Looking For Someone Who Wants To Kill Me?"
Prisoner of Azkaban introduced Harry's godfather, Sirius Black; a fan-favorite character played in the movies by Academy Award-winning actor Gary Oldman. Before learning of his true identity, Harry and the rest of the Wizarding world believe him to be a powerful Death Eater who was, in part, responsible for the deaths of Harry's parents.
After meeting up with the Weasleys, Harry has a conversation with Mr. Weasley about keeping out of trouble and not going after Sirius. He keeps his word at first, but he changes his mind after finding out about Sirius's supposed crimes. Ultimately, he reunites with his godfather and forms a father-son relationship with him until Sirius' death in Order of the Phoenix.
8 "Every Great Wizard In History Has Started Out As Nothing More Than What We Are Now—Students. If They Can Do It, Then Why Not Us?"
In Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts falls under the Ministry of Magic's rule when Dolores Umbridge takes on the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Her classes are useless and theory-based, immediately irking the action-oriented Harry, who's now more anxious than ever for everyone to protect themselves against Voldemort.
Given Umbridge's poor teaching methods, Hermione proposes creating a special Defense group with Harry as the instructor. After giving it much thought, Harry agrees and discovers that he actually enjoys his new role as leader of Dumbledore's Army. During his classes, he makes sure to let everyone know that great wizards also started out as mere students.
7 "There's No Need To Call Me 'Sir,' Professor."
Aside from his bravery, loyalty, and penchant for heroics, Harry was known for his temper and unmatched levels of sass, which made an appearance whenever Harry was faced with injustice. He never hesitated to speak his mind and let everyone know what he truly felt, even if it meant going up against a nasty teacher.
In Half-Blood Prince, when Harry's Defense class is practicing non-verbal spells, he gets called out by Snape, who has finally acquired the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship after years of trying. Snape corrects Harry for not addressing him as 'sir,' to which Harry replies, "there's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor."
6 "I Won't Blast People Out Of My Way Just Because They're There. That's Voldemort's Job."
Despite being the last installment in the series, Deathly Hallows put Harry through more dangerous things than he'd faced in his entire life. As soon as he leaves his childhood home of Privet Drive, he finds himself and the rest of the Order surrounded by a troop of flying Death Eaters and even Voldemort himself.
Fortunately, he's able to make his way safely to the Burrow, the Weasleys' home, and is immediately interrogated by Lupin. When his ex-Professor asks him why he didn't defend himself against Stan Shunpike, who's suspected of being under the Imperius curse, Harry promptly informs him that blasting people is Voldemort's job, not his.
5 "I Don't Go Looking For Trouble. Trouble Usually Finds Me."
In spite of his best efforts to stay out of trouble, Harry somehow always ends up embroiled in whatever strange schemes are plaguing the Wizarding world. His six school years were full of deadly creatures, traumatic events, evil characters, and dangerous mysteries that he couldn't help but try to solve.
When Sirius Black is supposedly after him in Prisoner of Azkaban, the Golden Trio has a long conversation where Ron urges Harry to 'not go looking for trouble'. Exasperated, Harry remarks that he doesn't usually go looking for it, but that trouble seems to find him anyway. He didn't know it then, but things would just get even worse from then on.
4 "Sorry, Professor. I Must Not Tell Lies."
Not only did Order of Phoenix introduce the titular organization and Harry's rebellious Defense group, but it also introduced one of the most hated characters in the series — Dolores Umbridge. A Ministry bureaucrat, Umbridge is corrupt, power-hungry, and without a doubt, as evil as any dark wizard.
Her personality gets on everyone's nerves since the beginning, but there's no one that she clashes with more than with Harry. After Harry tries convincing everyone of Voldemort's return, Umbridge punishes him by making him write 'I must not tell lies' into his own flesh, forever marking him. Later on, when the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest get to Umbridge, she desperately pleads with Harry to tell them she means no harm, but he refuses to tell a lie.
3 "There's A Reason I Can Hear Them, The Horcruxes. I Think I've Known For A While, And I Think You Have Too."
Deathly Hallows disclosed many of the series' deepest secrets, but none hit as hard as Harry being revealed as one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. While he was not made into one by using the Horcrux spell, Harry was still connected to them on a subconscious level that he could access through dreams and visions.
During the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort demands Harry give himself up lest the others die for him. Harry decides to go, but before leaving the castle, he shares a last goodbye with his two best friends. He and Hermione hug, and he finally acknowledges what they both know: that he's Voldemort's hidden Horcrux.
2 "You're The Weak One. And You'll Never Know Love Or Friendship. And I Feel Sorry For You."
The Harry Potter series has made it quite clear over the years that Harry and Voldemort are two sides of the same coin: they're both half-bloods with powerful ancestries, they both have Slytherin traits, and they even share twin wands. As Harry grows, the similarities are more pronounced, but so are the differences.
In Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort finally succeeds in possessing Harry, forcing him to relive his painful memories. Harry fights back, thinks of his friends, and rejects Voldemort from his mind. Perhaps if Voldemort had known love and friendship, even once, he wouldn't have ruined the lives of thousands of people.
1 "I Love Magic."
Before learning of his magical lineage, Harry was an orphan struggling to cope with his life in an abusive household. He knew nothing about his parents, had no friends, and slept in a cupboard under the stairs. Hogwarts, and the friendships he made there, changed everything and gave him hope for a better future, despite the challenges he'd find along the way.
His love for the Wizarding world is best represented in a Goblet of Fire scene during the Quidditch World Cup. Harry enters his and the Weasleys' tent, only to look around in awe after noticing that it's much bigger on the inside. Amazed, he exclaims, "I love magic," a sentiment that has probably passed through his head multiple times over the years.