Welcome to the latest installment of the Potpourri Blog! With a Mother's Day Celebration coming up for many this month, we though it would be an appropriate time to honor the Parents in Potter. And whether your own Mother's Day celebration has already occurred or we haven't even reached the month for it yet (haven't forgotten about Father's Day either), the Prefects also want to give a big shoutout to all the wonderful parents here on HPFT! You're all rockstars 

Arthur & Molly Weasley 

The Weasley parents are probably the parents most frequently mentioned in the Harry Potter series, and for good reason. They're essentially Harry's "real" adopted parents once he starts Hogwarts and befriends Ron, who immediately welcomes this skinny, black-haired boy into his family without a second thought. Both of them show great love and care for all of their children, even if that sometimes means discipline is in order because the kids need to learn lessons (the flying car debacle, anyone?). What is so interesting about Molly and Arthur as a couple is their different interests hobby and career-wise, but how those differences make them a good pair that balances the other out. This is especially true when it comes to their parenting styles; Molly tends to be the hardline parent, while Arthur is definitely more carefree and supportive of his children's antics. 

As the youngest children grow older and are beginning to enter adulthood and deal with darker, more sensitive topics as sixteen and seventeen year olds, Molly and Arthur definitely come together more frequently on certain positions, especially as it concerns Order business and the like. Seeing the change in the Weasley parents as the kids also age is a unique part of this series and makes it more interesting to see that these "established" adult figures in Harry's life can still have interesting and important character arcs throughout his time knowing them and learning more about them during the books. 

Lucius and Narcissa (Black) Malfoy

Parents to their only child and son, the Malfoys truly loved their son, Draco. They doted on him in his early childhood, and gave him everything. (Yes, that turned him into a spoiled, demanding, whinging brat with delusions of being top dragon in his class at Hogwarts! Possibly not the best example of parents.)

Narcissa would often send care packages to her son while he was in school. Her love for her son led her to make an Unbreakable pact with Severus Snape (egged on by her crazy, Voldemort-loving sister, Bellatrix) to protect Draco and perform whatever he couldn’t do.

Narcissa’s love for her son also led to her betraying the Dark Lord and saving Harry Potter so Neville Longbottom could destroy Voldemort by slaying Nagini. It also saved her family from prosecution in the end, because once she saw Draco, she made her family leave the Battle of Hogwarts. 

Mr. and Mrs. Granger

Hermione’s parents were sadly not given any first names in the series until their daughter mind wiped them in the Seventh Book and sent them off to Australia for safety. So, for that short time they were known as Wendell and Monica Wilkins. Had she possibly used their first names when giving them their new personas?

Hermione’s parents were both accomplished dentists in Muggle London and worked together in their own practice. They took Hermione on various family vacations (France, Isle of Dean). They supported her desire to go to Hogwarts once they’d been informed she was a Muggleborn witch. They even helped her shop for school supplies in Diagon Alley and made friends with Arthur and Molly Weasley.

By all reports, they were said to have been very proud of their daughter’s accomplishments.

Vernon and Petunia Dursley

The Durlseys' might be high key problematic with their treatment of Harry for basically all of his life, but there's no denying that they loved Dudley. Perhaps too much? Maybe. Their treatment of Dudley was certainly problematic in a different way, denying his flaws and faults and allowing him to get away with too much. They spoiled him, definitely- those numerous birthday presents come to mind instantly. But they wanted to provide a good life for their son and make sure that he was well cared for. 

Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks

Two of our most promising parents were Remus and Tonks. They had fought everything to be together. As a werewolf, Lupin faced the stigma of his 'furry problem' in all areas of life. Work was hard to come by in the Wizarding World because he was feared. His dream job as a professor at Hogwarts was cut short because his problem was exposed by Severus Snape. He almost gave up his love, Tonks because of his own fears, but they worked through it and had their very own son, Theodore Lupin. Teddy inherited his mother's Metamorphmagus skill.

They died, together, fighting the Death Eaters at the Battle of Hogwarts. They left their young son in the care of her mother, Andromeda Black Tonks to raise. Harry Potter was his godfather, and he spent much time with the extended Potter/Weasley family.

James and Lily (Evans) Potter 

Harry's very own parents were cut down by Death Eaters when he was a baby on Halloween Night. They loved their baby boy, and James died trying to give his wife and son a chance to escape. Sadly, Lily died protecting Harry also. Her love for her baby created a protection spell that lasted until his seventeenth birthday.  The spell would only stay active if he was living with members of his mother's family, so Harry was raised by Vernon and Petunia (Evans) Dursley along side their son, Dudley.

They never got the chance to physically raise their son, but at the Cemetery where Wormtail kidnapped Harry to during the last trial of the Triwizard Tournament, his parents appeared to Harry and encouraged him through temporally vanquishing Voldemort so he could, with Cedric Diggory's body, return to Hogwarts and inform the Wizarding World that Voldemort had returned.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, they again returned via the power of the Resurrection Stone and with others, encouraged him to face Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. They also reminded him that they're always with him and would stand by him. 

Potter Parent Fic Recs

A Thousand Miles by @Pixileanin (Original Fiction, mother & son)

As Good As by @Chemical_Pixie (Molly Weasley & Harry Potter)

All Was True by @800 words of heaven (Petunia Dursley & Harry Potter)

Pride and Joy by @RonsGirlFriday (Percy Weasley & Molly Weasley)

For Harry by @Tanda (Sirius Black & Harry Potter)

The Irises Will Take Over the World by @Oregonian (Original Fiction, mother & son)

Protecting Their Child by @potionspartner (Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco)

The Baby in the Closet by @Oregonian(Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley-Potter, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley)

credits:
contributors: juls, noelle, madi, sarah
graphics: deni
blog compilation: sarah