Mythical Character

Book Character

Legend (by the book)

Explanation (by moi)

Argus

Argus Filch (and Mrs. Norris)

A monster with a hundred eyes who was slain when Zeus lulled him to sleep with lyre.

Argus Filch, the caretaker who prowls around Hogwarts with his loyal cat trying to catch all who break the rules.  Also in favor of harsh punishment (e.g. whipping, etc)

Argus

Fluffy the three-headed dog

A monster with a hundred eyes who was slain when Zeus lulled him to sleep with lyre.

Having three heads, the monster is gonna have more than the usual amount of eyes.  (see also below- Cerberus)

Cerberus

Fluffy the three-headed dog

Hades’ dog who prevented the living from descending into the infernal regions of Hades, and to prevent the dead from escaping.  A terrible beast with tree to fifty heads (depending on the legend), anyone wishing to pass him had to appease him with a bribe.  Orpheus lulled him to sleep with a lyre.

The only way to pass Fluffy was to play some music to send him to sleep and Quirrell did so by play a harp.  Fluffy the three headed dog guarded the way to the philosophers’ stone.

Zeus

Albus Dumbledore

Supreme rule, Lord of the Sky, rain, god and cloud gatherer, Zeus wielded the awful thunderbolt.  He uses lightning to express anger at his subjects and humans, and to secure their attention.

Headmaster of Hogwarts.  This was one that I wasn’t going to put in but it relates to some other people so it’s important that you know that Dumbledore represents Zeus.

Athena (Minerva in Roman Mythology)

Minerva McGonagall

Born full grown out of Zeus’ Head, she is the fierce and ruthless goddess of battle.  She is the protector of civilized life, goddess of handicrafts and agriculture, and the tamer of horses for use by men (she invented the bridle). She carried her father’s devastating weapon, the thunderbolt, but she is also regarded as the goddess of wisdom, reason, and purity.  Her temple is the Parthenon, the owl her bird, and the olive (which she created) is her tree.

She is the deputy head mistress to the school and stands in for Dumbledore at times when he is unable to do so himself.  She does not hesitate in showing her opinion (especially in book five with Umbridge).  Minerva McGonagall is an animagus, however when she transforms, she becomes a cat.  She treats students fairly and gives Harry important advice in times of need.

Hera

Doleres Umbridge

Zeus’ wife, jealous of the many children fathered by Zeus, often sought to deceive him and harass his children and their mothers.

Became Hogwarts high Inquisitor.  Worked for the Ministry of Magic.  ‘Harassed’ the students by giving out detentions and banning many things.

Narcissus

Gilderoy Lockhart

A beautiful youth, he saw his image reflected in a fountain and fell in love with himself.  He would have nothing to do with the nymphs who desired him, and the goddess Nemesis vowed to avenge the scorned maidens.  As Narcissus admired himself in a pool, he pined away and died.  The nymphs who he had scorned looked for his body but found only a new and beautiful flower.

Gilderoy Lockhart could be described as big-headed, taking credit for other peoples work.  All the women fancied him, but never got together with anyone of them.  After Harry and Ron found out he was a fake, they made him go first into the chamber of secrets.  All the women who fancied him ‘looked for him’ but because he had lost his memory, he couldn’t be ‘found’.  Instead they found ‘a new and beautiful flower’ which could be depicted as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who replaced him, (Remus Lupin) who was the best DAtDA teacher that Harry has had so far.  Narcissus is similar to the name of Malfoy’s mother, Narcissa and although she hasn’t yet been fully described in the books, this could be what she is like.

Echo

Hermione

Hera had punished Echo by taking her voice away.  However, Echo fell deeply in love with Narcissus but because she could not speak to him, she could not attract his attention.  In shame, she banished herself to a lonely cave.

Hermione in book three, fell in love with Lockhart putting hearts around his lessons on her timetable.  She tried to ‘attract’ him with her intelligence, but he did not notice.

Janus

Quirrell

One of the oldest Roman gods, Janus is represented as having two faces, one looking forward and the other backwards.

Professor Quirrell had the face of Lord Voldemort coming out of the back of his head.

Romulus

Remus Lupin

Romulus and his twin brother Remus were thrown into the Tiber river in an attempt to kill them at birth.  They were raised and rescued by a she-wolf, eventually conquered their foes, and laid the foundation for the city of Rome that would become the capital of the western world.

Remus Lupin was bitten by a werewolf when younger and transforms into one once a lunar month (every full moon).  Maybe in the next books we find out about his family.  He however (said by JK Rowling herself) does not have a twin.

Sibyl

Sibyll Trelawney

A fortune teller who asked for eternal life but forgot to ask for an eternal youth.  The sibyl usually wrote her prophecies on leaves which she left at the opening of caves.

Divination teacher.

Medusa

The Basilisk

One of the three deadly Gorgons whose gaze killed men by turning them to stone.  Instead of hair, her head was covered in deadly snakes.  The gods loaned Perseus a helmet that made him invincible, a belt buckle that served as a mirror (so that he wouldn’t have to look directly at Medusa’s gaze), and wings for his feet, he cut off Medusa’s head.

The Basilisk, which is a giant snake who’s gaze kills people but if looked at indirectly (e.g. through a mirror) the person will be only petrified which, as described in the second book, the victims look like stone statues.  After Hermione discovered this information, she began to use mirrors to look round corners.  When Harry faces the Basilisk himself, he is sent by Dumbledore a sword and Fawkes the phoenix who has healing powers (making Harry invincible).

Melampus

Harry Potter

He rescued two snakes after their parents were killed.  They gratefully licked his ears so that he understood animals’ languages.  He used this knowledge to make prophecies bases on animal communications.

Harry is a parselmouth.  Because he could understand snakes, he could understand the basilisk in book two when it was traveling through the pipes.

Mercury (also known as Hermes)

Hermes and Fawkes the phoenix

The son of Zeus and Maia, he swiftly delivers news and is like a messenger.

Fawkes and Hermes both deliver messages throughout the books.

Perseus

Harry Potter

The son of Zeus and Danaë, he killed Medusa with the help of Hermes (see above) and Athena (see above).

Dumbledore’s phoenix was sent to help Harry when he went to kill the basilisk.  Fawkes was sent carrying the sorting hat, which gave Harry Godric Griffindor’s sword (McGonagall (who is represented by Athena) is the head of Griffindor house)