Artist reimagines Harry Potter characters as accurate book depictions

22 April 2022, 16:34

Can you tell who all these Harry Potter characters are?
Can you tell who all these Harry Potter characters are? Picture: MsBananaAnna
Alice Dear

By Alice Dear

Yes, that's right, both Aunt Petunia and Neville Longbottom are meant to be blonde.

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An artist and IT graduate from Melbourne has shared mind-blowing illustrations of what the characters in the Harry Potter books series should look like.

The woman – who goes by MsBananaAnna – shared the incredible images to her Imgur account earlier this year, and Harry Potter fans everywhere are obsessed.

Instead of recreating the cast from the Harry Potter films, she decided to reimagine each character's appearance using only the descriptions given in the books.

And for Potter fans who haven't read the books and have only seen the films, there's been a lot of surprises. For example, not many people knew that both Aunt Petunia and Neville Longbottom are meant to have blonde hair.

The cast of the Harry Potter film series are – in most part – quite accurate to the book descriptions
The cast of the Harry Potter film series are – in most part – quite accurate to the book descriptions. Picture: Alamy

For fun, we've collected the amazing illustrations and put them up against the cast of the Harry Potter film series, just to see how right they cast the parts!

We've also included the descriptions of each character's appearance from the books, just so you can see the amazing job MsBananaAnna did.

Harry Potter

Thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, bright green eyes, round glasses held together with sellotape, very thin scar on his forehead.

In the books, Harry Potter's bright green eyes are often mentioned
In the books, Harry Potter's bright green eyes are often mentioned. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Hermione Granger

A bossy voice, lots of bushy brown hair, large front teeth.

Hermione Granger was cast pretty perfectly with Emma Watson
Hermione Granger was cast pretty perfectly with Emma Watson. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Narcissa Malfoy

Tall, slim, very pale, blue eyes, long blonde hair.

Narcissa Malfoy's black and white hair was adapted for the films, while in the books she is described to just have white-blonde hair
Narcissa Malfoy's black and white hair was adapted for the films, while in the books she is described to just have white-blonde hair. Picture: Warner Bros/ MsBananaAnna

Nymphadora Tonks

Pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, short spiky hair a shade of violet.

The Harry Potter filmmakers made sure to reference Tonks' colourful hair in the movies
The Harry Potter filmmakers made sure to reference Tonks' colourful hair in the movies. Picture: Warner Bros/ MsBananaAnna

Ron Weasley

Tall, thin, gangling, freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

Ron Weasley is another character cast perfectly by the filmmakers of Harry Potter
Ron Weasley is another character cast perfectly by the filmmakers of Harry Potter. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Neville Longbottom

A round-faced boy with blond hair.

In the Harry Potter books, Neville Longbottom surprisingly has blonde hair
In the Harry Potter books, Neville Longbottom surprisingly has blonde hair. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Fred & George Weasley

Short and stocky, red hair.

Fred and George Weasley are actually meant to be 'short and stocky'
Fred and George Weasley are actually meant to be 'short and stocky'. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Lucius Malfoy

Pale, pointed face, and grey eyes.

Lucius Malfoy was developed to have long hair in the films, but his hair isn't actually described as long in the books
Lucius Malfoy was developed to have long hair in the films, but his hair isn't actually described as long in the books. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Remus Lupin

Pale face with premature lines, light brown hair going grey.

Lupin was portrayed perfectly in the films by David Thewlis
Lupin was portrayed perfectly in the films by David Thewlis. Picture: Warner Bros/ MsBananaAnna

Professor McGonagall

Tall, severe-looking, with dark hair tied up in a bun.

We think Maggie Smith was the perfect choice to play Professor McGonagall
We think Maggie Smith was the perfect choice to play Professor McGonagall. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Peter Pettigrew

Small and rat-like man, extremely short, grubby skin, small watery eyes with a pointed nose.

Timothy Spall played Peter Pettigrew (also known as Wormtail) in the film series
Timothy Spall played Peter Pettigrew (also known as Wormtail) in the film series. Picture: Warner Bros/ MsBananaAnna

Fleur Delacour

Wavy silver-blonde hair and supernatural beauty.

It made perfect sense for model and actress Clémence Poésy to play Fleur Delacour
It made perfect sense for model and actress Clémence Poésy to play Fleur Delacour. Picture: Warner Bros/ MsBananaAnna

Draco Malfoy

Slender, white-blond hair, cold grey eyes, a pale complexion with sharp and pointed features.

Tom Felton was the perfect casting for Draco Malfoy
Tom Felton was the perfect casting for Draco Malfoy. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Bellatrix Lestrange

Tall, thin lips, heavy-lidded eyes, a strong jaw and long, thick shining black hair.

Bellatrix Lestrange is described as having heavy-lidded eyes, a strong jaw and long, thick shining black hair
Bellatrix Lestrange is described as having heavy-lidded eyes, a strong jaw and long, thick shining black hair. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Ginny Weasley

Flaming red hair, brown eyes, freckles.

Bonnie Wright was cast as Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter film series
Bonnie Wright was cast as Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter film series. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Aunt Petunia

Thin, blonde, and with "nearly twice the usual amount of neck".

Aunt Petunia is actually described as blonde in the Harry Potter book series
Aunt Petunia is actually described as blonde in the Harry Potter book series. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Argus Filch

Pale eyes, thin grey hair, wearing a brown coat, hunchbacked.

Argus Filch is pretty spot on!
Argus Filch is pretty spot on! Picture: Warner Bros/ MsBananaAnna

Snape

Thin with sallow skin, a large hooked nose, yellow teeth, greasy black hair down to his shoulders and black eyes.

This is proof that Alan Rickman was the perfect actor to play Snape
This is proof that Alan Rickman was the perfect actor to play Snape. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Luna Lovegood

Dirty blonde hair down to her waist, pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes.

In the Harry Potter books, Luna Lovegood is described as having 'pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes'
In the Harry Potter books, Luna Lovegood is described as having 'pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes'. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Sirius Black

Tall, long black hair, grey eyes, described as "carelessly handsome" before his time in Azkaban.

Sirius Black's appearance changes a lot throughout the Harry Potter books, especially from his youth to his stint in Azkaban and after
Sirius Black's appearance changes a lot throughout the Harry Potter books, especially from his youth to his stint in Azkaban and after. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Dolores Umbridge

Short and squat, a little neck and a wide slack mouth. Also described to resemble a "large pale toad".

Imelda Staunton did an amazing job of portraying Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Imelda Staunton did an amazing job of portraying Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Picture: Alamy/ MsBananaAnna

Take our Harry Potter quizzes:

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