Harry Potter, when it was released, was a global phenomenon. And not only was the movie franchise extremely famous, but so were the books that transported us to the magical world where wizards and humans seemingly coexisted for as long as civilization existed. Of course, the franchise concluded a long time ago at this point, and we know that the main characters were basically kids and teens for most of it. This is why we decided to overview Harry Potter characters’ ages, both in the movies and in real life, just to get a bit of a perspective on how much time really passed.
Editor’s Note: This post was updated in October 2023 to include additional popular characters from the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise.
Harry Potter characters birthdays – a quick overview
Before we begin our article on how old are Harry Potter characters, we can first introduce the birthdays of our favorite cast and compare them to the birthdays of the characters they played. You can notice their ages differ quite a bit. So, let’s start with a simple fact-checked overview of their birthdays.
- While Harry Potter was born on 31st July 1980, the actor Daniel Radcliffe was born on 23rd July 1989.
- Ron Weasley was born on 1st March 1980, and his real-life form of Rupert Grint on 24th August 1988.
- Hermione Granger‘s birth took place on 19th September 1979, and Emma Watson’s on 15th April 1990
- Neville Longbottom, our favorite forgetful hero, was born on 30th July 1980, but Matthew Lewis was not as old and was born on 27th June 1989.
- Ginny Weasley, the little sister, was born on 11th August 1981, while Bonnie Wright was born on 17th February 1991.
- Draco Malfoy, the egoistic father-fearing bad guy, was born on 5th June 1980, and his opposite personality, Tom Felton, on 22nd September 1987.
- Fred & George Weasley share a birthday on 1st April and were born in 1978, while the twins who play them, James & Oliver Phelps, were born in the shortest month on 25th February 1986.
- Professor Severus Snape was born on 9th January 1960, while the late Allan Rickman, who played him, was born on 21st February 1946.
- Professor Albus Dumbledore was born between the 16th and 31st of August in 1881. Michael Gambon, who portrayed Dumbledore in 5 movies between 2004 and 2011, was born on October 19, 1940.
- Rubeus Hagrid was born on December 6, 1928, while the late Robbie Coltrane was born on March 30, 1950.
- Lord Voldemort was born on 31st December 1926, while Ralph Fiennes was born on December 22, 1962.
- Luna Lovegood was born on 13 February 1981. Evanna Lynch, who played her in the franchise, was born on August 16, 1991.
- Sirius Black was born on November 3, 1959, and the actor who played him Gary Oldman, was born on March 21, 1958.
How old is Harry Potter?
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter was eleven years old. When we say this, it also applies to his school colleagues from his year since most of the first years are eleven when they start school.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he and his friends are twelve. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, they are thirteen. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire fourteen. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix fifteen. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, sixteen; and finally, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, they are seventeen years old.
Most fans know that Harry Potter and J. Rolling have the same birthday and that the famous date is July 31, but the author has also revealed the birthdays of many other characters over the years. Lord Voldemort made his first attempt to disprove the prophecy when Harry was one year and three months old.
In this attempt, he kills Harry’s parents while Harry’s parents are trying to defend him, and this attempt to kill Harry resulted in Voldemort’s first Horcrux, which was the accidental one.
Harry first attended the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1991. Hat’s first decision was to put Harry in the Slytherin house, but Harry asked for “no Slytherin,” and the Hat listened to this request instead. Let’s remember how Harry’s decision influenced the rest of his life.
How old is Hermione Granger?
Hermione Jean Granger was born on 19 September 1979. She was an English Muggle-born witch born to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. At the age of eleven, she learned about her magical nature and was accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione began attending Hogwarts in 1991 and was Sorted into Gryffindor House. She possessed a superb educational mind, and it was known she would be a remarkable student in virtually every subject that she studied.
Hermione Granger was 11 years old in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and by the events of the last movie ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’ she was between 17 and 18 years old.
How old is Ron Weasley?
Ronald Bilius “Ron” Weasley was born on March 1, 1980, and he was the sixth and youngest son of Arthur and Molly Weasley and an English pure-blood-born wizard. He was also Bill’s, Charlie’s, Percy’s, Fred’s, George’s younger brother, and Ginny’s older brother.
Ron Weasley was 11 years old in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and by the events of the last movie ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2’ he was between 17 and 18 years old.
How old is Albus Dumbledore?
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was born in 1881, according to Rowling’s website.
The events of the Harry Potter series span from 1991 to 1998, so if we assume Dumbledore was approximately 150 when he died, he would have been around 110 years old in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and around 150 in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.‘
How old is Luna Lovegood?
Luna Lovegood was born on February 13, 1981. In ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,’ which is when Luna Lovegood is introduced in the film series, she would have been around 14 years old. In ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’ the final movie in the series, she would have been around 17 years old.
How old is Voldemort?
Voldemort was born on December 31, 1926. The events of the Harry Potter series span from 1991 to 1998. In ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ Voldemort is in a weakened state and not fully resurrected, but based on his birthyear, we can assume that he is around 65 years old. However, by the time of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,’ he would have been around 71 years old.
How old are the other Harry Potter characters?
When James and Lily were 20 years old, they just had Harry, and when Sirius was just 21 years old when he entered Azkaban. These facts are not the easiest to grasp since we believed Sirius was much older.
When Harry first arrived at Hogwarts, Hagrid was 63 years old, while Snape was just 31. According to the Harry Potter fandom Wiki, Lupin and Tonks married in 1997, making Lupin 37 years old and Tonks 24 years old. Tonks attended the same school as Charlie Weasley, but she graduated only a few months before Harry.
James and Lily probably married and had Harry at a young age because of the first war against Voldemort, which is not strange. Of course, it was only because of their deaths and Lily’s sacrifice for Harry that their story ended so suddenly.
Tonks most likely decided to marry Remus as soon as possible during the second Voldemort war for the same reasons. Remus’s condition had kept him from finding a partner, let alone having a wife and child.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – real-life ages
The events of ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ unfold between 1991 and 1992, with filming taking place from September 29, 2000, to March 23, 2001, and a scheduled release date of November 4, 2001. Harry Potter, the main character, was 11 during these events, coinciding with actor Daniel Radcliffe’s age at the time of filming. While the characters’ ages align between the books and movies, actors sometimes differed slightly in age.
Ron Weasley, Harry’s best friend, was 11, turning 12 during filming, with actor Rupert Grint being a year older. Hermione Granger, aged 11-12 in the first movie, was portrayed by Emma Watson, who was ten during filming and turned 11 at the movie’s release. Neville Longbottom, played by Matthew Lewis, was 11 in both character and actor age.
Draco Malfoy, portrayed by Tom Felton, was 11 during filming but turned 14 by the movie’s release. Fred and George Weasley were 13-14 years old, while James and Oliver Phelps, who played them, were 14-15 during filming. Ginny Weasley, at 10 in the movie, was played by Bonnie Wright, who was only nine during filming.
| Harry Potter – 11 years old | Daniel Radcliffe – 11 years old |
| Ron Weasley – 11-12 years old | Rupert Grint – 12-13 years old |
| Hermione Granger – 11 years old | Emma Watson – 10 years old |
| Neville Longbottom – 11 years old | Matthew Lewis – 11 years old |
| Draco Malfoy – 11 years old | Tom Felton – 11 years old |
| Fred and George Weasley – 13-14 years old | James and Oliver Phelps – 14-15 years old |
| Ginny Weasley – 10 years old | Bonnie Wright – 9 years old |
| Severus Snape – 31 years old | Allan Rickman – 35 years old |
| Albus Dumbledore – 110 years old | Richard Harris – 70 years old |
| Hagrid – 62 years old | Robbie Coltrane – 50 years old |
| Voldemort – 65 years old | Ralph Fiennes -38 years old |
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – real-life ages
The events of ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ take place around a year after the events of the first movie, so the characters and actors behind them didn’t get a chance to age all that much. Most of the main cast was between 12 and 13 years old. Here are their in-universe and real-life-ages.
| Harry Potter – 12 years old | Daniel Radcliffe – 12 years old |
| Ron Weasley – 12 years old | Rupert Grint – 13 years old |
| Hermione Granger – 12-13 years old | Emma Watson – 11-12 years old |
| Neville Longbottom – 12 years old | Matthew Lewis – 12-13 years old |
| Draco Malfoy – 12-13 years old | Tom Felton – 14 years old |
| Fred and George Weasley – 14-15 years old | James and Oliver Phelps – 15-16 years old |
| Ginny Weasley – 11 years old | Bonnie Wright – 10-11 years old |
| Severus Snape – 32 years old | Allan Rickman – 36 years old |
| Albus Dumbledore – 144 years old | Richard Harris – 71 years old |
| Hagrid – 63 years old | Robbie Coltrane – 51 years old |
| Voldemort – 66 years old | Ralph Fiennes -39 years old |
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – real-life ages
Prisoner of Azkaban” unfolds between 1993 and 1994, with filming starting on February 24, 2003, and concluding in October 2003. The movie was released on May 23, 2004. The plot centers on Harry Potter’s third year at Hogwarts, marked by the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban and his alleged intention to kill Harry.
The film marked a shift to an eighteen-month production schedule for the Harry Potter series. Alfonso Cuarón directed, selected from a shortlist that included Callie Khouri and Kenneth Branagh. Returning cast members were joined by Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, and Emma Thompson. Michael Gambon took on the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore following Richard Harris’s death in 2002.
Now, let’s look at the characters’ ages from the third book and movie in comparison to the actors’ ages!
| Harry Potter – 13 years old | Daniel Radcliffe – 13-14 years old |
| Ron Weasley – 13-14 years old | Rupert Grint – 14-15 years old |
| Hermione Granger – 13 years old | Emma Watson – 12-13 years old |
| Neville Longbottom – 13 years old | Matthew Lewis – 13-14 years old |
| Draco Malfoy – 13-14 years old | Tom Felton – 15-16 years old |
| Fred and George Weasley – 15-16 years old | James and Oliver Phelps – 16-17 years old |
| Ginny Weasley – 12 years old | Bonnie Wright – 12 years old |
| Severus Snape – 33 years old | Allan Rickman – 37 years old |
| Albus Dumbledore – 145 years old | Michael Gambon – 63 years old |
| Hagrid – 64 years old | Robbie Coltrane – 52 years old |
| Voldemort – 67 years old | Ralph Fiennes -40 years old |
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – real-life ages
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ takes place in 1994-1995, and all the cast members, including the characters, are significantly older than during the events of the first movie:
| Harry Potter – 14 years old | Daniel Radcliffe – 14-15 years old |
| Ron Weasley – 14-15 years old | Rupert Grint – 15-16 years old |
| Hermione Granger – 14 years old | Emma Watson – 14 years old |
| Neville Longbottom – 14 years old | Matthew Lewis – 14-15 years old |
| Draco Malfoy – 14-15 years old | Tom Felton – 16-17 years old |
| Fred and George Weasley – 16-17 years old | James and Oliver Phelps – 18-19 years old |
| Ginny Weasley – 13 years old | Bonnie Wright – 13-14 years old |
| Severus Snape – 34 years old | Allan Rickman – 38 years old |
| Albus Dumbledore – 146 years old | Michael Gambon – 64 years old |
| Hagrid – 65 years old | Robbie Coltrane – 53 years old |
| Voldemort – 68 years old | Ralph Fiennes -41 years old |
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – real-life ages
The events of Order of the Phoenix take place between 1995 and 1996. Most of the main cast was between 15 and 16 years old. In real life, the cast navigated their own coming-of-age experiences. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson continued to mature in their roles as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The late Alan Rickman brought depth to Severus Snape, while Helena Bonham Carter embraced the dark allure of Bellatrix Lestrange.
| Harry Potter – 15 years old | Daniel Radcliffe – 16-17 years old |
| Ron Weasley – 15-16 years old | Rupert Grint – 17-18 years old |
| Hermione Granger – 15-16 years old | Emma Watson – 16 years old |
| Neville Longbottom – 15 years old | Matthew Lewis – 16-17 years old |
| Draco Malfoy – 15-16 years old | Tom Felton – 18-19 years old |
| Fred and George Weasley – 18 years old | James and Oliver Phelps – 19-20 years old |
| Ginny Weasley – 14-15 years old | Bonnie Wright – 14-15 years old |
| Luna Lovegood – 14 years old | Evanna Lynch 15 years old |
| Severus Snape – 35 years old | Allan Rickman – 39 years old |
| Albus Dumbledore – 147 years old | Michael Gambon – 65 years old |
| Hagrid – 66 years old | Robbie Coltrane – 54 years old |
| Voldemort – 69 years old | Ralph Fiennes -42 years old |
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – real-life ages
Helen McCrory initially intended to portray Bellatrix Lestrange in “Order of the Phoenix” but had to withdraw due to pregnancy. Naomi Watts was briefly rumored to replace her but ultimately did not take on the role. Clémence Poésy and Chris Rankin expressed interest in reprising their roles but were not included in the film. Bill Nighy was considered for Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, a character later dropped, and the film underwent changes, including removing Tom Riddle’s background and adding an action scene at the Burrow to maintain the franchise’s tone.
| Harry Potter – 16 years old | Daniel Radcliffe – 18 years old |
| Ron Weasley – 17 years old | Rupert Grint – 19 years old |
| Hermione Granger – 17 years old | Emma Watson – 18 years old |
| Neville Longbottom – 16 years old | Matthew Lewis – 18 years old |
| Draco Malfoy – 16-17 years old | Tom Felton – 20 years old |
| Fred and George Weasley – 19 years old | James and Oliver Phelps – 21-22 years old |
| Ginny Weasley – 15 years old | Bonnie Wright – 16-17 years old |
| Luna Lovegood – 15 years old | Evanna Lynch 16 years old |
| Severus Snape – 36 years old | Allan Rickman – 40 years old |
| Albus Dumbledore – 148 years old | Michael Gambon – 66 years old |
| Hagrid – 67 years old | Robbie Coltrane – 55 years old |
| Voldemort – 70 years old | Ralph Fiennes -43 years old |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – real-life ages
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ set sales records, exploring dark themes like death, isolation, and growing up, reflecting the characters’ ages. The novel, praised by reviewers, won awards for its resonance with teenagers.
The film adaptation, split into two parts, was released in 2010 and 2011, capturing the characters’ journey between 1997 and 1998. While shot back-to-back from 2009 to 2010, the real-life ages of the actors during filming influenced their experiences after the franchise. Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint pursued diverse roles in film and TV, with Radcliffe finding success on Broadway. Though achieving popularity post-Potter, the actors remain most recognized for their iconic roles in the wizarding world.
| Harry Potter – 17 years old | Daniel Radcliffe – 20 years old |
| Ron Weasley – 17-18 years old | Rupert Grint – 20-21 years old |
| Hermione Granger – 18 years old | Emma Watson – 19-20 years old |
| Neville Longbottom – 17 years old | Matthew Lewis – 19-20 years old |
| Draco Malfoy – 18 years old | Tom Felton – 22 years old |
| Fred and George Weasley – 20 years old | James and Oliver Phelps – 23-24 years old |
| Ginny Weasley – 16 years old | Bonnie Wright – 19 years old |
| Luna Lovegood – 17 years old | Evanna Lynch 18 years old |
| Severus Snape – 37-38 years old | Allan Rickman – 42 years old |
| Albus Dumbledore – 149-150 years old | Michael Gambon – 68 years old |
| Hagrid – 68-69 years old | Robbie Coltrane – 57 years old |
| Voldemort – 71-73 years old | Ralph Fiennes -45 years old |
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