Harry Dresden


 * Harry redirects here. For other meanings, see Harry (disambiguation).

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a male human wizard, working as a private investigator out of Chicago, USA. He is the protagonist and first person narrator of The Dresden Files series.



Early life
Harry was born on Halloween to Margaret Gwendolyn LeFay and Malcolm Dresden. His mother died in childbirth, so Malcolm took care of him while travelling across the country trying to make a career as a stage magician. When Harry was six, Malcolm died of a brain aneurysm. Harry, orphaned, became a ward of the state.

Harry first manifested his powers at age ten, during a running long jump at school Olympics in the spring. Desperate to win, he magically pushed himself about about ten feet farther than he would have jumped on his own. Though he landed badly and sprained his wrist, he won a blue ribbon that he keeps to this day.

About two weeks after first manifesting, he was adopted by Justin DuMorne, a wizard and former Warden of the White Council, who took him as his apprentice.

At age thirteen, Harry was given his first shielding lesson by DuMorne, who used baseballs as projectiles.

At age sixteen, DuMorne tried to enthrall both Harry and his girlfriend, fellow adoptee Elaine Mallory. He succeeded in enthralling Elaine, but Harry escaped. He faced and beat He Who Walks Behind, an Outsider summoned by DuMorne to kill Harry; afterwards, he decided to go back and rescue Elaine. Harry faced DuMorne in a duel to the death and won. He stole Bob, the air spirit of knowledge, and left, thinking Elaine died in the fire.

Harry was then found by the White Council (to his suprise; as far as he knew, there were no other wizards besides himself, DuMorne, and Elaine) and was put on trial for breaking the First Law of Magic. He was let off the death penalty due to the killing being ruled as self defence, and instead was put under the Doom of Damocles. This was due to some of the Council members, notably Ebenezar McCoy. Harry was taken in as apprentice by McCoy; though this would later be found out to be because McCoy was the Council's wet-works man, and was under orders to kill Harry if he showed any signs of rebelliousness -- which happened fairly often, apparently. Harry lived with McCoy on his farm in Hog Hollow, Missouri; his days were spent with hard work on the farm during the day, and studying in the evening. Although McCoy taught him about magic, his teaching of general values and providing a stable and peaceful life and home were even more important, and crucial for shaping his life.

After spending some years "getting his head together" under McCoy's tutelage, Harry attained membership to the Council, though he didn't, and still doesn't, trust them. (This is improving, albeit slowly.) He spent some years travelling across America, much like he did with his father, before settling down in Chicago.

After he first came to Chicago, he worked at a bunch of different jobs, among them being a dance partner with a senior-citizen organization, where he learned ballroom dancing. He then joined Nicholas Christian at Ragged Angel Investigations, where he spent three years gaining his licence as a private investigator. After this, he opened his own business, which had been open for two years as Storm Front opens.

Storm Front
In Storm Front, Harry comes up against a two-bit sorcerer mixing sex, drugs, magic and murder, the Shadowman. Also introduced, among others, are the White Council, the Warden Morgan, Lieutenant Karrin Murphy of the Chicago Police Department's Special Investigations division, who hired Harry on a "per case" basis as a consultant, and Susan Rodriguez, a reporter for The Arcane, a newspaper that reports on the supernatural occurances in the area.

The Doom of Damocles is lifted from him in a Council meeting due to "valorous action above and beyond the call of duty", although he himself cannot attend due to still being hospitalized.

Fool Moon
In Fool Moon, Harry faces off against several different kinds of werewolves, and gains a new ally in Billy and his gang of werewolves, known as the Alphas. Harry also concludes at the end of the novel that someone is trying to kill him, having put together certain facts from the novels. He also begins dating Susan at the end of the book.

Grave Peril
In Grave Peril, Harry is manipulated into a conflict with the Red Court of Vampires, led by Bianca. He also gains another friend in Michael Carpenter, a Knight of the Holy Cross, and meets Thomas Raith, of the White Court of Vampires, for the first time. Unfortunately for Harry, Susan is kidnapped by Bianca, and half-turned into a Red Court vampire. Harry gets her back, but as a consequence, has started a war with the vampires.

It is also revealed in this book that Harry has a fairy Godmother, Leanansidhe, who helped him escape DuMorne in exchange for his loyalty.

Summer Knight
Summer Knight begins with Harry living rough, spending all his time trying to find a cure for Susan. He is quickly ensnared into averting a war between the Faery Courts, Summer and Winter, as not doing so would send the world into one of two climates. Harry also learns that the current Queen of the Winter Court, Mab, has bought his debt from his Godmother. They haggle a deal whereby Harry will do three favours for Mab, which he chooses, and he'll be free from Fae influence. The events of Summer Knight make one favour, so Harry owes Mab two more.

It is also revealed that Elaine survived the fire with which Harry took down Justin DuMorne, and hid in the Summer Court, building up a debt to the current Summer Lady, Aurora, to protect her from those who would want to find and use her.

Death Masks
In Death Masks, Harry meets the other two Knights of the Cross, and has to find the Shroud of Turin before Nicodemus, the head of the Order of the Blackened Denarius, Denarians being fallen angels who inhabit 30 pieces of silver, uses it to set off a apocalyptic plague. He also has to contend with a duel with Paolo Ortega, a Duke of the Red Court, and meets Susan again for the first time since her half-transformation in Grave Peril. At the end of the novel, Harry takes up the Fallen Angel Lasciel to protect Michael's youngest son.

Harry also meets Thomas Raith again, and meets Jared Kincaid, a mercenary, and The Archive, who Harry names Ivy, a seven-year-old child who is the living repository for all human knowledge.

Blood Rites
In Blood Rites, Harry picks up a stowaway from a job, a Foo Dog, who he eventually names Mouse and decides to keep. Harry also has to contend with a ritual curse being sent to kill the women around Arturo Genosa, a pornographic movie director. He also finds out that Thomas Raith is his half-brother, on his mother's side. Eventually, he's pulled into a power struggle in the White Court.

Harry decides to stamp on the Black Court subversion that is happening also. In taking out the problem, Mavra, he severely burns his hand after Mavra exploits a loophole in his defensive capabilities.

It's in this book that Harry learns that Ebenezar McCoy is the White Council's Blackstaff, the wet-works man who can break the Laws of Magic at will, if he thinks that the Council is being manipulated by them. Harry also learns that Kincaid is a Scion, or part demon.

Dead Beat
Dead Beat sees Harry being forced by Mavra (who didn't die in Blood Rites) to take a job looking for "The Word of Kemmler", the last in a series of magical texts by the (deceased) necromancer, Heinrich Kemmler‎, in order to protect Murphy, who is on holiday in Hawaii with Kincaid. While trying to deal with the group of "Kemmlerites", the Red Court launch their first major offensive on the Council, killing most of the Wardens in the process. Captain Luccio therefore makes Harry a Warden -- the White Council needs every available wizard, and Harry becoming a Warden raises morale among the younger members of the Council.

Harry also becomes aware of Lasciel's presence in his head, and has to walk a fine line between using her gifts (such as Hellfire, which supercharges his spells, and her photographic memory) and resisting her, or else he will fall under her power.

Proven Guilty
Proven Guilty sees Harry investigate black magic in Chicago, at the behest of the Gatekeeper. He also finds himself up against faerie constructs based around horror films, and leads a charge on the Winter Fae capital, Arctis Tor, in order to retrieve Molly Carpenter, Michael's oldest daughter, who is later revealed to be the warlock behind the black magic. At Molly's trial, Harry "becomes a politician", in his own words, cutting off the Merlin's choices until the Merlin is forced to allow Harry to take Molly under the Doom of Damocles.

White Night
Women with the ability to use magic (too weak to be full wizards) have been disappearing. It looks like the White Court may be taking a more active role in the war between vampires and wizards and it looks like Thomas is connected, but Thomas isn't answering Harry's calls.

Small Favor
Harry loses his ability to charge his spells with Hellfire and has to make due without it for his favor to Queen Mab and the recent resurgence of the Denarians. Towards the middle of this book, he gains the ability to use Soulfire the divine equivalent of Hellfire fueled by his own soul, though it will regenerate given enough time, and acts which are "good for the soul."

Turn Coat
Morgan arrives on Harry's door accused of the murder of one of the Senior Council members. Harry assists the White Court, which has also been setup by the Black Council, in proving Morgan's innocence. During his investigation, he claims a Sanctum, has to fight a Skinwalker and is finally able to pinpoint a traitor in the White Court.

Changes
Harry is informed by Susan that they have a daughter, Margaret Angelica, which has been kidnapped. Surrendering to Queen Mab's wishes and becoming the new Winter Knight, Harry is - with the help of his friends and the Grey Council - able to to obliterate the Red Court and rescue his daughter. The novel ends with Harry drowning, having been shot by an unkown assailant. As he drowns, he hears two voices, one male (Quintus Cassius) and one female.

Magic
Harry Dresden uses several objects as magical foci, most prominently his staff, blasting rod, shield bracelet, and energy-storing rings. He also uses his silver pentacle pendant inherited from his mother. For his personal spells, he uses pseudo-Latin; for this he also draws on various other foreign languages, including Spanish and Italian.

Harry describes himself as being bad at delicate magic, being better with undelicate magic. What he lacks in the precise application of magic, he can sometimes make up for by using a lot more power for his spells than would be necessary if he were more skilled, going for quantity instead of quality. He is especially good with things requiring the redirection of energies. But although he might not be very good at them, he states that he is able to learn and use finer magic with a lot of practice and concentration. By the time of Changes, Harry is even able to create passable simple veils, due to having to teach them to and practise them with Molly.

Foci

 * Staff - A long staff used for channeling magic. Also works well as a bludgeoning weapon.
 * Blasting rod - A rod used for channeling fire spells.
 * Shield bracelet - A bracelet with tiny medieval shield charms on it. Used for creating force fields.
 * Energy-storing rings - Rings which are enchanted to store a small fraction of kinetic energy into them at all times.
 * Silver pentacle pendant - A pendant Harry inherited from his mother. Used for various spells. Once used to kill a loup-garou.
 * Also as of the events in Changes Harry has gained a red jewel that has joined to the center of the pentacle. This jewel contains the entire knowledge of Harry’s mother pertaining to her vast knowledge of The Ways.

Spells

 * Forzare: force - From the same Latin root as the English word 'Force'.
 * Solvos: Break spell.
 * wind-based:
 * Ventas servitas: wind - From the Italian 'Wind, serve me!'
 * Ventas reductas: small scale wind (much like a snow blower)
 * fire-based:
 * Flickum bicus: small fires (lighting candles, and other small scale fires) - References the "Flick your Bic" lighter commericials
 * Fuego: destructive fire attack - From Spanish for 'Fire'.
 * Pyrofuego: larger destructive fire attack
 * electricity-based
 * Galvinius: used with copper chain focus as a kind of taser
 * Fulminos/Fulminas (both have been used with no distinguishable difference): generates or redirects a bolt of lightning
 * earth-based:
 * Geodas: earth
 * Gravitus: concentrates gravity
 * Dispertius: creates a crack/hole in the ground
 * Resarcius: seals holes in the ground
 * Ventas Ferro: used to manipulate metal magnetically
 * Aquilevatus: water
 * Interessari, interressarium: tracking spell, with blood and a compass
 * Hexus: Shuts down electrical equipment.
 * Noctus ex illuminus: illusions
 * Dormio, dorme: used to put someone into a dreamless sleep
 * Aparturum: opens a way to the Nevernever
 * Arctis: freezing/ice
 * Lumen, camerus, factum: creates a holomantic illusion of anybody; illusions are mostly opaque
 * Infriga: sucks fire/heat away from a given area creating ice
 * Voce, voco, vocius: allows long distance communication when used with a special obsidian stone and a circle