Character Descriptions

Describing Characters

Read how J. K Rowling uses words to paint pictures in people's heads of her characters.  Which sentence is your favourite?  Write it on your comment.  Maybe you could use some of her words in your writing!

Description of Albus Dumbledore

Nothing like this man had ever been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin

and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both

long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak

which swept the ground and high heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were

light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very

long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man’s

name was Albus Dumbledore.

Description of Hagrid

If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing compared to the man sitting

astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five

times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild – long

tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he has hands the

size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby

dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.

A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost

completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard,

but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

Description of Harry Potter

Perhaps it has something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry has 

always been small and skinny for his age. He looks even smaller and skinnier

than he really is because he has to wear old clothes of Dudley’s and Dudley

is about four times bigger than he is. Harry has a thin face, knobbly

knees, black hair and bright-green eyes. He wears round glasses held

together with a lot of sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched

him on the nose. The only thing Harry likes about his own appearance is a

very thin scar on his forehead which is shaped like a bolt of lightning.