1960-1981

The Dark Wizard Voldemort makes himself known and in the 1970s begins his rise to power. At Hogwarts, a group of intrepid and plucky students, calling themselves the Marauders, are recognized for the trouble they cause but also for their brilliance and audacity. They come of age and join the resistance against Voldemort. It is the infant son of one of those Marauders who mysteriously causes the defeat and apparently destruction of Voldemort.

Harry Potter’s mother Lily Evans was born to Muggle parents in the town of Cokeworth (PS1, DH33, Pm). Read More
James is the only son of Euphemia and Fleamont Potter of Godric’s Hollow (Pm). He will grow up to be the father of Harry Potter. Read More
She later marries celebrity gardener Tilden Toots and writes the best-selling book My Life as a Muggle after giving up magic for a year (JKR). Read More
Morfin, believing until the end that he was guilty of killing the Riddles, dies in Azkaban and is buried outside the walls of the prison (HBP17). Read More
Greyback attacks Remus in revenge for Lyall‘s unguarded comments that werewolves are “soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death.” Shortly before Remus’s fifth birthday, the tenth of March, Greyback breaks into Remus’s bedroom and bites him. Lyall arrives in time to drive Greyback away, but the damage was done. Read More
The Quidditch World Cup 1966 tournament was won by the Australian National Team, and featured their star Chaser, Royston Idlewind (QWC). Read More
Ten years after the death of Hepzibah Smith, Voldemort returns to Hogwarts, ostensibly to ask Dumbledore for a teaching job. Dumbledore refuses. Voldemort then curses the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, and since that day, no professor has stayed for more than one year in that post. Voldemort’s… Read More
Lord Voldemort sets up a meeting with the recently-appointed Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to ask for the Defense Against the Darks Arts position at Hogwarts. However, Dumbledore pointed out that Voldemort was certainly aware that the headmaster would never have offered that position to him and asked what his true… Read More
The formidable Jones goes on to gain the admiration of people ranging from her professors at Hogwarts to quidditch fans (DP, HPB14, FW). Read More
Leach contracts a mysterious illness and steps down. His illness has been the subject of conspiracy theories ever since. Abraxas Malfoy is widely believed to have been part of the plot to get rid of the first Muggle-born Minister. Read More
In the late sixties, civic unrest in the Wizarding community took the form of pure-blood riots in response to Squib Rights marches (Pm, JKR-W3). It is likely that Idris Oakby, the famous campaigner for squib rights, would have been involved in some way. She would have been nearly 100 years old… Read More
The pure-blood riots were in response to Squib Rights marches in the late 1960s. The crisis was handled well by newly-appointed Minister for Magic Eugenia Jenkins. Read More
As Voldemort is becoming more powerful and life becomes more uncertain in the Wizarding World, many young couples, facing the uncertainty, get married quickly. Arthur and Molly, who had been sweethearts at Hogwarts, were one of these couples. When talking about it many years later, Molly noted that theirs was not… Read More
The tree is magically enchanted to protect what is concealed in its roots: the entrance to a secret passage to the Shrieking Shack. It is planted so that when Lupin arrives as a student, he can be taken by Madam Pomfey to the Shrieking Shack once a month when he… Read More
James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew all start their first year at Hogwarts and get sorted into Gryffindor. Read More
Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Lily Evans, and Severus Snape start their first year at Hogwarts; all are sorted into Gryffindor except Snape, who is made a Slytherin (DH33). Read More
The Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, famous for its 80 years of futility, changes its motto in 1972 from “We shall conquer!” to “Let’s all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best” (QA7). Read More
The Quidditch World Cup 1974 tournament is better known as the “Royston Idlewind and the Dissimulators” World Cup. Events The entire tournament was played in a feverish and heightened atmosphere, following a controversial wand ban brought in by Idlewind (QWC). The actual final was played between Syria and… Read More
Fear of and stigma against werewolves are likely why the author chose to remain anonymous. In 1975, werewolf Remus Lupin completed his fifth year at Hogwarts. Importantly, it was in their fifth year that the other Marauders succeeded in becoming animagi in order to be with their friend during his monthly… Read More
Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter explore the castle and grounds in their Animagus forms and learn more about the secrets of the place than anyone, even Filch. They then create the Marauder’s Map, signing it with their nicknames: Moony (Lupin), Wormtail (Pettigrew), Padfoot (Sirius), and Prongs… Read More
During a break from testing in their fifth year, the group of Gryffindor friends known as the Marauders – James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black – are sitting outside on the Hogwarts grounds near the lake with their classmates. James releases and catches a stolen Snitch, Remus studies, and… Read More
A third son is born to Arthur and Molly Weasley, joining older brothers Bill and Charlie. He is named Percy Ignatius. Read More
Amarillo Lestoat, American vampire and author of the incredibly boring novel A Vampire’s Monologue, died in 1977 (FW). Read More
Angelina Johnson is in the same Year as Fred and George Weasley, but they are a half-year younger, being born on April 1 of the following year. Read More
Universal Brooms were most well known as the producers of the Shooting Star broom. Unfortunately, these tended to lose their speed and ability to fly at height as they aged (QA9). There were still Shooting Star brooms being used at Hogwarts School by students even in… Read More
Sirius Black told Harry that his younger brother Regulus “panicked” and tried to back out of being a Death Eater and was killed because Voldemort demanded “a lifetime of service or death” (OP6). He also thought his brother’s life was thrown away and “not very important.” The real story… Read More
In 1979, Voldemort demanded the use of a house-elf, and Regulus sent Kreacher, a family elf that he was very fond of. However, the elf was left behind to die by Voldemort on the secret island in the sea cave where he’d hidden the locket Horcrux. Regulus had commanded Kreacher… Read More
She comes to Hogwarts a year ahead of Harry Potter. She is Sorted into Gryffindor and plays Chaser on the House Quidditch team. Read More
The Order of the Phoenix arose in the 1970s to fight the first rise of Lord Voldemort. At a dinner at the Burrow before Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts, Mad-Eye Moody shows Harry an early photograph of the members of the Order of the Phoenix, including his dead… Read More
Ludovic “Ludo” Bagman was a celebrated Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps in the 1980s. During his time on the team, the Wasps won the league three times (GF9). When his Quidditch days were over, he joined the Department of Magical Games and Sports (GF37). At… Read More
His apprehension is followed shortly thereafter by that of Antonin Dolohov, who had worked with Karkaroff when they were both Death Eaters. It had taken Moody six months to track him down. Read More
Ernie’s family is pure-blood and seems to be somewhat aristocratic, but Ernie doesn’t inherit an attitude of pure-blood superiority. He is born in 1980, along with many other students of Harry’s year, although some, like Hermione, would have been born in 1979. Read More
Ron Weasley is born, the sixth child (and sixth son) of Molly and Arthur Weasley of The Burrow, near Ottery St. Catchpole. Read More
Dudley is the only child of Vernon and Petunia Dursley of Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. He is about about a month older than his cousin Harry who comes to live with the Dursleys in November of the following year. Dudley grows up spoiled while… Read More
Neville, like Harry, is born to parents who are fighting against Voldemort. They are famous Aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom. Read More
Harry James Potter was born to James Potter and Lily Evans Potter. His birth appeared to fulfill a prophecy given months before by Sybill Trelawney. This prophecy would be the impetus for many events, including the death of James and Lily 18 months later. Sadly, James’ parents, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter,… Read More
The toy broomstick is a gift from Sirius. Lily Potter wrote a letter to Sirius, in part to thank him for the present: Dear Padfoot, Thank you, thank you, for Harry’s birthday present! It was his favorite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy broomstick,… Read More
Voldemort attempts to kill Harry Potter after murdering his parents, but the spell rebounds onto Voldemort. Harry is left alive with a scar on his forehead that hides an accidental Horcrux made of Voldemort’s shattered soul. Voldemort, nearly dead and without physical form, retreats into the forests of Albania where… Read More
Dumbledore left a letter on the Dursley’s doorstep with baby Harry. In it he explained that her sister Lily had died, and if she accepted Harry into her home, she would seal the magical bond of blood between them. Her nephew would be safe on Privet Drive until he turned… Read More