Harry Dresden
| Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden | |
|---|---|
| The Dresden Files character | |
| First appearance | Restoration of Faith (chronological) Storm Front (first novel) |
| Last appearance | Changes |
| Created by | Jim Butcher |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | Dresden Bill Hoss |
| Species | Human (wizard) |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Warden, Regional Commander Winter Knight 'za Lord |
| Occupation | Wizard Private investigator Warden Winter Knight |
| Affiliation | The White Council The Grey Council Winter Court |
| Family | Malcolm Dresden (father) (deceased) Margaret Gwendolyn LaFey (mother) (deceased) Ebenezar McCoy (grand-father) Thomas Raith (half-brother) |
| Children | Margaret Angelica Mendoza(daughter) |
| Religion | "Theological Switzerland" |
| Nationality | American |
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a fictional detective and wizard. He was created by Jim Butcher and is the protagonist of the contemporary fantasy series The Dresden Files. The series blends magic and hardboiled detective fiction. In addition to the twelve The Dresden Files novels, he has appeared in five published short stories and several unpublished short stories, as well as a limited series comic and an unlimited series comic.[1] He was also adapted into a character by the same name for the TV series version of the novel series, also called The Dresden Files.
Fictional biography
Harry is a wizard who works as a private investigator of sorts in Chicago (he's in the phone book, the only listing under "Wizards"), dealing with paranormal crimes and consulting for the Chicago Police Department. He is named after three different stage magicians — Harry Houdini, Harry Blackstone, Sr., and David Copperfield. This name was given to him by his father, Malcolm Dresden, a stage magician himself, who raised Harry while still performing his magic show all across the country. The stories are told from Harry's point of view in a hardboiled style.
Harry is considered a magical "thug," lacking fine control of his power, but is one of the strongest living wizards in terms of pure magical strength, as well as factors surrounding the timing of his birth. He originally favored fire and wind spells in battle, but has since evolved towards fire and force, and has recently started using earth (It's My Birthday Too and Turn Coat), Lightning (Small Favor and Turn Coat), and has used water at least once (Turn Coat). He is also an expert at tracking spells (which he uses in his investigations) along with summoning and entrapment spells to speak to faeries and other supernatural sources of information. Due to his lack of finer control, Harry often must rely on magical items to help focus and channel his magical energy, such as his staff, blasting rod, shield bracelet, and force rings. Harry has also been known to carry around many firearms such as a .38 revolver, a .357 and most recently a .44 revolver and a sawed-off shotgun for those times when 'magic just doesn't cut it'.
Harry's traditional arsenal includes a duster (first a canvas model, later replaced with a leather duster received as a gift) enchanted with protective magics, (Destroyed during the events of Changes), a rune staff, a 'blasting rod' (a wooden stick used to give him finer control over his evocation magic), a shield bracelet (which Dresden has upgraded significantly throughout the series), a silver ring (used to channel blasts of kinetic energy) which has grown from merely one to several on both hands over the course of the series, and his mother's silver pentacle amulet.
Harry also benefits from having a large number of contacts and acquaintances within the different groups of the magical community. Whereas most traditional and hidebound wizards refuse to have dealings with other magical beings, Harry has gained a great deal of respect and infamy that often allows him to pursue other options normally not available to wizards. Of particular relevance is the fact that Harry has met and has some level of interaction with all the Queens of the Summer and Winter Courts of Faerie.
Harry's mother, Margaret Gwendolyn LaFey, was a wizard herself, although Harry knew little of her prior to book six. He has since learned that he is not her only child. He has a half brother named Thomas. Harry was raised by his father, a stage illusionist, until the age of six, when his father died of a brain aneurysm. He spent some years as a ward of the state before being adopted at ten (shortly after manifesting his magical powers) by Justin DuMorne, a former Warden of the White Council who turned renegade and dark mage. Justin later tried to enthrall Harry as his slave, but Harry fought back and in the process killed Justin. Harry was then entrusted to the care of Ebenezar McCoy, who mentored Harry and helped keep him out of trouble, until Harry was old enough to support himself. In Changes it is revealed that McCoy is his maternal grandfather.
Novels
The first book, Storm Front, introduces Harry Dresden as he is hired to figure out who is using magic to kill people in Chicago. It introduces the primary characters of Harry Dresden, Karrin Murphy, John Marcone, and Bob.
The novel makes mention, in part, that Harry Dresden was nearly executed for breaking the First Law of Magic, but the White Council ruled the killing self-defense. Dresden was placed under the Doom of Damocles (a sort of probation) and put in the care of Ebenezar McCoy until adulthood.
In Fool Moon, the second book in the series, Harry meets the Alphas, a group of young werewolves who give him aid throughout the series while dealing with a series of werewolf related killings. Harry also starts to date Susan Rodriguez in this book.
In terms of Harry's backstory, the reader finds out that Harry's mother and father did not die natural deaths. It was also revealed that Harry's mother was known under a different name, and it was hinted that she had a dark past, but that she eventually redeemed herself.
In Grave Peril, the third book in the series, Harry's friend Michael is introduced, a holy Knight of the Cross who battles evil. Michael encourages Harry to admit that he loves Susan, his reporter girlfriend. However, this comes too late, as Susan is attacked by Red Court vampires under the sway of Chicago's recently elevated Red Court Noble, Bianca, and is almost turned into one of them. To get her back, Harry destroys a large amount of Bianca's property, and Bianca herself, starting a war between the vampires and the White Council. Afterward Harry asks Susan to marry him, but she refuses out of fear that she may lose control her new-found blood lust. She ends up leaving town to deal with her new identity as a semi-vampire.
It is also revealed in this book that Harry has a faerie godmother, Leanansidhe, who helped him to escape Justin DuMorne in exchange for his fealty, as well the fact that his mother, before she died, had made a pact with "Lea". (The Leanan sídhe is the name of a Celtic Fey who was both inspiration and predator of bards and poets).
In Summer Knight, fourth book in the series, Harry learns that his childhood love Elaine survived the fire that killed their foster father Justin. The Winter Queen of Faerie, Mab, has purchased his debt from Leanansidhe and makes a deal with Harry for three favors. Harry then is forced into Faerie dealings and intrigue between the rival Courts to save the world.
After the first favor is accomplished, Mab offers him the title of Winter Knight, a position of no small power. Harry refuses, afraid of being caught up further in Faerie business...and of being the servant of Mab.
In Death Masks, fifth book in the series, Harry meets Michael's fellow Knights of the Cross, as well as their principal foes, the Denarians, Fallen angels who inhabit the 30 pieces of silver used to bribe Judas into betraying Jesus of Nazareth, commanded by their eldest member, Nicodemus. Harry inadvertently absorbs the essence of a Fallen angel by the name of Lasciel, but doesn't realize it yet. Susan returns briefly before moving to South America to work with other not-quite-vampires in the Order of St. Giles against the Red Court.
This book also introduces the character of the Archive, a mighty signator of the Accords which bind supernatural beings, and the repository of all human knowledge, as well as her supernaturally lethal mercenary bodyguard, Kincaid the Hellhound.
In Blood Rites, sixth in the series, Harry learns that the White Court vampire Thomas Raith, whom he encountered in Grave Peril and Death Masks, is his half-brother: both are the sons of Margaret Gwendolyn LeFey, and Thomas is six or seven years his senior. She did not die naturally in childbirth, but was murdered by Thomas' father, Lord Raith of the White Court. Additionally, in this book Harry suffers severe burns to his left hand, crippling him, during a confrontation with vampires of the Black Court. He also learns that Ebenezer, who took him in after his time with Justin, is the equivalent of the White Council's black-ops hitman (the Blackstaff), during a staredown between McCoy and Kincaid, the Archive's bodyguard hired to help him with the attack. Harry also learns that his mother had once been Ebenezer's apprentice, before she rebelled and took up with a bad crowd.
In this book, Harry meets and adopts Mouse. The book opens with Harry's assignment to rescue a litter of Tibetan temple puppies from bad entities. At O'Hare, Harry delivers the box of pups to his client, Brother Wang. On the ride home, Harry discovers that one puppy had slipped out of the box and hidden under the back seat of the Blue Beetle. Brother Wang's flight is long gone. The puppy fits comfortably in Harry's duster pocket, so Harry decides to keep him. He will eventually grow to be a massive Foo Dog, with great power against beings of supernatural Evil. He becomes Harry's constant companion and guards his back. Harry named him Mouse due to his (current) small size and gray coloring.
At the end of the book, Thomas moves into Harry's apartment. He proves his usefulness by doing needful things. He pays off a supernatural mercenary named Kincaid so Harry won't be executed, and he buys a bag of large breed puppy chow, an allusion to how big Mouse will eventually become.
In Dead Beat, seventh in the series, Harry finds out about a long since executed Dark Wizard named Kemmler. While Murphy is out of town, Mavra threatens to destroy her career if Harry does not get her the last copy of the book Word of Kemmler, the dark wizard's final work, from the Disciples of Kemmler who also come for the last surviving copy. The disciples are aligned with the Red Court and while Harry is busy the White Council is hit in a massive assault, resulting in the loss of over three-fourths of the Wardens. Harry tries to keep them from killing millions. When the head of the Wardens, Luccio, comes to Chicago to help stop the “Kemmlerites,” she also elevates Harry to the rank of Warden to help alleviate the recent loss of force and raise morale of the surviving Wardens, many of whom are young and see Harry as an idol. By the end of the book, Luccio is attacked by an entity known as the Corpsetaker. Luccio's mind was captured and taken captive in the body of a young woman, a point that will become important later in the series.
In this book Waldo Butters determines why wizards heal so well and live so long, as well as helps Harry begin to regain control over his burned hand. Also, in this book, Harry first becomes aware of the presence of Lasciel inside of him. Harry walks a fine line between using the gifts she offers (such as Hellfire, which supercharges his spells, and her photographic memory) and resisting her overtures for fear he will become dependent on her.
In Proven Guilty, book eight, Harry takes the rebellious Molly Carpenter (eldest daughter of his friend Michael Carpenter) as his apprentice, under similar circumstances to his own apprenticeship under Ebenezar. The act of sparing her life results in both Harry and Molly being placed under the Doom of Damocles, with Harry responsible for all of Molly's actions, and Molly being killed if Harry steps out of line with the Council. Harry and Ebenezar discuss the existence of the heretofore unknown "Black Council." The book is steeped in Faerie Courts intrigue, rogue White Court vampires, an assault on Mab's castle in Faerie itself, and lots of little references to earlier and later books.
In White Night, book nine, Harry is forced to confront the fact that Lasciel has been influencing him, making him quicker to become angry at his friends. However, he discovers that his subconscious has also been influencing Lasciel's shadow 'Lash', enough that she takes a metaphorical bullet for him and apparently "dies" at the end of the story. He also meets Elaine again, discovers Thomas's occupation as a flaming hairdresser, and appears to be becoming involved in setting up a network to help members of the magical community who are not powerful enough to protect themselves.
It also turns out that Harry, due to the timing of his conception and birth, may have power beyond that of normal wizards. His mother apparently carefully arranged matters so that he would be born with the ability to destroy or banish Outsiders. However, it has been revealed that any wizard born under such circumstances would possess these abilities. Apparently the Council is unaware of this, although it is striking that Harry's power manifested years before that of most young wizards (such as Molly Carpenter, whose power manifested at sixteen/seventeen). At the end, due to Harry's actions the war with the Red Court is ended and replaced with a guarded truce. He also destroys the power of the White King and hand-delivers the position to Lord Raith's daughter, his brother Thomas' half-sister Lara.
Harry returns to complete another part of the bargain he made with Mab, Queen of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, agreeing to save the life of Johnny Marcone as repayment of the second of three favors he owes her by way of his godmother. He is repeatedly pursued by Faerie vassals of Summer, such as the Brothers Gruff, Winter's own Hobs, as well as tangling with the intrigue and manipulation by the Denarians, once again making a move for power. We are introduced to the mystical island in the middle of Lake Michigan, and the Archive and Hellhound and Knights of the Cross all make a return...as does Johnny Marcone.
Harry discovers (accidentally, of course) that he has been given the power of Soulfire, the magical opposite of Hellfire. Soulfire magic is used to create things whereas Hellfire is used to destroy. This magic was given to him by Uriel, an Archangel also known as the Watchman, and who Mab claims is the most dangerous of the Archangels. Bob informs Harry that overusing his newfound ability will result in his soul likewise being used up, although his soul will replenish itself given enough time. It also sets him up as an agent of the Archangels in future storylines, however inadvertently.
In this novel, Dresden's erstwhile enemy Warden Donald Morgan arrives at Harry's doorstep asking sanctuary, pursued by other Wardens who believe he is guilty of murdering a senior member of the White Council. Dresden confronts a conspiracy that entangles his new lover, the Captain of Wardens Anastasia Luccio, and his brother Thomas. Thomas' half cousin and fellow White Court vampire Madeleine, the mercenary Binder, the vicious and powerful Skinwalker and the White Council Traitor Peabody work together against Harry and the White Council.
Peabody, using magic embedded into the ink used at Council headquarters beneath Edinburgh Castle, influences the minds of the Senior Council, the Wardens, and Luccio. Morgan stumbles upon Luccio shortly after she, under Peabody's control via a trance, kills Senior Council member Aleron LaFortier. Out of long stifled love for her, Morgan takes her weapon and implicates himself. He escapes and enlists Harry in proving his innocence. Harry, invoking the strength of the powerful spirit on an island in Lake Michigan called Demonreach, brings the players on both sides to the island to provoke the conspirators into revealing themselves.
While Harry's plan fails, the skinwalker is driven off and most of the conspirators are destroyed or forced to flee. Back under Edinburgh Castle, Harry discovers and reveals Peabody's complicity, but Peabody escapes. Harry, the wardens and Morgan pursue - and Morgan is killed cutting Peabody down. In the book's final moments, it's revealed that La Fortier's apprentice is elected to the Senior Council though he is not old or powerful enough for the position - perhaps the plan of the rumored Black Council all along. Warden Luccio, freed from Peabody's domination, calls things off with Harry after she learns that her affection for him was forced upon her as part of Peabody's scheme. Ebenezer McCoy reveals to Harry that there are others amongst the council that believe in the Black Council conspiracy and wish to take action against them. As they must do this covertly, when Harry declares himself part of McCoy's group, he dubs their secret banding the 'Grey Council'.
Changes focuses on the many changes that occur in Dresden's life after learning that he and Susan Rodriguez had a daughter. Margaret "Maggie" Angelica (named for Harry's mother) was born after their romantic interlude in "Death Masks". Susan had hidden knowledge of the child from Dresden for the child's safety not just because of his list of enemies, but hers as well. She also cites his lack of ability to provide a stable home for part of her reason in keeping Harry's child a secret.
Over the course of his attempt to rescue his daughter, Harry's office, home, and car are destroyed. In order to heal his body after an attack leaves him crippled and paralyzed, Harry accepts Mab's ongoing offer to become the Winter Knight, but on the condition that he saves Maggie first. He finds out that his mentor, Ebenezer, is also his maternal grandfather, knowledge that was kept hidden from him for many of the same reasons for which he is now striving to keep Maggie's existence a secret.
Along with the major personal changes in Dresden's life, the book marks a major story change as well. In the book's climax a ritual to kill Maggie's entire bloodline (Harry, Thomas, Susan, and the recently revealed Ebenezer) backfires on the Red Court. Martin reveals he has been a double agent to the Fellowship of St. Giles and the Red Court for over 100 years. Harry then deliberately leads Susan to realising that Martin would have had to betray their daughter's location. This sends her into a bloodlust in which she kills Martin and becomes a full-fledged Red Court Vampire. Harry then sacrifices Susan to the blood ritual, destroying every Red Court Vampire in existence due to their shared bloodline via the Red King. During Martin's death, Harry soulgazes him, which reveals that this was Martin's plan all along.
Changes ends with the death of Harry when he is shot leaving his brother's houseboat, falling into the Lake. Harry had been preparing for an apparent romantic interlude with Karrin Murphy, who was suffering depression and despondency after learning that her job as a police officer will be lost. As Harry dies, he hears Cassius repeating his death curse, "die alone". He then hears an unidentified female voice which is somehow familiar to Harry saying "hush". Harry remarks that he sees a white light and starts to move toward it. Then he hears the sound of a train, although he's in the icy water of Lake Michigan.
Immediately following the events of Changes, Harry finds himself trapped in limbo, neither dead nor alive. It is here that Harry discovers that several of his loved ones are in mortal danger from the same assailant responsible for Harry's current condition. Harry must race against time to not only discover the identity of the person who 'murdered' him, but also figure out which of his friends are being targeted. Compounding this is the reality that Harry cannot interact with the physical world, nor call upon his magic to aid him, nor be seen by any but the most sensitive of magical beings.
Love Life
As of Small Favor, Harry has only had three romantic relationships. This scarcity may be due to the tragic ends of his first two love affairs, making him wary of getting involved with women. It may also have to do with his hectic, danger-filled lifestyle which simply makes him too busy to date.
His first girlfriend and first love Elaine, who was also a fellow apprentice, lived with him and Justin DuMorne for several years, and as Harry puts it, they drove each other nuts and went through puberty together. She was enthralled (a magical mind control technique, deemed black magic by the Council) by DuMorne and attempted to kill her boyfriend, and Harry believed she had betrayed him. When he killed DuMorne, he also thought (incorrectly) that Elaine was dead.
His only major girlfriend after that was Susan Rodriguez, whom Harry dated steadily for a few years but found himself unable to say "I love you" to. He finally said it when she was turned half-vampire, and proposed marriage soon afterwards, but Susan declined (due to the dangers from her recent vampire nature) and left the U.S. She later returned, and they resumed their sexual relationship briefly. Harry hasn't gotten over her loss yet, and as of White Night he reveals that he's been celibate ever since their last encounter. This has afforded him protection from the vampires of the White Court. In Changes, she reveals to Harry that she gave birth to their daughter, Margaret "Maggie" Angelica, sometime after. Despite continued mutual attraction, this rift in their relationship causes Harry to comment that their relationship is through. Susan agrees that, due to her keeping their daughter's existence from him, she knew this would be his reaction as soon as he found out. Despite increased sexual tension throughout the novel, her death at the end of Changes effectively ends any hope that they could work through their issues.
Harry also flirted with the idea of becoming involved with Karrin Murphy, but this never went anywhere. In addition, wizards tend to live much longer than non-wizards; Karrin would die of old age centuries before Harry. Despite this, their platonic friendship is often closer than that of lovers. In Changes, it seems Harry is well on his way to finally hooking up with Karrin, except, as his standard luck, he is shot and killed at the end of the book.
In Small Favor, Harry began a relationship with Anastasia Luccio, otherwise known as Captain Luccio, of the Wardens of the White Council. The relationship forms part of the backdrop for the short story "Harry's Day Off". It is revealed in Turn Coat that Luccio was being manipulated using mind magic to keep tabs on Harry, which she did by dating him.
In Dead Beat, former Denarian Quintus Cassius is killed by Mouse and hits Harry with his death curse in which he screamed, "DIE ALONE". This caused Harry great concern throughout the novels up through Changes. He speculates that it is possible that it means that he will not only have an unsuccessful love life, but that all of his friends will either be dead or absent when his time to die arrives. At the end of Changes, following being shot, he hears the curse repeated when he is alone on a boat. However, upon hearing this Harry then hears a female voice telling someone to hush.
Powers and abilities
Magic
As one of the most powerful younger wizards of the White Council, Harry has a large repertoire of magical powers. His skills at evocation, or ‘quick and dirty’ magic, aka "kaboom magic", aka "battle magic", lean toward large blasts of fire and force, sometimes using wind, and also has some skill with earth (usually magnetism) and lightning magic. He has considerable magical brute strength, though his control is initially somewhat lacking - for example, while he could easily shatter a pair of handcuffs, he may also break the wrists of the person wearing them. For this reason, Harry is ofttimes referred to as a magical 'thug'. Later in the series, Harry is also shown to have tremendous power in ritual form battle magic, when he uses the energy of a ley line to concentrate gravity for several miles around into a small zone, and flattens hundreds of enemy combatants at once.
Harry's skill with battle magic has increased steadily and quickly. His shields are the most striking example, initially unable to deal with sufficiently strong attacks, and not warding away heat, such that his hand was almost burned off. Now, thanks to practice and improved foci, they can deal with significant attacks without a problem. While the head of the Wardens has sufficient focus to wield fire magic with a pinpoint laser-like effect that can cut a person in two, Harry has the power to take out a building, fry an I-beam, and has 'upgraded' to a blue-white shot of fire magic strong enough to bore through a Denarian. Harry is also using physics more, using his shields to turn enemies attacks back upon themselves or their allies, and ripping heat away from areas to create ice as well as power fire attacks simultaneously, and transforming himself (and a White Court vampire) into an explosion-powered cannonball.
However, Harry was frequently accused of a lack of subtlety in his magic until he began training Molly as his apprentice. Through teaching to her particular talents (especially for veiling) and weaknesses (concentration, less emphasis on violent magic), Harry gained a greater understanding and finer control over his talents and began using subtler versions of his own spells, such as tightly controlled wind gusts.
Changes shows Harry developing the following: much better control (he starts using illusions, veils, and Luccio's cutting fire beam, raising and lowering shields with great speed; and fine uses of soulfire), huge area effect spells; pure mental summoning of extremely powerful entities without a summoning circle; and using the fire and ice trick in combat multiple times.
During the events of the novel Changes, Harry took up the mantle of the Winter Knight. It is a position of incredible power, giving Harry access to the abilities of the Winter Sidhe. This gives him substantially more stamina, speed, and strength in both the physical and magical sense, improved ability with "ice magic" which he either lacked or was reluctant to use prior to his appointment, and give him greater protection from physical attacks. It is presumed that Harry will hold the mantle of Winter Knight until he dies, as only with the death of the old knight can a new one be named (though Jim Butcher has stated that Harry is still the Winter Knight in the upcomming novel Ghost Story).
Harry was able to employ Hellfire while possessed by the Shadow of the Denarian Lasciel, a power that especially aided destructive spells and fire effects. Having lost that power, the Archangel Uriel awarded him the Angelic power of soulfire, which is used to make a sort of magical framework for the magic being used, turning, for instance, a straight force attack into an enduring silvery construct hand able to bash and batter repeatedly. The portion of the soul used in the soulfire returns over a period of days, enabling the wielder to get back to full strength; using all of one's soul is still fatal, however. Soulfire excels when used in creation magic, a notable example of which is illusions.
Magic itself has an innate power to disrupt technology in the Dresdenverse. A strong wizards' aura interferes with computers, airplane engines, and car motors, severely limiting his use of any modern/electronic gadgets. Among other things, that makes it dangerous for Harry to visit hospitals, where people are on life support. This means Harry prefers older, less refined technology when he has to deal with it, and drives a 1960's Volkswagen Beetle which his mechanic is extremely adept at repairing and able to keep functioning eight days out of nine. Deliberately doing this to tech items is referred to as ‘hexing’. While not subtle at doing this, Harry can cause widespread havoc just by drawing in his magic.
Because of this technological stricture, many wizards employ the Nevernever to travel long distances. If a wizard knows the path, they can step into the Nevernever, walk a short distance, and emerge somewhere else far away, as distance and time function differently inside. Due to their difficulty in using advanced means of transportation, control of paths and locations in the Nevernever is of critical importance to wizards for getting around rapidly. Knowledge of access points to the Nevernever is among the more useful secrets in the Dresdenverse...and an important bargaining chip for the Faerie Courts, who control most of the Paths through them. Dresden's mother was one of the most knowledgeable of such travelers. According to Luccio she would breakfast in Prague, lunch in Rome, and be in Tibet by sundown, with a couple of stops for coffee along the way. Harry obtained a red crystal belonging to his mother in Changes, which contains his mothers knowledge of these paths, which vastly outweighs his own. He has become slowly better, faster, and neater about opening portals…he even uses one as a shield in combat to absorb falling rocks from a collapsing ceiling.
Harry also possesses great skill at thaumaturgy - he prefers it, since it gives him more structure and precision for his power. According to Harry his skills lie in "redirecting energy, sending energy out into the world to resonate..." in White Night. He is particularly well-versed in tracking spells. Harry has summoned spirits across multiple mythos in his time, including faeries big and small, Voodoo loa spirits of knowledge, and actual demons, using this skill and thaumaturgic rituals. His first use of a battle ritual is in Changes.
A power that all true wizards have is The Sight, or the Third Eye. Using this power is one of the earmarks of wizardry. It allows a wizard to see the world as it truly is, on a magical and spiritual level, bypassing all veils and illusions and showing people and things as they truly are. Anything that is witnessed under the Third Eye is remembered perfectly, forever, which leads to reluctance to employ it, as it is often called on in situations to reveal evil, horrible supernatural harm, and the like, and the weight of such memories can cause significant mental stress over time. Harry's first use of the Sight was on a tree, and he can perfectly picture the gnome-like spirit within it to this day. His use of Sight on the Skinwalker (in Turn Coat) nearly drove him mad with fear and terror at the depth of the evil, cruelty and anathema he witnessed within the creature. It is noteworthy he has never used True Sight on a true Denarian, although he has witnessed the conflict of the Fey Courts using this ability...which completely turned his estimation of the power of Mab on its ear in his awe (and fear). (In Book One of the Dresden Files, the 'drug' being manufactured by the antagonist is actually an alchemical potion allowing normal mortals to use True Sight, an experience few are ready for.)
Yet another power that all wizards have is the soulgaze, a meeting of the eyes that transforms into a highly personalized and revealing look at the other person's psyche and soul, and one of the reasons why people instinctively don't look deep into another's eyes. It is an immediate way to identify someone or something flawlessly. It is notably something he has never shared with Murphy, although he has with Susan. Harry has no idea how people perceive him, although those who have Gazed him tend to have their opinion and respect for him taken up several notches after it happens, as they realize the true nature of who they are dealing with. The crime lord Marcone, for instance, evidences a remarkable amount of respect for Harry after sharing a soulgaze, and a young wizard who shared a soulgaze with him said that Harry was gentle, kind, and alone. However, in the few instances when Harry has Gazed an enemy during a confrontation, they generally have had a horrified reaction (one even gasped that he "[didn't] believe in hell").
On a more mundane level, wizards like Harry are also capable of slowly 'healing perfectly' from injuries, leaving no scars or breaks. For example, his broken bones will seal and leave no mark behind, and he is slowly regaining use of his flame-seared left hand, damaged so severely the normal doctors recommended it to be amputated. This characteristic is the probable reason for the exceptionally long lifespan of wizards. It has limits...a wizard might take 40–50 years to heal the broken back Harry suffers in Changes. Luckily for him, his back problem was fixed instantly when he became the Winter Knight.
Harry's 'final' ability possessed by all wizards, that of the death curse. While it is typically targeted at the being that kills them, it may be employed upon anyone within line of sight(Such as when Harry was readying to send the Death Curse at one of the Necromancers in Dead Beat when he anticipated Morgan's attack), and the wizard must have time to use it (a few seconds). Death curses can be incredibly powerful. Harry believes that the force of his curse could wipe every living thing off the island of Demonreach, and others agree. His mother's Curse completely blocked the ability of the King of the White Court of Vampires to feed, a creature that was otherwise immune to magic. He himself has been the target of a Death Curse, although the lesser power of the caster left it open-ended and of vague purpose.
Starting with his first exposure to the island of Demonreach, it also appears that Harry is starting to develop foresight, a characteristic seemingly common to all wizards as they get older (and are not warned about ahead of time to stop them from wondering if this or that event was foreseen).
Additionally, after bonding with the native spirit of Demonreach in Turn Coat, Harry is able to link in with the spirit's intellectus ability concerning itself and all upon the island, enabling him perfect knowledge of Demonreach and its denizens, and natural harmony with the creatures dwelling there, giving Harry an incredible tactical advantage while he is present.
It was referenced that by the timing of Harry's conception and birth, he has some form of power over Outsiders, such as He Who Walks Behind, resulting in his astonishing ability to overcome a major Outsider while still a teenager after his master had sent it after him, and actually surviving an Entropy Curse (a malevolent form of bad luck).
Harry has a fairly uncommon magical power he has developed with time and experience, the ability to Listen. This is more akin to a clairaudience effect of limited range then merely enhanced hearing, but the sensitivity of it has risen with time, to the point where Harry can even filter out and discern different heartbeats around corners and in rooms close by. Although it can be stopped by a Veil, it provides an excellent tactical edge against many opponents for him.
Unlike some of the other magic users in the series, Harry shouts faux Latin commands to perform spells. For example, Harry lights candles in his apartment by muttering "Fliccum Biccus," an allusion to the "Flick your Bic" lighter advertising campaign. When Harry utters this phrase and infuses the spell with a minor effort of his will, his candles light up or the fire in his fireplace comes to life. He explained that most magic users use some language they're not familiar with for their incantations, to provide a bit of magical insulation to the user's mind from the forces they are channeling and avoid accidentally casting a spell by uttering a common phrase in a language they're used to. His ex-lover Elaine uses Egyptian.
Mundane (non-magical) Skills
When the entity Lasciel was a part of Dresden he was able to understand and speak a variety of ancient languages with Lasciel translating for him. Since Lasciel's apparent death in "White Night" Harry no longer possesses this ability. He can understand spoken Latin, the language of the wizard world, but his own attempts to speak it are initially poor. Harry has some ability with staff and sword work (rapier/fencing style), which he has been slowly improving by working out with Murphy. His athletic regimen consists of something akin to a boxer's training: hitting a bag (and charging up his kinetic rings) and doing lots and lots of running. His fighting style emphasizes the fact he is tall (about 6' 9", over two meters[2], or 6' 7"[3]) with a long reach to go with it.
Lash's influence has given him a degree of ability with playing the guitar. He is proficient with firearms, largely revolvers to avoid the misfire chances associated with magic and automatics, and also uses shotguns as needed. Uriel's influence may have granted him some manner of enhanced coordination with his hands, judging by events in Small Favor.
Contact with Lash also exposed Harry to some of the more esoteric mental discipline/possibilities that the Dresdenverse draws freely from. He has learned how to stretch his bones and muscles in wildly inappropriate ways, as if he were a master Yoga practitioner (except, of course, it hurts a lot more), and he learned mental disciplines that enable him to shut off pain completely, allowing him to function even when he should be completely incapacitated—for a time.
He also has the appropriate hard-boiled detective's aptitude for grunt detective work, sources to call on, and the ability to put disparate pieces together into a recognizable plan to figure out what is actually going on, a use of intellect he is constantly being underestimated on. He also has the standard noir hero ability of being able to survive a lot of personal punishment and keep on trucking.
Although Harry has been enlisted as a Warden, and has helped train aspiring Wardens, he has never been through Warden training himself, nor has he been gifted with a Warden sword that can slice enchantments and wards (this is due to the maker of the swords seemingly losing her talent for making them.)
One of Harry's latent, if not more useless, talents is his wit and the ability to use that wit infused with pop culture references. Most times Harry can insult a more powerful being and be long gone before the being realizes they've been insulted. He often lays sarcasm on thickly when dealing with people whom he does not like, such as Marcone. Harry seems to enjoy using Bugs Bunny and Yoda lines in particular.
Items
Harry channels his magic through several items. The first are his silver rings (formerly ring) worn on both hands that store physical force, and release it in a linear attack. They are charged by movements of his arms and hands, siphoning small portions of kinetic energy off to be released later. He sometimes charges them by hitting a punching bag, but says that it doesn't charge them fully.
The second is his blasting rod, which gives him much finer control over evocations in general and fire in particular (his preferred form of attack), such that he can chew a ray of fire through a steel beam. There is a limit to the amount of power his normal rod can channel, as he literally disintegrates it in Changes.
The third normal item is his oaken wizard's staff, which helps him in wielding other forms of energy, particularly air and subtler force effects (and is handy for leaning on and beating people with, incidentally). His staves have all been carved from the oak of a lightning-struck tree on the farm of his mentor, Ebenezar McCoy.
The fourth item is his shield bracelet, which helps him establish defensive fields. From a mere kinetic deflector, this last effect has been improved to be effective against virtually all attack forms, up to the detonation of hundreds of pounds of C-4 going off almost point-blank (although the short duel against Thorned Namshiel proved it still has holes). The shields he channels through it he can now whip up and disperse very quickly.
The pentacle amulet he wears about his neck serves as an impromptu magical focus and often a divination aid to find his brother Thomas, his dog Mouse, or whoever else he might be looking for. This amulet has been enhanced with a pentagonal ruby gifted to him by his mother, held in trust by the Leanansidhe, granting him access to his mother’s knowledge of the Ways through the NeverNever.
The leather duster he wears (given to him by Susan Rodriguez) has been charged and strengthened by Harry to be able to ward off even military grade gunfire; the duster also stops combat energy-based magic fairly effectively, while being waterproof and stain proof. This duster was mostly destroyed in Changes, and Harry dropped what little was left of it overboard on his brother's houseboat. (The coat had previously been transformed into ornate armor by his fairy Godmother.)
For mundane weapon backup, Harry prefers a .44 Magnum revolver.
In Blood Rites, Harry uses a magical belt buckle in the shape of a standing bear that temporarily restores energy and magical strength to him while exhausted. The buckle does not appear to be mentioned in any of the other books.
Harry also has access to a wizard's laboratory located in the sub-basement beneath his own living room, his own collection of magical tomes and lore, and an extensive and eclectic collection of bric-a-brac useful in making potions. This laboratory has a strong summoning circle in the corner, under which the Blackened Denarius of Lasciel was buried for a time.
His laboratory is now dominated by a scale model of Chicago, used in focusing Divination spells, thaumaturgic rituals, and the like, while deflecting any attempts at striking at him through the spells. "Little Chicago" was destroyed during "Changes".
Harry can make various alchemical potions to imbue himself with various powers or one-shot effects, though he heavily relies on Bob's knowledge to make them. He uses them often in the first novels, but less and less frequently as time goes on. He likes to put them in plastic sports bottles to better disguise their nature.
Although he has misused one before, Harry nevertheless ends up the current guardian of two of the holy Swords of the Cross, waiting for their new bearers.
Harry’s house evolves through the series as he suffers several attacks there, resulting in a siege-quality door, wards that could fry just about anything attacking him, and the like. He lives on the bottom floor of a 3 level home throughout most of the novels.
Harry’s car, the multi-colored (VW) Blue Beetle, is employed because the simple technology powering it makes it less likely to abruptly die on him, and it can be fixed easily.
Harry's office is a standard detective's office, with his files and some detective tools, mainly a place to meet clients and get mail. Amusingly enough, the Red Court buys the building on the sly later on, and even installs explosives to take him out...and the whole building, too.
Wealthwise, Harry gets by on small jobs finding stuff; consulting work with the Chicago PD; and later on his wages as a Warden (the latter of which is hugely helpful.) It's intimated that the White Council has enormous financial power, due to the longevity of its members. He never has much money to spare, pouring most of it into continuous magical upgrades.
Many of these items and locations are destroyed in Changes. Harry’s house burns down leaving many of his possessions destroyed and while the current status of the laboratory has not been addressed directly, it is likely that the majority of it was lost in the fire as well. However, the fire did not occur until after he had moved several items, including the Swords and Bob's skull out after earlier safety concerns developed. Some of the items he was unable to move out before include the summoning circle, the Chicago model, documents on the occult and Bob's romance novels. Also the Blue Beetle has been crushed, his staff is broken, his blasting rod is "sparklies," his office is gone, and he’s rather miserable.
The last of the possessions he's had since the first books was his duster, enhanced for a short-term by his Fairy Godmother for the penultimate fight in Changes to have incredible power, capable of deflecting massive blows and spells while preserving his life and keeping its integrity. Alas, when the magic fades at noon the next day, the cumulative damage literally has it falling apart in his hands.
Associates, Friends, Followers
While it isn't stated among his magical powers, perhaps Harry's greatest asset compared to many of his peers are his non-wizardly friends and allies that he can call upon. From giving the Archive a name (Ivy), to working with the crime lord of Chicago, adopting a Foo Dog, rescuing pixies into forming a support team, having a (friendly) White Court vampire half-brother, having a strong link with Chicago's Police Department, a personal connection with a pack of (good) werewolves and all of the Knights of the Cross (and particularly Michael's family), Harry's allies and alliances have in many ways proven more powerful than his magical talents. His knack for making friends out of enemies even managed to convert the shadow of the Denarian Lasciel to his side, as awarding her a name (Lash) showed her that she was every bit as entitled to her freedom of will as the fallen angel that had spawned her was free to be independent of God.
Harry's first and primary magical associate is Bob, a spirit of knowledge, the equivalent of a magical encyclopedia. Bob supplies Harry magical knowledge, analysis, experience, and note-taking. Bob is also capable of possessing non-sentients, up to and including animated tyrannosaurs. He is also capable of some nasty magic himself, if reverted to older incarnations, and can spin complex magic very quickly, or control existing magic much faster than Harry (he can take down the wards on Harry’s house faster than Harry can, for example). Bob lives in a skull down in Harry’s lab.
His Foo Dog, Mouse, is a character of his own, possessed of roughly human intelligence, able to detect supernatural evil, battle straight up with supernaturally tough and strong opponents, and voice a bark that can be heard for miles or throughout a burning hotel. Complementing Mouse is Harry's crew of loyal, pizza-bribed pixies, serving as scouts and spies and informers and keeping the mice out of his home, under the leadership of the empowered pixie Major General Toot-toot. Mouse is gone as of Changes, tasked by Harry with guarding his apprentice after she is injured in the battle at Chichen Itza. However Harry made his wishes clear to Murphy that in the event he should die, Mouse should go with his daughter.
Harry is a member of the White Council as a full Wizard, and has also been drafted into the Wardens, the combat-capable members of the Council, after their losses fighting the Red Court. He thus has potential access to the knowledge and power of the Senior Council, especially his mentor Ebenezar McCoy. He is also a member of the Gray Council, set up by McCoy to face the rise of the secretive Black Council which seems to be pulling strings throughout all the books. He has excellent relations with the younger Wardens, who rather idolize him, as well as the Captain of the Wardens.
Harry’s apprentice Molly Carpenter complements him well. She is naturally adept at fine sensory magic, mental magic, illusions, veils, and subtle control. Teaching her has forced Harry to learn more control over his own magic then he had in the past. She has little combat magic, but serves excellently in an auxiliary role.
Last and most formidable of his particular circle of magical associates is his Fairy Godmother, the Leanan Sidhe. Considered the second most powerful member of the Winter Court, she has been tasked with protecting Harry and takes the job very seriously. In Changes, it is revealed that she has literally been watching over Harry all of his life, to the extent that she has picked up and moved her own domicile to the part of the NeverNever that links with his own residence, to protect him from attack in that direction. Of course, having a massively powerful Fey watching over you is very much the mixed blessing, as she has interpreted 'protecting him' as 'turning him into one of her hounds so she can guard him more easily' in the past. His appointment as the Winter Knight seems to have stopped at least some of the more 'overprotective' of her tendencies.
Adaptations and influence
Television series
Debuting on January 21, 2007, the Sci Fi Channel TV adaptation starred Paul Blackthorne as the eponymous wizard. Harry's history in the series differed from that of the novels in several significant ways; his father, Malcolm Dresden, did not die from an aneurysm, but was instead murdered by Justin (named Morningway rather than DuMorne, and Harry's biological uncle). Bob is the spirit of a medieval wizard who, in punishment for using black magic to resurrect his life's love, is doomed to spend eternity inside his skull; he can manifest a human appearance outside the skull - but only within a short radius of the skull itself - and must return to the skull when ordered. In "What About Bob?", it is revealed he was also Dresden's primary magical teacher as a child.
Harry wears a magical "shield-bracelet" (and he also has the pentacle necklace, which makes an appearance in flashback scenes from "Bad Blood") that once belonged to his mother, and was given to him by his father. As a private investigator, Harry drives a Korean-war-era military Jeep instead of the infamous "Blue Beetle" VW Beetle of the novels (a change made based on actor Blackthorne's height and the difficulty of filming inside a VW Beatle, as well as the fact it would look more like a 'clown car' on video than a serious vehicle).
According to "Bad Blood," Harry was around 31 when he killed Justin, instead of 16 as in the novels; a Red Court vampire, Bianca, protected Harry while the High Council investigated Morningway's death. The two had a sexual relationship that does not exist in the books.
In the episode "What About Bob?", the events surrounding Justin's death at Dresden's hands are fully revealed: Only five years prior to the series Dresden discovered that Justin, using black magic, was responsible for the death of his father. Justin said that he did not kill Harry's mother, but he died before the truth could be divined. Dresden used thaumaturgy - in this case, a voodoo doll of sorts - to attack Justin, who fought back using his own magical ability. In the scuffle, Harry accidentally crushed the voodoo doll, causing Justin to die with a "circle-shaped crushing wound" around his heart.
The series was canceled by the SciFi Channel in August 2007. Efforts by fans still exist to bring the show back or find it a new home.[4]
Graphic Novel
In spring 2008, Dabel Brothers comic book publisher will launch a comic book adaptation of The Dresden Files, along with two other major properties. They will be distributed Del Rey Books in the summer or fall of 2008.
Roleplaying Game
In 2010, Evil Hat Productions released a two-volume roleplaying game based on The Dresden Files.
Influence
As a possible gag or tribute, he is also listed as one of the magicians on the same bill as Alfred Borden in the movie The Prestige.
References
The name Harry Dresden might be a reference itself: Dresden could refer to the firebombing of Dresden in World War II, considering Harry's frequent use of fire magic.
The name Dresden could also be a reference to the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant, which services the Chicago area, where Harry lives and works.
- ^ Jim Butcher's page on The Dresden Files
- ^ Jim Butcher's notes on the characters in the graphic novel Welcome To The Jungle
- ^ http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,467.msg8751.html#msg8751
- ^ Slice of SciFi's "Save Dresden!" campaign
External links
