We don’t see much of James Potter and his comrades in the Harry Potter stories, but the glimpses we get of him and his three best friends got us wondering about their adventures.
For the first time on Pottermore, you can see the young Marauders revealed in a brand new light, in these multi-layered, abstract portraits by artist Montse Bernal. Each character portrait tells its own complex story, and uncovers the Marauders’ pasts, presents and futures. Take a look and see what you can find.
Remus Lupin, Moony
Remus’s life was haunted by the shadow of his second life as a werewolf. Just like his Boggart, his portrait would not be complete without an ominous full moon, reflecting his deepest fear.
Peter Pettigrew, Wormtail
Did any Marauder go quite as dark as Peter Pettigrew? His portrait is very telling, showing his rat-like front teeth and a ill-omened hand from his shady future.
Sirius Black, Padfoot
It’s no surprise to see teenage Sirius Black with a shaggy mop top, and his Animagus dog form prowling around. A closer inspection of this sketch warns of a far more enclosed life.
James Potter, Prongs
Literally everyone in the wizarding world wasn’t kidding – Harry really is the spitting image of his father. Good to know that messy hair and stag Patronuses run in the Potter family.
Montse Bernal is an illustrator who specialises in portraits that ‘go beyond the surface of that which is shown to us at first glance’. With the Marauders, this seemed a fitting way to portray them. We meet them all in the books as adults, and only learn about their carefree Hogwarts days through fragments of memories.
Each Marauder has a complex story full of light and dark. And if you look a little longer, each portrait is more full of life than you may first realise.
