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You’ve read all seven Harry Potter books, the sequel play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. You’ve seen all the movies. And now you’re looking for something to fill the void left behind by your favorite characters. That’s where this list comes in. Here’s the next book you should read based on who your favorite Harry Potter character is.
I don’t know about you, but Bellatrix intrigues me. I always wondered how she ended up following Tom Riddle and going insane. I know there are plenty of fan films and fanfiction that show that story, but I still wish we’d gotten a canon story on her — specifically her fallout with Andromeda.
So, because we didn’t get her backstory, I think fans of Bellatrix might love another villain’s backstory. Heartless by Marissa Meyer shows us how the Queen of Hearts became the vindictive queen she is in Alice in Wonderland.
Voldemort was praised like a god by his Death Eaters, and that led him to play God like Dr. Frankenstein, trying to eradicate all muggle-born wizards and witches. He’s also like Frankenstein’s monster in that he was brought to life using the parts of other people.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a classic that explores who the real monsters are in the world. It follows Dr. Frankenstein as he runs from his experiments, leaving a wake of death and despair in his wake. Sound like Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the first and second Wizarding Wars?
I couldn’t not include Newt Scamander, even though he only shows up on the Marauders Map in one of the Harry Potter movies. He’s such a good character; it’s a shame the movies aren’t doing him justice. The animal lover would be a hit in the muggle world if they knew about him.
James Herriot has been heralded as the Newt Scamander of our world. He wrote All Creatures Great and Small as a collection of short stories about several animals around the world. If he and Newt ever met, they’d have tons to talk about for hours on end.
Mad-Eye is very hard to get to know, as we see in the Harry Potter series, and there are two authors that come to my mind when thinking of that particular personality type: John Steinbeck and Charles Dickens. But I won’t put you through Dickens’s works just to feel like you’re reading Mad-Eye’s life stories.
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is perfect for fans of Moody. It might be hard to get into at first, but it’s so worth the read. Of Mice and Men also includes a disabled main character, much like Moody, which is why I chose it over Steinbeck’s other tales.
Now I know Tonks isn’t a shapeshifter, but being a Metamorphmagus is close enough for us. The protagonist of Stray by Rachel Vincent has a similar personality to Tonks, but she’s a werecat. The Shifters series is just what you’d expect from a Tonks-centric recommendation.
Stray starts the series off by throwing us straight into Faythe’s life after she’s attacked by a stray werecat. And throughout the series, she has to deal with being an outcast from her family, which is how we’d imagine Tonks felt about the Black family since they disowned her mother.
Our favorite pyrotechnic wizard has the same vibes as the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore. I can’t put my finger on it, but when I think of the series, I imagine tons of explosions and fires. It reminds me of Seamus, specifically in the first book when he explodes a feather instead of levitating it.
I Am Number Four launches readers straight into the action, with John getting his first powers early on in the book. And he just so happens to control fire in later books, making him the perfect character to fall in love with after Seamus.
Bill Weasley might not have made this list, but his wife sure did. The movies didn’t do Fleur justice; she showed remarkable growth in the last couple of books. Fleur starts out as somewhat shallow, but later transforms into a great character.
That’s why Emma by Jane Austen is the best book for fans of Fleur Delacour. Emma starts off shallow and naïve much like Fleur in Goblet of Fire. Then as the story goes on, she matures and shows a great depth of character — again as Fleur does in Deathly Hallows.
Remus was one of the most tragic characters in the series, but he did the best with what he was given. All he wanted to do was protect Harry and his friends while keeping his identity as a werewolf a secret. Despite all that, he became a fan-favorite for many, including myself.
If you want more werewolf stories that aren’t super mainstream, you should check out The Wolfman by Nicholas Pekearo. It follows a man — who happens to be a werewolf — who is discharged from his job and then does what he can to protect young children in his neighborhood. Sound like Remus?
Want to read what Sirius Black would read if he had been allowed books at Azkaban? He’d definitely be one to pick up The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Actually, he’d probably read all of Jack London’s work, but I’ll stick to just one recommendation.
The Call of the Wild follows a dog named Buck who gets abducted and sold to be a sled dog in Alaska. (Yes, I picked a dog book for obvious reasons.) Much like Sirius during his time at Azkaban, Buck turns to his instincts to survive instead of relying on others to help.
I’m shedding a tear just thinking of Dobby as I write this. And that’s why I’m recommending fans of the lovable house elf a childhood favorite of mine and so many others. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende is perfect for Dobby lovers.
The story is full of magical animals and companions. I like to think Dobby is like Falcor. He’s helpful in times when you need him and is just an overall fantastic creature. I’m sure if Dobby could read, he would also love the children’s story.
Neville wasn’t the Chosen One. Or was he? I love the theories that Neville and Harry are both Chosen Ones in Voldemort’s life. He wasn’t showcased in the wizarding world as the Chosen One, but he played a significant role in its history.
If it hadn’t been for Neville, Voldemort might not have been defeated. That’s why, if you like that trope, you’d like Unchosen by Katharyn Blair. Much like Neville, Charlotte is close to the Chosen One. But despite that, they still manage to be the reason the world they know survives.
I knew immediately what book Luna Lovegood fans should read, and you probably did, too. Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass features a character as curious and imaginative as Luna herself.
The story is just as whimsical as Luna’s personality. And, if Luna was sucked into the story, she would do precisely the same things as Alice. I’m sure she’d go searching for Nargles all throughout Wonderland and befriend the Cheshire Cat quickly.
If you relate to Molly in any way, I suspect you also love timeless love stories like Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Either that or Gilderoy Lockhart’s books, but that might have ended after Ron tells her what Lockhart did in Chamber of Secrets.
I can imagine her having Gone with the Wind on her nightstand, battered and falling apart from her reading it way too many times. It features one of the most iconic love stories in history that has been told time and time again, and it never gets old.
We all know Hedwig was the most loyal character in the books. On a more serious note, while Hedwig doesn’t technically have any lines, she was essential to Harry’s story. She was one of the only constants at Hogwarts and the Dursley’s home for him.
So, if Harry’s owl is your favorite, you should read Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. It’s a quick read that revolves around owls and friendship. In addition, it has some of the same themes that are in the Harry Potter series: growing up, corruption, and teamwork.
Let’s be completely honest, Snape was horrible. Even his “redemption” didn’t redeem him in my eyes (and so many others). Regardless, he’s some people’s favorite, so I’ll keep my snark to a minimum.
So which literary character would Snape relate to? He would definitely read Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and think he has tons in common with Heathcliff. The novel features a self-destructive love story like Snape’s with Lily. Fans of Snape would probably have a good time reading — and crying — over yet another failed relationship.
If you want to read what Hagrid would, check out Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. I feel like Hagrid fans would prefer lighthearted stories like this classic over long novels like Charles Dickens’s works or series like Harry Potter.
The Jungle Book won’t break your heart like many other books with animal characters. And you’ll get the story of the boy being shown around an unfamiliar world by a big bear, much like Harry and Hagrid’s dynamic.
You cannot tell me Dumbledore and Gandalf aren’t the same character in different fonts. They’re both described the same physically, both are supposed to be incredibly wise wizards, and both play a significant role in the protagonist’s adventures.
That’s why fans of Dumbledore should read Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. We all know the story, but did you know that Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings have more similarities aside from the white-bearded wizard? Both series also include magical items, loyal friendships, and powerful villains.
It’s time to talk about the best professor at Hogwarts. McGonagall is a maternal yet independent powerhouse We don’t know much about her backstory, but we would love to learn more about it. She reminds me of Jo from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
I mean that in the best ways, of course. They’re both independent with goals for better lives and a deep love for those important to them. I can also see McGonagall reading this book multiple times, meaning fans of hers would probably read it numerous times throughout their lives as well.
Draco is a horrible character in the books, but we all still love him for some reason. (That reason is fanfiction.) Throughout the books he became a charming antagonist with serious potential to be a better person — with a little help, of course.
That’s why Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora is perfect for fans of Draco Malfoy. The villain in the book is charming and charismatic, much like Draco is in many fanfiction stories. Both antagonists also go up against orphans, which I found ironic and funny.
Don’t hate me, but I decided to take a different route than you’d expect for the twins. Instead of focusing on a fun read about twins, I decided to choose a book dealing with the death of one twin. We all know Fred died in the last battle, but we don’t see much of George after that.
There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos follows a twin dealing with the grief of losing their best friend and sibling. We don’t get to see George deal with that aside from during the battle itself, and that’s a shame because it’s important to read about sometimes. Sorry for breaking your heart again.
We might not have gotten to see Charlie much in the films, but later games and fanfiction have built onto his story. The video game Hogwarts Mystery features Charlie as one of the more prominent characters in the storyline, and his love of dragons is apparent.
So, if you love Charlie, you probably share his love of dragons and adventure. That’s why Eragon by Christopher Paolini is something you’d love. There are plenty of dragons in the series that you’ll wish were real, and you can definitely count on fun banter between the characters.
We need more fiery redheaded female protagonists in this world. And I think fans of Ginny Weasley from the books would agree. That’s where the Daughter of the Pirate King duology by Tricia Levenseller comes in. Alosa has the fiery red hair and personality that was missing from Ginny in the movies.
Daughter of the Pirate King follows Alosa on an adventure to find an ancient treasure map, but it also promises romance and action. The sequel, Daughter of the Siren Queen, also follows Alosa, but she has to race the Pirate King to find the treasure from the map in the first book.
Ron would definitely prefer graphic novels and comic books to long books. We see he already doesn’t like writing his papers for class, so why would he want to read works that are much longer? I mean, he has the ability to, just not the motivation.
Fans of Ron might relate to that, making the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley the perfect set to pick up. Ron and Scott remind me of each other in a way. The books are quick reads with interesting storylines and amazing artwork.
Let’s be completely honest, Ron and Harry probably would have died sometime in Sorcerer’s Stone without Hermione’s help. She’s resourceful, witty, and intelligent — a lot like Nancy Drew is. I had a hard time choosing a specific Nancy Drew book, but I decided to go with The Hidden Staircase.
The Hidden Staircase is one of my favorites, but any of Carolyn Keene’s mysteries would be interesting to Hermione fans. The only difference between Nancy and Hermione is that one’s a witch and one’s not, giving fans a much-needed break from magical problems.
If you read the books, you’ll know Harry was a kid with attitude and sass. A lot like Percy from Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In this book, you’ll get another “Chosen One” storyline, a magical world with shocking twists, and a trio of best friends.
The first book in the series is The Lightning Thief and introduces us to a world just on the edge of ours, much like Sorcerer’s Stone. Both books have a character the trio suspects to be the bad guy but turns out to be innocent. Meanwhile, the person they trusted most had a hand in the troubles they go through.
