Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Dean Thomas
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| Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character | |
| Dean Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Related Family | Unknown |
| Loyalty | Dumbledore's Army, West Ham United F.C. |
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Dean Thomas is a Gryffindor in Harry's year, who shares a dormitory with Harry, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Seamus Finnigan. Although there is no particular description in the UK editions of the book, in the US edition it is mentioned that he is a black Londoner.
[edit] Role in the Books
[edit] Philosopher's Stone
Dean, apparently of Muggle origins, like Harry, has never heard of Quidditch, and so has a poster of the West Ham football team that he puts up over his bed in the dormitory. Ron, who had had an argument with Dean about football and how a game with only one ball and two goals could be any good, is seen at one point poking the poster with his wand to try and make the players move.
At Harry's first Quidditch match, Seamus, Neville, and Dean have made a banner that reads "Potter for President". Dean, who is apparently something of an artist, had painted the Gryffindor lion underneath that, and Hermione had charmed it so that the paint flashed different colours. When the Snitch first appears, Harry is about to grab it when he is fouled by Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team captain. Dean demands that the ref send Flint off, and Ron explains that you can't do that in Quidditch.
[edit] Chamber of Secrets
[edit] Prisoner of Azkaban
[edit] Goblet of Fire
[edit] Order of the Phoenix
When Harry and Neville reach the dormitory on Harry's first night back at Hogwarts, Dean says that Seamus has had a rough summer, largely due to the scurrilous reports in the Daily Prophet which have been painting Harry as a dangerous lunatic and Dumbledore as a senile old fool. After Seamus and Ron reach an accommodation, Ron asks if anyone else had a problem with Harry. Dean says that it is not a problem for him, his parents are Muggles.
In the first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the year, Hermione wonders when they will be actually practicing defensive magic. Professor Umbridge says that she can't see any time when people will be attacked in her classroom. Echoing Harry, who Umbridge is ignoring, Dean points out that if they are going to be attacked, it will be outside the classroom. Umbridge over-sweetly explains that the Ministry feels that understanding the principles of defensive magic will be sufficient.
Dean is one of the students who attends the first meeting of what becomes Dumbledore's Army, in the Hog's Head.
Harry gives an interview to Rita Skeeter about the events surrounding Voldemort's return. The following Monday at dinner, he apparently tells Dean and Neville about it. Dean is awestruck, and says he can't wait to see Umbridge's reaction.
Dean is present in the first class with Firenze, the centaur teacher brought in to replace Professor Trelawney after Umbridge sacks her. Firenze says that he would prefer to teach these classes in the Forbidden Forest, but this is not possible, as he has been banished by his herd. Dean, excited at the possibility that there are more Centaurs, asks if Hagrid had been breeding them, like the Thestrals, and apparently immediately realizes that he has said something horrible. Firenze, after a pause in which Dean evinces extreme embarrassment, says that Centaurs are a race apart, having little to do with humans.
Dean is pleased to hear that OWL results won't arrive until sometime in July, as that means he won't have to worry about them until the middle of vacation. We see him later, practicing Charms theory with Seamus Finnigan.
Following the final OWL exam, Dean and Seamus tell Harry that they are planning a dusk-to-dawn end-of-OWLs celebration and suggest that one of the students, Harold Dingle, believes that he can get some Firewhisky. Harry is in a panic, trying to get in contact with Sirius, and pushes past without answering.
It is noted that Hedwig and Pigwidgeon are disturbed by Ron's outburst when he learns that Ginny is going out with Dean.
[edit] Half-Blood Prince
Is Ginny's boyfriend.
[edit] Deathly Hallows
As Dean cannot prove that his father was a wizard, he is an outlaw for daring to have a wand. When we first see him, he is on the run with Ted Tonks, one Dirk (probably Dirk Cresswell) and the goblins Gornuk and Griphook. Ted, Dirk Cresswell, and Gornuk are ultimately killed, but Dean and Griphook escape only to later be captured by Snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Dobby arrives, and Harry has him carry Dean, along with Luna Lovegood and Ollivander who are also prisoners of the Malfoys, to safety. (Griphook is also saved, shortly after.)
Dean remains in safety at Shell Cottage, but rejoins our story to take part on the final battle at Hogwarts. As the gathered members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix leave the Room of Requirement to assist in the defence of Hogwarts, Dean takes Luna Lovegood's hand, and they leave together.
[edit] Strengths
[edit] Weaknesses
[edit] Relationships with Other Characters
Dean was once in a short-lived romantic relationship with Ginny Weasley, although there are few details about this relationship and it is only mentioned in relation to Harry Potter's own love interests.
[edit] Analysis
It is noted that Dean had joined Dumbledore's Army for only its last session before it was discovered and disbanded. This timing is, in fact, rather important. Harry has noted and tried to work around the fact that there are an even number of people (including himself) in the DA; most often, he has the students pair up so they can practice on each other, and as he cannot generally be one of the pairs, as he has to inspect and correct the other students, he often creates a single group of three, Neville, Hermione, and Ron. In the final session, Marietta Edgecombe is not present because she is telling Professor Umbridge about the group; Harry would be much more likely to notice her absence if suddenly he could pair everyone up. Dean's presence, by keeping the number of working students odd, prevents Harry noticing that Marietta is missing, and thus helps provide the necessary surprise.
