Where does J. K. Rowling get her ideas for the characters and details in the Harry Potter books? Some of them bear an amazing resemblance to characters in Greek and Roman mythology.
The lightning bolt. Harry’s famous scar is the symbol of Zeus, god of the sky and supreme god of the ancient Greeks.
Hermione. Hermione is the mythological daughter of King Menelaus of Sparta, Greece, and Helen of Troy—both mortals, just as Hermione’s parents are Muggles.
Minerva McGonagall, one of the teachers at Hogwarts. Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom and of war and peace. She prefers reason to violence, except when pushed, just like Professor McGonagall.
Argus Filch. The caretaker of Hogwarts seems to know (almost) everything that goes on around the school. He is very much like the mythical Greek watchman, Argus the All-Seeing, who has 100 eyes that never close.
Fluffy, the giant three-headed guard dog. The entrance to Hades, the mythological Greek underworld, is guarded by the monster Cerberus. Like Fluffy, Cerberus is a giant three-headed dog. Also like Fluffy, he is lulled to sleep by sweet music.
J.K. Rowling is richer than the Queen of England.