...You Need Only Ask

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Yes, this is going to be about Harry Potter! Or more precisely, the telling names of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is not only a great writer and inspiring person, but has also mastered the art of giving her characters telling names. And not only her characters; place names and incantations alike are brilliantly filled with information. But let's focus on the people first. 

The Potters

A common surname J.K. Rowling has always been fond of. A potter's field is a place for the burial of unknown or poor people. This term tragically fits and indicates the death of Lily and James as well as Harry not knowing the real cause for eleven years.

  -Harry: derives from the Anglo-Saxon and means power. His name could also refer to famous magician Harry Houdini who lived in the 1900's.

  -James: comes from the same root name as Jacob, means 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter'. In this case, supplanter fits quite well. To supplant is to take place or substitute, especially through intrigue. James' death was indeed due to underhand tactics and intrigues of one of his so-called friends.

  -Lily: a flower that is traditionally associated with death and rebirth. They die every year but sprout fresh leaves from the decayed bulb. Lily sacrifices herself so that Harry can keep on living. Her maiden name, Evans, is Celtic and means young warrior. Also quite suitable for her.
  -Hedwig: yes, also pets are part of the family. In case you don't know her, she's a beautiful snowy owl. Her name means refuge in battle which she he is in a way to Harry as she prevents him from getting hit by a killing curse. She died a heroine :( 

The Weasleys

Most obviously, both the Weasleys and the weasel have red hair. But there's more to it according to Rowling: "The weasel has a bad reputation as an unfortunate animal." The Weasleys themselves are unfortunate because they are poor. Funny note: They life in a village called Ottery St. Catchpole. The otter is a member of the weasel family and also Hermione's patronus.
  -Arthur: he is the head of the family and could represent King Arthur who, if the legend is to be believed, overcame enemies and thereby brought peace and harmony. Arthur Weasley plays a major role in the Order Of The Phoenix and the defeat of the Dark Lord.
  -Ron: Ronald originates from Old Norse and is a composition of advice/judgement and ruler/power. Ron is in many ways a powerful and important advisor of Harry's.
  -Ginny: short for Ginevra who, according to an old myth, playfully hid in a trunk on her wedding day. The lid fell and buried her alive until eventually only her skeleton could be discovered. This is a strong correlation to Ginny being taken into the Chamber of Secrets where... Rowling, however, also said that she picked the name to give the only Weasley girl a special and extraordinary name.
  -Hermes: was the Greek messenger. Hermes the owl is the successor of Errol who regularly failed to deliver letters properly. 

The Blacks

The family motto 'Toujours Pur' says all about their feelings toward the non-magical world or even muggle-born witches and wizards. It is French for always pure, indicating what they think about the ones that are not pure-blooded. In contrast to that stand two of their sons: Regulus and Sirius. Note how both their names refer to stars shining bright in the (black) night sky. They are the only decent members of this evil, dark family. 
  -Regulus Arcturus: both of his names are those of stars. Maybe because he had to shine twice as bright? A Death Eater at first, Regulus was the first to learn about Voldemort's malignant ambitions to create Horcruxes and turned against him.
  -Sirius: the brightest star in the sky, also known as the Dog Star or Great Dog (Canis Major). Remember how Sirius got his nickname Padfoot?

The Malfoys

Malfoy can be interpreted in many ways, but you always come to a similar evil or bad conclusion. In Latin, 'mal' means pale which they all certainly are. 'Mal foi' is French and means bad faith which could be down to them, especially Lucius, being not as faithful servants as they pretend to be. If you translate it from Portuguese, however, you go even deeper. 'Mal' is evil and 'foi' can be either was or became, which could imply that the Malfoy family has always been evil. 

  -Lucius: the servant of Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar. He is among the conspirators who assassinate Ceasar. In Romanian, 'lucios' means bright/shiny which could be a link to his love of the luxurious and extravagant, or plainly about his hair. Another possible connection is how similar it sounds to 'Lucifer' (the devil).
  -Draco: Latin for dragon. In the 7th century BC there was a Greek ruler called Draco who is known for his cruel and severe punishments of even minor crimes.
  -Narcissa: 'Narcissism' is excessive love for oneself. This can actually be said about all members of this family. Or show how much more Narcissa loves her family than she wants to serve Voldemort.

Alastor Moody: Alastor is similar to Alistair, the Scottish (Gaelic) version of Alexander. It is a very suitable name for an Auror as it means protector of men. Even more fitting is the verb 'alexein' which is Greek for ward off/avert/defend. His surname is self-explanatory and describes him pretty well.

Luna Lovegood: Luna is Latin for moon but also a term in alchemy for Silver (just look at her hair). The word 'lunatic' derives from it, and she is often described by fellow students as Loony which is just another way of saying she is crazy. This may be down to her not caring at all what others think of her, or maybe just because she likes to the read The Quibbler. Her surname correctly suggests that she is a warm-hearted, endearing person.

Remus Lupin: His name is just a dead giveaway for his condition. If the Hogwarts students learned more about mythology and thought more about their own language, Snape wouldn't have had to try so hard to reveal Lupin's secret. Remus was one of the twin brothers who were raised by a she wolf. 'Lupine' means to resemble a wolf. Combine the two names and you get what Snape called a 'Man Wolf'.

Hermione Granger: In Greek mythology, Hermione was known as the patron saint of high magic. This is maybe why she is such a gifted witch. In Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale, Hermione dies early in the play but is later brought back as a statue. At the very end, she returns to life. Doesn't this sound familiar (Chamber of Secrets)? 'Granger' is a very old word for farmer, which could indicate how ordinary, non-magical her parents are.

Albus Dumbledore: 'Albus' is Latin for white as which his hair and beard are described various times. 'Dumbledore' means bumblebee in Old English. J.K. Rowling supposedly chose this surname because she'd always imagined him 'walking around the castle, humming to himself'. Wouldn't that be the loveliest explanation ever? 

There is just so much more to write about Harry Potter, the characters or spells or places. Maybe if you all behave, there will be a sequel for Christmas. I mean, Dumbledore does look very much like Santa. Goodbye and Nox.