| Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden | |
|---|---|
| The Dresden Files character | |
| First appearance | Birds of a Feather |
| Last appearance | Second City |
| Created by | Jim Butcher |
| Portrayed by | Paul Blackthorne |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Private investigator |
| Family | Justin Morningway (Uncle) (Usually Deceased) |
| Significant other(s) | Bob (Sorcerer/roommate) (Damned Soul) |
| Nationality | American |
Harry Dresden is a fictional character on the television series The Dresden Files. He is portrayed by Paul Blackthorne.
Harry Dresden is a wizard living and working in the city of Chicago. Not only does he offer private advice and investigation, Harry performs consultation for the Chicago Police Department when they have a case involving either the paranormal or seemingly impossible circumstances surrounding suspicious deaths. Dresden's principal contact at the CPD is Detective Connie Murphy. Murphy, though she believes that Harry's magic is some sort of front, appreciates his insight into cases, though she is frequently frustrated by his wisecracking and his tendency to leave out certain details (most of which involve magic that she would not believe, anyway) (episode 1.01, "Birds of a Feather", et al.). He is apparently quite skilled at his craft, though sometimes his spells do not work as intended. Harry has more than once demonstrated a proficiency at opening locks and escaping handcuffs, even in front of Murphy (episodes 1.08, "Storm Front;" 1.09, "The Other Dick", et al.).
Dresden is apparently the last living member of his immediate family. His mother, a powerful wizard (from whom he inherited his powers), was murdered by magic by an unknown agent when he was only three years old. She left him a special protection bracelet, which saves his life on at least one occasion (episode 1.02, "The Boone Identity"). Harry's father, a fairly unsuccessful stage magician with no real magic to speak of, raised his son as well as he could, as they were constantly on the move and short on cash. According to Morgan, a Warder, they were taken "off the radar" in order to protect them, apparently from whoever killed Harry's mother. Harry's maternal uncle, Justin Morningway, wanted to take the young boy in himself, to raise as a wizard (and heir of his powerful magical bloodline), but Harry's father outright refused, believing that Morningway only wanted to use Harry (episode 1.01, "Birds of a Feather"). Justin retaliated by murdering the man with a voodoo doll and black magic, disguised as a heart attack. Young Dresden went to live with his uncle, and at his estate met Bob, the ghost of a wizard condemned for eternity to be tied to his own skull. Bob became Harry's tutor in the ways of magic. When Harry discovered that Justin murdered his father, he killed Justin using the same means, a voodoo doll and a ring that Justin had stolen years before. He is horrified at his own actions, and flees the scene. Morningway's death is ruled by the Chicago Coroner's office to be a heart attack, but the wizards' High Council knows better (episode 1.10, "What About Bob?").
They send Morgan out to hunt Harry, but Dresden is protected and hidden by a Red-Court vampire named Bianca. He later repays the favor by discovering which of her subordinates is trying to kill her and take her position (episode 1.05, "Bad Blood"). Eventually, Justin's death is ruled to be a self-defense, even though it came by black magic (episode 1.01, "Birds of a Feather"). Council member Ancient Mai is unsatisfied by the verdict, and remains openly hostile towards Dresden. She believes that he will, having used black magic once, use it again (episode 1.08, "Storm Front").
His uncle's death comes back to haunt Harry in a very real way when a dopplegänger of Morningway appears on the scene and Murphy begins an investigation into the suspicious circumstances surrounding Justin's death in light of the similar death of Harry's father. Thanks to the actions of Bob (returned briefly to mortality), Morningway is forever destroyed. Harry confesses to Murphy about the death of Justin, and she drops the case (episode 1.10, "What About Bob?").
Harry does make use of a voodoo doll once more, when a disembodied murderer uses ancient Egyptian magic to take over Detective Murphy's body. Using some of Murphy's blood, he inflicts pain on her, tricking the criminal inhabiting into meet him, and Dresden is successful in exorcising him. And though Murphy does not clearly remember the events of the episode, she knows something disturbing happened, even though Harry assures her she had merely been knocked unconscious (episode 1.02, "The Boone Identity"). When she, plagued by nightmares, confronts Harry again, he tells her that he rescued her from some very black magic, and she bleakly affirms that they will continue to work together as long as she can manage it (episode 1.10, "What About Bob?").
Despite the fact that Harry appears perennially low on cash, he evidently inherited a sizeable estate from his uncle, Justin. He refuses to touch any of it, not even to sell the house, perhaps from guilt over the circumstances surrounding Justin's death. Harry gave all the cash to charity, but retains the mansion because of the numerous dangerous magical artifacts it contains ("It's safer that way", he explains to Murphy.) (episode 1.10, "What About Bob?"). Even when it appears that he will not get his private investigator's licence since he cannot pay the class fees, he makes no mention of his fortune (episode 1.09, "The Other Dick").
Another one of his inheritances is Bob's skull. Harry and Bob appear to care a great deal about each other. When Bob appears to die, even though he had seemingly just betrayed Harry to resurrect Justin Morningway, Dresden mourns... until Bob reappears moments later, having reverted to his skull (knowing that he would do so and neglecting to tell Harry such, so as to hear his touching words). Bob, however, states most emphatically that he would never betray Harry (episode 1.10, "What About Bob?"). After Harry is kidnapped, Bob leaves a message in floating, glowing letters for Murphy to find, giving her where to find him. Bob even entrusts to Harry the secret of his imprisonment, Bob's use of forbidden black magic to resurrect his lover (episode 1.06, "Soul Beneficiary"). A skin walker tortures Harry in order to get information out of Bob, and though the ghost eventually capitulates, he also helps construct a "Doom Box" which Harry uses to destroy the creature (episode 101, "Birds of a Feather"). Bob helps out in any number of ways with Dresden's cases, from merely offering his knowledge (or caustic commentary) to making use of his ability to analyze body samples and take on the appearance of the original owner (episode 1.03, "Hair of the Dog").
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