Storm Front

Harry is the protagonist and first-person narrator of Storm Front as well as the entire Dresden Files series. His father, who named him after famous stage magicians, was a mediocre and little-known magician who died when Harry was six years old. Harry was then trained by his mentor, Justin DuMorne, who attempted to turn Harry to black magic. When that failed, the man tried to kill Harry, but Harry used magic to kill his mentor. Though he acted in self-defense, the White Council placed Harry under the Doom of Damocles, a form of magical probation that will lead to his summary execution if he is guilty of just one more misstep.

Harry works as a paranormal investigator and sometimes consults for the Chicago Police Department. To help solve his cases, he often relies on the assistance of Bob, an ancient air spirit bound to a human skull; Bob holds an encyclopedic knowledge of magic but is hindered by his lecherous attitude. Harry believes in old-fashioned habits of chivalry, and this quirk becomes a point of contention between himself and Lieutenant Karrin Murphy. In the early novels of the series, Harry tends to categorize women according to sexist stereotypes, such as the “femme fatale” or the “damsel in distress.