The Best (and Worst) Christmas Gifts Mentioned in Harry Potter

Harry Potter is one of those series that isn’t technically a Christmas book or film series, and yet I re-watch and re-read a number of the books and films every Christmas, and they make me feel super cosy and festive.

Each Harry Potter book and film features some great winter and Christmas scenes, and you can remind yourself of the very best Harry Potter Christmas Scenes in my blog post here!

When talking about presents, my parents often joke about Dudley and his outburst, “36? But last year, last year I got 37!” And it got me thinking about all the Christmas presents mentioned in the Harry Potter series.

So I’ve done some digging and compiled a list of all the Christmas gifts mentioned in the Harry Potter books!

Christmas Gifts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry’s first Christmas at Hogwarts is when he receives his first real Christmas presents. And it’s truly heartwarming to see his joy at being included by the Weasleys.

Knitted sweater from Molly Weasley

“Merry Christmas,” said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.
“You, too,” said Harry. “Will you look at this? I’ve got some presents!”
“What did you expect, turnips?” said Ron, turning to his own pile.

50p

We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

Invisibility cloak

His father’s…this had been his father’s. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.

Books

“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”

Christmas Gifts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Toothpick

She nibbled his ear in an affectionate sort of way, which was a far better present than the one that she had brought him, which turned out to be from the Dursleys. They had sent Harry a toothpick and a note telling him to find out whether he’d be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer vacation, too. 

Treacle fudge, Flying with the Cannons, eagle-feather quill

The rest of Harry’s Christmas presents were far more satisfactory. Hagrid had sent him a large tin of treacle fudge, which Harry decided to soften by the fire before eating; Ron had given him a book called Flying with the Cannons, a book of interesting facts about his favourite Quidditch team, and Hermione had bought him a luxurious eagle-feather quill.

Hand-knitted sweater from Mrs Weasley

Harry opened the last present to find a new, hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley and a large plum cake. He read her card with a fresh surge of guilt, thinking about Mr. Weasley’s car (which hadn’t been seen since its crash with the Whomping Willow), and the bout of rule-breaking he and Ron were planning next.

Christmas Gifts in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

A computerized robot and… dog biscuits

At Dudley’s fifth birthday party, Aunt Marge had whacked Harry around the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues. A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry.

Marauders Map

“Early Christmas present for you, Harry,” he said. Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. Harry, suspecting one of Fred and George’s jokes, stared at it.
“What’s that supposed to be?”
“This, Harry, is the secret of our success,” said George, patting the parchment fondly.
“It’s a wrench, giving it to you,” said Fred, “but we decided last night, your need’s greater than ours.” “Anyway, we know it by heart,” said George.
“We bequeath it to you. We don’t really need it anymore.”
“And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?” said Harry.
“A bit of old parchment!” said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him.
“Explain, George.” 

Hand-knitted Gryffindor sweater, mince pies, Christmas cake, nut brittle

Mrs. Weasley had sent him a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle.

Christmas Gifts in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

A pair of knobbly, mustard-yellow socks

He hadn’t bought anything for Dobby at all, but he quickly opened his trunk and pulled out a particularly knobbly rolled-up pair of socks. They were his oldest and foulest, mustard yellow, and had once belonged to Uncle Vernon. The reason they were extra-knobbly was that Harry had been using them to cushion his Sneakoscope for over a year now. He pulled out the Sneakoscope and handed the socks to Dobby, saying, “Sorry, I forgot to wrap them. . . .” But Dobby was utterly delighted. 

“Socks are Dobby’s favourite, favourite clothes, sir!” he said, ripping off his odd ones and pulling on Uncle Vernon’s. “I has seven now, sir. . . . But sir . . .” he said, his eyes widening, having pulled both socks up to their highest extent, so that they reached to the bottom of his shorts, “they has made a mistake in the shop, Harry Potter, they is giving you two the same!”

“Ah, no, Harry, how come you didn’t spot that?” said Ron, grinning over from his own bed, which was now strewn with wrapping paper. 

Christmas Gifts in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Broom compass

Harry awoke on Christmas morning to find a stack of presents at the foot of his bed and Ron already halfway through opening his own, rather larger, pile.

“Good haul this year,” he informed Harry through a cloud of paper.

“Thanks for the Broom Compass, it’s excellent, beats Hermione’s — she’s got me a homework planner —”

Homework planner

Harry sorted through his presents and found one with Hermione’s handwriting on it. She had given him too a book that resembled a diary, except that it said things like “Do it today or later you’ll pay!” every time he opened a page.

Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts

Sirius and Lupin had given Harry a set of excellent books entitled Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts, which had superb, moving colour illustrations of all the counterjinxes and hexes it described. Harry flicked through the first volume eagerly; he could see it was going to be highly useful in his plans for the D.A.

Furry brown wallet with fangs

Hagrid had sent a furry brown wallet that had fangs, which were presumably supposed to be an antitheft device, but unfortunately prevented Harry putting any money in without getting his fingers ripped off.

Firebolt model, Every-Flavour Beans, hand-knitted jumper, mince pies,

Tonks’s present was a small, working model of a Firebolt, which Harry watched fly around the room, wishing he still had his full-size version; Ron had given him an enormous box of Every-Flavor Beans; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley the usual hand-knitted jumper and some mince pies;

Painting of Harry Potter

…and Dobby, a truly dreadful painting that Harry suspected had been done by the elf himself. He had just turned it upside down to see whether it looked better that way when, with a loud crack, Fred and George Apparated at the foot of his bed. 

“What’s that supposed to be anyway?” asked Fred, squinting at Dobby’s painting. “Looks like a gibbon with two black eyes.” “It’s Harry!” said George, pointing at the back of the picture. “Says so on the back!” “Good likeness,” said Fred, grinning. 

New Theory of Numerology and perfume

They got up and dressed; they could hear various inhabitants of the house calling “Merry Christmas” to each other. On their way downstairs, they met Hermione. “Thanks for the book, Harry!” she said happily. “I’ve been wanting that New Theory of Numerology for ages! And that perfume is really unusual, Ron.” “No problem,” said Ron.

Patchwork quilt

“Who’s that for anyway?” he added, nodding at the neatly wrapped present she was carrying. “Kreacher,” said Hermione brightly. “It had better not be clothes!” said Ron warningly.

“You know what Sirius said, Kreacher knows too much, we can’t set him free!”

“It isn’t clothes,” said Hermione, “although if I had my way I’d certainly give him something to wear other than that filthy old rag. No, it’s a patchwork quilt, I thought it would brighten up his bedroom.” “What bedroom?” said Harry, dropping his voice to a whisper as they were passing the portrait of Sirius’s mother.

“Well, Sirius says it’s not so much a bedroom, more a kind of — den,” said Hermione.

“Apparently he sleeps under the boiler in that cupboard off the kitchen.” 

Fuse-wire and screwdrivers

Oh, Harry — this is absolutely wonderful —”

For he had just opened Harry’s gift of fuse-wire and screwdrivers. Mrs. Weasley did not seem entirely satisfied with Mr. Weasley’s answer. As her husband leaned over to shake Harry’s hand, she peered at the bandaging under his nightshirt. 

Potted plant and hippogriff calendar

“Here you are, Agnes,” said the Healer brightly to the furry-faced woman, handing her a small pile of Christmas presents.

“See, not forgotten, are you? And your son’s sent an owl to say he’s visiting tonight, so that’s nice, isn’t it?” Agnes gave several loud barks.

“And look, Broderick, you’ve been sent a potted plant and a lovely calendar with a different fancy hippogriff for each month, they’ll brighten things up, won’t they?” said the Healer, bustling along to the mumbling man, setting a rather ugly plant with long, swaying tentacles on the bedside cabinet and fixing the calendar to the wall with her wand.

“And — oh, Mrs. Longbottom, are you leaving already?” 

Magical two-way mirror

“I want you to take this,” he said quietly, thrusting a badly wrapped package roughly the size of a paperback book into Harry’s hands.

“What is it?” Harry asked.

“A way of letting me know if Snape’s giving you a hard time. No, don’t open it in here!” said Sirius, with a wary look at Mrs. Weasley, who was trying to persuade the twins to wear hand-knitted mittens.

“I doubt Molly would approve — but I want you to use it if you need me, all right?” “Okay,” said 

Christmas Gifts in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Maggots

“I didn’t think of giving Kreacher anything. Do people usually give their house-elves Christmas presents?” asked Harry, prodding the parcel cautiously.

“Hermione would,” said Ron.

“But let’s wait and see what it is before you start feeling guilty.”

A moment later, Harry had given a loud yell and leapt out of his camp bed; the package contained a large number of maggots.

“Nice,” said Ron, roaring with laughter.

“Very thoughtful.”

Christmas Gifts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Toy broomstick

Dear Padfoot, Thank you, thank you, for Harry’s birthday present! It was his favourite by far. One year old and already zooming along on a toy broomstick, he looked so pleased with himself, I’m enclosing a picture so you can see. You know it only rises about two feet off the ground, but he nearly killed the cat and he smashed a horrible vase Petunia sent me for Christmas (no complaints there). 

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How would you rank these Christmas presents in Harry Potter from best to worst?

Want more Potter posts? Have a look at these! 
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