Harry Dresden - Associates, Friends, Followers

Associates, Friends, Followers

While it isn't stated among his magical powers, perhaps Harry's greatest asset compared to many of his peers are his non-wizardly friends and allies that he can call upon. From giving the Archive a name (Ivy), to working with the crime lord of Chicago, adopting a Foo Dog, forming rescued pixies into a support team, having a (friendly) White Court vampire half-brother (Thomas Raith), having a strong link with Chicago's Police Department via Karrin Murphy, a personal connection with a pack of (good) werewolves, the Alphas, and all of the Knights of the Cross (and particularly Michael Carpenter's family), Harry's allies and alliances have in many ways proven more powerful than his magical talents. His knack for making friends out of enemies even managed to convert the shadow of the Denarian Lasciel to his side, as awarding her a name (Lash) showed her that she was every bit as entitled to her freedom of will as the fallen angel that had spawned her was free to be independent of God.

Harry's first and primary magical associate is Bob, a spirit of knowledge, the equivalent of a magical encyclopedia. Bob supplies Harry magical knowledge, analysis, experience, and note-taking. Bob is also capable of possessing non-sentients, up to and including animated tyrannosaurs. He is also capable of some nasty magic himself, if reverted to older incarnations, and can spin complex magic very quickly, or control existing magic much faster than Harry (he can take down the wards on Harry’s house faster than Harry can, for example). Bob lives in a skull down in Harry’s lab. As of Ghost Story, it is revealed that Bob has graduated from reading novels to having open access to the Internet which he can access from inside his skull. He is living with Butters, who loves having a nerdish roommate around, taking on some of Butters' personality traits, and Butters is plumbing the depths of Bob's knowledge for remarkably innovative advances in magical tech and gear. He has also completely severed that part of himself that used to serve Heinrich Kemmler, and it has gained a life of its own.

Harry's Foo Dog, Mouse, is a character of his own, possessed of roughly human intelligence, able to detect supernatural evil, battle straight up with supernaturally tough and strong opponents, and voice a bark that can be heard for miles or throughout a burning hotel. Complementing Mouse is Harry's crew of loyal, pizza-bribed pixies, serving as scouts and spies and informers and keeping the mice out of his home, under the leadership of the empowered pixie Major General Toot-toot. Mouse is 'gone' as of Changes, tasked by Harry with guarding his apprentice after she is injured in the battle at Chichen Itza. However Harry made his wishes clear to Murphy that in the event he should die, Mouse should go with his daughter. Mouse is called a 'little brother' by Uriel himself, a clear indication of his celestial background.

In addition, Harry keeps a large gray cat named Mister as a pet. He found Mister in a garbage can three years prior to the events of Storm Front, with his tail torn off - either by a dog or a car, Harry assumed. Mister hates both and will either attack or flee from them on sight. He weighs over 30 pounds, due to sheer size rather than fat (Harry notes that he is larger than some dogs), and has a fondness for Coca-Cola and food from McAnally's, Harry's favorite pub. Mister often acts as a vehicle for Bob when Harry sends him out to do surveillance, since Bob cannot tolerate sunlight. Mister is uniquely described as the only living thing that appears exactly the same viewed normally or with Harry's Wizard's Sight.

Harry is a member of the White Council as a full Wizard, and has also been drafted into the Wardens, the combat-capable members of the Council, after their losses fighting the Red Court. He thus has potential access to the knowledge and power of the Senior Council, especially his mentor Ebenezar McCoy. He is also a member of the Grey Council, set up by McCoy to face the rise of the secretive Black Council which seems to be pulling strings throughout all the books. He has excellent relations with the younger Wardens, who rather idolize him, as well as the Captain of the Wardens.

Harry’s apprentice Molly Carpenter complements him well. She is naturally adept at fine sensory magic, mental magic, illusions, veils, and subtle control. Teaching her has forced Harry to acquire more control over his own magic than he had in the past. She has little combat magic, but serves excellently in an auxiliary role as a 'battlefield controller'. In Ghost Story, she has been taken under the tutelage of the Leanansidhe, and has improved her abilities remarkably as a result. In her role as 'the Ragged Lady', she has used illusions to arrange for the deaths of at least 17 people or beings since Harry died, although due to the Leanansidhe sharing the role it is unclear exactly how many fatalities she is personally responsible for.

Last and most formidable of his particular circle of magical associates is his Fairy Godmother, the Leanansidhe. Considered the most powerful vassal of the Winter Court, she has been tasked with protecting Harry and takes the job very seriously. In Changes, it is revealed that she has been watching over Harry for most of his life, to the extent that she has picked up and moved her own domicile to the part of the NeverNever that links with his own residence, to protect him from attack in that direction. Of course, having a massively powerful Fey watching over you is very much the mixed blessing, as she has interpreted 'protecting him' as 'turning him into one of her hounds so she can guard him more easily' in the past. His appointment as the Winter Knight seems to have stopped at least some of the more 'overprotective' of her tendencies. In Ghost Story, she has taken over his job of teaching Molly Carpenter with Fey enthusiasm for the task. It is also revealed that she is Mab's vassal by force, not choice.

As of Cold Days, it is revealed that the Leanansidhe's education of Molly was a scheme to cement her as a de facto vassal of the Winter Court. When Maeve is shot and killed by Karrin Murphy, Molly was hidden under a veil, and as the only eligible soul, is endowed as the new Winter Lady.