Cormac McLaggen Character Analysis in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

A fellow Gryffindor who becomes a fixture at Slughorn’s parties and suppers as a result of his prestigious family and connections to Rufus Scrimgeour. Blustering and arrogant, Cormac tries out for Ron’s position on the Quidditch team but fails because Hermione discreetly Confunds him. Cormac’s self-confidence and status with Slughorn exacerbate Ron’s feelings of inferiority, since he’s a nervous Quidditch player and never attracts the professor’s attention. Accordingly, to get back at Ron for dating Lavender, Hermione briefly dates Cormac; but, disgusted with his self-centeredness, she soon abandons this enterprise. By the end of the novel Cormac emerges as a foil to Ron, showing that wealth and social status don’t compensate for genuine loyalty and the ability to work as part of a team.

Cormac McLaggen Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The timeline below shows where the character Cormac McLaggen appears in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Harry and Neville find it populated by a couple of Slytherins, a popular boy named Cormac McLaggan from Gryffindor, and – strangest of all – Ginny, grimacing in a corner. It’s... (full context)

It seems like half of Gryffindor is trying out for the team, including the swaggering Cormac McLaggen, who is going for Keeper, Ron’s position. Harry quickly weeds out most of the... (full context)

...for Ron. However, the crowd is even bigger and Ron looks sick. To Harry’s annoyance, Cormac performs well, saving all his goals until he shoots in the wrong direction on the... (full context)

...house, Ron recounts all his saves to Hermione’s increasing amusement. However, when he remarks that Cormac looked like he’d been Confounded on his last shot, Hermione looks pink and embarrassed. When... (full context)

...trio hurry up to the Great Hall for dinner. On the way in they see Cormac, who seems unusually clumsy and stumbles against the doorframe. Pulling Hermione aside, Harry quietly points... (full context)

...always when this topic comes up, Ron sarcastically says that Hermione should hook up with Cormac – then they can become “King and Queen Slug.” Hermione retorts that she was going... (full context)

...a bright conversation with Parvati and happens to mention that she’s attending Slughorn’s party with Cormac McLaggen, whom she’s now dating. Ron looks after her as she leaves and Harry muses... (full context)

Extricating himself, Harry drags Luna towards a very disheveled Hermione, who’s just escaped Cormac’s embrace. She admits that she just picked him because she knew Ron would be jealous.... (full context)

...they mostly just make out. Harry cheers him up by telling him that Hermione and Cormac fell out at Slughorn’s Christmas party. (full context)

...is too young to know all his suspicions. He’s jerked out of his reverie by Cormac, who has already heard about Ron’s attack and is eager to take over his position... (full context)

...he’s up to when he seems to vanish. However, he himself is being hounded by Cormac, keen to share Quidditch strategy and criticism of the rest of the team, and Lavender,... (full context)

On the morning of the match, Harry reassures Ron that he’s not going to keep Cormac as Keeper and advises him to break up with Lavender before she drives them both... (full context)

...the last match, in which Ginny crashed into Smith on purpose. Busy criticizing everyone else, Cormac lets in several goals; in the middle of the game, Harry sees him grab a... (full context)

...up several hours later in the hospital wing next to Ron, who is thrilled at Cormac’s disgrace and still chuckling at Luna’s commentary. Ron mentions that Ginny came by to see... (full context)