Before we start on the life of Mr. Potter, we must first shed light on the history of his family and places his family is connected with.

The Potters were an ancient pure-blooded family with much wealth. Sources close to the family reported as much as a million Galleons were in the Potters' vault at Gringotts' Wizarding Bank at one point. According to Mr. Potter, he is descended from the Perverell brothers, more known for being the three brothers from the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Specifically, Mr. Potter had pointed out that he was descended from Ignotus Perverell, whose gravestone is located in their own village of Godric's Hollow. Perverell is best known for being the longest-lived of the three brothers, and the original owner of the Invisibility Cloak, which, as the name suggests, is a garment which renders the wearer completely invisible. However, while fooling sight, it doesn't hinder sound escaping, and it does not make the wearer completely gone, as the cloak and wearer can be touched.

His mother, Lily Evans, was a Muggle-born, whose situation with her sister, Harry's aunt and guardian, was revealed by Potter.

"Merlin's beard, [my aunt Petunia] was awful. Of course, her family wasn't much different. The biggest bunch of Muggles you would ever see. My uncle [Vernon Dursley] would shut me in my room if I ever conducted any "funny business". Just saying the word "magic" in the house would get you in your room for the night, no meals. I think they followed the philosophy "Outta Sight, Outta Mind"."

Potter believes that her aunt's hatred for Harry stemmed, first and foremost, from the way Mr. and Mrs. Evans treated her sister, his mother. According to Mrs. Dursley, "as soon as [Lily] got her letter [to Hogwarts], it was Lily this and Lily that."