source: GPT
The McLaggen family and Cormac himself are relatively minor characters in the Harry Potter series, with most of their importance revolving around the events of The Half-Blood Prince.
Here is a summary of the McLaggen family and Cormac's role in the books:
The McLaggen Family Background
The McLaggens are established as a well-connected family within the British wizarding world, possessing a degree of social influence and prestige.
Social Standing: They are considered prominent enough that their connections open doors for Cormac.
Key Connection (Uncle Tiberius): Cormac's defining family link is his Uncle Tiberius McLaggen. Tiberius is mentioned to be an influential Ministry figure and a past favourite student of Professor Horace Slughorn. This connection is the direct reason Cormac is invited to join the exclusive Slug Club.
Political Ties: Through his uncle, Cormac also has tangential connections to other high-ranking officials, notably mentioning that he went hunting with Rufus Scrimgeour(who becomes Minister for Magic)before Scrimgeour attained that post. This highlights the family's presence in high political and social circles.
Cormac McLaggen in the Books
Cormac McLaggen is a Gryffindor student one year above Harry Potter. He is characterized by his size, talent, and overbearing arrogance.
Key Appearances and Moments:
1. The Slug Club (Half-Blood Prince)
Cormac is one of the students invited to join the newly revived Slug Club by Professor Slughorn, entirely due to his family's influential status.
He attends Slughorn's parties, which is where he briefly intersects with Hermione Granger.
2. Quidditch Rivalry (Half-Blood Prince)
Cormac is a talented but highly individualistic Quidditch player. He tries out for the Gryffindor Keeper position, directly competing with Ron Weasley.
He is described as having the raw talent and physical presence to cover the entire goal, but his overconfidence is his undoing.
The Confundus Charm: Cormac performs excellently until his final save attempt, where he suddenly goes the wrong way and fails. It is later revealed that Hermione Granger secretly cast a Confundus Charm on him to ensure Ron won the spot, highlighting how much his arrogance rubbed the main trio the wrong way.
The Disastrous Game: When Ron is poisoned before the match against Hufflepuff, Cormac takes his place as Keeper. He spends the game criticizing the other players and trying to dictate strategy to the Captain, Harry. In a moment of hubris, he steals a Beater's bat to "demonstrate" how to hit a Bludger, misses completely, and knocks Harry Potter unconscious and off his broom. Gryffindor loses the match disastrously.
3. Slughorn's Christmas Party
Hermione asks Cormac to be her date to Slughorn's Christmas party solely to make Ron Weasley jealous.
Cormac's personality proves unbearable to Hermione. He is too aggressive, boastful, and spends most of the evening trying to maneuver her under mistletoe. Hermione ditches him during the party and spends the rest of the night avoiding him.
4. Later Appearances
Cormac appears again in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He is an older student still at Hogwarts when it falls under Snape and the Carrows' control.
He is one of the students who answers the call when the Dumbledore's Army is resurrected for the Battle of Hogwarts, indicating that despite his flaws, he is ultimately loyal to the light side and Gryffindor's cause. He is noted as being among the fighters who survived the battle.
In essence, Cormac McLaggen serves as a memorable example of a flawed Gryffindor: possessing courage and ambition but lacking the humility and team spirit that truly define the house's heroes.