Peter Powles (b. 1984) is the pure-blood son of Elfric and Ariadne Powles and the twin brother of Katrina Powles. He grew up along the lower Hudson River in the vicinity of Tarrytown, New York. Peter has sandy hair and is slight of stature. Growing up, he showed little evidence of magical talent and was overshadowed and bullied by his twin sister, with acquiescence of their parents. However, when he was 10, he spontaneously stupefied a group of garden gnomes who had surrounded him; this incident proved that Peter was not a squib. He and Katrina both received letters of admission to Kaaterskill Academy of Magic on their 11th birthday. The dowsing rod placed Peter in Bradbury House. Katrina was sorted into Tenskwatawa House.