character profile

i am writing a character profile for an idea of a main character. there are some aspects of the chacater that me and alexx have come to make definite, however there are some variable concepts and values about the character that are still to be made definite. i would like to in someway capture the essence of a young character who is out of his depth, but has the determination to fight and always seems to servive by the skin of his teeth. an example of this that i like despite the very different narrative is the character of Harry Potter. Not in his bodily traits or the way he talks or looks, but the way that he seems to be out of his depth but have some form of fighting chance really creates character in my opinion.