Of all the houses at Hogwarts, Gryffindor is the one that is most associated with bravery and chivalry. As such, it’s assumed that everyone in this house will always act with courage and that they won’t be cowardly. While many people sorted into Gryffindor are extremely brave, there are some that are less so than others. And, since people are complex and the sorting system is imperfect, there are also those who are pretty cowardly overall.
Here are the ten most cowardly Gryffindors from Harry Potter.
10. LAVENDER BROWN
Lavender Brown is a Hogwarts student that is there at the same time as Harry. While she isn’t particularly cowardly, she’s also not particularly brave. How she acts when she’s in a relationship with Ron isn’t exactly brave or upstanding.
She is rather rude to Hermione, and she doesn’t seem to have a lot of courage when it comes to moral fortitude. However, she’s also only 16 at the time, and Ron isn’t that great of a boyfriend.
9. PARVATI PATIL
Parvati Patil is another student who goes to Hogwarts at the same time as the trio. While she’s definitely not a coward seeing as she does join Dumbledore’s Army, and that takes some guts, she’s also not particularly brave. She can be a bit rude in social situations and a bit self-absorbed. So, while in many ways she exemplifies what it means to be a Gryffindor, there are other times where she is just more of an average example of someone in the house.
8. SEAMUS FINNIGAN
Seamus Finnigan is a character that definitely has a few moments of cowardice in the series. He doesn’t ever do anything particularly brave, and in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he also believes that Harry is a nutter. He believes the lies of the Daily Prophet and is rather rude to Harry on top of it all. He definitely doesn’t stand up for someone who he considers a friend, and this is the most cowardly thing that he does by far.
7. ROMILDA VANE
Romilda Vane is a character who isn’t mentioned very much. She is older than Harry, and she goes to school with him. The main time she is mentioned is when she tries to give Harry a love potion. While Ron accidentally ends up taking it, it was meant for Harry. Using a love potion is really quite cowardly. It takes away the agency of another person and should definitely be illegal in the Harry Potter world. The fact that she was willing to do this just because she had a crush on Harry was definitely the opposite of brave.
6. NEARLY HEADLESS NICK
Nearly Headless Nick might be the Gryffindor ghost, but this doesn’t mean he always represents the house and its traits. While he definitely prides himself on being brave and chivalrous, it seems that a lot of this is for show. Trying too hard to seem brave and get attention for it can definitely be a form of cowardice. His obsession with trying to be part of the Headless Hunt isn’t exactly a Gryffindor thing to do either.
5. RON WEASLEY
Now, Ron is a character that is definitely extremely brave many times throughout the series. He is loyal to Harry, and he cares a lot about doing the right thing. He definitely puts his own safety at risk often. However, he is also often the most cowardly of the trio. This is most exemplified when he abandons Harry and Hermione in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There are also some other times when he shows cowardice such as when he gets angry at Harry for becoming Triwizard champion.
4. PERCY WEASLEY
All of the Weasley children were sorted into Gryffindor, but this doesn’t mean that they are all as brave as the others. While Percy probably told the hat he needed to be in Gryffindor, and he has some of the more pompous traits, he isn’t always the bravest Weasley.
The way he abandons his family and goes along with the Ministry’s version of events because it’s less scary is quite cowardly. Thankfully, he does come around in the end.
3. CORMAC MCLAGGEN
Cormac McLaggen is another Gryffindor student who is introduced in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. While he’s not exactly lacking in bravado and brashness, it’s hard to identify him with true bravery. He is a bit of a jerk, and he’s definitely not a likable character. There isn’t anything he does that is courageous, and he seems very self-absorbed.
2. DUMBLEDORE
Now, while Dumbledore might seem like a character who is extremely brave and courageous, he’s actually a lot more complicated than this. In many ways, it would make more sense if he had been sorted into Slytherin or Ravenclaw. He is more cunning and manipulative than your average Gryffindor. There are also many times in his life when he shows cowardice.
Some of these times include joining up with Grindelwald as well as the ensuing fight that leads to the death of Ariana. The way he handled Harry and helping him to defeat Voldemort was also rather shady.
1. PETER PETTIGREW
The most obvious example of a cowardly Gryffindor is, of course, Peter Pettigrew. While he might have been sorted into Gryffindor, he never showed bravery. He was always out to save himself and a huge coward. He looked for others to look after him, and he was more scared of getting hurt himself than doing the right thing. Betraying the Potters was definitely one of the most cowardly things he ever did, but this is just one example of the many. He definitely shouldn’t have been sorted into Gryffindor, and he doesn’t really have any of the traits.
