Many Harry Potter fans will likely confess to you that they have, at least once or twice, made an imaginary school schedule as if they were going to Hogwarts. They go through the process of selecting professors mentioned in the book and sort out which of these Hogwarts professors are worth listening to. In fact, many of these fans likely judge their excitement for a “class” based on the professor’s strength.
Admit it, nearly every Pottermore subscriber and avid consumer of the wizarding world of Harry Potter believes that professors at Hogwarts all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some teachers are stronger than others, but they all have their talents. The question becomes: How do you sort out those talents to determine which professors are the weakest and which are the strongest?
Well, debate no longer, because the answer is here. Screen Rant has taken all 25 professors mentioned in J.K Rowling’s’ original book series and listed them from weakest to strongest. The professors’ strengths were determined by considering their talent within their field of expertise, as well as their overall strength in magic. In contrast, weakness was determined by the professors’ lack of magical talent and inability to master the subject they teach.
Here are 24 Harry Potter Professors Ranked From Weakest To Most Powerful.
24. Gilderoy Lockhart
Professor Gilderoy Lockhart is one of the most charismatic professors in the entire series. He is overconfident and too self-assured though, and this often is the chief cause of his troubles.
Ultimately, Lockhart is a sham. He faked his books detailing his many perilous adventures by stealing them from other wizards. This mockery of the wizarding world makes him unequipped to tackle the subject of the Dark Arts. In fact, the only spell he is proficient at is “Obliviate”. With all this in mind, it is clear Lockhart is the biggest scrub to teach at the school during those seven years.
23. Aurora Sinistra
Astronomy is a challenging field to master, so we must give credit to Aurora Sinistra for her ability to teach such a tricky subject. Sinistra clearly holds a remarkable intellect and mastery of her area, but just how strong is her other magic?
Well, it is believed that Sinistra is excellent at casting defensive spells and shows a rare talent for the Patronus charm. That being said, her skills were never remarkable enough to gain a ton of mentioning in the book. For what fans know about her, she seems a little bit on the weaker side.
22. Bathsheda Babbling
Not much is known about Professor Bathsheda Babbling, beyond the fact that she teaches Ancient Runes. Which, to be honest, sounds like a great class to take, at least according to Hermione Grander who took the class. Being skillful at this subject clearly means Babbling has talent.
Babbling is a talented witch. Otherwise, she would not be working at Hogwarts. However, other than her talent for ancient runes, fans do not know much about her powers. It is safe to assume they are at least serviceable.
21. Silvanus Kettleburn
Professor Silvanus Kettleburn and Rubeus Hagrid both had an affinity for teaching their students about dangerous creatures. Kettleburn, unlike Hagrid, lost a few limbs while teaching. He is considered extremely reckless, which, for a professor, is not the most desirable trait.
Kettleburn seems mundane in his magic abilities, but his ability to care for dangerous magical creatures cannot go understated. However, losing a few limbs puts you down on the totem pole when it comes to mastery of your subject. At least it gave Hagrid the chance to teach a class.
20. Cuthbert Binns
Now here is the teacher that most students would probably avoid at all costs, as his subject is not very riveting. Though it would be cool to be taught history by a ghost, Professor Cuthbert Binns is a rather dull lecturer. That boringness bleeds into his talent as well.
Considering the fact that Binns has already passed away, that might make him more powerful. Regardless of that fact though, he ranks lower on this list because since he is so old and lazy, he probably wasn’t too far away from being like that when he was alive as well.
19. Quirinus Quirrell
Some fans may feel that this is a little low for Quirinus Quirrell. After all, he is so skilled at the dark arts and is so intelligent that he managed to find Lord Voldemort. However, he is frail in character, so it is a true wonder as to why the Ministry of Magic would sign off on him being a teacher in the first place.
Quirrell was talented perhaps, as a wizard, but had no real presence as a teacher. In fact, he is the only teacher we never see Harry interact in class with. Ultimately his power as a wizard is overcome by the weakness in his personality.
18. Firenze
Professor Firenze took over Divination after Dolores Umbridge fired Sybill Trelawney. Firenze sacrificed his positioning in his colony for the job. By doing this, he showed loyalty to Dumbledore and the entire school of Hogwarts.
Firenze is a mighty centaur with mastery of his subject. Though he is not particularly skilled in any sort of magic, his effort in the Battle of Hogwarts proved that he is a strong professor. Being a centaur gives Firenze specific strengths over other professors, but in the scope of the entire list, he falls short of making a real magical impact.
17. Septima Vector
To be a skilled arithmancer is worth giving credit. However, outside of this, Professor Septima Vector is best-known as Hermione Granger’s favorite professor during her time at Hogwarts. However, she is also quite difficult as far as course load goes.
Clearly, Vector is a demanding professor, but that does not mean she is the strongest. She clearly has a mastery of her own field, but her talents for spells and charms are deemed rather ordinary. At least she was a strong woman in Hermione’s eyes.
16. Sybill Trelawney
Professor Sybill Trelawney is misunderstood by her students. She is often scoffed at for her seer abilities (despite being able to see the future many times in the series). It seems her personality is what bothers her students the most, and her character then compounds into people underestimating her power.
Now, Trelawney is not the most powerful of professors at Hogwarts, but her abilities are still worth mentioning. She shows enough skill in defensive and dueling spells to hold her own against Death Eaters (she even knocks one off a tower during the battle). She is also a talented Divination professor and educates her students proficiently even when they doubt her ability.
15. Filius Flitwick
This entry is an ode to the forgotten Charms professor, who has always appreciated yet always underrated too. Professor Filius Flitwick was once a student at Hogwarts and a member of the Ravenclaw house. That fact explains his shrewd, intelligent demeanor and his strategical input during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Flitwick is an accomplished duelist, and his mastery of charms makes him a formidable wizard. He knows about advance charm shields, and some even consider him the greatest charm master in the world. Add in his ability to defend himself with powerful spells and perform some wandless magic and Professor Flitwick ends up being a more powerful wizard that not every fan expects.
14. Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank
Now some fans might find that putting a substitute professor this high on the list might feel like an oversight, but just hold on. Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank is actually a talented caregiver for magical creatures. She is much more conservative in her care than the other professors the students have during their time at Hogwarts.
In fact, Grubbly-Plank not only shows a real mastery for her subject, but she even has a talent for healing magic. That particular talent sets her out from other professors, and she is also able to help heal Hedwig at one point. With all this in mind, Grubbly-Plank feels like a more extraordinary wizard than one would think at first glance.
13. ROLANDA HOOCH
Rolanda Hooch deserved more appearances in the film than she received. Honestly, many fans find her character design sleek and cool, which has to count for something. However, it is not clear how talented she is in spells and charms.
That being said, Professor Hooch is a talented flyer and her ability on a broomstick cannot be underestimated. On top of that, fans should know that she has a talent for identifying jinxed brooms and understanding how to fix them. This knowledge may imply that Hooch has a considerable skill for both jinxes and charms making her a talented spellcaster as well as a flyer.
12. Charity Burbage
Does having an in-depth knowledge of muggles and muggle devices make you a powerful wizard? Some fans would argue that it does, and the empathy it creates marks some witches and wizards as a class above others. If that is the case, then Professor Charity Burbage is a remarkably powerful teacher.
It takes courage to teach that class with Lord Voldemort on the loose, so clearly, Burbage had a great deal of courage and strength just to continue teaching. Now, not much is known about her magical skills, but her muggle abilities are notable. If that is valued like some fans consider it, then Burbage is definitely a talented witch. It is her teaching that threatened Lord Voldemort and led to her being eliminated by him.
11. POMONA SPROUT
Listen here, Herbology is no laughing matter. Early in the series, Professor Pomona Sprout showed her skill in Herbology, and as the series continued, the strength of that subject continued to grow. Fans began to appreciate Herbology and all that it offered its students.
Professor Sprout is the big time talent when it comes to Herbology, and that makes her an influential teacher. Sprout also showed an ability for transfiguration in the series. She is able to conjure flames, which is an advanced branch of transfiguration arts. Add in her talent for charms and Professor Sprout stacks up with the best of them.
10. POPPY POMFREY
Poppy Pomfrey does not mess around. As the matron of Hogwarts, she has seen all sorts of wild injuries and accidents (maybe a few too many involving Harry Potter and his friends). With this in mind, consider how mighty of a witch she must be to be able to deal with such a variety of medical problems.
Having a talent for advanced medical charms is notable, and Madam Pomfrey has even shown a knack for potions as well. On top of the mastery of her own area, she also held her own against Death Eaters. All of this combined makes Pomfrey a witch to reckon with, no matter what kind of power a wizard possesses.
9. RUBEUS HAGRID
Rubeus Hagrid was one of the first characters fans were introduced to, and he even conjures the first spell (unless you count Harry’s stunt at the zoo) that many fans got to witness. So, maybe it’s a little bit of recency bias putting him this high on the list, but Hagrid has definitely earned his place in one way or another.
Now granted, he was only a professor for a limited time, but his mastery for understanding magical creatures cannot be understated. On top of this, Hagrid is a crucial character in the fight against Lord Voldemort. He protects Harry selflessly, and his abilities are on display during the latter end of the series. He may not be quite as talented as the rest of the professors on this list, but Hagrid sure comes in clutch when you need him.
8. Horace Slughorn
It is a shame that fans could not see Professor Horace Slughorn during his prime. His introduction in the series came after he was already retired, and, although his mind is not as sharp as it once was, Slughorn still shows keen ability as a wizard.
He is a tad bit cowardly, and his feelings toward “collecting” students is definitely odd. However, he had knowledge of Horcruxes that was crucial for Lord Voldemort’s survival. Only remarkable wizards have that kind of understanding over such Dark Arts. As he got older, Slughorn saw a drop in his skills, but, even then, he still displays remarkable power in the series.
7. Dolores Umbridge
Seeing this name probably incites every reader to conjure up memories of pure hatred towards this woman. Professor Dolores Umbridge is a terrible human being, that much we all know. However, she is one heck of an opponent for the main characters.
Professor Umbridge illustrates an excellent ability to understand the Dark Arts and curses, even though she does not teach them in a useful way. Clearly, she is a master of the subject she teaches and her time at the ministry shows that she is clearly a powerful witch. With that being said, Umbridge uses her magic in cruel and distasteful ways, and there is a limit to her talent that other professors surpass.
6. Alecto and Amycus Carrow
The Carrow siblings only teach for one year at Hogwarts, and that is a good thing. They taught only during Severus Snape’s time as Headmaster. During that time, both Alecto and Amycus Carrow were infamous for torturing students and showing a twisted version of Muggle Studies.
They clearly were not great at teaching this subject, since they thought Muggles were beneath them. However, being Death Eaters, the two did have notable talent in the Dark Arts. They were difficult enemies to defeat and had a remarkable ability when it came to the unforgivable curses. Still, they were not the most powerful professors to teach in the series, because, luckily, they were defeated by an even more powerful teacher.
5. Minerva McGonagall
Okay, some of the bias is in play here. Part of this entry is Maggie Smith’s portrayal of the character in the film series. However, another aspect that distinguishes Professor Minerva McGonagall is her talents as an Animagus.
McGonagall is a master at Transfiguration, and her ability to duel is on full display during the last film when the battle on school grounds is taking place. On top of this, she is distinguished for her leadership and courage, as well as her strength in defending her students. She even defeated Alecto Carrow who was mentioned in the entry above. Professor McGonagall is a top-notch witch worthy of the praise she gets.
4. Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody
Professor Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody may feel like an overrated entry to some fans given the fact he was captured and killed during most of his screen time in the films. However, “Mad-Eye” was a formidable wizard and Auror.
Any Auror will have a talent for teaching the Dark Arts (though he never actually got to teach) and that has to be considered a significant strength. On top of this, he is a skilled duelist with a fierce defense. On top of this, his ability to master several talents is world renowned. All of this makes Moody a top-notch powerful wizard. During his passing, it made a serious dent in the Order of the Phoenix group.
3. Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin was only a professor for one year, but in that one year, he made a tremendous impact on his students. Professor Lupin displayed a real familiarity with his students, allowing them to enjoy learning Defense Against the Dark Arts for the first time in the series.
It is Lupin’s intellect and talent for charms and defensive spells that makes him such an excellent teacher to Harry and the other students. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Lupin, though he passes away, holds his own for a long time. His abilities supported the Order of the Phoenix, and he can be considered one of the most powerful wizards Harry comes across. Add the fact he is a werewolf, and you have one strong professor.
2. Severus Snape
Okay everyone take a deep breath. Just the mere mention of Severus Snape can bring some fans to a vulnerable state, and that is for a good reason. From the first book in the series, Professor Snape has always felt like one of the strongest wizards.
Snape originally teaches Potions, to which he is the master of, in spite of his aspirations and talent for the Dark Arts. His balancing between the light and dark in his soul is a commanding advantage that helped him protect Harry from afar. That is the reason his sacrifice had so much emotional weight in the final book and film. Snape is a powerful professor deserving of the honor given to him.
1. Albus Dumbledore
Could it have been anyone else? The Headmaster of Hogwarts is clearly a force in the wizarding world, no matter who holds the title. However, Albus Dumbledore is so strong that he excels past the title and into legendary status.
Dumbledore wields the elder wand for years and appears to be a master of all subjects taught at the school. No professor can measure up to him, even in their own area of expertise. This power leads to the ability for Dumbledore to guide Harry and push him along the right route in his life. No wizard questions Professor Dumbledore’s strength and even Lord Voldemort fears the legendary wizard to a certain extent.
Who is your favorite professor in the Harry Potter series? Let us know in the comments!
