InHarry Potter, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry serves as the premier school to teach young magical beings in the United Kingdom. Many of the best British witches and wizards have attended the school, and they can trace their magical prowess back to their time in school at Hogwarts.
Part of what makes these witches and wizards great is theHogwarts professors. While some aren’t exactly up to snuff, the world ofHarry Potterhas plenty of excellent teachers. These professors are why Harry, Ron, and Hermione were able to lead the students to victory over the Death Eaters.
9Rolanda Hooch – Flying
Madam Hooch is almost always seen with abroom in hand. She teaches flying to first years, as well as referees most of the Quidditch matches at Hogwarts. She’s someone who is clearly at home in the air.
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Every student who was good at flying or played Quidditch had to have Professor Hooch as a teacher. Her lengthy tenure at Hogwarts ensures she imparted her knowledge to some of the best flyers in the history of Hogwarts.
8Severus Snape – Potions And Defense Against The Dark Arts
Severus Snape is an unusual case because heclearly knows his subjectwhether he is teaching Potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts. He can clearly impart a lot of information to the children, but his methods leave a lot to be desired.
Snape is a bully, especially to Neville and Harry. If he looked at his students as young minds to be molded rather than “dunderheads,” as he put it, he would’ve noticed how much he could’ve taught. Still, Harry was able to get an Exceeds Expectations on his Potions O.W.L. despite Snape’s less-than-ideal teaching methods.
7Barty Crouch Jr. – Defense Against The Dark Arts
Here’s a controversial inclusion. Barty Crouch Jr. wasimpersonating Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moodywhen he was supposed to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor duringHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.Crouch was able to convince others for a full year that he was actually Moody and that included teaching the Hogwarts students.
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His lessons on the unforgivable curses became very useful to Harry throughout the rest of the series. Plus, he was constantly teaching Harry outside of class like helping prepare for the dragons in the first task. Yes, he wasserving Voldemortand had an ulterior motive, but he was actually good on the job.
6Horace Slughorn – Potions
While Slughorn’s hoarder-like personality, especially when it comes to famous students, can be off-putting, he was avery good Potions teacher. Slughorn taught Potions to some of the most powerful wizards of all time, including Voldemort, Snape, and Harry Potter.
Slughorn also took a fondness to Harry’s mother, Lily Evans, when she was at school. He also quickly recognized Lily and Hermione’s magical abilities despite them being from Muggle families. Again, his personality needs some work, but he was a good teacher.
5Pomona Sprout – Herbology
Professor Sprout was both the Herbology professor and the head of Hufflepuff House. She taught the students about all the magical herbs and fungi they would encounter in the magical world. She grew the mandrakes that were used to un-petrify students inHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
It was also through Pomona’s lessons that Hermione knew how to stop the Devil’s Snare during the events ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. She was a fair and kind professor who was a major influence on Neville Longbottom.
4Filius Flitwick – Charms
Flitwick taughtthe first spellthat Harry and Ron ever learned, and it came into play at key points during their mission to defeat Voldemort. Wingardium Leviosa is one spell anyHarry Potterfan can tell you because of its prominence inHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
That spell helped them defeat the troll in the girl’s bathroom, then came into play duringHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowswhile visiting Xenophilius Lovegood. Plus, Flitwick taught them most of the charms they would need to use throughout life like the summoning charm.
3Albus Dumbledore – Defense Against the Dark Art and Transfiguration
Dumbledore may be the “greatest wizard of our age,” but his teaching methods didn’t always pan out. Most of the students he taught, whether it was Defense Against the Dark Arts in theFantastic Beastsfilms or Transfiguration in theHarry Potterbooks, learned their subjects well.
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Dumbledore’s flaw in teaching came with his treatment of Harry. He failed to divulge important information the teenager needed in a timely manner, and it led to unnecessary struggles for Harry. He ignored Harry for an entire year and passed Occlumency lessons on to Snape, something all three agree was a disaster. His lessons were always odd, and had he taught Harry more personally earlier on, maybe some deaths in the series could’ve been avoided.
2Remus Lupin – Defense Against the Dark Arts
Arguably thebest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacherHarry, Ron, and Hermione ever had, Lupin taught his students about the many magical creatures they would come across in the world. He prepared them for boggarts and grindylows, and he even helped Harry learn how to cast the Patronus Charm to fight dementors.
As Hermione mentioned during the events ofHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the third year was the only time she and Harry had a competent professor and both took the final exam, and Harry beat her. She used this as proof that he should lead Dumbledore’s Army because he was legitimately better at Defense Against the Dark Arts.
1Minerva McGonagall – Transfiguration
Is there a better teacher thanMinerva McGonagall? She was firm but fair. Her expression let students know that she wasn’t someone to mess around with. Still, she made sure her students learned the lesson in a way that was both educational and entertaining.
She knew when to be strict with her students, like when she deducted 50 points each from Harry, Hermione, and Neville in the first book, but she also knew when to be comforting, like when she offered Harry a biscuit after a run-in with Dolores Umbridge in the fifth book. McGonagall constantly rose to the occasion whether she was teaching or taking over as headmistress in Dumbledore’s absence. She is thebest teacher Hogwartsever had.
