There are so many strong characters in the Harry Potter series, Albus Dumbledore of course is seen as the most powerful wizard in the wizarding world. However, most of the male characters don’t quite come across as amazing, powerful, or smart as the women of the series.
Likely because the series was written by a female author, the female characters just seem to have more depth and heart. The first woman we should talk about, of course, is Harry’s mother, Lily. Her love and her death saved Harry’s life time and again.
Lily Evans/Potter
Although we don’t see a lot of Lily, she probably plays one of the most important roles in the story. Lily Evans was born to muggles but learned that she was a witch as a young child when she befriended Severus Snape and he told her about magic. She was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the age of 11, just like Harry. She was placed in Gryffindor House, and her friendship with Snape waned over the years, although he always loved her.
Going into hiding
After Hogwarts, Lily married James Potter and along with their friends, they fought in the war against Voldemort. However, after Lily and James had their boy, Harry, they were forced to go into hiding to protect the infant, as Lord Voldemort wanted to kill him. You can read more about that here. Voldemort eventually found them, and Lily Potter died to save her baby boy. The loving sacrifice that she showed at that moment was the magic that protected Harry from Voldemort and led Harry to become the boy who lived.
Petunia Dursley
Petunia was Harry’s aunt, Lily’s sister, and she took Harry in after his parents were killed by Voldemorts. She never told Harry of his true heritage, only that his parents were killed in a car accident, and she, along with her husband Vernon and their son Dudley, treated Harry very badly.
![letter from Petunia to Dumbledore to ask if she could go to Hogwarts with Lily.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0833/5654/9429/files/female-harry-potter-characters-04.jpg?v=1714337935)
We learn as time goes on that Petunia had fallen out with Lily when they were young as Petunia was jealous that her sister could do magic, and had written a letter to Dumbledore to ask if she could go to Hogwarts with Lily. Perhaps she grew to hate the wizarding world so much because it took her sister away from her.
Molly Weasley
Luckily for Harry, admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry brought with it some new friends, along with a family that would love him like his aunt and uncle never had. When making his first trip to Hogwarts, they dropped eleven-year-old Harry off at Kings Cross Station and left him there. Molly Weasley and her children helped Harry to find his way to platform nine and three-quarters, and on the train journey, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley became best friends.
![Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley on the train journey](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0833/5654/9429/files/female-harry-potter-characters-05.jpg?v=1714338176)
Making Harry part of the Weasley family
The following Christmas, Harry and Ron both stayed at Hogwarts, as Harry had no reason to go back to Petunia’s, and Ron’s parents were visiting his brother Charlie in Romania. Harry was not expecting any gifts, but he woke up on Christmas morning to a lovingly made Weasley jumper and a box of fudge from Molly. Throughout the series, she treats Harry Potter as though he is one of her own family, showing him the maternal love that Petunia never did.
Fighting in the final battle
Molly shows herself to be loving, brave, strong, and fiercely protective of her family, and even the psychotic Bellatrix Lestrange learned, albeit too late, not to mess with Molly Weasley’s children when Molly ended her life during the Battle of Hogwarts. We will never forget the “Not my daughter…” line.
Bellatrix Lestrange
Bellatrix was Lord Voldemort's right-hand woman, his most loyal follower, and an utterly unhinged psychopath. She delighted in causing pain to others and tortured many of Voldemort’s opposers over the years. Bellatrix became a Death Eater after leaving Hogwarts and was fanatically loyal to Lord Voldemort through everything. Learn more about Voldemort here.
Escape from Azkaban
When Voldemort disappeared after killing Harry’s parents, Bellatrix was imprisoned in Azkaban until she escaped years later upon the dark lord’s return. She of course went straight back to her wicked ways and murdered quite a few beloved characters, as well as torturing some, including Hermione Granger. She was finally stopped by Molly Weasley after she attempted to murder Molly’s youngest child, Ginny.
Duel any nearby Death Eaters with these fire-shooting wands from Incendio.
Ginevra Weasley
Ginny Weasley was an incredible character, and the Harry Potter movies did not do her justice. The films really failed to show how brave, strong, and funny she was. She was the youngest of seven children, and the only girl in her family. She attended Hogwarts and like her brothers, she was sorted into Gryffindor House.
Bat-Bogey Hex
In her first year, she almost died at the hands of Voldemort inside the Chamber of Secrets and was rescued by Harry. She grew into a confident young lady and a skilled witch – even her older brothers were wary of her Bat-Bogey Hex – and she joined her friends in the fight against Voldemort at many battles. She was a member of Harry’s defensive magic group, Dumbledore’s Army, and when Voldemort took control of Hogwarts after Dumbledore’s death, Ginny and her friends Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood restarted the D.A. in order to keep on fighting the Death Eaters.
Playing Quidditch
Ginny was always a formidable quidditch player, she had played since she was a young girl, and after Hogwarts, she went on to play professionally for the Holyhead Harpies. When her Quidditch career ended she became a sports writer for the Daily Prophet. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter were married, and they had three children together. No doubt Molly made a wonderful grandmother!
![Incendio Luna holding magic wand fireball](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0833/5654/9429/files/female-harry-potter-characters-03.jpg?v=1714338376)
Luna Lovegood
Luna was one of the bravest characters in the Harry Potter series, someone who was never afraid to be herself and to say what she thought. Known as ‘Loony’ Lovegood to a lot of Hogwarts students, Luna was certainly strange, but that did not stop her from being kind, gentle, loyal, and a wonderful friend. She was one of the few people that Harry knew he could talk to without being judged
Fiercely loyal
Luna Lovegood showed herself to be wise and insightful, a true Ravenclaw, but she was also brave and determined. She was a member of Dumbledore’s Army, and she fought in The Battle of Mysteries and the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, as well as the Battle of Hogwarts.
Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger was the daughter of two muggle dentists, and even though her family did not have a history of magic, she threw herself wholeheartedly into the wizarding world. Hermione met Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in their first year at Hogwarts, and the three became firm friends. Hermione is one of the most beloved characters in the Harry Potter series, she is extremely gifted, intelligent, and brave, but more than that, she stands up for people and creatures who cannot stand up for themselves, even going so far as to free a chained up dragon from Gringotts Bank.
The brightest witch of her age
Harry and Ron would not have gotten far without Hermione to look out for them, from helping them with their homework to fighting with them in every battle against Voldemort and his followers, and then leaving Hogwarts with her two friends to search for the Horcruxes and finally bring about Volemort’s defeat. Hermione is a wonderful role model for young fans of the series, someone who stands up and fights for the sake of good.
Fans can buy Hermione’s amazing fire-shooting wand here.
Dolores Umbridge
Not even Voldemort himself is more despised in the Harry Potter series than this horrible old witch. Umbridge is everything that we know and loathe in the real world, which is probably why she seemed so real to us. We all know someone like her. She is bigoted, she is a coward, she is controlling, and she longs for power.
Dark arts teacher
Dolores Umbridge was a Ministry of Magic official who in Harry’s fifth year, became his new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. This was a part of Fudge’s plan to keep an eye on Dumbledore and HarryShe would punish the children in her classes for any perceived slight, and her punishments were sadistic.
Minerva McGonagall
On the opposite end of the spectrum from Dolores Umbridge, is Minerva McGonagall. The Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, McGonagall is brave, strong, fair, loyal, and caring towards her students, if a little stern sometimes.
A powerful witch
Professor McGonagall was easily one of the most powerful witches in the series, she was a formidable duelist who was not afraid to take on anyone who threatened the safety of her students. She was also a skilled animagus, and her first appearance was in her animal form of a silver tabby cat. Minerva McGonagall was greatly respected by her students, and she eventually became the Headmistress of Hogwarts, her beloved school.
To duel like Professor McGonagall, check out these incredible fire-shooting wands.