During Harry and his friends’ time at Hogwarts, many of the school’s professors did all they could for their students, helping them excel in their studies and become the best young witches and wizards they could be. However, Harry and his friends had their fair share of negative run-ins with the adults at school during the Harry Potter series.
From the pure evil of Professor Umbridge to the lies of Professor Lockhart to the comforting authority of Professor McGonagall, Hogwarts was full of an eccentric and memorable bunch of teachers. On multiple occasions, the Hogwarts professors even found themselves in the spotlight, be it for good or bad reasons.
10 Professor McGonagall Protects Hogwarts With Animated Armor
Professor McGonagall always does everything in her power to stand up for Hogwarts and everyone in it. Whether it be supporting Professor Trelawney when she is fired, going up against Snape’s leadership, or protecting the castle during the final battle with Voldemort.
McGonagall uses Piertotum Locomotor to animate the suits of armor in Hogwarts and use them to defend the castle. The scene is an incredibly badass moment but is made even better when McGonagall allows herself a moment of excitement at finally being able to use the spell.
9 Professor Snape Kills Dumbledore In An Apparent Act Of Betrayal
Professor Snape steals the spotlight many times throughout the series but often for the wrong reasons. Whilst he treats Harry poorly throughout his time at Hogwarts, Snape’s worst moment comes in The Half-Blood Prince. Breaking into Hogwarts castle, the Death Eaters corner Dumbledore to have Draco Malfoy kill him.
When Malfoy is unable to complete the task, Snape steps up and kills the man who considered him a friend and ally. Audiences later discover it was Dumbledore’s plan all along, but that doesn’t make it less easy to hate Snape in the moment.
8 Professor Lupin Saves Harry From Dementors On The Hogwarts Express
Professor Remus Lupin is considered by many viewers and many characters to be the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Despite only lasting one year, he has had a huge impact on the series as a whole.
When Lupin first appears in The Prisoner of Azkaban, he uses a Patronus charm, luckily saving Harry from a Dementor who has infiltrated the Hogwarts Express. He has one of the most memorable entrances of any character in the series, proving himself an ally to Harry from the very start.
7 Professor Dumbledore Escapes From Umbridge With Fawkes
As Kingsley Shaklebolt points out, despite being over 100 years old, Albus Dumbledore’s got style. Many times throughout the series, he delivers witty one-liners and has some very memorable scenes. In The Order of the Phoenix, when the DA is discovered practicing defense against the dark arts in the Room of Requirement, Dumbledore takes full responsibility for their actions, despite having nothing to do with it.
To save himself from being escorted to Azkaban, Dumbledore plans a quick escape. With the assistance of Fawkes, his phoenix, Dumbledore disappears in a brilliant flash of light, leaving nothing but flames in his wake.
6 Professor Umbridge’s Quill Gives Harry A Lasting Scar
The Harry Potter series has many horrific villains. However, the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr, and even Voldemort had aspects of their personalities that made them compelling to fans. On the other hand, Professor Umbridge was downright despicable. The power-hungry witch was willing to do whatever she could to take control of Hogwarts, including punishing the students in terrible ways.
When Harry questions her methods of teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, she puts him in detention. Thanks to Umbridge’s magical black quill, the line “I must not tell lies” begins etching itself painfully into Harry’s hand as it uses his own blood as ink.
5 Professor “Mad-Eye” Moody Demonstrates The Unforgivable Curses
Mad-Eye Moody, a famous Auror within the wizarding world, is known to be a little eccentric. Because of that, no one questions his questionable teaching methods at Hogwarts.The Unforgivable Curses are illegal as they cause immense harm to those upon whom they are performed.
However, Moody insists that the students see their effects. He performs the curses on a spider, causing a lot of distress to the students, particularly Neville. This scene should have been a large clue that Moody was, in fact, Barty Crouch Jr, an imposter.
4 Professor McGonagall Takes On Snape In A Duel
Following the events of The Half-Blood Prince and Dumbledore’s death, Snape becomes Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione flee the school. On the hunt for Horcruxes, the trio return to Hogwarts, where Snape attempts to capture Harry.
Being his ally from the beginning, Professor McGonagall stands up for Harry, battling against her previous friend and colleague. McGonagall has always been a strong, passionate woman who fought for good, but seeing her give her all in a duel and take on Snape when he has been so terrible to Harry for years was incredibly satisfying.
3 Professor Lupin Gives An Unforgettable Lesson On Boggarts
One of the reasons the students loved Professor Lupin was because he made their classes hands-on and fun. When teaching Boggarts, he helped them face their fears by turning their fears into something ridiculous.
In a memorable sequence, Ron fights his fear of spiders by making a giant spider struggle on rollerskates and another student makes a giant snake become a harmless jack in the box. However, the lesson takes a turn for the worst when Harry’s fear of Dementors manifests itself in the classroom.
2 Professor Snape’s Final Moments Are Tragic
In The Deathly Hallows, Professor Snape meets his end at the hands of Voldemort and his snake, Nagini. Despite their history, Harry is still deeply affected by Snape’s death. Unable to explain himself completely, Snape offers up his tears to Harry, so he can view his experiences with Harry’s parents in the pensieve later.
Uttering the famous “you have your mother’s eyes” line, Snape dies in Harry’s arms. While some agree this moment and Snape’s backstory redeemed him, others believe that his actions and his treatment of Harry were still incredibly unjust.
1 Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore, & Hagrid Give Baby Harry To The Dursleys
The opening scene of The Philosopher’s Stone shows Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid dropping one-year-old Harry, recently orphaned and scarred by Voldemort, off on the Dursley’s doorstep, precipitating the events of the franchise. It is clear at this moment just how much they all already care about him.
Many fans have questioned whether leaving Harry with the Dursleys was the right idea. However, it is clear that the teachers all simply wanted what they thought was best for the young wizard. Dumbledore, in particular, knew that Lily’s protection would only be effective if Harry stayed with a blood relative.