Harry Potter: 20 Members Of Dumbledore’s Army Officially Ranked

As one of the largest fantasy franchises in the world, the Harry Potter books and movies have, without a doubt, an extremely large fan base. To say nothing about J.K. Rowling herself. From the Philosopher’s Stone to the Deathly Hallows, fans are almost religious in their love for the series. That love extends to many of the characters as well. However, there is one character which is nearly universally hated by all Potterheads and even casual watchers. Dolores Umbridge.

This character comes to the forefront in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when the Ministry of Magic attempts to steal Hogwarts from Albus Dumbledore in an effort silence all voices telling of Voldemort’s resurrection. Umbridge initially is just a professor, taking over the Defense Against the Dark Arts class but refusing to teach practical magic. Meaning she wouldn’t actually let them cast spells. Knowing that Voldemort had returned and that his classmates needed to learn how to protect themselves, Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn’t let this slide. However, they also couldn’t take down Umbridge since she was backed by the Ministry of Magic. So the three of them, headed by Harry, created a secret group called Dumbledore’s Army. There other Hogwarts students gathered in private to practice magic that ranged from hexes to charms.

Though they were eventually found out and forced to disband, the DA was a prominent defense against Death Eaters during the Battle Hogwarts. The majority of their members developed a strong sense of loyalty to each other, fighting side by side to the death.

So, without further explanation, here are 20 Members Of Dumbledore’s Army Ranked in terms of their skills, potential, talent, and bravery.

20 Marietta Edgecombe

While many of the other members of Dumbledore’s Army have gone on to have their names be famous, Marietta Edgecombe is probably the most infamous member of the group. Not because she’s inherently a bad person or grows to be an evil witch, but because she betrayed the DA to Dolores Umbridge. Needless to say, karma (or in this case Hermione) got the last word as “her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word ‘SNEAK’.”

The girl herself, however, wasn’t necessarily bad. She was simply a daughter afraid of getting her mom fired by getting on Umbridge’s bad side. From one point of view she simply didn’t have the courage to stand up for what was right, but from the other, she had the courage to protect her family in times of uncertainty.

19 Colin Creevey

One of the first to be petrified by Salazar Slytherin’s basilisk, a true fan of Harry’s, and an ardent photographer, Colin Creevey was a brave soul. Colin may not have been the strongest wizard in Hogwarts, but he was always seen striving to follow in Harry’s footsteps and do what is right. During the DA meetings, he was considered to be a bit erratic, but did eventually succeed in casting the Impediment Jinx.

When Voldemort took over Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows, Collin was expelled for being Muggle-born. It wasn’t until Dumbledore’s Army was reassembled did Colin return to Hogwarts. Ready to fight and prepared to die. At some point during the Battle of Hogwarts Colin is eliminated by Death Eaters.

18 Hannah Abbott

Her mother being eliminated by Death Eaters solidified Hannah Abbott’s stance against Voldemort and increased her loyalty to Harry and the DA. Like Padma Patil, Hannah became a Prefect of her house (Hufflepuff) due to her higher level abilities and determination. Though Hannah was probably not the strongest witch in Hogwarts, much of it was due to a large amount of stress bearing down upon her which eventually sent her to Madame Pomfrey’s.

But regardless, when Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe attacked Harry, she defended him, she defended him. Like the others of Dumbledore’s Army, Hannah returned to Hogwarts to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts. When push came to shove, Hannah was there. That’s probably one of the reasons she ended up with Neville.

17 Lavender Brown

Most casual viewers or readers only really view Lavender Brown as being Ron’s earlier love interest before Hermione. But there’s so much more to the character than just that. Time and time again Lavender proved herself to not only be loyal, but to also be incredibly brave.

As an original member of Dumbledore’s Army, she was said to have learned a variety of different hexes and jinxes to protect herself, though she was not able to achieve the Patronus charm like some of the other DA members. In a show of bravery, Lavender fought in the Battle of Hogwarts where she was sadly mutilated by Fenrir Greyback and eventually passed away from the injuries.

16 Susan Bones

Susan Bones is first introduced to viewers in the first movie, Philosopher’s Stone when Professor Minerva McGonagall calls her name for the sort hat ceremony. Part of J.K. Rowling’s original forty, Susan is the daughter of the prominent Bones family. It’s likely that considering she is the niece of Amelia Bones, who was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that Susan Bones is also quite the skilled witch. Her character is also a sad one, however.

Her entire family, other than her aunt was eliminated by Voldemort in the first wizarding war, leaving her in an unfortunate situation. Out of all the students that attended Hogwarts, Susan Bones is perhaps one of the only ones which can at least to Harry’s situation. But it’s because of this trial that she has pushed through her entire life that she rebelled against Umbridge in joining the DA and fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts.

15 Parvati Patil

Best friend to Lavender Brown and Harry’s date to the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire, Parvati Pati is a character constantly intermixed with the main cast. Unlike her twin sister Padma, Parvati was sorted into Gryffindor. And, as her sorting suggested, Parvati was both talented and brave.

Unlike many of her classmates, she was one of the only ones to stand up to Draco Malfoy when he was harassing Neville. Using her skills as a witch of Hogwarts and Dumbledore’s Army, Parvati fought in the Battle of Hogwarts alongside her other DA members. Despite her constant inclusion in situations of conflict, like Lavender, Parvati’s preferred subject was Divination. And she was rather good at it, as shown by her Outstanding in her O.W.L.s for the subject.

14 Padma Patil

Unlike how twins Fred and George who were both placed into Gryffindor, twins Padma and Parvati were placed into different houses. Whereas Parvati was placed into Gryffindor, Padma was sorted into Ravenclaw. Using her intellect and clever mind, Padma quickly learned skills and rose to the top of her class becoming a Prefect in Order of the Phoenix.

Along with her sister and Harry, Padma went around Hogwarts destroying the speakers that Umbridge had put up. She stood up, distinct from the crowd and did what she could to silence the tyrannical reign of Dolores Umbridge. Though she didn’t fight in the battle that resulted in Dumbledore’s passing, Padma returned to Hogwarts and fought in the final battle of the second wizarding war.

13 Cho Chang

Skillful enough to be the Ravenclaw’s Seeker and able to summon her own Patronus, a swan, Cho Chang is a very interesting character in the Harry Potter series. She was noted to be a little nervous when first joining Dumbledore’s Army (at least when Harry was around) but she quickly acclimated and learned. In the Goblet of Fire, she turned down his invitation to the Yule Ball in favor of Cedric Diggory, but continued to treat him nicely despite many other Hogwarts students’ treatment of him during the Triwizard Tournament.

Her character goes through a rather unfortunate situation in Order of the Phoenix, however, because though she obviously develops feelings for Harry and had demonstrated a sense of loyalty, when her friend Marietta Edgecombe betrays Dumbledore’s Army to Umbridge, Cho sticks by her friend. Which is both an act of loyalty to Marietta and one of betrayal to Harry. This can be good or bad, depending on how you view it, but shouldn’t take away from Cho’s potential and developed skill as a witch.

12 Dean Thomas

Originally believed to be muggle born, Dean later discovered he was actually a half-blood. Because of that, when the Muggle-Born Registration Commission is established, he was unable to prove his wizarding heritage or family tree. Using the skills he learned at Hogwarts and during his time in Dumbledore’s army, Dean was able to avoid being arrested for a long while.

Although he was eventually arrested by snatchers and locked in Malfoy Manor, he too was able to escape. Knowing what is right from what is wrong, Dean Thomas then went back to Hogwarts and risked his life in the Battle of Hogwarts.

11 Seamus Finnigan

Boom! If there’s one thing we know about Seamus, whether from the books, movies, or both, is that he is very good at blowing things up. From the feather he accidentally exploded in the Philosopher’s Stone to the Wooden Bridge he collapsed in Deathly Hallows, there is very little that this pyrotechnic genius can’t bring down with a little explosion.

It’s not many wizards that can blow off their eyebrows while trying to perform a levitation spell in their first year! Though he had some conflict with Harry after so many rumors about him lying of Voldemort’s return started to float around, Seamus later apologized to Harry and joined Dumbledore’s army before also fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts.

10 Katie Bell

A pawn to one of Draco Malfoy’s plans to take out Albus Dumbledore, Katie was put under the influence of an Imperius Curse and eventually fell prey to the cursed Opal Necklace that she was supposed to give to Dumbledore. Her injury was so severe that she had to be sent away from Hogwarts to recover at St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

However, despite the major setback, Katie worked herself back to health. Enough so that she could participate in Gryffindor’s Quidditch victory over Ravenclaw to win the Quidditch Cup and later fight in the Battle of Hogwarts.

9 Angelina Johnson

With her amazing Quidditch skills, Angelina was Oliver Wood’s replacement as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Her support of Harry throughout the Triwizard Tournament, in spite of all the prejudice and hate being directed toward him, demonstrated her strong her loyalty and determination.

It was due of that loyalty and, in no small part, because of Umbridge taking all her best players off the pitch, that Angelina joined Dumbledore’s army. Despite not being a main or driving character in the Harry Potter series, Angelina Johnson was a determined witch who always fought for what she believed to be right.

8 Luna Lovegood

Although she is one of the most beloved of the Harry Potter characters, Luna was often called “Loony” Lovegood by her classmates because of her rather peculiar nature. It was that sort of quirky personality which tended to overshadow her actually powerful skill as a witch and her high intellect. Not only did she help Harry solve the riddle to get into the Ravenclaw common room, but was always shown to have easily summoned her Patronus.

A spell that is known to be very hard: a very tough spell for most underage wizards to perform. Her skills allowed her to survive being taken and held captive in Malfoy Manor, and to fight in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts. When Voldemort took over Hogwarts in the Deathly Hallows, she was one of the main students to bring back Dumbledore’s army.

7 George Weasley

Having half the mind that rediscovered how to use the Marauder’s Map and half the ears of an average person, George is the Weasley twin that survives the Battle of Hogwarts. According to Pottermore however, it was Fred who was the more active twin. George usually sat back and waited for his brother to act. It is, after all, Fred and George and not George and Fred.

That being said, George was the more aggressive Quidditch player, resulting in him being considered a better Beater than Fred, though both of them were seen as some of the best in Hogwarts history. The twins were a truly a talented and complementary pair, bringing hilarious moments to the series with their Nosebleed Nougats, Puking Pastilles, and other skillfully created wizarding goods.

6 Fred Weasley

One of the saddest passings in the Harry Potter series, Fred Weasley’s passing meant the loss of a powerful and clever wizard. Always working hand in hand with George, the Weasley twins started up Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. And the store absolutely thrived, even in the depressing air after Voldemort’s return.

The best showing of their skill, though not in actual combat with an enemy, was their rather exciting escape from Hogwarts under Umbridge’s nose. Combined with their fireworks, Fred and George easily overpowered Umbridge, disrupting her rule, and exited the castle on their brooms. Though different from the movie, in the book version of Order of the Phoenix (chapter 29/30), Fred and George’s departure is still an awesome event to witness.

5 Neville Longbottom

Ah, Neville Longbottom. The “almost” Chosen One. While a very lovable character with a tremendous amount of bravery, Neville, unfortunately, has a lot of bad luck throughout the series that he’s forced to fight through. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Neville even says “Why is it always me?” while hanging from a chandelier by his cloak. True, Neville might not be the most talented wizard or an innate genius at magic, but he makes up for it with his pure, unwavering determination and how he always stands up when knocked down, no matter how tough it is.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, when everyone was silenced, unable or too afraid to speak before Voldemort, it’s Neville who breaks free and yells “I’ll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore’s Army!” He then goes off to end Nagini, Voldemort’s last remaining Horcrux.

4 Ron Weasley

Perhaps one of the most underrated characters of the Harry Potter series, Ron Weasley is constantly surrounded by powerful and famous wizards and witches. In a family as talented and large as his, it is hard to prove yourself. To rise above. And as the youngest of five brothers and an extremely talented younger sister, it’s easy to get lost in the large shadows they cast. But Ron doesn’t. Rather, he makes his own way. His first year at Hogwarts he knocks out a full grown mountain trolls.

In his second year at Hogwarts Ron drives a flying car and keeps up with his classmates using a broken wand. Later he goes on to disarm Bellatrix, stun Fenrir Greyback, and was the only one to score a hit (that we know of) during the Battle of the Seven Potters in Deathly Hallow Part 1. Ron might be relatively lazy, but he’s no slouch.

3 Ginny Weasley

The one and only daughter of the Weasley children, Ginny is no doubt one of the strongest in the family. If not in the entire school. Just by seeing her Bat-Bogey Hex, Professor Horace Slughorn in Half-Blood Prince invites her to his group, which he uses as a way to “collect” or make connections with wizards and witches he believes will thrive beyond compare in the future. At the beginning of Half-Blood Prince, standing side by side with Harry, the two of them are able to fend off a group of Death Eaters hidden the Burrow’s tall fields. Although Lupin and Tonks later arrive, there’s no doubt of the skill it took for the two of them to survive in that situation.

Beyond that, simply acknowledging how young Ginny was when she was possessed by Voldemort shows how strong a survivor she is. Combine that with her fierceness in the Battle of Hogwarts and the fight at the Ministry of Magic, and you’ve got yourself when powerful witch. And through it all, she wasn’t even of age yet!

2 Harry Potter

The Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One. Without him, the Harry Potter series would not exist. Or, at least, would not exist as we know it (the main character could have been Neville if Sibyll’s prophecy is to be assumed as absolute). The series demonstrated over the course of its books and movies that Harry is unnaturally skillful in the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts, scoring an Outstanding on it in his OWLs.

Even before that, during Order of the Phoenix, he taught the other students and started up Dumbledore’s Army (with the prompting of Hermione). Without a doubt, Harry has picked up a lot of street sense over the years, going head to head with many of the evilest wizards of his time. Though he may not be as studious as Hermione, his bravery and determination allow him to thrive in the darkest of times.

1 Hermione Granger

Brilliant. Clever. Brave. Hermione has proven time and time again that while she might not be the spearhead of the Harry Potter series, she is the linchpin. Without Hermione, Ron and Harry wouldn’t even have gotten past the Devil’s Snare in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (called Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States), much less their later adventures. In Half-Blood Prince we hear that Hermione received ten Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations for her OWLs, higher scores than any else that we know of.

Throughout the series Hermione is shown to have a large array of spells at her disposal and, although no one can say for sure whether she could defeat Harry in a one on one wizard duel, her pure knowledge of the wizarding arts rockets her to the top of the list. As Dumbledore mentioned in the first movie, when others are in grave peril we can always count on Hermione’s intellect.

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Who is your favorite character from Dumbledore’s Army in Harry Potter? Let us know in the comments!