The legendary Harry Potter fantasy series depicts a world within a world where witches and wizards live in secret among non-magical folk around the globe. All wizards are united by their affinity for magic and their knowledge of wizarding history, but a few are simply more talented or better educated than others. Some wizards never rise above mediocrity.
Then again, certain witches and wizards in Harry Potter have become truly powerful, either through innate talent, tireless study, or real-life experience with magical combat. The wizarding world is home to many powerful witches, some of which even more powerful than Harry Potter himself.
10 Luna Lovegood Could Make A Corporeal Patronus
Luna Lovegood is a Ravenclaw student in Ginny's year, and on great terms with most of the Gryffindor protagonists – though she often butts heads with Hermione. Luna isn't a prodigy student, but she does have some talents of her own.
Luna is highly knowledgeable about obscure magical creature and phenomena as a curious Ravenclaw, and also joined Dumbledore's Army as a fearless witch, ready to take on the Death Eaters. Most notably, she can make a corporeal Patronus taking the form of an otter.
9 Ginny Weasley Cast The Bat-Bogey Hex
Ginny Weasley is the sole daughter of Molly and Arthur Weasley. At first, she was a terribly shy and unassertive witch until she learned to stand up for herself. Ginny's skills shone by the time she was a fourth-year student. According to Fred and George, she can cast a mean Bat-Bogey hex.
Overall, Ginny is a highly capable young witch who fears no enemy, and like her friend Luna, she gladly joined Dumbledore's Army to help take the fight to evil. She can also cast a corporeal Patronus shaped like a horse.
8 Fleur Delacour Represented Beauxbatons In The Triwizard Tournament
Harry participated in the Triwizard Tournament during his first year, where he competed against students from both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The Beauxbatons champion was Fleur Delacour, a part-Veela witch with remarkable skills and a sharp mind. She didn't do so well in the hedge maze, but she did perform well against the dragon in the first task.
Fleur is clearly an ace student from France's top magical school, since only the very best witches and wizards can earn a spot in this legendary tournament. Not much else is known of her magic, but she seems quite good at Charms to say the least. She put a dragon to sleep with ease.
7 Molly Weasley Took Down Bellatrix
Molly Weasley is the beating heart of the Weasley family, a tough but doting mother who quickly accepted Harry as an unofficial foster son in the summer of 1992. Molly left a great impression on viewers right away, and lived up to it in later installments of the story.
Molly didn't often get into fights during the story, nor did she seem very fond of violence anyway. But if she must, she will roll up her sleeves and cast whatever magic she must to protect her children from the vicious Death Eaters. Molly also has extensive knowledge of domestic magic, and keeps her house clean despite her children's antics.
6 Hermione Granger Has Exceptional Talent
Hermione Jean Granger is part of the legendary trio. She, Harry and Ron became friends after they survived a few brushes with death in their first year at Hogwarts. From the very start, Hermione solidified herself a brilliant and talented witch, proving every prejudiced wizard wrong about Muggleborns.
Hermione can learn and master new spells with unusual speed, and often casts spells several years above her level. She isn't as fond of dueling as Harry and Ron, but she is highly capable in a fight and surprises everyone with her unusually advanced techniques.
5 Dolores Umbridge Is A Merciless Teacher
Dolores Umbridge was a Ministry of Magic official who became Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, as per Fudge's plan to keep tabs on Harry & Dumbledore and even prevent Harry from speaking up about Voldemort's return. She made all her students suffer, most of all Harry.
Umbridge isn't an especially powerful witch, but as a grown woman with years of training, there's no doubt that her magic can outclass that of any student, and she even considered casting the Cruciatus Curse on Harry. Not just anyone can cast the Unforgivable Curses like that.
4 Nymphadora Tonks Has Unusual Talents
Nymphadora Tonks has some shapeshifter talents and can modify her face and hair at will, such as giving herself a pig snout for fun or changing her hair color to match her mood. When she first appeared, Tonks was a playful but brave witch who was a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Only the toughest and smartest wizards can join the Order, which says a lot about Tonks' capabilities. She can cast a corporeal Patronus, but after Sirius' tragic death, Tonks' Patronus became weaker. At least, Snape thought so.
3 Narcissa Malfoy Is A Proud Pureblood
Draco Malfoy's parents are powerful and influential wizards who have both aided Voldemort's cause, with Lucius being a Ministry official and a hooded Death Eater. His wife Narcissa plays a more peripheral role, but is no less powerful than Lucius. She is vain, proud, and can back it up with her magic.
Narcissa has practiced Dark Arts and is a powerful duelist, easily on par with most Death Eaters as well as an expert at Apparition. Notably, she also has the power of love – the most potent kind of magic – making her oddly similar to the late Lily Potter. That love allowed her to lie to Voldemort himself to protect her son. Truly remarkable.
2 Minerva McGonagall Is A Master-Class Witch
Minerva McGonagall is the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts and has a well-earned reputation for being stern but fair. She is highly protective of her students just like Dumbledore, and will gladly fight any Death Eater, monster, or criminal who threatens the peace at Hogwarts.
McGonagall is easily one of the most powerful magic users in Harry Potter, a devastatingly powerful duelist who even took on Voldemort himself during the Battle of Hogwarts. The most complex and difficult spells are easy for her, and she's even tougher than she looks.
1 Bellatrix Lestrange Is A Natural At Magic
Bellatrix Lestrange is an overwhelmingly powerful witch who – unlike her younger sister Narcissa – is fanatically loyal to Voldemort and his cause. She's a supremely powerful Death Eater, even in the company of Lucius Malfoy, Augustus Rookwood and Antonin Dolohov.
Bellatrix can cast the most potent dueling spells with ease, to the point she can duel multiple Order of the Phoenix members and treat it like a game. She terrorized the wizarding world nonstop until Molly Weasley finally dispatched her in the Battle of Hogwarts.