Harry Potter is one of the most powerful wizards of all time, and by the time he was two years old he was already a literal living legend in the entire magical world. His "confrontation" with Voldemort as a baby marked him as the wizard with the dubious distinction of being the only one who could truly stand against Lord Voldemort, but by the time he had actually defeated the dark lord he still had most of his life left to live.
It comes as no surprise that Harry devoted his life to becoming an auror (a dark wizard catcher), but that doesn't necessarily seem like the career that would have suited him best. Yes, he had the talents and skills for it, but we can't help but wonder if the wizarding world would have been better off if Harry became a professor instead. So here's 5 reasons he made a great auror, and 5 reasons why he would have made a better teacher. Who knows? Maybe it'll be the next thing J.K. Rowling decides to change.
Auror: Because He Strikes Fear In Wizards
One of the most obvious upsides about Harry Potter becoming an auror is simply that the name Harry Potter strikes fear into dark wizards all across the world. Psyching out your enemy isn't everything, but going up against an adversary who is terrified of actually having to square off against Harry obviously gives him a huge advantage when it comes to these kinds of face offs.
It also seems like many of the people that Harry is hunting might be less inclined to put up a fight if they know that dueling against Harry is the only way they can escape punishment.
Professor: Because He's A Natural
Although Harry never became a professor, it's surprising that he never even seriously considered it since he already has some pretty significant experience with it. When Harry, Hermione, and Ron formed the Dumbledore's Army they took it upon themselves to teach other young wizards all of the helpful information and skills that they would need in order to be able to defend themselves and fight in the coming war.
However Harry clearly took the lead in the group, and since his defensive skill set was so much more developed than everyone else he wound up being the de facto professor in charge of this "class".
Auror: Because He's Not Afraid Of The Job
Presumably any witch or wizard who actually gets to the point of applying for an auror position isn't going to be terrified of actually doing the job, but it's completely natural for someone who has never been in serious battle against another witch or wizard to have some trepidation about that prospect.
But clearly this is not something that Harry Potter ever needs to worry about. He was going up against the most terrifying dark wizard of all time by the time he hit double digits, and once he reached the age of wizarding adulthood he had gone up against more dark magicians than most would even meet in their lifetime.
Professor: Because He Loves Hogwarts
Theoretically Harry Potter could probably become a professor of magic anywhere in the world, but there is really no place that he would consider besides Hogwarts. And it's easy to see why.
Harry grew up in an abusive household where he was unloved and disregarded, but everything changed for him from the moment he got to Hogwarts. Obviously every Hogwarts student has their own personal attachment to the school, but for Harry Hogwarts was the only real home he had ever known. It's not hard to believe that he might want to work there and make it into his home forever.
Auror: Because He Wants To Do The Right Thing
Although Harry is obviously the hero of he entire Harry Potter series, he's not a character without flaws. He's rarely a perfect person, but what really sets him apart from the rest is that he pretty much always tries his best.
He tries his best even when it means risking, and possibly sacrificing, his own life. Harry had a lot of personal reasons to go up against Lord Voldemort, but he was also just a genuinely good person who wanted to do the right thing. That kind of moral backbone would obviously serve him very well in the position of an auror.
Professor: Because He Can Do For Others What Hogwarts Did For Him
The experiences that he had at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were life changing and life defining for Harry Potter. But that obviously didn't happen in a vacuum either. The school did a lot for him, but the friendships that he forged and the powerful bonds that he established with many of the professors at the school pretty much came to define Harry as a person.
Harry would have made such a wonderful professor at the school because he understood the power that it had and the power that he had as a professor. He could have changed the lives of many students, just as his life was changed.
Auror: Because He's Good In A Fight
Aurors are essentially a very elite team of police officers who hunt down dark wizards. And although there is undoubtedly a lot of investigation and intellectual work required to do the job, the unfortunate reality of most of these situations is that apprehending a dark wizard will often times come down to a straight up fight.
Luckily for Harry and the rest of the aurors, Harry Potter is a veritable expert at wizard-on-wizard fights. Obviously Harry hasn't yet gone up against a witch or wizard who managed to totally best him in battle, and he has gone up against some of the most powerful dark wizards in history.
Professor: Because He Gets Practical Magic
Hopefully none of the students that Harry Potter may have taught as a professor would have quite as many life threatening situations as he did. However, something that does distinguish him from many of the other professors at Hogwarts would obviously be the fact that he really understands what spells are useful in a pinch versus which ones are not.
Learning the theory behind magic and immersing students in the details of practicing magic is obviously essential, but Harry would be able to design a curriculum that revolved around spells and skills that actually serve some useful purpose to his students.
Auror: Because He Bested The Most Powerful Dark Wizard Ever
Harry certainly didn't defeat the dark lord all on his own, and it's safe to say that without the help of nearly everyone he knows he may not have come up the victor in that showdown.
However, regardless of how he got there, it's absolutely undeniable that Harry has gone up against the most powerful dark wizard in history, and he won. Frankly, he managed to do what no auror in the world could do, before he even became an auror. If that's not a sign that he belongs in the Auror's Office then we don't know what is.
Professor: Because Of His Massive Knowledge Base
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is an institution that is designed to teach young witches and wizards how to harness their power, hone their skills, and prepare them for day to day life in the magical world.
And obviously the school has plenty of professors who are capable of teaching that already, but even by the time Harry has reached his late teens his knowledge of all sorts of magic is far beyond what many witches and wizards have learned in their entire lives. His expertise would have been an invaluable asset to Hogwarts and it's students.