Despite being the savior of the wizarding world and the community’s best chance of defeating Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter was far from the most popular character within the franchise. In fact, we’d even go as far to say that he was one of the most unpopular at times, often relying on close friends Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood for comfort.
Voldemort wasn’t the only enemy the Boy Who Lived made throughout his time at Hogwarts. We now take a look at 10 other characters who opposed Harry at one point in time over the course of the eight movies.
Severus Snape
Harry Potter starts Hogwarts and is eager to learn how to become one of the most powerful wizards in existence, but his time at the castle gets off to a rocky start with the Boy Who Lived immediately—and then regularly—clashing with Potions Master Severus Snape.
Snape loathes Harry from the very off, ripping him to shreds during their first class together. Things get progressively worse as the story goes on, with the Hogwarts Professor trying to get the youngster expelled, tormenting him during Occlumency lessons, and taking great satisfaction from provoking him. Even though Harry sees Snape in a new light after the Deathly Hallows Part 2, it still doesn’t mean he should have to put up with such treatment.
Draco Malfoy
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy could have been friends. On their very first day at Hogwarts, Malfoy offers his hand for the Boy Who Lived to shake as he tries to dissuade his fellow newcomer from befriending Ron Weasley. Harry, though, snubs the offer of friendship and chooses to stand by Ron instead.
Relations between the two people sour as the story goes on with things coming to a head in the Half-Blood Prince when Harry accidentally nearly kills Draco by using a spell previously unused. Eventually, however, they make peace, and Malfoy sides with Harry during the final battle against Lord Voldemort at the end of Deathly Hallows Part 2.
Lucius Malfoy
Knowing who Harry Potter is, and also knowing that Draco Malfoy doesn’t consider him a friend or ally, Lucius Malfoy also becomes an enemy to the franchise’s talisman. They have several icy exchanges during the Chamber of Secrets book and movie, and Lucius is left enraged at the end of that blockbuster when he’s tricked into freeing Dobby the House Elf.
Lucius tries to kill Harry on behalf of Lord Voldemort when the Dark Lord returns to power, but he ultimately fails. And, like his son, he too changes sides late in the day as Voldemort makes his final stand at Hogwarts.
Bellatrix Lestrange
We may as well stick with Death Eaters because some had more hatred for Harry Potter than others. Bellatrix Lestrange was one of those members, with her unwavering loyalty towards Voldemort meaning she regularly joined her master in trying to wipe the Boy Who Lived from the face of the earth.
Bellatrix also murders Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black, cackling like a maniac after his body falls through the veil at the Ministry of Magic. She stays loyal to Voldemort right to the very end, and she dies at the Battle of Hogwarts while fighting for her master, falling at the hands of Molly Weasley in the Great Hall. She never showed anything but love for Voldemort and became one of the most-hated Death Eaters as a result.
Barty Crouch Jr
Harry Potter thought he had gained a friend during the Goblet of Fire book and movie when Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody joins the Hogwarts staff as Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher. ‘Moody’ helps him through the Triwizard Tournament, ensuring he be the one to touch the cup at the very end of the third task against all odds.
Yet Harry is left reeling when it emerges that who he thought was Moody was actually Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr, who was using the Polyjuice Potion to masquerade as the famous auror. Crouch Jr intervenes in the tournament to pave a way for Harry to meet Lord Voldemort. His plan backfires, though, and he’s punished by being subjected to the Dementor’s Kiss and having his soul sucked out through his mouth.
Cornelius Fudge
Harry Potter meets Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge for the first time in the Prisoner of Azkaban when he’s forgiven for blowing up his aunt. Fudge seems pleasant enough, forgiving the Boy Who Lived for breaking the law and displaying almost parental affection for him.
Their relationship changes, though, when Voldemort returns to power and murders Cedric Diggory in the graveyard of Little Hangleton. Fudge refuses to even acknowledge that the Dark Lord is back, choosing to bury his head in the sand and dubbing Harry a liar in the process. He also unleashes a beast that Harry also made enemies with...
Dolores Umbridge
Lord Voldemort withstanding, Dolores Umbridge is considered as one of the most evil and repulsive characters in Harry Potter, even giving Voldemort himself a run for his money. Given that she only appears in two movies and two movies, this is quite a feat, but, because of what she does during that time, it makes perfect sense.
Umbridge is Harry's big enemy throughout the Order of the Phoenix, calling him a liar for insisting Voldemort has returned and dishing out vile punishments that include students cutting open their skin. In the Deathly Hallows, she takes great pleasure from tormenting Muggle-borns and lies over how she acquired Salazar Slytherin’s old locket. As characters go, she’s up there with the very worst.
Seamus Finnigan
It’s not just Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and his lapdog Dolores Umbridge who turn against Harry Potter when he reveals Lord Voldemort has returned to power. The Boy Who Lived even loses the support of fellow Gryffindor and close friend Seamus Finnigan who, like the aforementioned duo, chooses not to accept the truth.
Seamus treats Harry with contempt throughout most of the Order of the Phoenix book, and their strained relationship is also touched on in the movie. Thankfully, though, Seamus eventually sees the light and even joins the illegal group Dumbledore’s Army.
Justin Finch-Fletchley
In Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts, he sees his reputation torn to shreds. Despite preventing Lord Voldemort from acquiring the Sorcerer’s Stone in the previous movie, his classmates turn against him when they wrongly believe him to be the one behind the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and attacks on muggle-born students.
Among those who take issue with Harry, wrongly blaming him for the spate of attacks, is Ravenclaw’s Justin Finch-Fletchley. He publicly blasts Harry for speaking Parseltongue during a tense scene at the Duelling Club and is attacked shortly afterward, leading to people to point fingers at his fellow student. Ultimately, he comes round upon waking up and goes on to become a supporter of Harry in the years afterward.
Rita Skeeter
Rita Skeeter had a reputation as a horrible journalist even before she interviews Harry Potter during the Goblet of Fire. But, when most of her questions fail to get the juicy answers she wants, she resorts to making things up with a little help from her Quick-Quotes Quill.
Harry and Rita become enemies, with the crooked reporter regularly slamming the Hogwarts pupil with nasty Daily Prophet articles. Not much of this is expanded upon in the movies, but, in the books, it’s revealed she’s an intrusive Animagus who was using her ability to get the inside scoop. Rita even goes on to help Harry the following year by writing up his interview on what happened with Voldemort for The Quibbler, despite being concerned it will damage her reputation.