In Harry Potter, the Patronus is a powerful spell, but it isn’t easy to cast. In fact, some of the most advanced wizards struggle with it. The spell itself requires the caster to visualize their happiest memory, and hold onto it very tightly. This sounds simple, but in practice can be quite difficult. The whole point of a Patronus is to ward off Dementors. Dementors suck the soul and happiness out of a person, so the longer it takes an individual to cast a Patronus, the harder it will become. Additionally, there is an interesting secondary use for a Patronus: a messenger.

A Patronus is unique to the caster and is very personal. Some witches and wizards will never have a corporeal Patronus (such as Neville), while others will have theirs appear as an animal. Incidentally, a Patronus will take on the same form as the caster’s Animagus. The form a Patronus takes isn't automatically equal to its power, but these forms are iconic and worth talking about.

Updated on November 29, 2022 by Stacie Rook: New gameplay for the Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy has been revealed (via IGN) showing the title's combat features, and with the source material's vast list of spells, it seems likely that the Patronus could make an appearance. Though difficult to master, the Patronus has multiple applications, for fighting Dementors and sending messages.

15 Luna Lovegood's Hare

Luna Lovegood's Hare Patronus

Luna Lovegood is an incredibly talented witch. She's experienced some real darkness in her life (including the death of her mother), and yet it's incredibly easy for her to access so many happy memories.

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This, along with her more general skills as a magic wielder, results in her Patronus being more powerful than most. The free-spirited hare is a perfect reflection of Luna's character, as she is both close to nature and easily underestimated.

14 Arthur Weasley's Weasel

A Weasel Patronus

Arthur Weasley isn't the best when it comes to casting spells. Indeed, he has a position with the Ministry of Magic which showcases some skill, although his expertise is with the Muggle world rather than with magic itself.

The weasel is often seen as sly and cunning, which doesn't necessarily reflect Arthur. However, not only does the Weasley name find its origin with the weasel, but it's also an animal that is often undervalued, which perfectly sums up Arthur's character.

13 Ginny Weasley's Horse

Ginny's Horse Patronus

Ginny Weasley is tough and determined. She's much like a horse in that she can be very calm and gentle, but also fearless and fierce in battle. Her own magical abilities mean that her Patronus is far more powerful than many of her peers.

Ginny has proven she can face off against great dark magic wielders such as Bellatrix Lestrange, demonstrating how much magic is fed into her Patronus. Many of her happy memories come from her supporting and caring family, much like her father's Patronus.

12 Ron Weasley’s Jack Russell Terrier

Ron's Jack Russell Terrier Patronus

Ron Weasley is one of the few characters in the world of Harry Potter that had a corporeal form Patronus. It's an impressive feat on its own, and Ron was very proud of it. Ron's Patronus took the form of a Jack Russell terrier. The Jack Russell terrier represents his loyalty to his friends and family, and while Ron's very worst fears sometimes led him to run away, he always came back to them when he was needed the most.

Ron's Patronus didn't get too many chances to stand out given that he was often fighting alongside Harry, though it was useful at times. Even so, the fact that it had a corporeal form says a lot about Ron's character and his magical abilities.

11 Hermione Granger’s Otter

Hermione's Otter Patronus

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hermione Granger had a fully formed Patronus. Her Patronus takes on the form of a little otter, and a cute one at that.

Many fans were left confused when it was revealed that Hermione's Patronus took this form, but otters are highly curious animals, and it's this aspect of Hermione's personality — her unceasing thirst for knowledge — that the animal reflects.

10 Nymphadora Tonk’s Wolf

Tonks' Wolf Patronus

Tonks is one of the few characters who had their Patronus change over the course of the series. Her Patronus started out as a Jack Rabbit, but later, once she fell in love with Lupin, it changed to a wolf, representing Lupin's werewolf nature.

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Being an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Tonks had to rely on her Patronus on more than one occasion. Her Patronus likely got the most use during the Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix book, when she was helping to guard Hogwarts. Her Patronus pulled double duty then, acting as protection and sending messages.

9 Minerva McGonagall’s Cat

A Cat Patronus

Cats are a popular Patronus, though in the series two very different characters wield them. One of these is Minerva McGonagall, one of the best Hogwarts professors. McGonagall's Patronus being a cat makes complete sense, as it matches her feline Animagus form.

McGonagall's cat Patronus hasn't had too many opportunities to shine, but as one of Hogwarts' most respected and powerful witches, it's no doubt a very powerful one, particularly given the caster's deep connection to the animal.

8 Aberforth Dumbledore's Goat

Aberforth's Goat Patronus

Albus Dumbledore's younger brother, Aberforth had a more limited appearance in the Harry Potter movie adaptations, and his Patronus didn't make it to the screen. Aberforth's Patronus is a goat, which is fitting given his love of the animals, which he had tended to for his whole life.

In the Deathly Hallows novel, Aberforth used his Patronus to cover for Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Hogsmeade when the Dementors were seeking them out. This proved invaluable, and helped the trio to carry on with their mission against Voldemort.

7 Dolores Umbridge’s Cat

Dolores Umbridge in the Ministry of Magic beside her cat Patronus

While some consider Dolores Umbridge the evilest character in Harry Potter, the fact remains that she can cast a strong Patronus. In fact, she's been spotted with up to three cat Patronuses at once.

Though it's hard to imagine what kind, happy memory she conjures in order to cast such a powerful spell, it's likely something twisted, and not what many individuals would consider a happy thought.

6 Kingsley Shacklebolt’s Lynx

Kingsley's Lynx Patronus at Bill and Fleur's wedding

Kingsley Shacklebolt's lynx Patronus proved the effectiveness of using the spell for sending out messages. He was able to warn Bill and Fleur's wedding party of the Ministry falling, and thus the resulting dangers. Without his Patronus, the Weasley wedding would have been blindsided by the attack.

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Furthermore, this use of the spell showed Kingsley's ability to send his Patronus over great distances, an ability that requires even further skill. As a member of the Order of the Phoenix and the future Minister for Magic, Kingsley being so magically talented makes perfect sense.

5 Severus Snape’s Doe

Snape's Doe patronus in the forest

The backstory of Severus Snape's doe Patronus came from his feelings for Lily Potter. Similarly to Tonks' love for Lupin, Snape's Patronus became representative of the person he was infatuated with.

Snape was able to use his doe Patronus for a very important task. This wasn't for fighting off Dementors, but as a nonverbal message to lead Harry to the place where he had hidden the sword of Gryffindor. This finesse is impressive, especially considering that Snape had to be out of sight for the entire casting.

4 Lily Potter's Doe

Lily's doe Patronus

Lily Potter's magic is all about love and protection, and her greatest strength is her kind and caring heart. The only way that Harry was protected from Voldemort's killing curse as an infant was because of the love of his mother.

It makes sense that Lily's Patronus is incredibly powerful because it is created with all of that love and happiness. The doe is a gentle creature, and Lily's Patronus is inherently linked to her husband's. The doe also becomes a surprising symbol of strength and comfort for Harry.

3 James Potter's Stag

An illustration of Harry Potter's stag Patronus prancing across a moonlit lake.

James' son inherited the stag Patronus from him. From James' perspective, though, his Patronus took on this form as it matched his Animagus, which in and of itself is a complicated bit of magic to master.

The stag is a traditional show of power and strength, but it also became a symbol of family to Harry. The memories James used in creating this stag were likely of his wife and son, which makes the Patronus that much more powerful.

2 Harry Potter’s Stag

Harry's Stag Patronus standing at the foot of a lake.

Harry struggled at first when learning how to cast a Patronus, but he had some awful memories to contend with, heightened because of the presence of the Dementors. Once Harry mastered the advanced spell, though, it was fantastic. Harry's Patronus has been shown as having the ability to ward off a crowd of Dementors at once, saving his own life as well as the life of his godfather in The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry's Patronus is impressive for that feat alone, but perhaps what remains even more impressive is his ability to cast the spell at all, given the sadness experienced in his young life.

1 Albus Dumbledore’s Phoenix

Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus

Unsurprisingly, Albus Dumbledore's Patronus is the strongest Patronus in the Harry Potter series. Dumbledore's Patronus takes on the form of a phoenix, and as such is the only known character with a magical creature for a Patronus.

This is likely to do with Dumbledore's ties to the phoenix Fawkes, but it still makes for an impressive spectacle. Dumbledore's Patronus is capable of warding off dozens of Dementors at once, as seen when they threatened his students.

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