Magic is a crucial part of the Harry Potter series, but not all wizards are created equal. Since the series focuses largely on the exceptional people in the wizarding world, many of the main characters including the antagonists, are more powerful than the average witch or wizard. However, this isn’t true for everyone.
Some of the witches and wizards Harry interacts with are fairly weak and aren’t good at magic at all for one reason or another. And, a few are so much more powerful and knowledgeable than the rest that others don’t compare. Since there are many weak and strong magic users in the story, this list looks at some of the most notable characters.
Gilderoy Lockhart
Gilderoy Lockhart is by far one of the most pathetic characters in the entire series. While there are others who don’t have magic at all or who can’t really use it such as Hagrid who was expelled, Gilderoy has magic but is just really bad at it.
He manipulates, lies, and cheats to seem strong and special, but he can’t even deal with some pixies on his own. He’s probably the weakest wizard that Harry ever encounters.
Peter Pettigrew
Peter Pettigrew is just as pathetic as Lockhart, but he does seem to be slightly better at magic than him. Most of the magic he does is under the direction of Voldemort, but when told what to do, he can at least perform spells.
However, he’s also a very weak and sniveling person who is not powerful in his own right, and this is why he’s always looking for others to protect him.
Professor Trelawney
Trelawney is definitely a fraud in many ways. All of the claims she makes as a professor and the way she teaches are useless and false. However, she does have the innate ability to be a powerful seer.
So, there is one thing about her that is strong magically. Yet, this isn’t something she has any power over, and in every other way, she’s not very capable. So, overall, she's pathetic, but she does have a unique gift.
Ron Weasley
There are many different characters who could be in this place on the list. This is for a wizard or witch who is fairly average when it comes to magical ability. This isn’t to say that Ron is stupid or bad at magic, but it doesn’t come to him instinctually and powerfully as it does for Harry. Plus, he’s not as smart or driven as Hermione.
Ron can learn and does well enough in school, but his strengths aren’t as concrete as being the most powerful wizard in his age group.
Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger is extremely smart and gifted in magic. She is naturally good at it, and she’s also a hard worker who catches on quickly. She’s very well-rounded when it comes to magical ability, and she would likely become even more experienced and better with age.
As an adult, it makes sense that she would be seen as one of the most powerful witches or wizards of her age group.
Harry Potter
While Harry might be young, inexperienced, and not exactly studious, he is very powerful and instinctively good at magic. His work with magic is much more about emotion and reacting than someone like Hermione.
But, while Hermione could beat him in many ways when it came to magic, Harry would likely beat her in a duel because he excels in this arena. So, while it’s hard to say who is more powerful since power comes in many forms, he’s the Chosen One.
Severus Snape
Severus Snape is a powerful wizard who is sometimes overlooked in these rankings because he spends a lot of his time doing potions. However, while this might be underrated as a branch of magic, it’s a very strong and influential one. And, it isn’t just potions where Snape excelled.
While he definitely didn’t always use his magic for good, he was an advanced wizard while at Hogwarts, and he was so powerful that he easily rose up the ranks of the Death Eaters.
Sirius Black/Bellatrix Lestrange
For the most powerful magic users in the series, the protagonists usually have an antagonist that is their equal. Of course, this doesn’t say anything about the moral standards or goodness of a character, it just has to do with how strong they are at using magic.
Sirius and Bellatrix are both powerful in their own right, and they are fairly evenly matched in a duel. However, Bellatrix does get the best of Sirius leading to his tragic death.
Lord Voldemort
There’s no denying that Voldemort is a terrifyingly powerful wizard. This is why when Ollivander says he is great there is a lot of truth to it even if Ollivander had far too much respect for him. Voldemort’s lack of compassion and morals means he was willing to push magic to new realms in ways that are defined as reprehensible.
He cared more about power than anything else, and his pursuits were focused on finding power and gaining it over others.
Albus Dumbledore
While Voldemort might know more about dark magic than almost any other witch or wizard ever, he still wasn’t the most powerful wizard in the series. Dumbledore was the only person Voldemort was ever truly scared of, and they were very nearly equals.
Dumbledore had an understanding of magic that almost no one else did, and his natural intellect as well as many years of experience contributed to this. However, while pretty evenly matched in a duel, Dumbledore slightly wins out.