Growing up without your parents is one of the saddest things to ever happen to a child. For Harry Potter, it's a lot worse since Albus Dumbledore dropped him off like a FedEx package to the worst relatives imaginable. So, when Harry was given the chance to pick another family of his own, he took it wholeheartedly.
Needless to say, throughout his days in Hogwarts, where every year was surprisingly lethal, Harry had many parental figures. These are the people who unconditionally helped him, taught him well, and looked out for him, even if it cost their lives. They did admirably well to fill in the void which James and Lily Potter left behind in Harry's heart. Here are 10 of those warm parental figures in Harry's life.
THE DURSLEYS
While we did say that the Dursleys were Harry's worst relatives imaginable, they at least had the common decency to provide for Harry's basic necessities, even if he did sleep in a cupboard under the stairs for much of his life.
What they did to Harry was quite deplorable but they eventually came to their senses and gave Potter his own respectable room for summer. Even Dudley and Harry managed to reconcile their cousinhood near the end of the series. As for why this is included in Harry's list of "best" parental figures, he didn't have that many, the poor boy.
HERMIONE GRANGER
She might be the same age as Harry and Ron, but Hermione is definitely a lot more mature than both. Of course, she had the benefit of being raised in a Muggle world which makes her more conventionally organized and studious. As first years, Hermione was the voice of reason for Harry, especially back when they faced the forbidden rooms of Hogwarts while literally uncovering Voldemort on Quirrell's head in the process.
Other times, Hermione even provides both Harry and Ron some of their much-needed homework answers and other academic help. It's safe to say that without Hermione, both Harry and Ron would be lost like two bumbling puppies in Hogwarts.
MINERVA MCGONAGALL
Moving on to adults, we have Professor Minerva McGonagall as one of the first Hogwarts teachers who took a liking to Harry. She was the one who "scouted" Potter for Quidditch; while McGonagall could have easily punished Potter for being reckless with a broom on school grounds, she turned his impetuous tendencies into something positive by making him an athlete.
That's good parenting right there and McGonagall did it discreetly. There were also moments where McGonagall even showed sincere concern for Potter, especially after he was mysteriously included in the Triwizard Tournament-- perhaps even more than Dumbledore did. She's like an older Hermione.
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Speaking of Professor Dumbledore, he's perhaps one of the most apparent parental figures for Harry in Hogwarts. Whenever Harry needs precious wisdom and answers, Dumbledore was always there to offer what he had amassed through decades of being a powerful wizard.
Without a doubt, Dumbledore was loyal to Potter and vice versa. The two shared an unwavering allegiance to each other and Dumbledore was always there to save Harry in the direst situations. Suffice to say, he's someone Harry can easily look up to and idolize even, which is always a great thing to have when growing up.
REMUS LUPIN
All of Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers had been blunders until Remus Lupin came along. It's not hard to have Lupin as your favorite Defense teacher since his studies involve lots of practical stuff and he's also a fun and cool teacher.
Apart from being close friends with his father and mother, Lupin was also the one who taught Harry his most iconic and useful spell ever: the Patronus charm. You can easily associate the spell with Lupin; a bright and amiable avatar amidst the darkness of the world. Plus he gave Harry chocolate after he was attacked by a dementor, how's that for a cool uncle figure?
SIRIUS BLACK
Since we're talking about cool uncles, not many can top Sirius Black's place in Harry's heart. What's even more dramatic about their first meeting is that Harry thought Sirius betrayed his parents. In any case, Sirius is Harry's official Godfather and the closest thing to family Harry has (apart from the Dursleys).
Shortly after their long-awaited reunion with each other, Sirius sends a sweet new broom to Harry. It's the perfect gift and something that cemented Sirius' irreplaceable Godfather status. His short Godfatherhood for Harry was certainly memorable and something that Potter will cherish.
SEVERUS SNAPE
Unbeknownst to Harry for most of his Hogwarts years, a lot of people actually love him and the legacy his parents left behind. One of them, Severus Snape, was different than the rest because he loved Harry's mother most of all-- and it was unrequited. Now, for Snape, Harry was the only thing left that resembles Lily for him.
As such, it was mostly Snape responsible for keeping Harry safe in Hogwarts. He risked a lot to save Harry's life while still serving as Dumbledore's double agent. Thankfully, all his silent guardian sacrifices for Harry were eventually recognized.
ARTHUR WEASLEY
You'd be hard-pressed to find a Wizarding World fan that hates the Weasleys. They're arguably the best family in Harry Potter; compared to the rich yet dysfunctional rich pure-blood clans of Hogwarts, the Weasleys are a haven. Harry was lucky to get "adopted" by them (in a sense).
All that was thanks in part to the friendly generosity of Arthur Weasley. He's a hardworking man who doesn't have much to give but offered everything he had to Harry anyway: his family. Weasley even looked after Harry as if he was Ron's brother and even warned him about Voldemort.
MOLLY WEASLEY
Arthur Weasley might have been the foundation of the Weasley family, but Molly is the heart. She's the one that brings life to their family and raises her children to be humble and kind like their father. Moreover, Molly is one of the first few mother figures to Harry, someone who wholeheartedly accepted him without question or reservations.
Funny enough, Molly is also a lot more sensitive with Harry than she is with Ron; she knows Harry has had enough suffering and chastising in his time with the Dursleys so she only scolds Ron even if Harry was involved in the mistake. Let's not forget those ugly holiday sweaters she makes for her children, even Harry was not exempted from those.
RUBEUS HAGRID
Back when Harry was just a 10-year-old boy who was forcibly turned into a maid by his aunt, everything was sad and pitiable about him. That is until a half-giant surprised him with a misspelled cake for his 11th birthday. That was still probably the best birthday gift Harry ever had; it was all courtesy of Rubeus Hagrid.
Both of them are alike to a certain degree and thus understand each other. At times, Hagrid even treats Harry, Ron, and Hermione like his own, especially when all three of them run into trouble. He was everything to Harry, a father figure, a best friend, and a savior; without a doubt, Hagrid made Harry into a much better person, making him one of the best parental figures Harry ever had.