Harry Potter fans were recently delighted to discover that all eight original films are now available on two different streaming services. A return to the wizarding world is always a treat, and this is largely thanks to the diverse range of characters within author J.K. Rowling's creation.
Over the years Potterheads have come to know a great deal about the witches and wizards that inhabit this unique world, some of whom proved themselves far more fortunate than others. In fact, it might surprise some Potter fans to recall just how often bad luck played a role in the franchise. As Ranker voters continue to point out, even magic can't outwit chance.
Note: Ranker lists are fan-voted, live, and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Xenophilius Lovegood
Neither the Potter books nor the films spend much time exploring Xenophilius’ life. What’s known about the wizard, however, is that he became a sole parent to daughter Luna after his wife was killed when Luna was just nine. In later years, he betrayed Harry, Ron and Hermione to the Death Eaters when Luna was kidnapped by them.
As far as being a parent and husband goes, Xenophilius certainly didn’t have much luck. It might be hard to countenance his behavior regarding Harry, Hermione and Ron, but it’s worth remembering that half his life was destroyed when he lost his wife. Losing his daughter as well would’ve been too much to take. An awful situation to be in, for sure.
Jacob Kowalski
Though not part of the original Harry Potter franchise, Jacob Kowalski earned a prominent wizarding world spot in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. His No-Maj (American for muggle) status meant that his burgeoning relationship with witch Queenie wasn’t to be, and this issue stung, even more, when Queenie became loyal to Grindelwald.
It’s arguable that Jacob was lucky to learn about the wizarding world and gain insight into something that most never do. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that meeting Queenie brought much heartache to Jacob. His normal life was forever altered by the discovery of wizards and witches – something that even erasing his memory couldn’t fix.
Neville Longbottom
It’s not uncommon for Potterheads to have a soft spot for Neville. After his parents were tortured to insanity by Voldemort’s Death Eaters, he was left to be raised by his grandmother. He’s often picked on throughout the series and even has a full body-bind curse put on him by his friend Hermione in The Philosopher’s Stone.
Despite the unfortunate hand that life has dealt Neville, it’s clear that he’s a fighter. The battle of Hogwarts would never have been the same without him and he’s never allowed his fortune (or lack thereof) to dictate what he can or can’t do with his life. Still, life isn’t easy for Neville and that in itself is unfortunate, given what a kind person he is.
Colin Creevey
Colin is originally introduced to audiences as a Harry Potter fanboy and throughout his time in the series, there’s not much more to his character. He did have an awful string of bad luck, however: petrified by the Basilisk, expelled from Hogwarts for being Muggle-born, and ultimately killed during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Some characters just aren’t destined for glory, and in that sense, Colin Creevey is a real achiever. His constant victimhood is one of the sad realities of a world headed toward a battle with the ultimate evil. Not every character can be a Harry, Hermione or Ron, and though some may feel sorry for Colin, his luckless trajectory was bound to happen to someone.
Rubeus Hagrid
Hagrid’s troubles when he was a student at Hogwarts. After being framed by Tom Riddle for opening the Chamber of Secrets and using his Acromantula to attack Muggle-born students, Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts. In later years, Hagrid spent time in Azkaban and was rejected by his crush, Olympe Maxime.
Undoubtedly, the event that impacted Hagrid the most was being expelled from Hogwarts. Thankfully Dumbledore remained a true friend to him, but as nice as being the groundskeeper is, Hagrid’s entire fate was shaped by Voldemort. It’s hard to say what sort of wizard Hagrid could’ve been had he not been expelled, but the incident robbed him of that possibility.
Moaning Myrtle
Having interrupted Tom Riddle’s unsavory pursuits in the chamber of secrets, the future Voldemort allowed the Basilisk to kill Myrtle. The bathroom where the entrance to the Chamber is found became her home and her constant “moaning” about this fate makes students avoid her.
Not only is Myrtle’s fate enormously unlucky, but she was never intended to be much more than an unlucky character. Myrtle’s entire existence is unlucky, as far as the Harry Potter franchise is concerned. Whether via readership or audience, there was never an option for her other than being an annoying ghost.
Amos Diggory
After his son, Cedric, is killed by Voldemort during the Tri-Wizard Tournament final, Amos bursts through the crowd and weeps at his side. The last time audiences had seen Amos was during the Quidditch World Cup. Back then, Amos was a father bursting with pride over his son’s achievements.
Though fans didn’t see anything of Amos after Cedric’s death, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child shows him as a man utterly destroyed by his son’s death. Cedric’s death apparently robbed him of all motivation to go on. It’s bad luck indeed, and the fact that he spent his remaining years wallowing in the loss seems a particularly unfair conclusion.
Dobby
Harry Potter fans learned early on that house-elves don’t get much respect. Dobby is one of the few who was able to sidestep a life of servitude, thanks to Harry. But the remainder of his life is spent rejected by most of the other house-elves, and by the end of the series, he’s tragically killed.
Dobby wasn’t always an easy character to like. He was meddlesome and his plans weren’t typically well thought out. He may have escaped servitude to the Malfoy family, but his life never seemed to get any easier. At his core, however, was a very big heart. It’s this mixture of selflessness and tragedy that still makes his death one of the franchise’s saddest moments.
Sirius Black
Harry’s godfather was a welcome addition to his life when the truth was revealed in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. But Black’s life was far from a pleasant one. Born into a prominent dark arts family, Sirius rejected them only to later find himself in Azkaban for 13 years, accused of helping to kill James and Lily Potter as well as 12 muggles.
In the Wizarding World, it’s generally agreed that there is no worse place to spend time than Azkaban. Filled with the worst of the worst, Sirius’ time there as an innocent man had to be pure torture. His eventual escape left him free, but limited, and many of Sirius’ final days were spent alone before his own cousin killed him. Talk about bad luck.
Remus Lupin
A loveable character perhaps due to his terrible luck, Lupin was bit by a werewolf as a child and dealt with that reality throughout his life. Like many in the wizarding world, for years Lupin believed that his friend Sirius Black killed James Potter, and during the Battle of Hogwarts, Lupin and his wife Tonks die, leaving their son Teddy an orphan.
The fact that Lupin is a werewolf ensures that many people want nothing to do with him. As a matter of fact, he loses his job as a professor at Hogwarts for exactly this reason. But every aspect of Lupin’s life seems designed to kill his spirit. And yet, as far as Harry Potter characters go, Lupin is one of the kindest, dependable and most considerate of them all.