There are plenty of powerful Harry Potter families in the wizarding world, and not all of them are purebloods. Blood status and family trees are a major narrative theme in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. After all, both Voldemort and Grindelwald's goals see a world run by pure-blooded wizards and witches with muggles in their "rightful place." Within the canon of history that J.K. Rowling has created, many Harry Potter family names crop up in Fantastic Beasts and the various lore-building tie-in products like videogame Hogwarts: Legacy.
Yet, out of all the Harry Potter families, which ones are the most powerful? There are quite a mixture of powerful surnames in the wizarding world, from the well-known Malfoys and Weasleys to the more complicated family trees of the Lestranges or Blacks. Some families in Harry Potter have roots in the dark arts and evil wizards, while others, such as the Potters, have done quite the opposite. Here is a list of the most powerful Harry Potter families and exactly how they've impacted the wizarding world.
Related: The Most Powerful Wizards In The Harry Potter Universe, Ranked
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Lupin Family
The most notable member of the Lupin family in the Harry Potter families list is Remus. He's a werewolf, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and a former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Remus had a penchant for the Patronus charm and is one of the bravest characters we were introduced to during the series.
Not a ton was revealed about the rest of his family, but what fans know is positive. His father Lyall worked at the Ministry of Magic and banished the Screaming Bogey of Strathtully. Remus married Nymphadora Tonks, a Metamorphmagus member of the Order of the Phoenix who was also incredibly brave. Their child Teddy went on to be Head Boy at Hogwarts, showing he possessed strong skills of his own.
Nott Family
The Nott family of the Harry Potter families roster seemed to have the same kind of social standing as the Malfoys, seeing as they partook in the same Death Eater clan and were safe when the Muggle-Born Registration Commission was in effect. Proof of their strong ancestry comes from Cantankerus Nott.
This wizard was the one who was the author of the Pure-blood Directory published in the 1930s. Nott singled out the Pure-blood families and wrote a biased account that placed the twenty-eight families (The Sacred 28) listed as higher in status compared to the rest. They might not be as well-known as other families, but they have a fair bit of power.
Related: Harry Potter: The 10 Most Powerful Wizards From The Franchise, Ranked By Ranker
Macmillan Family
Ernie MacMillan was always shown as a very pompous boy who made it known how strong his roots were. He said exactly this in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where he blurted out how his ancestor line was filled with witches and warlocks centuries in the past.
Ernie was largely exempt from the extremism shown during the war due to his family, which is enough proof that his blood status protected him. This tribe on the Harry Potter families list also had connections to the Black family, as Sirius Black’s paternal grandmother was a MacMillan by birth.
Ollivander Family
While Garrick Ollivander didn’t seem to have any power in social status, the fact remains that the Ollivander family in Harry Potter has been responsible for handing out wands to the British Wizarding world for millennia by this point. There are very few witches or wizards who didn't begin their journey with a visit to Ollivanders wand shop in Diagon Alley.
The first Ollivander to set up the wand-making business was from the year 382 BCE, meaning the entire British Wizarding world was reliant on this family. Due to this, the Ollivanders certainly had the power to influence the future of the Wizarding world since so many get their wands from them, but they seem content as wand makers.
Related: Harry Potter Wandlore: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Holly Wood
Rosier Family
While not one of the prevalent Harry Potter families, the Rosiers are introduced in the books, but their role in the dark arts has been further explored in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Possibly hailing from France, the Rosiers are part of the Sacred 28 pureblood families list, and through Druella Black née Rosier (mother of Bellatrix and Narcissa), the family is connected to the Black, Lestrange, and Malfoy family.
The name Rosier was first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire during which Igor Karkaroff tries to sell out fellow Death Eater Evan Rosier, only to find out that he was captured and killed by Mad-Eye Moody. Vinda Rosier in the Fantastic Beasts series is one of Grindelwald's most loyal acolytes. It's quite clear that the Rosiers have dutifully been a part of the dark part of history in the wizarding world, and their connections to other rich and high-status pureblood families prove they're one of the most powerful Harry Potter families around.
Parkinson Family
While her part in the books and movies was relatively minor, Pansy Parkinson comes from a powerful — and problematic — Harry Potter family. Pansy Parkinson was always brash about her status, along the lines of how Malfoy behaved. Her conceitedness was due to the Parkinson family including a Minister of Magic in their family tree.
Perseus Parkinson was the head of the magical government from 1726 to 1733, during which he attempted to pass a law that marrying Muggles was illegal. Even two-and-a-half centuries later, Pansy benefited from this heritage as her family remained upper-class and in the powerful Slytherin House.
Related: Harry Potter: The 20 Most Powerful Slytherin Students, Officially Ranked
Bones Family
This may seem like an odd choice because none of the members of the Bones family were central characters in the series. However, a deeper dig shows how formidable this entry to the Harry Potter families list is. Hagrid once told Harry Potter that they were among the greatest wizards in history. Alastor Moody also praised the Bones family.
Edgar Bones was in the Order of the Phoenix and fought bravely in the First Wizarding War. Seraphina Bones was famous enough for a portrait at Hogwarts. Amelia was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Susan was part of Dumbledore's Army and survived the Second Wizarding War.
Dumbledore Family
Albus Dumbledore alone is powerful enough to ensure the Dumbledore family always ranks highly on a Harry Potter families ranked list. There's a reason he's considered by many to be the greatest wizard of all time. He defeated Gellert Grindelwald, led the Order of the Phoenix, helped discover all the uses of dragon's blood, and became Headmaster at Hogwarts. He's also the only wizard Voldemort is said to fear.
Albus's parents, Percival and Kendra, didn't make any notable contributions to the Harry Potter canon (beyond Albus himself). However, Albus's brother Aberforth Dumbldore is part of the Order of the Phoenix, and he fought during the Battle of Hogwarts. His sister Ariana suffered an attack when she was young and though she had trouble with her magic after it, she was tragically strong enough to kill her mother when she lost control one night unintentionally.
Related: Harry Potter: The Dumbledore Family Tree Explained
Selwyn Family
Although the Selwyns were barely mentioned, their place as a powerful example among the dozens of Harry Potter families is confirmed by the appearances-obsessed Dolores Umbridge pretended that she was related to them. The Selwyn's are pure bloods, and count themselves among the Sacred 28.
Outside the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Selwyn was also the name of a powerful Death Eater in Voldemort’s ranks. It's never stated in the books, but the Harry Potter movies implied a Selwyn killed Hedwig, and led the Death Eaters who tried to capture Harry on the Hogwarts Express. It's clear that, especially among the kind of wizards that frequent Knockturn Alley, that Selwyn is a powerdul Harry Potter family.
Black Family
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is well known even to casual viewers thanks to Harry's godfather, Sirius. Sirius Black's family tree is on display in their home at 12 Grimmauld Place. The Black family in Harry Potter used to have a Malfoy-like attitude to bloodline purity, disowning any member who showed support or love for muggles, but those who stuck around were usually impressive wizards and witches.
Key Harry Potter family Black members outside of Sirius Black include his younger brother Regulus, who was brave enough to hunt down Voldemort's Horcruxes before his death. Strong women like Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange were also part of the family, and they are distant relatives to most pure-blood lines, including the Weasleys and Lupins.
Related: Harry Potter: 15 Things You Never Knew About The Black Family
Lestrange Family
The Lestrange family is another one of the ancient pure-blood lines in the franchise. The first real introduction to them is through the evil Bellatrix, a high-ranking member of the Death Eaters who was responsible for taking down the Longbottoms and murdering Sirius Black.
The Fantastic Beasts series has expanded on this entry of the Harry Potter families list by providing more knowledge on Leta Lestrange. She proved herself reliable through a handful of experiments that got her into trouble while in school. As an adult, she was an essential member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This line also produced a Minster of Magic and eventually the powerful daughter of Voldemort.
Scamander Family
The Scamander family is another case of a family that gets a lot of light shed on them in Fantastic Beasts. It is Newt Scamander who literally writes the book about the magical creatures that can be found all over the world. Though Newt gets expelled from Hogwarts, he is trusted by Albus Dumbledore against Gellert Grindelwald.
Newt wasn't alone in terms of talented wizards and witches in his Harry Potter family lineage. His mother bred hippogriffs, which helped inspire his life's work. Newt's brother Theseus worked as an Auror for the British Ministry of Magic and was considered a war hero for his efforts in the First Wizarding War.
Related: Fantastic Beasts: 7 Ways Newt Scamander Has Changed Since The First Movie
Longbottom Family
There are many reasons the theory that Neville Longbottom could have been the "chosen one" instead of Harry Potter persists — and the Longbottom family name is more than partly responsible. When digging deeper into the family history of this entry of the Harry Potter families roster, it makes some sense. Neville's parents, Frank and Alice, were both respected Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Their story is a tragic one. Frank and Alice were tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange and refused to give up information. The torture drove them to insanity. Neville was a late bloomer but went on to be a key member of Dumbledore's Army and he gave the killing blow to Voldemort's snake, Nagini, rendering Voldemort mortal again. His grandmother was known as a powerful witch in her own right.
Malfoy Family
The official description of the Malfoy family said you would "never find one at the scene of the crime, though their fingerprints might be all over the guilty wand" (via wizardingworld.com). That's not a ringing endorsement, but it is fitting. This Harry Potter family is powerful enough to be involved in a lot of pivotal moments throughout the history of the series.
Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy are more followers than they are leaders, but that doesn't make them any less potent. Meanwhile, their son Draco was a formidable foe for Harry Potter and the two ultimately share a mutual respect. Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius played a considerable role in a time-traveling adventure during his time at Hogwarts.
Related: Harry Potter: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up The Malfoy Family
Weasley Family
In terms of sheer volume, the Weasley family probably has enough members to take over the wizarding world. They may not have a lot of money, but they have an impressive array of wizards and witches at their disposal. For starters, most of them were members of the Order of the Phoenix and fought bravely against Voldemort.
Arthur held a position in the Ministry of Magic and Molly defeated Bellatrix Lestrange. Their children include a dragonologist, Head of the Department of Magical Transportation, Auror, and Quidditch star, to name a few. The entire family on this Harry Potter families list played vital roles during the Second Wizarding War. They're as tough as they are plentiful.
Potter Family
The Potters are the focal point of the series, but they're still the most powerful Harry Potter family. A lot of the Potter ancestors were powerful, and include Aurors, inventors, and Wizengamot members. And that's all before we get to James and Lily Potter, who were both brave members of the Order of the Phoenix who battled Voldemort to protect their son, Harry. It's no mystery why the Potter vault at Gringotts is so full of Galleons.
Despite what Severus Snape said about him, Harry Potter proved himself to be a powerful wizard. He was able to go toe to toe with Voldemort on several occasions and was the one to ultimately defeat him, proving once and for all why he's the titular character of Harry Potter. Harry went on to lead the Auror Office and become Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. His children all show incredible potential at Hogwarts.
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FAQs
Which family was the strongest in Harry Potter? ›
The Potters are the focal point of the series, but they're still the most powerful Harry Potter family. A lot of the Potter ancestors were powerful, and include Aurors, inventors, and Wizengamot members.
What are the most powerful pureblood families in Harry Potter? ›Ancient and powerful, the House of Black was the largest and oldest pureblood family in Britain. Its motto, Toujours Pur, or "Always Pure," expressed its members' fanaticism for blood purity, which had led them to marry their cousins for several centuries to avoid "tainting" the family's legacy.
Who is the purest wizarding family? ›The Longbottoms
Neville comes from a long-line of pure-blood wizards, although we don't know as much about the individuals as we do with some other wizarding families. What we do know is that both of Neville's parents were pure-blood, as was his gran, Augusta.
1 Bellatrix Lestrange Is Voldemort's Insane Right Hand
She is Voldemort's right hand, and her viciousness and skill in combat are only matched by her insanity and loyalty to her lord. Bellatrix is responsible for Sirius Black's death and she tortures Hermione after Harry and his friends are caught by the Snatchers.
A Metamorphmagus has the extraordinarily uncommon gift of being able to change their appearance at will. We famously met one in the Harry Potter series: Nymphadora Tonks, who used her shapeshifting abilities wisely in her job as an Auror.
Who is the most powerful wizard? ›Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort ever feared and the only one who could have defeated him in a duel. Albus Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard in the Harry Potter.
Who is the most famous Ravenclaw? ›- Rowena Ravenclaw – Founder.
- Luna Lovegood.
- Cho Chang.
- Filius Flitwick.
- Sybil Trelawney.
- Marietta Edgecombe.
- Garrick Olivander.
- Gilderoy Lockheart.
- 6 Dolores Umbridge.
- 5 Lucius Malfoy.
- 4 Draco Malfoy.
- 3 Leta Lestrange.
- 2 Severus Snape.
- 1 Tom Riddle.
1. Albus Dumbledore. Image via Warner Bros.
Who is the most powerful wizard in Ravenclaw? ›Most Powerful: Filius Flitwick
The Head of Ravenclaw House while Harry Potter attended Hogwarts, Filius Flitwick was also the professor of Charms class.
Which wizards are pure blood? ›
"Pure-blood" is the term applied to wizards and witches who have no Muggle blood, Muggle-borns, or half-bloods at all in their family trees. They are the rarest of the three blood statuses, with J.K. Rowling stating that ten per cent of the wizarding community is made up of pure-bloods.
Who is the most powerful Muggle born? ›Hermione is the most powerful muggle-born witch of all time because of her natural ability and talent for magic, but she also deserves it. Out of everyone on this list, and perhaps everyone in the Wizarding World, there is no more determined and hard-working than Hermione Granger.
Why is the Malfoy family rich? ›Having rendered unknown, shady (and almost certainly magical) services to King William I, Malfoy was given a prime piece of land in Wiltshire, seized from local landowners, upon which his descendants have lived for ten consecutive centuries.
Who was the best fighter in Harry Potter? ›Championed by many as the single best fighter in the franchise, Dumbledore was an energetic and ferocious duelist despite his calm and collected personality. He single-handedly beat his former friend and lover, Grindelwald, despite the latter being in possession of the Elder Wand at the time.
Who is stronger than Dumbledore? ›Godrick Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts, and the owner of the legendary Sword of Gryffindor, was absolutely more powerful than Dumbledore— and it's a good thing he was, too, because Dumbledore wasn't around in Hogwarts' early days to keep Godrick's fellow founder Salazar Slytherin in check.
Is Harry more powerful than Draco? ›When it comes to actual ability as a wizard, a case can certainly be made that Draco Malfoy is more talented than Harry. The only thing that Potter beats Draco at is his flying ability on a broomstick, but even then Draco pushes him all the way.
Who is the most powerful Malfoy? ›If money is power, Lucius Malfoy is the most powerful man in the Wizarding World. Unfortunately, as the later books show us, money is in fact not power and Lucius suffers immensely despite his ludicrous wealth.
What is the weakest Harry Potter House? ›While the other houses seem cool and invite a certain allure, Hufflepuff is a little different. Often considered the least desirable of all the sorting options, here are some reasons why Hufflepuff house is the worst.
What is the rarest Patronus? ›1 Albatross
As the rarest Patronus in the Wizarding World possible, the Albatross represents an enormous bird that flies freely across any sea. This rare Patronus represents those who are simultaneously fearless, optimistic, happy-go-lucky, and ambitious.
Headmaster of Hogwarts throughout most of the Harry Potter series, it is safe to say that Dumbledore is the most powerful professor at Hogwarts. With his Elder wand, Dumbledore managed to get away both times he was threatened imprisonment at Azkaban. He could also duel Voldemort and hold his ground.
Who was the brightest wizard? ›
Throughout the Harry Potter series, Albus Dumbledore, the beloved Headmaster of Hogwarts, proved time and time again that he was the smartest hero of the Wizarding World. His magic was so strong and his knowledge so extensive that he was the only wizard Voldemort was said to be afraid of.
What is an evil wizard called? ›Sorcerer and sorceress are often used to refer to evil characters in works of fiction, especially in the “sword and sorcery” fantasy genre. In contrast, similar words like wizard and magician usually imply that such figures use their powers for good. If not, you'd usually call them an evil wizard or evil magician.
Who is more powerful Harry or Hermione? ›8 HARRY CAN BEAT: Hermione Granger Isn't Primarily A Fighter
But while Hermione can ace any test, she can't quite keep up with Harry on the battlefield. To her credit, Hermione is capable of advanced spells beyond her years, and she knows when and where to cast them.
- Cedric Diggory.
- Nymphadora Tonks.
- Newt Scamander.
- Pomona Sprout.
- Teddy Lupin.
- Hannah Abbot.
- Susan Bones.
- Zacharias Smith.
Filius Flitwick is the head of Ravenclaw House in the Harry Potter book series. When Harry Potter attends Hogwarts, the head teacher of Ravenclaw is Professor Flitwick.
Who is the most famous Gryffindor? ›Harry Potter
The Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived and perhaps the bravest Gryffindor the house has ever seen.
Salazar Slytherin
One of the four most brilliant witches and wizards of his age it takes quite a bit of cunning and smarts to both build and hide a secret chamber beneath the school, and the noses, of the other most brilliant wizards and witches of the age.
Belonging to the Black family, Phineas is one of Slytherin's loveliest members. Taking a greater moral standpoint than his other family members, who mostly believe in pure-blood supremacy, this good-natured wizard has shown himself to be an especially well-behaved member of the otherwise unruly Hogwarts house.
Who is the ultimate heir of Slytherin? ›Neither of them is Slytherin's heir. Although, as Dumbledore says, Harry's ability to speak Parseltongue is a skill accidentally transferred by Slytherin's actual heir, Voldemort, when he tried to kill Harry as a baby. So perhaps this is one myth with a bit of truth to it.
Who is the luckiest character in Harry Potter? ›1 Harry Survived Countless Attacks
Harry Potter was simultaneously the luckiest and unluckiest character in the franchise. He escaped numerous attacks due to blind luck, starting with his near-death experience as a baby that caused Voldemort's first demise.
Who is the most powerful wizard after Dumbledore? ›
Of the characters in the books, the top-tier wizards are pretty clearly shown to be Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Grindelwald. If one accepts that magic has advanced since ancient times, these three are probably even greater than the Hogwarts Founders themselves.
Who was the smartest Marauder? ›1st Place: Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin was the Marauder who was the best all-rounder. An incredibly intelligent wizard, a fantastic teacher, a father figure to Harry, someone who was not averse to a bit of tomfoolery and arguably the best role model out of all the Marauders.
- 5 Pomona Sprout.
- 4 Cedric Diggory.
- 3 Theseus Scamander.
- 2 Nymphadora Tonks.
- 1 Newton Scamander.
It appeared ij Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Slytherin narrowly defeated Ravenclaw and probably gained second place in the league, which concerned Gryffindor because they needed to win against Hufflepuff by enough points to be second in the league and have a chance at winning the cup.
Is anyone from Slytherin good? ›Secondly, just because nearly all bad wizards are Slytherins doesn't mean all Slytherins are bad wizards. Severus Snape, Horace Slughorn, Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy and Regulus Black were all Slytherin heroes in their own way, if you think about it.
Who is the oldest wizarding family? ›Ollivander. Makers of fine wands since 382 BC, the Ollivanders could make quite a claim to being among the oldest wizarding families.
Can a Muggle use a wand? ›It wouldn't work.
Wands are means to channel the magic that is inherent to a person, or more specifically a witch or a wizard. Muggles, have no inherent magic and therefore can't channel it, in any possible way.
Why are the Weasleys considered poor? The Weasleys are poor because of having 7 children. Until Bill and Charlie started working, the Weasley family had one earning member to take care of the household expenses, education and upbringing of 9 family members.
Could a Muggle defeat a wizard? ›TL;DR: The muggles would win, unless the wizards maintain the element of surprise, but most individual wizards who want to escape the muggles will be able to. First off, we should consider whether the author has anything to say about this debate, but in fact J. K. Rowling has said very little.
Are there any Muggle-born Slytherin? ›The “welcome to Slytherin” letter which Rowling put on Pottermore a couple of years ago says that nowadays there are a lot of Slytherins with “at least” one Muggle parent. That implies that there are now some Muggle-born Slytherins but they are still fairly rare: they don't qualify as “a lot of” on their own.
Are Muggles stronger than wizards? ›
in modern days Wizards don't like to acknowledge it but muggles are far more powerful than they are. internet, nuclear bombs, airplanes, and a special kind of wands named guns.
Why did the Malfoys hate Harry? ›Specifically, Draco was jealous of Harry. It was easy to miss because Draco didn't often show his emotions, modelling himself on his cold, confident, calculating father, but J.K. Rowling has confirmed that a lot of his enmity towards Harry stemmed from envy.
Why did Draco's mom betray Voldemort? ›Not knowing whether Draco was alive or dead, Narcissa chose to lie to the Dark Lord rather than risk losing her son. When Voldemort asked her to check if Harry was dead and she realised he was, in fact, still breathing, Narcissa seized her opportunity.
Why did Draco's mom protect Harry? ›Draco Malfoy's mother Narcissa was cold, cunning and devoted to the Dark Lord. But she was also a mother, which meant she was willing to risk everything to make sure her son was safe. When Harry survived Voldemort's Killing Curse for the second time, Narcissa pretended he was dead so she could get to Draco.
Who is stronger Hermione or Bellatrix? ›Even though Hermione is the brightest witch of her age, Bellatrix far outclasses her in terms of magic, may it be duelling skills or knowledge of the Dark Arts. If Hermione wanted to duel Bellatrix, then she should at least practice the Unforgiveables, most importantly Avada Kedavra.
Who is more powerful Godric Gryffindor or Dumbledore? ›Godrick Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts, and the owner of the legendary Sword of Gryffindor, was absolutely more powerful than Dumbledore— and it's a good thing he was, too, because Dumbledore wasn't around in Hogwarts' early days to keep Godrick's fellow founder Salazar Slytherin in check.
Is Godric Gryffindor more powerful than Voldemort? ›Undoubtedly every one of the founders of Hogwarts could hold their own against a wizard of Voldemort's caliber, but aside from Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor would likely stand the best chance in a duel.