14 Adults From "Harry Potter" That Caused Students To Need Therapy Later In Life, And 5 That Were Almost Completely Unproblematic

Spoiler alert: There are a lot of adults bullying children on this list.

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Hey y'all! I'm Simone and like so many of us, I am a Harry Potter stan. With so much new content coming out this year my mind has been buzzing for all things magic. As I read Harry Potter I couldn’t help thinking that these children are going to need so much therapy one day (aside from the memories of the war) because the adults in their life were so problematic — even the seemingly unproblematic ones. So I decided to create this ranking of Harry Potter adults, from the ones the kids will need the most therapy to the ones who were the least problematic. Without further ado, here is my unofficial ranking.

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17. Dolores Umbridge

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Yes! There is someone worse than Voldemort on this list! Dolores Umbridge enters the series in the fifth book, Order of the Phoenix, and she quickly becomes one of the most hated characters in the series. Not only does she torture students in detention but she also leads Fred and George, who are in their final year, to leave Hogwarts early due to her treatment of students. Perhaps, what makes her worse than Voldermort is her cruelty just for cruelty's sake. She’s not a Death Eater, she’s not loyal to Voldermort, she just seeks power and fear through those more vulnerable than her (i.e. children). Not to mention she wears a Horcrux and it has no effect on her. #Yikes

16. Peter Pettigrew

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Peter was spineless, a literal rat. He sold out his best friend, let his other so-called best friend rot in a jail cell for a crime he didn’t commit, and for what? Voldemort saw him for what he was too: a sell-out who couldn’t be trusted. Peter Pettigrew might have gotten Voldemort his body back, but once a rat always a rat. Plus, it’s kinda creepy he was the Weasley's pet for so long.

15. Voldemort

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Does this one need explaining? Probably not, but I’m going to explain anyway. He split his soul into seven pieces for the chance at immortality, but what was he living for? At the very least, he knew what he wanted in life but we cannot forget that he killed his family, he had no friends, his followers feared him more than they ever respected him. Not to mention, he killed countless people yet he couldn’t even defeat a baby.

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14. Bellatrix Lestrange

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Obviously, she was evil, she killed Sirius Black (although this may have been an accident), she tortured Neville’s parents to insanity, and she would’ve killed Ginny Weasley if Molly hadn’t stepped in. However, she is still better than some on this list because she knows who she is: she’s loyal to her Voldemort. But more importantly, Draco thought she was a good aunt, so perhaps there was a softer side of Bellatrix we didn’t see. She spent time with her nephew too, teaching him Occlumency and for that alone she ranks higher than Peter Pettigrew.

13. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy

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I truly believe the Malfoys had a private stash of Liquid Luck somewhere because they got lucky more times than I can count. Lucius got out of Azkaban much sooner than he should have, they faced little repercussion after the war, and luckiest of all for them, they didn’t lose their son. Indeed, it is their love for Draco Malfoy that saved their fate. Narcissa was just looking out for herself when she lied to Voldemort and told him Harry was dead, she just wanted to find her son. And I won’t fault her for that — what I will fault her and Lucius for is putting Draco in danger and harms way too many times. Sure, in the end, they got him out of trouble, but they never should have let him get that close to danger to begin with. Draco shouldn’t have had to become a Death Eater, or been tasked to kill Dumbledore, he should’ve had more time to be a child (and he deserved a redemption arc, but that’s a whole different post). At the end of the day, they’re bad parents but they earn the 13th spot because they have love for their son.

12. Gilderoy Lockhart

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At best, he was incompetent; at worst he was a dangerous thief. Gilderoy Lockhart gives me Christopher Columbus vibes, claiming the spoils for himself that were not his. He tried to use Harry to gain more fame, even though Harry was clearly uncomfortable with it, and later on, he was perfectly content with wiping Harry and Ron’s memory. Good thing it backfired on him.

11. Vernon and Petunia Dursley

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Vernon and Petunia Dursley's abuse of Harry is unforgivable. However, they never actively tried to kill the young wizard, thus earning them the 11th spot on this list. One thing that I am left pondering about with these two is were they really so awful, and on the surface obviously the answer is yes. However, they were muggles living with a Horcrux and Harry had a piece of Voldemort's soul living within him. Petunia was jealous of her magical sister and Vernon loathed anything that wasn’t "normal." Perhaps, living with Harry the Horcrux amplified their most negative qualities and that manifested into how they treated their nephew. Again, not trying to justify their abuse, it’s just something I’ve been left to question.

10. Albus Dumbledore

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Okay, these next ones are some controversial choices, but Dumbledore comes in with the 10th spot ranking. Albus Dumbledore is an amazing wizard, truly a genius, however, he repeatedly used both his students (especially Harry) and his staff (especially Snape). Harry held Dumbledore in such high esteem, yet, when Harry needed him most, after Sirius’s death, he would barely look at him. Additionally, he spent largely the whole year ignoring the poor boy. Sure, he had his reasons, but would it have killed him to be a little more transparent? No, in fact, it might have saved his life. Not to mention he sent The Golden Trio, three 17-year-olds, on a secret mission. They should've been able to tell a few adults about their quest. In addition, his treatment of Snape is abysmal. Granted, Snape made numerous mistakes in youth, and he is a bully, however, when Snape came to Dumbledore asking him to save Lily he tormented him, called him a coward for only wanting to save the girl — not James (who was a huge bully), or the child (okay, this one is fair to call him a coward for). 

Dumbledore used the love that Snape had for Lily against him, he manipulated him, and even if it was all for the greater good it still wasn’t fair to Snape. Finally, asking someone to murder you, when they express how much they don’t want to, is cruel. I know he had his reasons but all in all, Dumbledore was a manipulative genius on the side of good. Perhaps the best example of chaotic good?

9. James Potter

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To be perfectly fair, this ranking might not be justified. We don’t see much of James in the books or movies. However, when we do see him he is a bully, often seen tormenting Snape because Snape had Lily’s friendship while he did not. I would have loved to see more of James Potter because I honestly still don’t understand how he landed Lily. This ranking is based on his school days at Hogwarts, which again, we did not see a lot of. Granted, he saved Snape’s life after a cruel prank Black tried to pull, however, one can’t help but wonder if he hadn’t started picking on Snape in the first place if he would’ve been in that position. At the end of the day though, he loved his wife and his son and we know that he gave his life for them, the Order, and the greater good.

8. Snape

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Snape was a literal bully to his students. Calling Hermione countless names, scaring Neville to death, and taking many points from houses just because he could. However, even in his dislike of Potter, he saved his life many times. He played his role as a double agent perfectly, he watched his colleagues die, he killed Dumbledore, and he let everyone he knew believe him to be a traitor all for the greater good. Not to mention he was an extremely skilled potions master. His treatment of students could be extreme at times but he earned his title of Half-Blood Prince.

7. Molly Weasley

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Let me say this loudly and clearly: Molly Weasley is a good mother. I’ll say that again for the people in the back: MOLLY WEASLEY IS A GOOD MOTHER — overprotective, but a good mother. However, if you are not one of her kids and if your name is not Harry Potter she often comes across as just mean, especially to the women in her sons' lives. You see this particularly in Goblet of Fire. Take for example when Hermione, a 15-year-old child, is getting hate mail because Rita Skeeter has accused her of giving Harry a love potion. Regardless of the fact that Molly knows Harry and Hermione are not a couple, she repeatedly acts more coldly toward the young witch. Albeit, he still sends her a present during the holidays but it is smaller than Ron and Harry’s and is smaller than the ones she received in the past. 

In addition, when she later sees Hermione in person she is standoffish to the girl and Harry has to set the record straight that they are not a couple, even though, again, she should know that. In addition, she believes that Fleur is not with Bill for the right reasons, even though she has no basis for this belief. Molly was a fine mom who loved her kids to the end of the Earth, she was a mother for Harry, but she could also be unfairly ruthless to other children.

6. Sirius Black

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I was gutted when Sirius Black died in Order of the Phoenix. He knew he was innocent of the Potters' murder but he choose to rot away in Azkaban because he blamed himself for their deaths. He let Remus hate him for a deed he did not do. With all of this being said, I would love to rank Sirius higher because he truly loved his godson. However, he let himself rot away in Azkaban while Harry was raised and neglected by muggles. He could have given Harry a better childhood. He was reckless (i.e. when he accompanied Harry to platform 9 ¾ even though he was a wanted man) and Harry even calls him so a few times. Although Harry loved Sirius he makes a note to be a better godfather to Teddy than Sirius could ever be for him.

5. Remus Lupin

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I truly wish that we had been introduced to Remus Lupin not as Hogwarts professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts but as one of James Potter’s closest friend. I always wanted Harry to have a similar relationship with Remus that he shared with Black. Nonetheless, Lupin was, perhaps, the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Hogwarts had. He cared about this students and helped them face their fears in a controlled and safe environment. He never put any of his students in direct harm, unlike so many other professors at Hogwarts. Lupin biggest character flaw was presented in the last book, Deathly Hallows, when he wanted to abandoned his pregnant wife to join the Golden Trio on their journey. However, he came to his sense and made Harry the godfather of his son. We stan Professor Remus Lupin, a truly underrated icon.

4. Lily Evans Potter

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Similar to James, we don’t see much of Lily in the books or movies. However, unlike James, every time we see Lily she is kind. She is seen doing the right thing countless times and tries to stay friends with Snape for as long as she can. However, she knows her worth and sets boundaries, when she sees that Snape has gone too far she ends their friendship. Lily Potter knows who she is and we love a self-aware queen. Her love for Harry literally saved the whole Wizarding World.

3. Arthur Weasley

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Arthur Weasley was one of the few positive and present fathers in the series. He cared for his kids and nurtured them. He ranks higher than Molly because we don’t see him ever act poorly toward his childrens' friends. He is friendly with Hermione's parents and loves Harry as his own.

2. Rubeus Hagrid

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My personal favorite on this list is Rubeus Hagrid. He cared for Harry Potter, not because he was the chosen one, but because he was a child who deserved love. Period, no strings attached. He personally came and got Harry from the Dursleys, took him shopping, and then invited him to tea when he arrived at Hogwarts. He doesn’t get the number one spot because of his loose lips and habit of bringing dangerous creatures to class. However, not only does Hagrid care for Harry, he cares for his friends as well. His relationships with Hermione and Ron are not because of the fact that they are Harry's friends, but instead, he has relationships with them because he wants to and he actively works to sustain them. He loves Harry because of who he is, not because of a prophecy — he has no ulterior motive when he helps him.

1. Minerva McGonagall

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Need I say more? She was fair with all her students and protected them. No house got special treatment from her. In addition, she was determined to keep her students safe, oftentimes putting herself in harm's way in order to protect them from oncoming attacks. She stayed at Hogwarts while she believed a traitorous Snape to be in charge in order to keep watch over her students. When Umbridge was ruling the school she stood up for her fellow professors and was not afraid to put Umbridge in her place. Not to mention the iconic biscuit scene. Minerva McGonagall was truly the least problematic adult in the Harry Potter series.

What do you think? Did I leave anyone out, rank someone too high or too low? Comment below and let me know!

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