If you're a fan of Harry Potter , then you know total well that when it comes to the Defense Confronting the Nighttime Arts teaching position, something fishy's always going on. Throughout the franchise, more often than non the teacher heading upwards this kind-of-of import class is bad news, and it has caused a litany of headaches for Harry, Hermione, and Ron forth the way. Which is a shame because, well, learning how to defend oneself from night witches and wizards becomes a tad of import as the Harry Potter franchise wears on, given the rising of you-know-who.

And notwithstanding, in the end, Harry and Co. fare quite well, especially during the Battle of Hogwarts. So given the evergreen popularity of the franchise, now felt a fine time to take a closer look back at the teachers who held the Defense force Against the Dark Arts position and rank them according to competency. Plainly some were a consummate and total disaster, simply others—while possibly nefarious—were effective nonetheless. And then, let's get started.

half-dozen.) Professor Quirrell

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Image via Warner Bros.

Professor Quirrell from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is by far the about inconsequential Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but he's also wildly lacking for competence. Of grade, how would you lot feel if you had the Dark Lord burrowing atop your head and feeding off your lifeline.

five.) Gilderoy Lockhart

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Image via Warner Bros.

On newspaper, Gilderoy Lockhart is 1 of the about prestigious wizards to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts. Of course, we quickly detect out that much of his "greatness" is hogwash, and during his cursory tenure at the school he managed to unleash a pack of wild pixies on his students, turn Harry's arm into mush, and even attempted to mind-wipe three young students. But even putting all of those misdeeds aside, Lockhart's incompetency was glaring from the give-and-take "go," as his lessons more often than not revolved around boasting virtually his immense greatness and blinding handsomeness. Gimme a suspension.

4.) Dolores Umbridge

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Paradigm via Warner Bros.

Dolores Umbridge'southward tenure every bit the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was actually quite brief given that she quickly gave Dumbledore the boot and took over his position as head of Hogwarts. But even in that brusque while she managed to royally foul things upwardly. As a stalwart appointee from the Ministry of Magic—which was in full-on Voledmort Denial style at this betoken—Umbridge argued that students had no need for practical knowledge of Night Arts defence and that a theoretical understanding would exist sufficient. Harry and Co. all only gave Umbridge the finger and set about learning defensive spells on their own, hiding out in the Room of Requirement. Her incompetency gave way to cruel and unusual punishment, making Umbridge not merely a dolt, just also highly dangerous. And withal, she ranks a flake higher on this here listing because one gets the feeling she certainly had the noesis and ability to teach something useful had she desired to do and so. She just, yous know, didn't.

3.) Mad-Heart Moody/Barty Crouch Jr.

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Paradigm via Warner Bros.

And so for the purposes of this listing, Mad-Center Moody's tenure as Defence Confronting the Dark Arts teacher is also considered that of Barty Crouch Jr., who had assumed the part of Moody via polyjuice potion in an effort to steer Harry towards the Dark Lord. The events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire find Moody/Crouch Jr. quite agile, and while he's certainly working towards sinister ends, his part in the lives of Harry and Co. is crucial: he'southward the i who teaches and demonstrates the 3 unforgivable curses. It'due south a harrowing and disturbing scene, only it's this display of cruelty that gives the students an understanding non but that these curses are unforgivable, but why they're unforgivable. As a result, Moody/Hunker Jr. actually turns out to exist quite an effective Defense Confronting the Nighttime Arts instructor—but not in the way he was expecting.

2.) Severus Snape

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Image via Warner Bros.

After years of envying the position, Severus Snape was finally appointed Defense Against the Nighttime Arts instructor in Harry Potter and the One-half-Blood Prince . We don't actually go to hear much about Snape'due south success or failings in this position once he gets, but nosotros do know he was ane of the bravest and virtually competent wizards who ever lived. However, due to the fact that he was nonetheless playing double agent at this bespeak, his reach was express.

one.) Remus Lupin

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Image via Warner Bros.

Okay so maybe hiring a werewolf as a teacher isn't the best of ideas, just Remus Lupin is, by all accounts, the all-time and almost effective Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that Harry and Co. had during their tenure at Hogwarts. Lupin taught the importance of standing upwardly to one's fears, all with a mix of fun, sincerity, and a dabble of mischief mixed in. He's the i responsible for teaching Harry the intense focus necessary to perform a Patronus charm, which Harry then passed on to the other students after Lupin was forced to stride down from his teaching position. And equally nosotros all know, that Patronus charm came in mighty handy throughout the serial.

Perhaps more importantly, Lupin was one of the most effective begetter figures for immature Harry equally he provided a much-needed link to his ancestry. Lupin was kind and warm-hearted, simply besides had a very stiff sense of understanding every bit a event of his ain internal struggles (namely turning into a monster once a month). Lupin is, undoubtedly, the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that these students had during their years at Hogwarts, making it all the more burdensome that he and Tonks met their ends during the Battle of Hogwarts. Cascade one out for ol' Lupin.

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