Hold on to your wizard hats, folks, because we’re going to talk about Hogwarts School of Wizardry’s cream of the crop—Gryffindors! Not only are they loyal, brave, courageous, and daring, but they’re also the most heroic. These wizards and witches have faced tough challenges and made sacrifices for those they love, and that’s what makes them truly magical.
In this article, we’ll be giving the rundown on some of the most famous Gryffindors to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts. Get ready to be wowed by these top-notch wizards and witches!
Table of Contents
- 10. Minerva McGonagall
- 9. Sirius Black
- 8. Rubeus Hagrid
- 7. Neville Longbottom
- 6. Ron Weasley
- 5. Hermione Granger
- 4. Albus Dumbledore
- 3. Lily Potter
- 2. Harry Potter
- 1. Godric Gryffindor
- Let’s Go, Gryffindor!
10. Minerva McGonagall
This woman is the epitome of loyalty, and she’s not afraid to throw down when her loved ones are threatened.
But she wasn’t always the prolific wizard we’ve come to admire. Growing up, she never got proper magical training: her mom left the Wizarding World for her muggle husband, so she grew up away from the world she’d one day call her home.
Still, she persevered, made it to Hogwarts, and put the Sorting Hat in a pickle when it came to her placement. Gryffindor or Ravenclaw? It took the hat over five minutes to make up its mind! Eventually, it recognized Minerva’s capacity for braveness, and Gryffindor it was.
After graduating with top marks, Minerva fell head over heels for a muggle. But she wasn’t about to follow in her mom’s footsteps and give up her magic, so she broke off the engagement and took work at the Ministry of Magic instead.
There, she caught the eye of her boss, Elphinstone Urquart. This guy proposed to her multiple times until, finally, she said yes. Their happily ever after was unfortunately cut short by his death three years later.
Minerva moved back to Hogwarts and became the Deputy Headmistress, teaching Transfiguration and leading Gryffindor House. And let’s not forget her sneaky skills, because even though she wasn’t officially part of the Order of the Phoenix, she would spy for them by transforming into a tabby cat.
9. Sirius Black
Sirius Black had a wild ride through the wizarding world. Born into a prejudiced family, he knew better than to buy into his family’s anti-muggle propaganda. Needless to say, his family wasn’t thrilled about this, so they disowned him and kicked him out.
But that’s okay because it led him to find his true family in the form of James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. These guys were so tight they even had a nickname for their group: the Marauders.
Things got dangerous when they found out Remus was a werewolf. So, like any good friends, they became illegal Animagi to support him during his full moon transformations. Sirius’s animal form was a big, black dog, hence the nickname Padfoot.
Despite his reputation as a deeply loyal friend, he became one of the most wanted criminals in the wizarding world after the murder of the Potters and 12 muggles—a crime he didn’t commit! Their other “friend,” Peter Pettigrew, was the real culprit. Still, the falsely accused Sirius spent a solid 12 years in Azkaban before busting out as Padfoot, then rejoining the Order of the Phoenix to take down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
As fate would have it, Sirius met his demise at the hands of his ruthless cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Let’s pour one out for our favorite doggo wizard—he may be gone, but he’s forever a Marauder in our hearts.
8. Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant and half-wizard, towered over everyone. He was so big he could accidentally step on a Gringotts goblin without noticing!
His third year at Hogwarts was a bit of a nightmare. Tom Riddle (later known as Voldemort – yes, that Voldemort) framed him for the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Poor Hagrid got unfairly expelled and his wand was taken away, all because his love of animals led him to take in the spider Tom Riddle pinned Moaning Myrtle’s death on.
Luckily, Dumbledore knew Hagrid was innocent and let him stay at Hogwarts as the gamekeeper. The position was a perfect fit. With Hagrid’s size, he could easily keep an eye on things (and people).
The Ministry of Magic may have destroyed Hagrid’s wand, but he didn’t let that stop him from practicing magic. His trusty pink umbrella was a wand in disguise, which Dumbledore let him keep. He was even appointed teacher of Care of Magical Creatures class, where he treated his animals like family.
After joining the Order of the Phoenix, Hagrid continued to be a beloved mentor and friend to all. And despite his size and strength, he always had a gentle heart.
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7. Neville Longbottom
As far as comeback stories go, Neville Longbottom takes the cake. He had a rough start in life – Death Eaters tortured his parents when he was just a baby, leaving him in his grandmother’s care. And she was tougher on him than a Blast-Ended Skrewt. She always made him feel like he was less than his parents.
But when push came to shove, Neville proved her wrong. He stood up to Voldemort himself when everyone thought Harry was a goner. He even used the Sword of Gryffindor to take down Nagini, the snake that was Voldemort’s last hope. Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that weapon from the Sorting Hat, proving Neville was a lion at heart.
After graduating, Neville became an Auror and returned to Hogwarts to teach Herbology. He also found love with Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff gal from his Hogwarts days. Looks like Neville got the last laugh after all!
6. Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley, the youngest son of the Weasley clan, had big shoes to fill. Not only did he have five older siblings to live up to, but he also had to deal with haters who didn’t appreciate his family’s pro-muggle open-mindedness.
Some may say he played second fiddle to Harry and Hermione, but let’s not forget his vital role in defeating You-Know-Who. Ron always faced his fears, even if it meant taking on giant spiders or nearly drowning in a frozen lake.
A Horcrux-induced burst of anger caused him to break away from their quest in Deathly Hallows, but – loyal to the core – Ron returned to help Harry and Hermione finish off Voldemort once and for all.
Despite his flaws, Ron was a true friend. He was a crucial member of the trio, a true friend, and a hero in his own right. Who else could have provided such quality comic relief during such a serious time?
5. Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger, aka the brightest witch of her age, almost got sorted into Ravenclaw. The Sorting Hat spent four minutes debating her fate, but finally put her into Gryffindor – where she belonged.
As a muggle-born, Hermione had to work twice as hard to prove herself as a witch. For her, this was an easy feat. She hit the books so hard even the Hogwarts library was impressed, and she was known for her consistent top marks.
At first, Harry and Ron were wary of her, thinking she was an annoying know-it-all. But they soon realized she was an annoying know-it-all who would literally do anything for them.
Hermione’s list of accomplishments is longer than Snape’s greasy hair. She created Dumbledore’s Army, fought against the Death Eaters, and even used her time-turner to attend more classes than she needed to. (Seriously, who needs sleep when you have a time-turner?)
After Hogwarts, Hermione married Ron and became the Minister for Magic. She fought for the rights of house elves and muggle-borns everywhere, creating a wizarding world welcoming for all.
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4. Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore was the one wizard Voldemort feared. As the owner of the Elder Wand, he possessed power and brilliance very few could rival.
Growing up, he had two siblings, Aberforth and Ariana. Their dad spent most of his life in Azkaban after attacking some muggle boys who messed with Ariana.
When Albus was a teenager, he developed feelings for his close friend, Gellert Grindelwald. Aberforth caught them playing around and started a fight that got terribly out of hand. Poor Ariana got caught in the crossfire and lost her life. Albus carried this guilt with him for the rest of his days, even when he became Headmaster at Hogwarts.
Speaking of Hogwarts, he did some pretty impressive things there. He defeated Grindelwald, who fully embraced the dark arts, and made the school a safe place for all students regardless of their background.
His demise at the hands of Severus Snape was all planned out: Albus was already dying from a cursed Horcrux, and he wanted his double agent to appear loyal to Voldemort. The wizarding world lost a true legend that day, but this great wizard died on his own terms.
3. Lily Potter
Well, well, well, if it isn’t Lily Potter, the queen of selflessness! When Voldemort came knocking, she didn’t hesitate to leap in front of Harry, sacrificing her life to save his.
It’s no wonder her son became such a hero himself. Did you know that Lily unintentionally performed a Sacrificial Protection spell? Yeah, it rebounded Voldemort’s curse right back at him, saved Harry’s life, and put into motion the events that would rid the world of Voldemort forever.
And let’s not forget about Severus Snape, the man who loved Lily Potter more than anything. He switched sides and vowed to protect Harry after Voldemort killed her. I guess you could say he was a little obsessed with her, but hey, who could blame him? Unfortunately, their friendship was never the same after Snape called her a “filthy mud-blood.” I mean, come on, Snape, we all know James Potter was a bully, but there’s no need to take it out on poor Lily!
2. Harry Potter
Harry Potter, also known as “The Boy Who Lived,” is far from your average wizard. He survived the dreaded Killing Curse – the only one in history to do so.
Harry’s got some serious skills too. At a young age, he was able to conjure a Patronus: a personal bodyguard impervious to dementors. He also led Dumbledore’s Army, a group of rebellious students who were fed up with the lack of Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching at Hogwarts. So Harry took the teaching into his own hands, prepping his peers for the war against dark wizards he knew would be coming.
Harry’s no stranger to loss either. He never knew his parents and had to say goodbye to his godfather and his mentor, Sirius Black, as well as other members of the Order of the Phoenix. When he discovered he had a piece of Voldemort’s soul attached to him, he, like his parents, didn’t think twice about sacrificing himself to defeat the Dark Lord. Luckily, Dumbledore gave him a choice to come back to life, which is like getting a second chance to win the Quidditch Cup. Harry, of course, took it, triumphed over Voldemort, and saved the wizarding world.
In his adult life, Harry settled down with Ginny Weasley and worked as the Head of the Auror office, which is like being the top cop of the wizarding world. Talk about a power couple!
1. Godric Gryffindor
Godric Gryffindor – yes, like the house – was one of the four founding members of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He established the house that bears his name. Without it, who knows where Harry, Ron, and Hermione would have ended up?
He and Salazar Slytherin were besties until Salazar decided that muggle-borns were not welcome at Hogwarts. Godric, however, was all about inclusivity — he wanted to welcome everyone, even if they didn’t come from a wizarding family. What a guy!
He and the other founders created the Sorting Hat, which was enchanted so that students could be sorted after they died. Godric wanted his students to be brave, loyal, determined, and courageous. Basically, he wanted them to be Gryffindors.
Nobody knows how he died, but his birthplace, Godric’s Hollow, was named after him. That’s pretty cool, right?
Let’s Go, Gryffindor!
After learning about the most famous Gryffindor characters in Harry Potter, it’s clear that this house has produced some truly remarkable and heroic individuals. And let’s not forget, some pretty darn good-looking ones too. Whether you’re a lion at heart or just wish you could be as brave as a Gryffindor, remember that courage doesn’t come from your house, it comes from within (and maybe a little bit of Felix Felicis).
