If you could only pick ten classes to take at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which ones would you choose? With so many enchanting options, narrowing them down would be an almost impossible task! Some classes are simply necessary for survival, such as Defence Against the Dark Arts, while others are more obscure but no less captivating (Care of Magical Creatures, for example). The curriculum at Hogwarts is rich, varied, and full of fascinating, magical subjects, but some are undeniably more important (and interesting) than others. Here are all the Hogwarts classes, ranked.
14. Arithmancy
Maybe math fans would rank this class higher, but if most were to handpick which classes to take at Hogwarts, Arithmancy would be at at the very bottom of the list. Arithmancy is a fancy word for the practice of assigning numerical values to words for the purpose of divination. This was Hermione’s favorite subject and she described it as ‘predicting the future with numbers,’ but that just kind of sounds like low-key math. The class (which involved a lot of homework) was taught by Professor Vector and was necessary for anyone hoping to work as a curse-breaker at Gringotts bank.
13. Study Of Ancient Runes
This class taught students how to decode the ancient alphabet that once belonged to Bronze/Iron Age wizards, and focused on the study of the ancient wizarding culture. The class itself was taught by Professor Bathsheda Babbling, and Hermione Granger aced it despite mixing up two symbols in her Study of Ancient Runes O.W.L. exam. For those fans who are interested in hieroglyphics, this would be a fascinating class to take. For those who aren’t? Boring as anything. Sorry, Hermione.
12. Astronomy
Astronomy is one of the core classes offered at Hogwarts and is a branch of magic that studies the stars and the movement of planets. This class is low on the list simply because it’s a subject anyone can study in a regular Muggle school, and where’s the fun in that? Like in the real world, the use of magic during lessons is not necessary. Students are expected to learn the names of the stars and the movements of the planets (whomp, whomp).
11. Muggle Studies
Although the title kind of speaks for itself, Muggle Studies is the study of the daily lives of Muggles (the non-magical folk), specifically in regards to how they use electricity, technol, gy and science rather than magic. For those wizards and witches who were interested in successfully living in the Muggle world, this class is extremely helpful (it also happened to be Arthur Weasley’s favorite). The original class was taught by Professor Charity Burbage, but under Lord Voldemort’s regime the curriculum was perverted and it was used spread hate and vitriol.
10. The History Of Magic
Unlike Muggle Studies, the History of Magic course is a core class that cannot be skipped by any student at Hogwarts. The class is exactly what it sounds like: the study of magical history, with a focus on remembering dates, names and events. Sounds pretty boring on the surface, but what other class is taught by a ghost?! Yep, the History of Magic is taught by the ghost of Professor Cuthbert Binns who, according to Hogwarts folklore, simply failed to realize that he was dead and continued on teaching as if nothing happened.
9. Herbology
I guess Herbology could be fun, learning about plants with magical properties, but whether a student enjoys it or not, it’s a required class at Hogwarts for the first five years. In the class, students study both magical and mundane plants and fungi and learn to care for and utilize various plant life. Many plants can be used for potions and medicine, and witches and wizards are expected to know which ones are safe and which ones are not. For fans with a green thumb, this is the perfect class.
8. Divination
Divination is an elective course at Hogwarts that teaches methods of divining the future, or gathering insights into future events, through various rituals and tools. For fans who have always wanted to be a palm reader, this isn’t a class to pass up. Students learn how to use crystal balls, tea leaves, horoscope charts, smoke patterns, reams and tarot cards as ways to discern the future and interpret prophecies. Sybill Trelawney once described divination to her students as “the most difficult of all magical arts.” Given that Hermione dropped the class and Harry Potter and Ron Weasley barely scraped by, she might have been right.
7. Care Of Magical Creatures
Sounds like a pretty fascinating course of study, doesn’t it? Unlike some of the subjects on this list, Care of Magical Creatures is a hands-on elective taught by Professor Rubeus Hagrid and students are free to choose it in their third year. Students in this class learn about and become familiar with a wide range of magical creatures, from flobberworms to unicorns, and are taught how to feed, breed, and care for every single one of them. Students who succeed in this subject are free to become Magizoologists, which sounds pretty cool to us.
6. Potions
Chemistry is vaguely interesting, but magical chemistry is taking it to a whole new level! Potions is a core class taught at Hogwarts in which students learn how to correctly brew potions. Students start off with simple recipes using magical ingredients, but as time goes on the recipes become more and more complex. A standard potions kit includes plant ingredients (Belladonna, for example), glass phials and weighing scales. Horace Slughorn was the “Potions Master” for many years until Severus Snape took over.
5. Apparition
Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to take this class?! You would never have to sit in traffic again! Apparition is an optional 12-week course at Hogwarts which teaches students how to magically teleport from one location to the next - like Drivers Ed, for wizards. The class, which is taught by Wilkie Twycross, is only offered shortly after the Christmas holidays for students who are seventeen, or who will turn seventeen during the school year. Presumably, though, it’s still possible to learn as an adult.
4. Charms
Charms is a core class at Hogwarts that was taught by Professor Filius Flitwick for many years. The class teaches students the science of charmwork, or how to master spells that add certain properties to an object or creature (not to be confused with transfigurations). Students begin by learning how to pronounce and execute textbook charms with their wands, which can take a lot of work to get right (remember, it’s leviOSA, not levioSA). Provided you can get it right and not harm yourself or others, this class sounds amazing.
3. Broom Flying Class
Who wouldn’t want to learn how to fly? This subject teaches students how to properly fly on broomsticks without killing themselves and is taught by Madam Rolanda Hooch to first-year students only. Yes, it sounds exhilarating, but maybe not the best class for someone who’s afraid of heights. In some lessons, students are taught how to use enchanted rings to guide their flight, but most of the course aims at instructing students on in-flight techniques and maneuvers, as well as basic broom care and maintenance. We’d imagine this is a class where you really can’t afford to slack off.
2. Defense Against The Dark Arts
Despite the fact that no Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher has lasted longer than a year, this class (often written as DADA) is high up on the list simply because of its importance in the life of a witch/wizard. In this core class, students learn self-defence against dark creatures as well as defence against dark spells, potions, charms. Students also learn offensive magic (dueling, for example), counter-jinxes, and other ways to protect themselves against both physical and magical attacks. There aren’t many classes as practical as this one; if they don’t ace it, they might end up dead.
1. Transfiguration
This class was famously described by Professor McGonagall as “the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts,” which is why it’s at at the very top of the list. As one of the core classes at Hogwarts, Transfiguration teaches students the art of changing the form and appearance of an object or a person. There are many forms of transfiguration, such as cross-species transfiguration and human transfiguration, and all are limited and governed by Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Transfiguration is more scientific than charmwork, and acing it is crucial if you want to become a skilled wizard/witch.
