The Most Powerful Wizards and Witches.

[DHredefinesEPIC]

Originally Posted by Trixa

They're just joking, I think. (I hope).

Don't worrry we are.

Originally Posted by Trixa

Just because actors do something in the movies, because they think it would be more entertaining or whatever, doesn't change who the character really is in canon.

Actually I always imagined Bellatrix just like Helena potrayed her, I'm not sure why.

Originally Posted by Trixa

You can't explain Bella's defeat by referring to something HBC did, IMO.

If you'll look in my original post you will see that I firmly believe it was Molly's love more than anything, the person I was replying to (Nandi) said "Molly doing it while Bella was not dead-drunk at the time to me looked as very weird and unrealistic"

so I made a joke about it, or tried to...

Originally Posted by Trixa

I would say that the defeat is a combination of more factors: not having her own wand,

Wow! I did not think about that. I wonder if Hermione summoned her wand when Bellatrix died and then gave Bella's wand to someone else...or snapped it in two.

Originally Posted by Mistichic

Quote:
I did forget one other skill Harry had, as a wizard: he was able to resist the imperious curse. I don't know how many other wizards could do this.

I think Hermione would be able to, she didn't crack under the Cruciatus Curse, that shows huge willpower, which is what I thought enabled Harry to resist it.

Originally Posted by Nandi

If you go for improbable let Hermione stab Bella for example it would give the message of tolerance a bigger importance. And it would be nice to have her killed in the same way she killed poor Dobby.And that would please me alot.

That would have been awesome.

[wickedwickedboy]

I think if Bella hadn't been a bit batty from Azkaban, she would have been a more powerful witch. She had ability, just lacked mental capacity. I think Hermione was powerful too - not as powerful as Harry/Neville, but very powerful. She lacked only experience. I think Lupin, Snape, Arthur, Molly and others in that vein, were good, but not subra powerful, at least not that I saw. The Aurors I would hold out as being more powerful (Kingsley, Tonks, Moody) due to their extra training and experience. Dumbledore was very powerful for that reason also - he had a lot of ability and tons of experience. Still, he was no Ignotus or Merlin - so he wasn't quite at the height of power. I think Harry had surpassed him and would go on to be like Merlin or Ignotus. Depending on how much experience he got, Neville had the potential to do that as well. Magic with practice could make one a very powerful wizard, but Neville and Harry had something more - more powerful than magic. No one else had that.

[Nandi]

Originally Posted by DHredefinesEPIC

That would have been awesome.

For one it would be something Bellatrix had not counted on.It says nowhere Magicians cannot get shot or stabbed if done unexpectedly.At least that would be a little more realistic to me.But under the right circumstances.Another i mention elsewhere. Have Molly killed off and her children defeat Bella i mean no person can beat 7 attackers 8 if you count Arthur

[Trixa]

Originally Posted by Nandi

If you go for improbable let Hermione stab Bella for example it would give the message of tolerance a bigger importance.

That doesn't sound too good. Stabbing someone inforces the message of tolerance?

Originally Posted by wickedwickedboy

I think if Bella hadn't been a bit batty from Azkaban, she would have been a more powerful witch.

But Voldemort is crazy too and he is always considered very powerful by the fans. He isn't more sane than Bella. I don't think she is insane either, she's just evil and lacks a conscience, but she isn't crazy in the sense that she doesn't understand her surroundings or cannot separate reality from fantasy.

I think Harry had surpassed him and would go on to be like Merlin or Ignotus.

Harry was never ppowerful, IMO. Not saying he was weak but he wasn't powerful either. He had the advantage of his mother's sacrifice otherwise he would have been dead a long time ago. He was brave and loyal and keen on doing the right thing (most of the time) but he was no Dumbledore. His strength came from somewhere else.

Magic with practice could make one a very powerful wizard, but Neville and Harry had something more - more powerful than magic. No one else had that.

I think most people are capable of feeling love and empathy, not just Harry and Neville.

[jeffski]

the mcgonagall charater gave me goosebumps in the deathly hallows. so powerful, so brave. I love what she does to two extremely powerful wizards, snape and slughorn. Matches snape for power in a duel,and basically threatens to kill slughorn. I dont think she was one to make idle threats, she meant it and slughorn knew it. I think some of the most amazing magic in the entire series came out of mcgonagalls wand at the end of book 7. Animating the entire castle! i seriously doubt there were that many in the wizarding world with that kind of power and skill. The only character we saw that casts 3 patronus's at once.
harry seems shocked when she says "we shall secure the school from he who must not be named named while you look for this object" I love her response when harry seems shocked by this statement. "we teachers are rather good at magic, you know". haha....she certainly was confident in her abilities. Taking on voldemort in the end also. She was amazing

1. dumbledore
2.voldemort
3.mcgonagall
4.snape

[MoodyPrime]

Here are my top 5 (6). Keep in mind that, in J.K. Rowling's universe, love is the greatest magic of all. Hence the reason why Dumbledore, Lilly Potter, and Molly Weasley are on the list.

Dumbledore
Harry Potter (Lilly Potter)
Molly Weasley
Alastor Moody
Severus Snape

[Rush]

Here's my top list. I rated these talent wise, not necessarily power wise.

1. Albus Dumbledore - Consensus number one. The only one Voldemort ever feared, numerous accomplishments
2. Lord Voldemort - Extremely powerful wizard, went further magically than anyone else had gone, killed many singlehandedly
3. Gellert Grindelwald - Great dark wizard. We don't know much about him, but I think Dumbledore said there were nearly equal talent wise.
4. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody - Most powerful Auror of all-time. Defeated and captured many skilled Death-Eaters
5. Severus Snape - Extremely talented wizard. Potion extraordinaire, expert Occlumens/Legilimens, invented spells, and was able to fly.
6. Minerva McGonagall - Transfiguration master, animangus, and terriffic dueller. She held her own against Snape and survived four stunning spells to the chest.
7. Filius Flitwick - We don't know too much about Flitwick, although he was a champion dueller in his younger years. Also managed to defeat Antonin Dolohov at the Battle of Hogwarts
8. Antonin Dolohov - Very powerful Death Eater. Killed Remus Lupin, and the Prewetts, defeated Mad-Eye Moody, duelled, used nonverbal spell on Hermione Granger.
9. Bellatrix Lestrange - Killed Sirius Black. Defeated Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt
10. Kingsley Shacklebolt - Minister for Magic and powerful auror.

Honorable Mention to Remus Lupin, Horace Slughorn, Barty Crouch Jr., among others

I chose not to include James Potter, Lily Potter, and Sirius Black because I don't think we know enough about them in their prime. The same goes for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Feel free to agree or disagree

[TheDarkLord72]

In terms of sheer skill the top three wizards would have to be as follows:
Dumbledore
Voldemort
Grindlewald (i consider him up here because of the legendary deul with Dumbledore in 1945, and he would have been the most evil wizard of all time if it hadn't have been for Voldemort)

Other than those three however:
Bellatrix
Sirius
James and Lilly Potter
Frank and Alice Longbottom
Mad Eye Moody and Kingsly
Remeus Lupin
and I would have to say that had Tonks not died she would have been a good witch

[Sirius_Weasley]

1. Merlin
2. Salazar Slytherin
3. Godric Gryffindor
4. Rowena Ravenclaw
5. Helga Hufflepuff
6. Tom Marvolo Riddle
7. Albus Dumbledore
8. Gellert Grindelwald
9. Sirius Black/James Potter/Severus Snape/Lily Evans/Kingsley Shacklebolt/Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody/Minerva McGonnagal/Filius Flitwick
10. Hermione Granger

I had to include the last 9 (Sirius - Hermione), they're all very powerfuland I couldn't leave any of them out of the Top 10, so yeah. I think that Xeno Lovegood and his wife could also be cosidered as powerful, for their inventions...

[meLzo]

1. Albus Dumbledore ~ Voldemort feared him. From what I read in the books, no one else had greater skills/power than him, even in school. Therefore, he gets the number one spot.
2. Severus Snape ~ Sorry, Voldy, he pretty much owned you. Haha. He has basically all the skills Voldemort does - like flying (because Voldemort taught him ). However, he also knows his own spells, he lied/spied on Voldemort for almost twenty years, and he knows how to love. Yay, Severus!
3. Lord Voldemort ~ Okay, he killed a lot of people. . .and he's evil. . .and he can do some pretty cool tricks. That's about it.
4. Harry Potter ~ Er, I'm not sure why he's not higher on other people's. He definitely beat Voldemort, and it wasn't just because of the Elder Wand. That helped. . .a lot, but he still also destroyed all of the Horcruxes (not by himself, though) and possessed all of the Hallows. He's also a good wizard, in general. He may not be able to do all the fancy tricks Dumbledore and Voldemort can do, but he's good at saving his (and his friend's) life - without resorting to violence. He also understood Voldemort better than anyone else - other than Dumbledore, and it was with Dumbledore's help. Later, he also becomes an Auror. . .Head of the Department, actually.
5. Kingsley Shacklebolt ~ He's the Head of the Auror Department, and he doesn't die in the end. I do believe he also later becomes Minister of Magic. . .so, there you go. He's a seriously good wizard.

Runner-ups (Not in Order): Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, 'Dora Tonks, Sirius Black, Lucius Malfoy, Hermione Granger

I'd just like to make a comment about Grindelwald: Er. . .yeah, Dumbledore defeated him, but I think reports made it bigger than it actually was. Considering they were lovers () and Dumbledore left him alive, I think they had to fight for it, but nothing that bad could have happened. I know they basically learned magic together, but Dumbledore seemed to come out on top, while Grindelwald was in a corner, hiding, basically. That's just my opinion. XoX

[Sirius_Weasley]

Originally Posted by meLzo

1. Albus Dumbledore ~ Voldemort feared him. From what I read in the books, no one else had greater skills/power than him, even in school. Therefore, he gets the number one spot.
2. Severus Snape ~ Sorry, Voldy, he pretty much owned you. Haha. He has basically all the skills Voldemort does - like flying (because Voldemort taught him ). However, he also knows his own spells, he lied/spied on Voldemort for almost twenty years, and he knows how to love. Yay, Severus!
3. Lord Voldemort ~ Okay, he killed a lot of people. . .and he's evil. . .and he can do some pretty cool tricks. That's about it.
4. Harry Potter ~ Er, I'm not sure why he's not higher on other people's. He definitely beat Voldemort, and it wasn't just because of the Elder Wand. That helped. . .a lot, but he still also destroyed all of the Horcruxes (not by himself, though) and possessed all of the Hallows. He's also a good wizard, in general. He may not be able to do all the fancy tricks Dumbledore and Voldemort can do, but he's good at saving his (and his friend's) life - without resorting to violence. He also understood Voldemort better than anyone else - other than Dumbledore, and it was with Dumbledore's help. Later, he also becomes an Auror. . .Head of the Department, actually.
5. Kingsley Shacklebolt ~ He's the Head of the Auror Department, and he doesn't die in the end. I do believe he also later becomes Minister of Magic. . .so, there you go. He's a seriously good wizard.

Runner-ups (Not in Order): Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, 'Dora Tonks, Sirius Black, Lucius Malfoy, Hermione Granger

I'd just like to make a comment about Grindelwald: Er. . .yeah, Dumbledore defeated him, but I think reports made it bigger than it actually was. Considering they were lovers () and Dumbledore left him alive, I think they had to fight for it, but nothing that bad could have happened. I know they basically learned magic together, but Dumbledore seemed to come out on top, while Grindelwald was in a corner, hiding, basically. That's just my opinion. XoX

I don't really think tat Voldy was more powerful than Dumbledore, because, in HBP, as an 11 year old who was raised by muggles, he could control his magic very well and already knew that he had supernatural powers. Also, in OotP, he managed to stay even with Dumbledore, even though Dumbledore had te Elder Wand, so yeah...
I think that Voldemort may actually be more powerful than Snape, since he was actually described as 'The Most Powerful Dark Wizard ever'... and just read the above paragraph on how he is more powerful than DD... =/
Harry isn't in most of them, because, basically, he just managed to survive because of Lily's love. If it weren't for that, he would have died when he was a 1 year old; he wouldn't have been able to defeat Quirrel, probably would have caused him to die; he wouldn't have survived the duel against Voldy in his 4th year; he would have died in "The Forest Again" in DH.

Grindelwald was actually a very powerful wizard, DD himself said that he was only slightly more powerful than Grindelwald, so yeah. And Lucius Malfoy isn't really veyr powerful, compared to other such as Sirius Black, Bellatrix Lestrange, Mad-Eye, Flitwick...

Edit: And while DD did have feelings for Grindelwald, I doubt he felt the same way himself... =/

Edit: And while DD did have feelings for Grindelwald, I doubt he felt the same way himself... =/

[meLzo]

Originally Posted by Sirius_Weasley

I don't really think tat Voldy was more powerful than Dumbledore, because, in HBP, as an 11 year old who was raised by muggles, he could control his magic very well and already knew that he had supernatural powers. Also, in OotP, he managed to stay even with Dumbledore, even though Dumbledore had te Elder Wand, so yeah...
I think that Voldemort may actually be more powerful than Snape, since he was actually described as 'The Most Powerful Dark Wizard ever'... and just read the above paragraph on how he is more powerful than DD... =/
Harry isn't in most of them, because, basically, he just managed to survive because of Lily's love. If it weren't for that, he would have died when he was a 1 year old; he wouldn't have been able to defeat Quirrel, probably would have caused him to die; he wouldn't have survived the duel against Voldy in his 4th year; he would have died in "The Forest Again" in DH.

Grindelwald was actually a very powerful wizard, DD himself said that he was only slightly more powerful than Grindelwald, so yeah. And Lucius Malfoy isn't really veyr powerful, compared to other such as Sirius Black, Bellatrix Lestrange, Mad-Eye, Flitwick...

Edit: And while DD did have feelings for Grindelwald, I doubt he felt the same way himself... =/

Edit: And while DD did have feelings for Grindelwald, I doubt he felt the same way himself... =/

Dumbledore and Harry could both use and (for the most part on Harry's part) control their magic before they came to Hogwarts, as well. Dumbledore knew he had the Elder Wand, but he also knew he couldn't kill Voldemort for Harry's sake, and he doesn't just kill people for the fun of it.
As for Snape, Voldemort was "The Most Powerful Dark Wizard", but Snape wasn't evil like Voldemort, so of course he wasn't considered such. Occlumency/Legilimency is a very powerful form of magic, and Snape used it more powerfully than Voldemort. Plus, Snape had his own made spells. Voldemort, from what we've seen, did not. He just used very powerful spells.
And for Harry: Lily's love saved him when he was 1, but no other witch/wizard could survive that. Lily's love is part of Harry, and therefore, makes Harry more powerful. With Quirrel, that love may have saved him, but Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione knew where Harry was, and I highly doubt anybody would have let him die down there. In the graveyard, um, Harry definitely did that all on his own. The only reason his parents and everybody else showed up was because of the spell Harry cast. He won that fight fair and square. And in DH in "The Forest Again", Voldemort killed the part of himself first (leading to he King's Cross chapter), and then Narcissa lied to Voldemort. If anybody is to thank (other than Harry) for him surviving that, it was her.
No one is sure what Gindelwald actually feels for Dumbledore, but I think the fact that Dumbledore defeated him and he didn't come back for seconds showed he cared.
And, lastly, for Lucius. He's still alive, correct? Bellatrix, Moody, and Sirius are all dead. Flitwick survived, given, but he also has goblin blood in him (and he's short ), and that helps a lot. I'm not saying the Hogwart's staff isn't talented. But how many of them faced Voldemort? Lucius didn't die, but he got trained by Voldemort and he's very close to Severus. I think he's very powerful. XoX

[Claddagh]

1. Dumbledore-He was obviously very very powerful, but his ability to understand people and the tremendous amount of self control he exhibited sets him apart.
2. Snape-He was a master in many areas of magic, relied upon by both Dumbledore and Voldemort. In my opinion, he could have become even more powerful. Had he chosen to, I think he could have manipulated both Dumbledore and Voldemort in his favor, as they were so trusting of him.(well obviously he did manipulate Voldemort, I just think he could have gone further if he had different intentions) His love for Lily also makes him powerful.
3. Voldemort-He was willing to stop at nothing to get what he wanted. To him, no price was too high if it helped him reach his goal
4. Grindelwald-He too was willing to and capable of going where no one had gone before
with magic
5. Minerva McGonagall/Bellatrix Lestrange- McGonagall was excellent at magic, and very smart. Bellatrix was just evil, and very good at dark magic. She loved Voldemort and was willing to do anything for him.
6. Harry and Hermione- They were both able to perform magic well beyond their years, although their strengths lay in different areas. Ultimately, I don't think Harry would have been able to defeat Voldemort without Hermione's help along the way.
7. The four Hogwarts founders- Each was strong on their own, but combined they were incredibly powerful. They would have been more so had they remained united.
8. Lupin, Sirius, James, Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody- All of them were really accomplished witches/wizards. James and Sirius both became Animagi on their own while they were young, and both defeated powerful dark wizards many times. Sirius was the first person to figure out how to break out of Azkaban.Lupin and Tonks were both really good at magic, I don't think we are quite shown everything they do for the Order, but they were important. And Kingsley and Moody were both excellent Aurors, and obviously very accomplished wizards.
9. Molly and Ginny- They were both very good witches, more so than they are often given credit for. They both take on some very accomplished dark wizards. Also, both of them are driven by love, which is shown to be the most powerful kind of magic.
10. Fred and George- In terms of magical experimentation, these two were some of the best. The swamp was brilliant. They also had many other inventions that no one else had come up with in their joke shop.

Wow! That list was harder than I thought. I'm still debating who should be in front of who for a few of these.

[ezzjay]

Who do you rate as the top ten most powerful wizards in the Harry Potter era; based within the seven years the books are set in, so not including previously powerful wizards. I think:

1. Dumbeldore
2. Volvermort
3. Snape
4. Bellatrix
5. Mad-Eye Moody
6. Scrimegour
7. Kingsley
8. Flitwick (as he was once a deuling champion according to Hermione)
9. Dolohov
10. Lupin

[ezzjay]

Originally Posted by bellatrix93

If you're talking about magical skill, then I don't think Harry would make the list in that case. Harry mostly defeated Voldemort with his ability to love. Which isn't a magical skill.

As for those who would make the list. I think most of those mentioned above were the most skilled witches and wizard we heard about. So - in no particular order-
Dumbledore: We saw many aspects of his skill in the books
Snape and Voldemort: Both of them experimented with magic and came up with notable results.
Bellatrix Lestrange: That -I think- was very clear. She was even talented when it came to muggle weapons.
Grindlewald: According to the books he was almost as dangerous as Voldemort.
McGonagall: A very skilled and intelligent witch.
Mad eye and Kingsley: Both very skilled aurors.
James, Sirius and Lupin: They managed human transfiguration at a very young age.
Lily (and James): Mostly for facing Voldemort and surviving three times.
However, I don't think this list includes all skilled and powerful witches and wizards in the books. Because each wizard and witch had something that made them superior to others. Each one was bright and powerful at something. So I think there's plenty of other witches and wizards who deserve to be on that list. Hermione comes to mind, as well as the Weasley twins.
The list goes on and on .

Call me silly, but did Lily and James really survive Voldermort 3 times?

[elmensen]

Originally Posted by ezzjay

Call me silly, but did Lily and James really survive Voldermort 3 times?

While we're never explicitly told what they did, it is implied in the prophecy Trelawney made that "The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him..." So yes, they did, but we don't really know what these times were.

[FirstOne617]

Dumbledore tells Harry explicitly that his parents defied Voldemort 3 times. When he tells Harry that Voldemort chose Neville instead of him, he says that Neville's parents defied Voldemort three times as well.

Anyway, top 10:

1. Dumbledore: Not only was he amazingly powerful, he was brilliant intellectually. His ability to outthink Voldemort, and to see the whole chessboard of the Wizarding wars, makes him number 1, no contest.

2. Voldemort: The most powerful magically of any of the wizards. His skill is deadly. However, his hubris eventually led to his downfall, and because of that, he has to drop down a place.

3. Harry Potter: Yup, top 3. His strength of spirit allowed him to face Voldemort and defeat him. Truly a great wizard and person.

4. Minerva McGonagall: Hey, she had Snape beat in that duel. He ran away. There was a reason she was deputy headmistress.

5. Severus Snape: Please don't hate me for dropping him down here. He's a good wizard, but just not as powerful as the four above him.

6. Hermione Granger: The brightest witch of her age saved Harry's bacon numerous times. She's intelligent and quick-thinking. She has proven time and again her skill.

7. Mad-Eye Moody: Dumbledore's second-in-command in the Order lost a bit with age, I think.

8. Bellatrix Lestrange: Great character, lethal when roused, just a bit crazy. She was a powerful witch, just not that powerful.

9. Ginny Weasley: Numerous mentions of her power, took out Malfoy in Order of the Phoenix, could fight Death Eaters single-handedly. Not bad for 16.

10. Weasley twins: Not so great at the fighting, but incredible inventors.

[ezzjay]

Originally Posted by FirstOne617

Dumbledore tells Harry explicitly that his parents defied Voldemort 3 times. When he tells Harry that Voldemort chose Neville instead of him, he says that Neville's parents defied Voldemort three times as well.

Anyway, top 10:

1. Dumbledore: Not only was he amazingly powerful, he was brilliant intellectually. His ability to outthink Voldemort, and to see the whole chessboard of the Wizarding wars, makes him number 1, no contest.

2. Voldemort: The most powerful magically of any of the wizards. His skill is deadly. However, his hubris eventually led to his downfall, and because of that, he has to drop down a place.

3. Harry Potter: Yup, top 3. His strength of spirit allowed him to face Voldemort and defeat him. Truly a great wizard and person.

4. Minerva McGonagall: Hey, she had Snape beat in that duel. He ran away. There was a reason she was deputy headmistress.

5. Severus Snape: Please don't hate me for dropping him down here. He's a good wizard, but just not as powerful as the four above him.

6. Hermione Granger: The brightest witch of her age saved Harry's bacon numerous times. She's intelligent and quick-thinking. She has proven time and again her skill.

7. Mad-Eye Moody: Dumbledore's second-in-command in the Order lost a bit with age, I think.

8. Bellatrix Lestrange: Great character, lethal when roused, just a bit crazy. She was a powerful witch, just not that powerful.

9. Ginny Weasley: Numerous mentions of her power, took out Malfoy in Order of the Phoenix, could fight Death Eaters single-handedly. Not bad for 16.

10. Weasley twins: Not so great at the fighting, but incredible inventors.

If you base McGonagall ahead of Snape because she out-duled him, but Snape easily beat Harry, he "lazily flicked his wand" when Harry used Sectumsempra sending Harry flying across the ground.

[MistressofRaven]

Originally Posted by ezzjay

If you base McGonagall ahead of Snape because she out-duled him, but Snape easily beat Harry, he "lazily flicked his wand" when Harry used Sectumsempra sending Harry flying across the ground.

True. And we also have to consider that Snape was not really dueling McGonagall because he was on their side.

[Nyjets4004]

People are forgeting that the number one wizard should be merlin i mean he's pretty good