28 More Powerful: Hermione Granger
She was not only extremely talented, but she was also very smart, and in the end, her wits would have given her the upper hand against Voldemort.
Hermione could beat Dumbledore any day if she wanted to. She's one of the most brilliant minds of her generation; like any good Gryffindor, she's brave, loyal, and strong. She mastered advanced spells at a young age, could make any potion perfectly, and her quick thinking saved her, Ron, and Harry more than once.
She is a powerful witch with abilities rooted in her strength, determination, and fortitude. Early in the series, Hermione established herself as a force to be reckoned with, but when push comes to shove, she wasn't near the level of skill needed to defeat the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange.
Though Moody was a leader of the Order of the Phoenix, he was injured by Dolohov in a duel and eventually taken out by Voldemort himself. The real Moody never showed the ability to hold back Voldemort in battle.
Hermione: Better At Everything Else
Harry achieves a higher mark in their Defense Against The Dark Arts O.W.L., but Hermione grades higher in every other lesson. This includes Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration, all complicated methods of magic capable of overwhelming Harry's defensive skills.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort ever feared and the only one who could have defeated him in a duel. Albus Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard in the Harry Potter.
McGonagall is easily one of the most powerful magic users in Harry Potter, a devastatingly powerful duelist who even took on Voldemort himself during the Battle of Hogwarts. The most complex and difficult spells are easy for her, and she's even tougher than she looks.
Hermione's capacity for and relentless pursuit of knowledge makes her one of the most powerful characters in the Harry Potter universe. Of course, she doesn't look it, but there are plenty of times when she demonstrates this throughout both the books and the movies.
Hermione Granger
Beyond just being studious, she was able to perform extremely advanced magic, like brewing the Polyjuice Potion as a second-year or the combination Protean Charm/jinx on Dumbledore's Army's coins that permanently disfigured classmate, Marietta Edgecombe.
To her credit, Hermione is capable of advanced spells beyond her years, and she knows when and where to cast them. However, fighting another wizard is different from charming or transfiguring an object, and if Harry really wanted to, he could overpower Hermione in a serious duel.
Ginny is the youngest in the Weasley family but one would argue that she is the most powerful. The movies show a little bit of it but in the books, she can throw some pretty powerful spells right alongside Hermione, who happens to be one of her closest friends. You want power in a little package… look no further.
The power you are born with is the power you keep. Hermione, however, is one of the few characters who achieves great skill mostly through hard work. She edges out many other strong characters in Harry Potter due to her prodigious work ethic, friendship, and ability to get even more powerful overtime.
If there is a spell to encapsulate the asset Hermione is to everyone's favorite magical trio, it has to be Alohomora. Alohomora is, fittingly, the spell that is used to unlock locks. Much like her character throughout the entire series, Hermione is wicked smart, cunning, resourceful, and the best problem-solver.
It's because Hermione was far more mentally prepared for the Horcrux hunt, and its inherent dangers, than her boys were. The Horcrux took advantage of fears and insecurities, of anger and pain, feeding upon them like a leech. Harry and Ron, during this time, were both exceedingly vulnerable.
SHE'S A PROFICIENT AND POWERFUL WITCH
J.K. Rowling has stated one of the reasons Ginny is gifted is due to the fact she was a seventh child and the first female Weasley born in generations, which ties into the superstition of the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter.
Nobody can deny that Hermione Granger is the smartest character in Harry Potter, gender notwithstanding. She is consistently the best student in every year, earning extraordinary marks in all her exams and ten OWLS.
1. Neville Longbottom / Matthew Lewis.
Voldemort intentionally made six Horcruxes, but when he used Avada Kedavra on Harry, he unintentionally created a seventh Horcrux. Instead of dying, Lily's love for Harry created a counter 'curse' known as Sacrificial Protection and saved Harry.
1. Albus Dumbledore. Image via Warner Bros.
For example, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Snape was reluctant to fight McGonagall when the latter took him to a duel in front of Hogwarts students. Both characters had their strengths, but the last Harry Potter movie proved Snape was the strongest Hogwarts professor.
Avada Kedavra
Topping the list for the most powerful spells in the Harry Potter universe is no other than Avada Kedavra, Voldemort's favorite to instill his will and fear onto others. The spell itself is a play on Abra Kadabra and is easy to cast by just about anyone in the Wizarding World.
Weak: Quirinus Quirrell
Although he was intelligent and bookish, Quirinus Quirrell was the weakest of the Hogwarts professors—mostly due to his extremely timid nature. He taught the Muggle Studies course for several years before going in search of the vanquished Voldemort.