Summary

• Some Hogwarts classes are more enjoyable and necessary than others, like Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures.
• The appeal of Hogwarts classes is subjective, influenced by real-world interests and professors' teaching abilities.
• Classes like Divination, History of Magic, and Muggle Studies have varying usefulness and engagement levels.

Throughout the Harry Potter books, the story confirms that there are more than a dozen classes taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, some of which are more enjoyable than others. Some classes are simply necessary for survival, such as Defence Against the Dark Arts, while others are more obscure but no less captivating, like Care of Magical Creatures. A surprising number of classes don't involve performing any actual magic, but studying the magical effects of natural phenomena. The curriculum at Hogwarts is rich and varied, full of fascinating and magical subjects, but some are undeniably more important (and interesting) than others.

To a degree, Harry Potter fans are forced to come to their own conclusions about which Hogwarts classes sound the best, as they are consuming the story from the perspective of the real world. Descriptions like "magical math" or "magical gardening" give the reader a sense of which subjects they would like based on what they like learning in real life. Most classes' enjoyability and usefulness is strongly affected by who the best Hogwarts professors are. However, based on the overall perception of the characters in Harry Potter, it is still evident that certain classes are generally better than others.

14 Divination

Taught By Professor Sybil Trelawney

In Divination, students learn how to use crystal balls, tea leaves, dreams, and other tools to gather insights into the future. On paper, it sounds amazing, although some may be concerned about the implications of knowing the future. It is also perhaps not concrete enough to be extremely useful. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had reservations about Divination as a subject, given its abstract nature. In Harry Potter, a few select students seem to have an aptitude for it, while many greatly respect Professor Trelawney. However, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all hated the class and never took Trelawney's predictions seriously.

13 History Of Magic

Taught By Professor Cuthbert Binns

History of Magic is exactly what it sounds like: the study of magical history, with a focus on ing dates, names and events. The class is taught by the ghost of Professor Binns who, according to Hogwarts folklore, simply failed to realize that he was dead and continued on teaching as if nothing happened. This class also probably could be interesting, but most Hogwarts students detest it due to Binns' teaching, with his droning voice making the class the most boring one offered. It requires an enormous amount of effort from the students to make the material engaging or worthwhile.

12 Muggle Studies

Taught By Professors Charity Burbage & Alecto Carrow

Another subject whose title speaks for itself, Muggle Studies is the study of the lives of Muggles (non-magical folk). It covers elements of the non-magical world largely absent from the Wizarding World, such as electricity. The class is essential to wizards' understanding of Muggles and facilitating good magical and non-magical relations. However, it is a bit strange from the readers' perspective that students are required to study diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects and highlights the absence of practical (non-electric) technology in the Wizarding World. Under Lord Voldemort's regime, the curriculum was perverted, and it was used to spread hate and vitriol.

11 Arithmancy

Taught By Professor Septima Vector

Arithmancy sounds very interesting, but this probably depends on whether the student has a mind for math.

The books never clearly explain what Arithmancy is, but it is generally agreed upon that it is a kind of magical math. The Harry Potter tie-ins suggest that Arithmancy is the practice of asg numerical values to words. The suffix "-mancy" means "divination," implying that discerning the future is also a part of the curriculum. It became Hermione's favorite subject when she started taking it third year; Bill Weasely also would have taken the course as it is required to become a Gringotts curse-breaker. Arithmancy sounds very interesting, but this probably depends on whether the student has a mind for math.

10 Ancient Runes

Taught By Professor Bathsheda Babbling

This class teaches students how to decode the ancient alphabet that was used by ancient wizards, also covering some ancient wizarding culture. Hermione possibly has the chance to use her knowledge from this class in the months-long hunt for the Horcruxes; for instance, she is able to tell Harry that the Deathly Hallows symbol is not a rune. It is, in essence, a language class; like with how certain people have varying aptitudes for math, others are better at picking up new languages. It is a solid subject that has the potential to be complicated, depending on the grammar rules of this language.

9 Astronomy

Taught By Professor Aurora Sinistra

Like Ancient Runes, Astronomy is a very straightforward class that bears some of the strongest similarities to courses taught in the real world. The only difference is that students are expected not just to learn the names and movements of the stars and planets, but their magical effects. Like with subjects including runes, history, and Muggle Studies, the use of magic during lessons is not strictly necessary. Students may find it compelling or dull, but its uses are far-reaching. Scattered pieces of information in Harry Potter reveal that the movements of the stars have tangible effects on potions and spellwork.

8 Herbology

Taught By Professors Pomona Sprout & Neville Longbottom

People with a green thumb would definitely enjoy Herbology; others probably less so. Whether a student enjoys it or not, it's a required class at Hogwarts for the first five years, as students have the option to drop most mandatory classes after that. In Herbology, students study magical plants and fungi, learning to care for and utilize various plant life. Many plants can be used for potions and medicine. The way the classes are described suggests that it is exhaustive work, but the uses of these plants come up at surprising moments in the story.

7 Care Of Magical Creatures

Taught By Professors Rubeus Hagrid, Silvanus Kettleburn, & Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank

Care of Magical Creatures is a hands-on elective, also available to be added to schedules in the third year. Students are taught how to feed, breed, and care for a wide range of magical creatures. Successful students can become Magizoologists, the chosen profession of Newt Scamander and Luna Lovegood. During the series, the course is somewhat inconsistent, as Hagrid loses some of his confidence after Draco Malfoy is attacked by Buckbeak and sticks to studying boring, non-threatening creatures. However, Harry and his peers do attend some amazing classes focusing on unicorns, Hippogriffs, Nifflers, and Thestrals.

It is revealed in Harry Potter: Magic Awakened that Hogwarts added a similar subject of Field Studies sometime in the 2010s. This class involves studying magical creatures in nature; students journey to specific locations for this purpose. The class was proposed by Archibald Eagleton, who was its first professor; it is later taught by Luna.

6 Apparition

Taught By Instructor Wilkie Twycross

Apparition can be characterized as a very difficult course necessary to obtain an incredibly useful skill, as well as the certification needed to use it legally. A Ministry instructor comes to Hogwarts to teach the class over 12 weeks, at the end of which students over the age of 17 can take the test to get their Apparition license. Harry and many of his peers hate the class and brutally mock the instructor when he was not present. However, the rewards of ing the course are too great to write it off as not being worth the trouble.

5 Broom Flying

Taught By Madame Rolanda Hooch

Madame Hooch is responsible for teaching first-year students how to properly fly on broomsticks. Anyone who has watched a Quidditch scene can believe that this would be exhilarating, but maybe it is 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 (a detail from the Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone video game); the course also covers broom maintenance. Harry Potter convinces the reader with no comparable experience that flying is amazing, and therefore, the class is too.