10 Highly Criticized Harry Potter Characters That Deserve Sympathy

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has begun to fill in the details of Albus Dumbledore’s life, helping audiences to better sympathize with the old man they knew in Harry Potter. Since the revelations of Deathly Hallows, Dumbledore has been highly criticized since it became clear that the headmaster was far more manipulative than he had initially seemed.

Of course, Dumbledore isn’t the only character from Harry’s story that fans have criticized in the years following the series’ conclusion. Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger, and Harry himself have all made poor choices, and all of them faced a variety of deserved consequences. However, when looking at all the circumstances these characters were in, it’s clear that they also deserved sympathy.

Severus Snape Lived A Hard Life From Start To Finish

Harry and Snape’s relationship in Harry Potter was strained from the moment they saw each other. Of course, it was several years before Harry understood why Snape hated him, and the answer changed everything. Still, it hardly justified the cruel way the teacher treated his student.

While Snape’s actions were objectively wrong, they’re easy to understand when considering how Snape was raised. Abused and neglected by his parents (and his bully), he desperately craved power, which was precisely what Voldemort promised him. Unfortunately, he lost everything positive in his life to gain power, something he would spend his life trying to make up for.

Albus Dumbledore Always Knew Harry Would Survive

The revelation in Deathly Hallows that Dumbledore had been raising Harry as a sacrifice completely changed the way audiences saw his character. It made Dumbledore’s decisions in earlier installments seem all the more selfish and cruel, such as letting Harry confront Voldemort alone time and time again.

However, in Goblet of Fire, Harry noticed Dumbledore’s triumphant look when he told the headmaster that Voldemort had used his blood to create a new body. From then on, he impressed upon Harry how choices affect destiny. He knew that Harry need only choose to turn himself over and that his blood in Voldemort’s veins would keep him tethered to life— a knowledge that makes his actions more forgivable.

Remus Lupin Was Pushed Into Getting Married

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin’s character greatly supports Harry. He teaches him about his father, James, and shows him how to be brave in the face of despair. Still, as the years continue, Lupin proves that he struggles with bravery himself. In fact, his fear ends up driving him away from his wife and unborn son.

Lupin comes to his senses and returns to his family, but many have still ridiculed him for attempting to leave. But, Lupin had been vehemently against marrying Tonks, but everyone pushed him into it. He was terrified about how his status as a werewolf would affect a potential wife and child, so it’s no surprise he thought they might be better off without him.

Ron Weasley Was Just A Typical Teenager

Ron was Harry’s best friend when they met on the Hogwarts Express, but he was far from perfect throughout their years at Hogwarts. He often struggled with the weight of Harry’s fame, which finally came to a head in Goblet of Fire when he could no longer tolerate Harry being the center of attention.

It’s hard not to resent Ron for turning his back on Harry, and it was only made worse in Deathly Hallows when it happens again. However, it must be remembered that Ron is only between 14 and 17 when these things happen, so it’s no wonder he couldn’t handle such grown-up situations.

Hermione Granger Had An Uphill Battle

When Harry and Ron first met Hermione, they could barely stand her. No one could blame them since a common criticism of Hermione in Harry Potter is that she could be a closed-minded know-it-all. While this did fade as she grew, it’s a characteristic that Hermione would never fully shake.

But, given that Hermione obsessively researched any concept she came across, it is no wonder that she felt the need to prove herself aggressively when she came to Hogwarts. Only a quick search through wizarding history would reveal to her that Muggle-born witches and wizards have been looked down on for centuries. As a young girl entering a new world, that would be a terrifying fact to know. She had to show everyone that she wasn’t a lesser witch.

Molly Weasley Couldn’t Have Done Better For Her Kids

Ron Weasley always felt less valuable than his older brothers, and the fact that his mother had always wanted a daughter (yet he was the sixth boy) was just the unfortunate topping on the cake. Fans have commonly blamed this lack of confidence on Molly Weasley since she always gave the most attention to the older, more successful children. But, this situation may be natural for such a large family and not at all Molly’s fault.

Ron watched his mother praise Charlie and Bill for becoming Quidditch Captain and Head Boy and then Percy for becoming a prefect. This was, of course, entirely appropriate for Molly to do. Ron might have felt jealous, but he hadn’t even started school yet and wasn’t old enough to have accumulated achievements of his own. He was comparing himself unfairly to his older brothers— not his mother.

James Potter Was A Product Of Generational House Rivalries

In Order of the Phoenix, Harry began to learn that his father hadn’t always been someone to look up to. Snape’s memories revealed that James wholeheartedly believed that, as a Gryffindor, he was better than Slytherins. He had also grown up thoroughly loved in a wealthy family, so his affluence was apparent to anyone who interacted with him.

Of course, Deathly Hallows shows that James comes from a long line of Gryffindors, and he knew long before attending that he would join their ranks. He even reconsidered his friendship with Sirius when he realized that the Blacks were a predominantly Slytherin family. Since he was raised with these beliefs, it’s no wonder he didn’t know any better until he was sixteen.

Sirius Black Had Never Known Kindness Before Hogwarts

In Harry Potter, Sirius Black is summed up as a tragic character, especially in adulthood. The fact that he was innocent of the crimes he had been imprisoned for was enough to garner sympathy, but once audiences saw how cruel he could be as a teenager, some of this was lost.

But, while James was raised with almost too much kindness, Sirius wasn’t raised with nearly enough. He resented his family’s cruelty and decided to live a different way, but with so few examples, it’s no wonder he was a bit of a bully in his younger teen years. The important thing is that he learned to do better as he got older.

Draco Malfoy’s Bigotry Was Completely Learned

It’s clear that in the wizarding world, family pride can cause a lot of damage to young minds. The rivalries between Gryffindor and Slytherin extended far beyond the school years, and the foundation in pure-blood mania didn’t help. In short, if a child is taught that they are better than everyone because they are from a pure Slytherin family, they will likely believe it.

Draco Malfoy might have done several cruelties during his years at Hogwarts, but as he got older and saw how his family could so quickly fall from grace, he began to change his mind. Bigotry is difficult to unlearn, but Draco made an effort, and the Wizarding World website reveals that he succeeded as an adult.

Harry Potter’s Angsty Fifth Year Was Completely Understandable

Many Harry Potter fans grew up alongside the titular main character and therefore see him as a friend they have always known. However, in Order of the Phoenix, Harry took a turn that surprised many readers. Known as Harry’s angstiest year at Hogwarts, his constant pouty anger made the character a little harder to connect with.

However, it’s entirely normal for a teenage boy to feel this way at the age of fifteen, even without the constant negative influence of Voldemort’s hidden soul fragment. Harry felt disregarded entirely, and watching his two best friends slowly grow closer while he felt more and more alone could not have been easy— poor, poor Harry.

NEXT:10 Creepiest Harry Potter Book Scenes, Ranked According To Reddit Upvotes