Core Classes at Hogwarts

A Core Class is a mandatory subject that all students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are required to study from their first year until the end of their fifth year. These subjects form the fundamental bedrock of a young witch or wizard's magical education. Every student must take all seven core classes and sit for an Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) examination in each at the end of their fifth year. Performance in these exams determines a student's eligibility to continue studying a subject at the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (N.E.W.T.) level during their sixth and seventh years, which is essential for many wizarding careers.

The seven core classes taught at Hogwarts are:

• Astronomy: The study of the stars, planets, and their movements. Lessons are typically practical and held at night in the tallest Astronomy Tower. The subject is taught by Professor Aurora Sinistra.
• Charms: The branch of magic concerned with imparting new and interesting properties onto objects and creatures. It is taught by Professor Filius Flitwick and is considered a precise and delicate art.
• Defence Against the Dark Arts: A critical subject that teaches students how to magically defend themselves against the Dark Arts, including dark creatures, curses, jinxes, and hexes. This teaching post was famously cursed by Lord Voldemort, resulting in a new teacher every year until his final defeat.
• Herbology: The study of magical plants and fungi, covering their care, properties, and uses. Lessons are held in the Hogwarts greenhouses on the castle grounds and are taught by Professor Pomona Sprout.
• History of Magic: The study of significant events in wizarding history. It is taught by Professor Cuthbert Binns, a ghost whose monotonous lectures are legendary for putting students to sleep.
• Potions: The art of creating magical mixtures with a wide range of effects. It is a highly precise and often dangerous subject, taught in the dungeons by Professor Severus Snape and later Professor Horace Slughorn.
• Transfiguration: The magic of changing one object or being into another. Considered a difficult and scientific branch of magic, it is taught by Deputy Headmistress Professor Minerva McGonagall.

Core classes are central to a student's academic progression. After five years of mandatory study, a student's O.W.L. grade dictates their future academic and career paths.

• O.W.L. Examinations: These exams are the culmination of five years of study in the core curriculum. Students receive grades such as 'Outstanding', 'Exceeds Expectations', or 'Acceptable' for passing, and 'Poor', 'Dreadful', or 'Troll' for failing.
• N.E.W.T. Level Qualification: To continue a subject into the sixth and seventh years, a student must typically achieve a high O.W.L. grade. The required grade is set by the individual professor. For instance, Professor Snape demanded an 'Outstanding' O.W.L. to enter his N.E.W.T. Potions class, whereas Professor Slughorn accepted students with 'Exceeds Expectations'.
• Career Paths: Strong N.E.W.T. results are prerequisites for many specialized careers regulated by the Ministry of Magic, such as becoming an Auror, which requires at least five N.E.W.T.s with top grades in subjects like Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions.

• While not one of the seven core O.W.L. subjects, Flying lessons on broomsticks, taught by Madam Rolanda Hooch, are mandatory for all first-year students. After the first year, it appears to cease being a required class, though students can pursue it further through Quidditch.
• The curriculum of core classes mirrors the structure of a traditional British boarding school, establishing a foundational education before students specialize in elective subjects from their third year onwards.
• On the Pottermore website, the list of core subjects is consistent with the novels, confirming these seven classes as the foundation of the Hogwarts curriculum (Pottermore).