Hogwarts Classes

The curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry consists of a variety of classes designed to teach young witches and wizards how to control and utilize their magical abilities. The educational structure is divided into a core curriculum for the first five years, a selection of elective subjects starting in the third year, and advanced, specialized courses for students pursuing Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (N.E.W.T.) level qualifications in their sixth and seventh years.

These seven subjects are mandatory for all students from their first year until they sit their Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) examinations at the end of their fifth year.

• Astronomy: The only field of study at Hogwarts that has a direct equivalent in the Muggle world. Classes are held at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the tallest tower at the castle, and involve observing the night sky with telescopes.
  • Professor: Aurora Sinistra (Her name is not mentioned in the novels but was confirmed by J.K. Rowling).
• Charms: Focuses on spells that alter the properties of an object or creature without fundamentally changing its nature. This subject is taught in Charms Classroom and covers a wide range of practical magic, from levitation (`Wingardium Leviosa`) to summoning (`Accio`).
  • Professor: Filius Flitwick
• Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.): A critical subject that teaches students how to defend themselves against Dark Magic, the Dark Arts, and Dark creatures. The teaching position was famously jinxed during Harry Potter's time at school, resulting in a new teacher each year.
  • Professors: Quirinus Quirrell, Gilderoy Lockhart, Remus Lupin, Barty Crouch Jr. (as Alastor Moody), Dolores Umbridge, Severus Snape, and Amycus Carrow.
• Herbology: The study of magical and mundane plants and fungi. Lessons are conducted in the greenhouses on the castle grounds and involve hands-on work with plants like Mandrakes and Bubotubers.
  • Professor: Pomona Sprout
• History of Magic: A lecture-based class that details the history of the wizarding world, including major events like goblin rebellions and giant wars. It is infamous for being the most boring subject, taught by a ghost who doesn't seem to notice he is dead.
  • Professor: Cuthbert Binns
• Potions: The art of brewing magical draughts and elixirs from various ingredients. It requires precision, patience, and a subtle understanding of magical properties. Classes are held in one of the dungeons.
  • Professors: Severus Snape, Horace Slughorn
• Transfiguration: The magic of changing the form and appearance of an object or, in advanced cases, a creature. It is considered a highly scientific and difficult branch of magic that requires precise wand movements and concentration.
  • Professor: Minerva McGonagall
• Flying: Mandatory for all first-year students, these lessons teach the basics of riding a broomstick. They are typically held on the castle's training grounds.
  • Instructor: Madam Hooch

At the end of their second year, students must choose at least two additional subjects to study from their third year onwards.

• Arithmancy: A branch of magic concerned with the magical properties of numbers. It is known to be a difficult subject favored by logical thinkers like Hermione Granger.
  • Professor: Septima Vector
• Care of Magical Creatures: This class teaches students about a wide range of magical beasts, including their habits, care, and dangers. Lessons are held outdoors on the Hogwarts grounds.
  • Professors: Silvanus Kettleburn (retired), Rubeus Hagrid, and substitute Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank.
• Divination: The art of predicting the future using various methods such as tea leaves, crystal balls, palmistry, and astrology. The subject is taught in a stuffy, incense-filled classroom at the top of the North Tower.
  • Professors: Sybill Trelawney and Firenze.
• Muggle Studies: The study of non-magical people and their way of life from a wizarding perspective. During the Second Wizarding War, the class was turned into Dark Arts propaganda under the control of the Carrows.
  • Professors: Charity Burbage, Alecto Carrow.
• Study of Ancient Runes: A primarily academic subject focused on the translation of ancient runic scripts. It is taken by Hermione Granger, who uses her knowledge to help translate `The Tales of Beedle the Bard`.
  • Professor: Bathsheda Babbling (Pottermore).

After their fifth year, students who achieve a sufficiently high grade in a subject's O.W.L. exam may advance to study it at the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (N.E.W.T.) level. These advanced classes are smaller, more rigorous, and are often required for specific careers in the wizarding world, such as becoming an Auror. In addition to the standard curriculum, specialized instruction is available for older students:

• Apparition: A 12-week course offered to students who are, or will turn, seventeen during the school year. Taught by a Ministry of Magic instructor, it teaches the difficult magic of teleporting from one place to another.
  • Instructor: Wilkie Twycross
• Alchemy: This ancient science, concerned with the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life, is offered as a N.E.W.T.-level subject when there is sufficient demand. (Pottermore).

Student performance is regularly assessed through homework, practical demonstrations, and written essays. At the end of each school year, students sit for end-of-year examinations. Two major, externally-moderated examinations mark the culmination of a Hogwarts education:

• Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s): Taken at the end of the fifth year, these exams test a student's knowledge across all their core and elective subjects. The results determine which subjects a student can continue to N.E.W.T. level.
• Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests (N.E.W.T.s): Taken at the end of the seventh year in a student's chosen advanced subjects. High N.E.W.T. grades are essential for many postgraduate careers.

• While the novels mention professors for most subjects, the names for the Astronomy professor (Aurora Sinistra) and the Ancient Runes professor (Bathsheda Babbling) were revealed by J.K. Rowling on the Pottermore website (now Wizarding World).
• The existence of Alchemy as a potential N.E.W.T.-level subject was also confirmed through supplementary material on Pottermore.