10 Best Harry Potter Characters From Hufflepuff House, Ranked

Hufflepuff is one of the four Houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which, like the others, was named after one of the school’s founders, Helga Hufflepuff. Students sorted into Hufflepuff are often hard-working, patient, loyal, kind, and a little goofy. Many of them are also animal or plant lovers, and tend to excel in Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures.

Unfortunately, this is the House that is least prominent in the Harry Potter films. That’s not to say that there haven’t been loads of Hufflepuff characters, just that they don’t get as much time in the spotlight as others do. These are the best Hufflepuff characters, all of whom have been confirmed to be in the House by the extended written works of J. K. Rowling.

10 Zacharias Smith

Portrayed by Nick Shirm

Zacharias Smith (Nick Shirm) is a student in the same year as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) who is among the first students recruited to Dumbledore’s Army. He was a chaser on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and was mostly disliked by Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) on account of his cynical attitudes and apparent disloyalty. But if Hufflepuffs are anything, it’s not disloyal.

After spending some time in Dumbledore’s (Richard Harris and Michael Gambon) Army, he proved to be a valuable ally and fought during the Battle of Hogwarts two years later. Like a typical Hufflepuff, he was also known for being one of the hardest-working members of the group, a trait that he kicked into overdrive after learning a bunch of Death Eaters had escaped Azkaban. He doesn’t have a super important presence in the movies or the books, but he is a notable presence nonetheless, and one of the most memorable Hufflepuff students.

9 The Fat Friar

Portrayed by Simon Fisher-Becker

The Fat Friar (Simon Fisher-Becker) is the patron ghost of Hufflepuff, who makes his very brief, but very loud performance in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. As Harry enters the Great Hall for the first time, each House ghost is shown, with the Fat Friar emerging from the floor to glide through the tables, giggling the whole way.

Not much is known about who he was or even what his actual name was, but his goofy behavior clearly embodies the traits of his House. However, minor his presence is, the Fat Friar is a crucial part of Hogwarts that makes the place feel deeper and much more magical. The place would definitely be worse off without him gliding about the halls.

8 Justin Finch-Fletchley

Portrayed by Edward Randell

Justin Finch-Fletchley (Edward Randell) is a Hufflepuff student who first meets Harry at the Duelling Club in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The movie does have a deleted scene where they are introduced to each other, but they seem to get off on the right foot, with Justin offering a friendly handshake and a warm introduction as they await for the demonstration to begin.

Later, Justin would be one of the unfortunate students who became petrified upon their encounter with the Basilisk, who only escaped death because he saw the snake through the ghost of Nearly-Headless Nick (John Cleese). He has a relatively minor role in the series, but he is one of the most memorable names when it comes to Hufflepuff students because of his place as a Basilisk victim.

7 Hannah Abbott

Played by Charlotte Skeoch

Hannah Abbott (Charlotte Skeoch) is a Hufflepuff student and close friend of Justin Finch-Fletchley from the same year as Harry Potter, who became a prefect during their fifth year at Hogwarts. After the Second Wizarding War began, her Muggle-Born mother was tragically murdered by Death Eaters, so she was pulled out of school. However, she would later return to fight during the Battle of Hogwarts, using the knowledge she learned during her time in Dumbledore’s Army two years prior.

Following the war, author J. K. Rowling wrote that she would later marry Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), and that she would assume the role of landlady of the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. Later, she would study magical medicine, and would apply to be the matron of the hospital wing at Hogwarts, but it’s unknown whether she actually got the job. For how little she appears in the films, it’s kind of amazing how much lore there is behind her, which makes her a notable character in the novels, if not so much in the films.

6 Pomona Sprout

Portrayed by Miriam Margoyles

Professor Pomona Sprout (Miriam Margolyes) is the head of Hufflepuff House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Like a typical Hufflepuff, she is a big fan of plants, so she is assigned to teach Herbology, instructing students on how to take care of magical plant species. She was a favorite professor of Neville Longbottom, who would later replace her position after she retired.

Professor Sprout clearly loved teaching, and was always positive during her lessons. Her teaching style was informative, engaging, and safe, making sure her students had adequate access to safety equipment, even if (in Neville’s case) they didn’t always work. Professor Sprout is a key member of Hogwarts staff, and it’s hard to imagine what the place would be if she weren’t there.

5 Theseus Scamander

Portrayed by Callum Turner

Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner) lived in the early half of the 20th century, and appeared in the latter two Fantastic Beasts movies. Though the movies never allude to what House he was sorted into at Hogwarts, Callum Turner himself avowed that in an interview, Theseus was indeed a Hufflepuff. Theseus earned his crust as an Auror, hunting down dark wizards for the Ministry of Magic. As such, he was highly skilled with offensive and defensive magic and dueling.

Interestingly enough, Theseus actually served during the First World War, where he was regarded as a war hero, but he never went about flaunting this status. In fact, he was rather humble about the decorations he received as a soldier on behalf of the British government. Theseus is kind, warm-hearted, and well-meaning, and was a superb addition to the urban fantasy trilogy.

4 Cedric Diggory

Portrayed by Robert Pattinson

Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) is a sixth-year Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts who was chosen as the school’s Triwizard Champion in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He excelled at the three tasks assigned, finishing each one of them, never taking last place, true to his hard-working Hufflepuff nature. He was also very helpful towards Harry. Even though the two were competitors in the tournament, Cedric had no issue lending Harry a hand several times, whether it was during the tasks or in between.

As fans know, Cedric is tragically killed after the third task, marking the moment the series became darker and much more serious. Cedric was the sort of person that was everybody’s friend. He was admired by his fellow students and teachers, and easily became buddies with Harry, too. He was a Hufflepuff to the core, embodying every aspect of his House, which made him a legend amongst fans, many of whom were sad to see him go.

3 Newt Scamander

Portrayed by Eddie Redmayne

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is the protagonist of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. He is a Magizoologist, meaning he studies magical creatures across the globe. With many Hufflepuffs being animal lovers, it’s fairly obvious that he would also wind up in Hufflepuff House during his time at Hogwarts. This is made even more apparent on account of the fact that he is Theseus’ younger brother.

Newt is kind of quirky and a little shy, but his passion for animals and magical beasts is completely unmatched, as he cares deeply for each one of them, no matter how dangerous they may be. The Fantastic Beasts trilogy was kind of a flop in the Wizarding World fandom, but many fans can agree that Newt was by far the best thing about all of them, made even better by Eddie Redmayne’s stellar portrayal of him.

2 Nymphadora Tonks

Portrayed by Natalia Tena

Nymphadora Tonks (Natalia Tena) is a member of the extended Black and Malfoy family, but is one of the better members, choosing to fight for the forces of good rather than the forces of evil. What’s super cool about Tonks is that she is a Metamorphmagus, which means she can change her outward appearance at the drop of a hat, and there’s really no limits to how she can manipulate her shape or face to change.

She later marries Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), and they have a child together in the midst of the Second Wizarding War. Tonks has stuck her neck out for the Boy Who Lived on more than one occasion, and she never has any problem fighting for what’s right or taking on some pretty dangerous foes. Her uniqueness and positive attitude have made her a fan-favorite character, and for good reason.

1 Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody

Portrayed by Brendan Gleeson

Alastor Moody (Brendan Gleeson), also known as “Mad-Eye” Moody due to his prosthetic eye and neurotic demeanor, was assigned to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher during Harry Potter’s fourth year at Hogwarts. However, he is kidnapped by the dark wizard Barty Crouch Jr. (David Tennant), who impersonated him for an entire year via the use of Polyjuice potion. The real Mad-Eye is kind of out there, but fans actually love him quite a lot.

He is blunt and aggressive, and has no problem telling jerks exactly what they need to hear. He was also formerly an Auror in the First Wizarding War, which is where he lost his eye and one of his legs. As such, he is well-versed at fighting other dark wizards, and is a valuable asset to the Order of the Phoenix. He’s one of the most unique characters that was featured in the series, and the Wizarding World was only enriched by his presence, which is just one of many reasons why he is so beloved.

NEXT: 10 Great Hogwarts Students Not in the ‘Harry Potter’ Movies