Hogwarts subjects
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The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a fictional magic school that is the main setting of the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. There are several teachers (called professors), each specialising in a single subject. Some are required, others electives. Students are required to take at least two electives beginning in their third year. After taking their O.W.L. exams at the end of their fifth year, they decide which classes to continue to the N.E.W.T. level for the next two years at Hogwarts.
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Transfiguration
The art of metamorphosis, turning something into something else by means of waving one's wand and saying magic words. One of the trickier subjects, it requires great concentration and effort. Transfiguration is taught from the first year to the seventh.
Before Albus Dumbledore became headmaster, he served as Transfiguration teacher. The current Transfiguration teacher is Minerva McGonagall, who's a competent teacher and a stern but fair disciplinarian.
Defence Against the Dark Arts
The use of spells, potions and other techniques to counteract the Dark Arts, and evil creatures such as the Boggart. Defence Against the Dark Arts is taught from the first year to the seventh.
The position of teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts is coveted by Hogwarts' Potions master Severus Snape, although he has yet to receive it, possibly due to his prior association with Lord Voldemort. When asked about the reason Dumbledore does not let Snape have the job, the author responded that Dumbledore believes that teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts would bring out Snape's worse side(!).
In each of the first five books of the series, the current Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher plays a central role in the plot; each is either replaced, forced to resign, killed, or driven insane by the end of the relevant book. The quality of teaching varies widely from teacher to teacher.
List of Defence Professors
Defence Against the Dark Arts Instructors have included:
- Professor Quirrell (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
- Gilderoy Lockhart (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
- Remus Lupin (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
- Snape actually substituted Lupin for one class during the year, and attempted to show the students that Lupin was a werewolf by assigning a lengthy essay on recognizing werewolves. From this assignment, Hermione learned about Lupin's lycanthropy (the only student to follow through), but kept this information secret until they meet in the Shreiking Shack.
- Alastor Moody (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
- "Moody" was impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr. for the entire duration of his teaching service that year.
- Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
- During Umbridge's tenure, Harry Potter served in an equivalent capacity as the clandestine instructor of Dumbledore's Army (DA), a secret club dedicated to training students in the practical elements of wizardry combat that Umbridge refused to teach. Umbridge insisted on teaching strictly theory.
Charms
The art of moving and manipulating objects by means of waving one's wand and saying magic words. This class is one of the noisier ones; a group of students practising how to make objects move towards them or how to cause people to laugh makes a lot of hubbub even when they're doing well, never mind when they misfire a lot. Charms is taught from the first year to the seventh.
Filius Flitwick is the current Charms teacher. J. K. Rowling says if she were to teach at Hogwarts, she would teach Charms.
Potions
The art of creating potions with magical effects. The process is delicate and instructions must be followed exactly in order to achieve the desired result. Potions is taught from the first year to the seventh.
Severus Snape is the current Potions master, although he covets the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. Though an exceptional teacher, he is not the fairest disciplinarian, taking pleasure in humiliating students such as Neville Longbottom (for his incompetence in potion-making) and Harry Potter (for personal reasons regarding Potter's father) at every opportunity he gets. Students of his house often like his classes, while those of other houses end up intimidated or angry.
Astronomy
Very similar to its real-world equivalent. Astronomy classes take place in the tallest tower and occur every Wednesday. Astronomy is taught from the first year to the seventh. By their fifth year, students are expected to be able to make a star chart.
Professor Sinistra is the current Astronomy teacher.
Flying
The use of enchanted broomsticks. Flying lessons are presumably only given to first-year students.
Madam Rolanda Hooch is currently teaching flight.
History of Magic
The study of magical history. History of Magic is taught from the first year to the seventh.
The current History of Magic teacher, Professor Binns, isn't very effective. He is the only ghost teacher, extremely set in his ways; some say he didn't even notice he was dead, he just got up one day in the staff room, leaving his body behind.
Binns spends his class drawling on and on, and does not seem to mind (or notice) that the class is never paying any attention.
Herbology
The study of magical plants (such as mandrakes), and how to take care of, utilise and/or combat them. Herbology is set in greenhouses on the grounds. First Years only work in Greenhouse One, as Greenhouse Three contains more dangerous plants. Classes start using Greenhouse Three in their second year.
Professor Sprout is the current Herbology teacher.
Arithmancy
A branch of magic that's concerned with the magical properties of numbers. This class is not taken by Harry Potter, nor by Ron Weasley. It is however the favourite subject of Hermione Granger. Lessons on the subject are not shown and their precise contents remain unknown. The only information given is that the subject is quite hard — therefore attractive to Hermione — and running parallel to Divination lessons at Hogwarts. An optional subject, taught from the third year to the seventh.
Professor Vector is the current Arithmancy teacher and has yet to have a speaking part.
Study of Ancient Runes
A mostly theoretical subject that studies the ancient runic scripts and languages of magic.
Divination
Predicting the future. Various methods are involved, including crystal balls, palmistry, tea leaves, TAROT and the interpretation of dreams.
The supporters of the subject claim that it is a fairly inexact science that needs innate gifts more than bookwormish tendencies. Those opposed to the subject claim that the subject is irrelevant and fraudulent. Critics of the subject include Minerva McGonagall and Hermione Granger. Professor Dumbledore even considered dropping Divination from the curriculum altogether, but changed his mind after interviewing Sibyll Trelawney. An optional subject, taught from the third year to the seventh.
The current Divination teacher is Sibyll Trelawney. When Dolores Umbridge fired her, she was replaced (to Umbridge's fury) with Firenze the centaur. According to Ginny Weasley, Trelawney and Firenze will be teaching the class together in Herry Potter's sixth year at hogwarts.
Care of Magical Creatures
Learning about and how to care for magical beasts. Classes are held outside the castle. An optional subject, taught from the third year to the seventh.
At the end of Harry's third year of school, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Kettleburn, quit because he wanted to enjoy some time with his remaining limbs. As groundskeeper, Hagrid had been cleared of opening the Chamber of Secrets, and Dumbledore gave him the Care of Magical Creatures job. When he was absent on a special mission, he was replaced by Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank. Hagrid is rather inexperienced, but is learning quickly—his main problem is an inability to grasp the concept of "terribly dangerous monster".
Muggle Studies
The study of muggles, non-magical people, which involves writing essays such as Why Muggles Need Electricity. Muggle Studies is considered a soft option, but Percy Weasley thinks it is important for a wizard to have an understanding of the non-magical community, especially if he works closely with them. Hermione Granger tried it, but stopped in the third year when she found her schedule too demanding. An optional subject, taught from the third year to the seventh.
Occlumency
The art of shielding the mind against external penetration, and not a part of the usual curriculum.
In Harry's fifth year, Dumbledore arranged for Harry to take one-on-one occlumency lessons with Professor Snape, though Snape told his students that Harry was taking remedial Potions lessons.