Harry Potter: 10 Hogwarts Students Who Would Make Great Professors
Since most of the Harry Potter books and movies centered on Harry's time as a Hogwarts student, readers and viewers got to know plenty of his classmates throughout the series. Some were forgettable, others showcased immense bravery, and a few proved themselves to actually be quite brilliant.
In a lot of ways, those select few Hogwarts students would actually be ideal professors at the school in their adult life. Many of them went on to work in different careers but an alternate path where they teach the witches and wizards of the future would make total sense. Some might be surprising at first glance but make sense when you really think about it.
Every book reader knows that Percy Weasley came across as very unlikable in the story. He was always the family member that Harry got along the least with and he turned on everyone when he sided with Cornelius Fudge and his job over the truth.
Of course, that's part of what would make him a good professor. He doesn't have to be well-liked, which was the case with teachers like Snape and Binns. Percy was Head Boy and was a good student, while also being a stickler for the rules, which is a plus for many teachers.
For the entire series, Draco Malfoy is the minor antagonist that bugs Harry on a daily basis while Voldemort is the larger looming threat. While Malfoy was an annoying nuisance, his wits cannot be denied and would help him be a good teacher.
It is even mentioned at one point in the books that Malfoy got strong marks as a student, so his brains are clearly there. While he had some serious issues with treating people poorly, by the seventh book, Malfoy shows more of his good side and that would help him as a teacher in the future.
Once again, Tom Riddle is someone who the readers and viewers are meant to dislike. They know that he grows up to become Lord Voldemort and nobody wants him teaching kids about the idea that Muggle Borns are lesser beings. If Tom Riddle hadn't gone down his dark path though, he would've made for an excellent professor.
It is said over and over that he was charming and charismatic, which would make his students gravitate toward him. He also clearly can command a room and be stern when he has to. As long as he doesn't go overboard in discipline or let his worst traits come out, he'd be okay.
A character who didn't get quite enough screen time in the films is Parvati Patil. Other than appearing as Harry's date to the Yule Ball in The Goblet of Fire, she doesn't get to do much but she has a more prominent part to play in the books.
A notable recurring thread for her is that she and Lavender Brown are close to Professor Trelawny. She became a star pupil in the art of Divination, which isn't exactly for everyone. Combine that with her history as a solid student and she'd make a good Divination professor down the line.
The Wesley Family is certainly one of the most important in the franchise and they were actually pretty good at almost everything. Ginny Weasley proved herself to be impressive in things like Defense Against the Dark Arts but she was arguably at her best on a broom.
Her skills as a Quidditch player were mentioned several times and that would actually make her a good candidate to teach flying, much like Madam Hooch did. Plus, the scene in Half-Blood Prince where Ginny shuts everyone up at tryouts displays her ability to get everyone's attention.
Similar to Percy Weasley, it seemed like Cedric Diggory was on a path to being Head Boy. He was a Prefect, was beloved by basically everyone, and was a great student. Of course, Cedric's life was tragically ended when Voldemort returned in The Goblet of Fire.
Had Diggory lived into adulthood, the sky was the limit for him. He felt like the kind of person who could do whatever he put his mind to from being an Auror to being Minister of Magic. A career as a Hogwarts professor also would've been in the cards and he'd likely excel there too.
Considering his history of fighting some of the most vicious and evil villains in fantasy novel history, Harry Potter was basically destined to become an Auror. That being said, The Order of the Phoenix made it clear that he could've been a good teacher.
Harry was never really that impressive as a student, evidenced by most of his grades being average. However, he had a penchant for Defense Against the Dark Arts and led Dumbledore's Army in an impressive fashion. He would've made for one of Hogwarts' best-ever teachers in that subject.
Luna Lovegood was the most eccentric of the students at Hogwarts during Harry's time there and that actually helps her case for a potential job as a professor. While she may believe in some unexpected things, having an open mind is a good quality.
On top of that, many professors at Hogwarts are actually eccentric themselves, with Dumbledore being downright strange at times and Trelawny having her own odd tendencies. That kind of stuff makes it feel like Luna would fit right in with the rest of the staff.
The epilogue in the final book in the series doesn't give away too much in terms of what role everyone went on to play as adults. However, one person's career was mentioned, as Neville Longbottom is said to be the Herbology professor at Hogwarts.
That makes perfect sense as Neville was always at his best in Herbology class and he excelled at a level that put him up there with the top students. Neville needed this as he often struggled in other classes. He was also known to be a sweet, caring person, which is important for the students.
It is said over and over throughout the series that Hermione Granger is the brightest witch of her age. Although she may just write it off as "books and cleverness," those are indeed two important aspects of being a teacher.
Hermione could likely teach any subject given how impressive she was at all of them. Considering her fight for the treatment of house-elves, she could take on Care of Magical Creatures or she could use her life experiences to teach Muggle Studies. That's just the start too as she could do it all.