15 underappreciated ladies of Harry Potter

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: (L-R) Natalia Tena and Bonnie Wright visit the Apple Store Soho on April 3, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

On the heels of Harry Potter’s 20th anniversary, what better way to celebrate than to talk about the magical, modern classic series’ seriously underappreciated ladies?

It’s Harry Potter’s 37th birthday on Monday! To celebrate, I think it’s appropriate to give some love to the underappreciated ladies in the wizarding world. The women of Harry Potter often fade into the background of the store, or they’re forced to endure horrible events to uplift the plots of men. Yet their intelligence, wit, charisma, strength, and ability to focus under extreme pressure are all enviable qualities that deserve recognition.

We all know how smart Hermione is, and how she uses her brains to keep herself, Ron, and Harry out of trouble all the time. Without her, they definitely wouldn’t have made it through any of their exams. She also helped them stay alive and safe during the war. Hermione endured torture from Bellatrix Lestrange at Malfoy Manor and still came out of it with a plan once she and her friends escaped.

Likewise, we know how in tune Luna is with the universe, even if she does seem odd. Luna’s approach to life and death changes how Harry thinks about tragedy. Her love for her friends makes her an asset to every fight, and she’s incredibly smart to boot.

What about the other women of the Potter-verse? We’ve put together a list of 15 amazing, underappreciated ladies who deserved more screen or page time (in the books, films, or both), should have had better death scenes, shouldn’t have been reduced to their romantic prospects, and more. In no particular order…