In the face of tyranny, the world is often saved by brave individuals rising up to combat such evil. In the Harry Potter series, it was the secret society known as the Order of the Phoenix who took on this bold and important task. The Order’s chief mission was to do everything in their power to oppose Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Voldemort led a reign of terror during the First and Second Wizarding Wars, necessitating that there be an Order of the Phoenix to combat the Dark Lord both times. Each version of the Order was led by Albus Dumbledore, who also created the organization in the first place.
Both the First and Second Order had a diverse group of members. Each member’s individual level of weakness and strength can be determined by their contributions to the organization and their fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Their overall power and ability to withstand Voldemort and his darkest forces are also worth taking into account as well.
Updated on January 19th, 2022 by Matthew Rudoy: The Order of the Phoenix organization continues to be one of the most intriguing elements of the Harry Potter universe. Fans want to know more about the brave wizards and witches who stood together and fought Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Each member of the Order of the Phoenix has their own unique story and their own combination of strengths and weaknesses, with some being considerably weaker or stronger than others.
27 Peter Pettigrew
As the only Order member to ever defect to Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew was automatically the weakest of all Order members. His defection was made worse by the fact that as a member of the original Order and a longtime friend, James and Lily Potter made him their Secret-Keeper for the Fidelius Charm protecting them and their son Harry.
Pettigrew divulged their secret location to Voldemort, allowing the Dark Lord to find the Potters, eliminate James and Lily, and nearly take the life of baby Harry as well. The actions of Pettigrew also caused the Order to incorrectly believe for years that one of their most loyal members — Sirius Black — betrayed them and had secretly been Voldemort’s man all along. Sirius spent twelve years of his life incarcerated in Azkaban and enduring the Dementors as a result of being framed by Pettigrew.
26 Mundungus Fletcher
Mundungus Fletcher was a member of the First and Second Order, but that doesn’t mean he was too helpful to the cause. His greatest contribution was sharing the idea for the seven Potters in order to safely transport Harry from Privet Drive to the Burrow, an idea that was actually Snape’s. He had to use a confunded Mundungus to pass it along as Snape couldn’t be around the Order after slaying Albus Dumbledore.
After the passing of Sirius Black, he raided Grimmauld Place and sold the locket he found there, which forced Harry, Ron, and Hermione to break into the Ministry of Magic in order to acquire the locket Horcrux. During the Battle of the Seven Potters, he Disapparated as soon as he saw Voldemort, leaving Mad-Eye Moody to lose his life to Voldemort and making the Dark Lord realize the Harry Potter traveling with Moody was a fake. Also, the night Harry and Dudley Dursely were attacked by Dementors, Mundungus was supposed to be watching Harry, but he left his post to buy some stolen cauldrons.
25 Elphias Doge
Elphias Doge was one of Albus Dumbledore’s oldest friends. They met as students at Hogwarts, long before Dumbledore even met Gellert Grindelwald. As such, it’s not a surprise that Doge served in the Order during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Doge’s role in the Order — during the Second Wizarding War in particular — doesn’t seem as active as many members. The only time he was seen “in action” was as part of the Advance Guard safely transporting Harry from Privet Drive to Grimmauld Place.
He did write a wonderful obituary commemorating Dumbledore’s life after his demise, but overall he didn’t seem as actively involved in the Order as he wasn’t mentioned or seen during most other Order-related events, including their last stand at the Battle of Hogwarts.
24 Arabella Figg
Arabella Figg did her very best to watch out for Harry and make sure he was safe during his years spent on Privet Drive. She was the Order member who ended up helping Harry the night he and Dudley were attacked by Dementors.
Mrs. Figg was not just recruited for keeping an eye on Harry, though. She was mentioned by Dumbledore as being part of the “old crowd” that would be brought back to to form the Second Order, though her role in the First Order is never made clear. While she was useful in her capacity on Privet Drive, since she was a Squib she could not use any magic to contribute to the Order’s cause, which makes her weaker than some of the other members.
23 Dedalus Diggle
Dedalus Diggle served with the Order of the Phoenix during both Wizarding Wars. His greatest known contributions is being part of the Advance Guard that safely transported Harry from Privet Drive to Grimmauld Place and keeping the Dursleys safe in hiding.
Diggle did his job in both examples–Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place safely and the Dursleys remained safe until the end of the Second Wizarding War. Diggle never had the opportunity to show his strength in the face of a direct threat from Voldemort or the Death Eaters, though. He also made some poor decisions like setting off a downpour of shooting stars–something Muggles noticed–when Voldemort was first defeated.
22 Fleur Delacour
Fleur proved quite helpful to the Order in many instances during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She participated in the Battle of the Seven Potters and managed to combat a number of Death Eaters along the way, helping to ensure that Harry made it safely to the Burrow.
Later on, she gave Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Ollivander, and the goblin Griphook refuge at Shell Cottage. Fleur also put her life on the line when fighting with the Order in the Battle of Hogwarts, and, unlike many, lived to tell the tale. Though she wasn’t usually at the center of the Order, throughout Deathly Hallows she was consistently aiding the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
21 Fabian & Gideon Prewett
The little that is known about brothers Fabian and Gideon Prewett speaks volumes about their strengths. It took five Death Eaters to kill them during the First Wizarding War. They were not brought down easily and it took the combined strength of Antonin Dolohov and four other powerful Death Eaters to finish the job. Alastor Moody said the Prewett brothers fought like heroes until the end.
During the Second Wizarding War, one of the most important members of the Order of the Phoenix was the Prewetts’ sister Molly Weasley. She fought not only to protect her family but to honor her fallen brothers.
20 Fred and George Weasley
Despite recently finishing their time at Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley quickly joined the Order during the Second Wizarding War. Both aided the Order in key events like the Battle of the Seven Potters and the Battle of Hogwarts. They faced some of Voldemort’s most formidable Death Eaters along the way, costing George an ear and Fred his life.
The Weasley twins also indirectly helped retrieve the Slytherin’s locket Horcrux from the Ministry of Magic as Harry, Ron, and Hermione used their Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes products in order to complete their covert mission. In a time of much darkness and misery, they also brought much-needed laughter and joy to others, from their Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes products to George’s ear-related jokes, and Fred’s time as the correspondent nicknamed “Rodent” on Potterwatch.
19 Aberforth Dumbledore
Aberforth Dumbledore was the first one to realize Severus Snape was eavesdropping when Sybill Trelawney shared the fated prophecy with Albus, leading Aberforth to throw Snape out of the Hog’s Head before he could hear any more information about the prophecy that could be shared with Voldemort. Aberforth bought Sirius Black’s side of the two-way mirror he once shared with Harry, through which he realized Harry and his friends were in perilous danger at Malfoy Manor.
Thanks to Aberforth, Dobby was sent to Malfoy Manor to save the day, without which Harry, Ron, Hermione, and their invaluable Horcrux-slaying weapon of the Sword of Godric Gryffindor would’ve fallen into Voldemort’s hands. Aberforth saved the trio’s life again from Death Eaters when they Apparated into Hogsmeade. The glaring weakness that puts Aberforth a little lower in the rankings despite his contributions is that he lost hope and believed the Order was finished, though he ultimately changed his thinking and rejoined the Order in the Battle of Hogwarts.
18 Bill Weasley
Bill Weasley changed his position at Gringotts Wizarding Bank so he could better serve the Order and be closer to the heart of the fight. Instead of being a Curse-Breaker for them in Egypt, Bill took a desk job in England instead. This way he was better able to gauge the state and security of Gringotts under Voldemort’s reign of terror, not to mention where the goblins stood.
The night Dumbledore lost his life, Bill was among the Order members patrolling Hogwarts. It wasn’t a full moon, but he was savagely attacked by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback. Bill was strong enough to survive Greyback’s attack and emerge unscathed other than developing a preference for raw steaks. As the war continued, Bill never shied away from the fight as he faced numerous Death Eaters during the Battle of Seven Potters, provided refuge at Shell Cottage for Harry and his friends after escaping Malfoy Manor, and bravely fought and survived at the Battle of Hogwarts.
17 Frank and Alice Longbottom
As Aurors and members of the original Order of the Phoenix, Frank and Alice Longbottom were responsible for rounding up numerous Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. Even after Voldemort was defeated by baby Harry Potter at the end of the First Wizarding War, some of the most loyal Death Eaters tortured the Longbottoms in a desperate attempt to learn of Voldemort’s whereabouts after his fall from power. They withstood the Cruciatus Curse for an extraordinary amount of time, but the Death Eaters didn’t stop until they drove the Longbottoms permanently mad.
Even though their mental conditions prevented them from fighting in the Second Wizarding War, the Longbottoms forever served as a reminder of bravery and standing up for what was right, particularly for their son Neville whose actions were essential to defeating Voldemort.
16 Arthur Weasley
Arthur Weasley used his position at the Ministry of Magic to help the Order during the Second Wizarding War. He often brought home news before it reached the public, such as the “disappearance” of the famed wandmaker Ollivander. He also helped guard Harry’s prophecy at the Department of Mysteries and one night was even attacked by Nagini. Arthur was strong enough to survive the attack, though at one point J.K. Rowling planned to have him lose his life during the incident.
Even after Voldemort effectively took over the Ministry of Magic, Arthur continued to work there as long as he safely could and did his best to continue doing what he could in his position, such as confronting Albert Runcorn about turning wizards and witches into the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. He also fought in and survived the Battle of the Seven Potters and the Battle of Hogwarts.
15 Rubeus Hagrid
Knowing how much Dumbledore trusted Hagrid and that he’d do anything to save Harry, the Order trusted Hagrid with transporting the real Harry during the Battle of the Seven Potters. Despite facing many Death Eaters and even Voldemort himself, Hagrid ensured that Harry was safely transported first to the home of Ted and Andromeda Tonks, and then to the Burrow.
Hagrid’s strength and identity as a half-giant also proved helpful. While his unsuccessful recruitment of the giant colony was a major blow to the Order — the giants instead opted to join Voldemort and the Death Eaters — Hagrid did recruit his brother Grawp, who was integral to defeating the giants sided with Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts. As a half-giant, Hagrid could even withstand some magic as Thorfinn Rowle found out when he attacked Hagrid while fleeing the Hogwarts grounds.
14 Molly Weasley
Molly Weasley wasn’t part of the Order during the First Wizarding War, but her brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewett were and they met cruel ends at the hands of Antonin Dolohov and four other Death Eaters. Along with her husbands and sons of age — except for Percy — Molly was an active member of the Order during the Second Wizarding War.
Her strength was best shown when she defeated Bellatrix Lestrange — one of Voldemort’s strongest and most loyal Death Eaters — during the Battle of Hogwarts. Powerful Order members like Sirius Black and Nymphadora Tonks were unable to vanquish Bellatrix and lost their lives to her. Prior to the Battle of Hogwarts, Molly didn’t spend much time on the front lines of the fight, generally helping to tend the Order’s headquarters at Grimmauld Place or the Burrow.
13 Nymphadora Tonks
When Voldemort returned to power, the Ministry of Magic refused to believe Voldemort was back. Despite working as an Auror at the Ministry, Nymphadora Tonks refused to be so ignorant. She joined the Order while continuing her duties as an Auror, even though her association with a group contradicting the Ministry of Magic’s mistaken position on Voldemort’s return could’ve cost Tonks her job. She fed the Order critical information and helped guard Harry Potter’s prophecy in the Department of Mysteries, and all the while she was never suspected of being an Order member by the Ministry.
Tonks fought Voldemort’s fiercest Death Eaters in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, the Battle of the Seven Potters, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Only Bellatrix Lestrange was ultimately able to defeat Tonks once and for all.
12 Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin joined the original Order alongside his close friends James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. Lupin helped the Order in many capacities and survived the First Wizarding War, yet he lost all his friends. James and Lily perished at the hands of Voldemort, Sirius appeared to be a traitor and was incarcerated in Azkaban, and he believed Pettigrew’s life had been taken by Sirius.
Through difficult years of emotional endurance, helping the Potters’ son Harry, and finally learning the truth of what happened with Sirius and Pettigrew, Lupin remained strong and rejoined the Order for the Second Wizarding War. He participated in many missions for the Order — even living undercover among werewolves and trying to convince them to join the Order’s side — and he also fought in the Order’s most important battles. Lupin was also a talented duellist, being one of the few to emerge physically unscathed from the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
11 Ron Weasley
Ron proved to be the weakest member of the main trio as he could not handle wearing the Slytherin’s locket Horcrux. It manifested his worst behavior and even caused him to leave and abandon his friends and the hunt for Horcruxes. However, Ron did return, and he destroyed the Slytherin’s locket Horcrux once and for all.
Without Ron, the other Horcruxes wouldn’t have been found and destroyed. Ron also helped create and lead the resourceful and powerful group of students known as Dumbledore’s Army. He fought and survived in every major battle during the Second Wizarding War. Ron’s contributions were integral to bringing about Voldemort’s end and brought other essential individuals into the greater fight.
10 Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall was a member of the Order throughout the Second Wizarding War, but her true strength emerged during the Battle of Hogwarts. First she took control of Hogwarts away from the Carrows and Snape–the latter of which she believed was a loyal servant of Voldemort’s. She then led the resistance against Voldemort and his dark forces in the battle.
Her Transfiguration prowess was used to bring the suits of armor and statues of Hogwarts alive to help defend the castle. A thorough defense continued to be organized under her leadership such as the evacuation of underage students, putting the mischievous Peeves to good as he targeted his antics against the invaders, and charming other objects like desks to help in the fight. Alongside Kingsley Shacklebolt and Horace Slughorn, she even dueled Voldemort, held her own against him, and lived to tell the tale. McGonagall also helped earlier in the Second Wizarding War as she fought in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and did everything in her power to assist Dumbledore’s Army and protect students from the cruelty of the Carrows.
9 Kingsley Shacklebolt
Kingsley Shacklebolt used his position as a high-ranking and powerful Auror in the Ministry to aid the Order during the Second Wizarding War. In addition to feeding the Order invaluable information, he fed the Ministry misinformation about Sirius Black in order to impede their efforts.
He helped the Order and the Ministry by working undercover as a secretary to the Muggle British Prime Minister. In this capacity, Kingsley protected the Prime Minister from the many threats posed by Voldemort and his followers. Kingsley also sent a Patronus to Bill and Fleur’s wedding to alert the guests that Scrimgeour had perished and the Ministry had fallen. This warning allowed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and many others to escape before Death Eaters arrived. His strength was also exhibited any time he dueled an opponent. Kinsley dueled multiple Death Eaters at once during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and he held his own when dueling Voldemort alongside Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn during the Battle of Hogwarts.
8 Sirius Black
Sirius Black was an original member of the Order of the Phoenix and best friend of James Potter, yet most believed he was responsible for the demises of James, Lily, and Peter Pettigrew. He was sent to Azkaban but was strong enough to maintain his sanity and withstand the Dementors for twelve years. He fixated on the thought that he was innocent, which wasn’t a happy enough thought to be detected by the Dementors, but it kept him sane. Transforming into his Animagus form as a dog also helped him stay sane and eventually escape.
After Voldemort’s return, Dumbledore entrusted Sirius with gathering “the old crowd” to reform the Order of the Phoenix. He helped establish and upkeep Grimmauld Place as headquarters for the Order, though he was unable to leave due to still being a wanted man. He fought valiantly at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and was only defeated by Bellatrix Lestrange herself.
7 Alastor Moody
As an Auror and original member of the Order, Alastor Moody captured and arrested numerous Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War, making him responsible for practically half the inmates incarcerated in Azkaban. He was retired from being an Auror by the time of the Second Wizarding War and survived imprisonment for nearly a year at the hands of Barty Crouch Jr., yet Moody was still a crucial member of the Second Order. He acted as part of the Advance Guard that transported Harry to Grimmauld Place, fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and organized Harry’s safe passage in what became the Battle of the Seven Potters.
After Dumbledore’s demise, Moody essentially became the new leader of the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort considered Moody the strongest member of the Order at that time, so he went straight for Moody during the Battle of the Seven Potters as he believed Harry would be traveling with the strongest witch or wizard.
6 James Potter
Voldemort tried to recruit James Potter to become one of his Death Eaters. James refused to join Voldemort and instead helped form the First Order of the Phoenix. James and his wife Lily defied Voldemort three times before their final confrontation with him, something which is stated in Harry Potter’s prophecy. J.K. Rowling said turning down Voldemort’s offer was the first defiance, and the others could’ve included anything from arresting Death Eaters, to escaping from or thwarting Voldemort and his allies.
The strength of James Potter also came from the loyalty he inspired in people. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin loved James. They believed in the fight against Voldemort, but James helped deepen the loyalty and bravery they showed to the cause with the First Order, and again with the Second Order in memory of James and helping his son Harry. James also did what few were able ever to do, to courageously stand solo against Voldemort. He lost his life, but he did buy his wife and son more time.
5 Lily Potter
Some of Lily’s strengths are similar to that of her husband James. Like James, she was recruited to become a Death Eater, but also refused the offer. Along with this and other actions she defied Voldemort three times before going into hiding and helped form the First Order of the Phoenix.
What made Lily even stronger than James, though, was how she imbued Harry with the magic that saved him countless times against Voldemort. By sacrificing herself to protect her son, Harry’s blood forever contained the magic of love. This prevented Voldemort from slaying baby Harry, causing the curse to rebound and rob Voldemort of his body and powers instead. Lily’s love protected Harry countless times in the future as well and was integral to him ultimately defeating Voldemort.
4 Hermione Granger
Hermione was the brains behind two of the most important efforts in defeating Voldemort–Dumbledore’s Army and the hunt for Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Her leadership ensured that Hogwarts students were able to properly defend themselves and brought together a group of exceptional young wizards and witches, most of whom were valuable assets in the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Many of the Horcruxes were able to be successfully located, retrieved, and destroyed because of Hermione’s planning and intelligence. She never let the Horcruxes’ dark magic control her or convince her to abandon the hunt for Horcruxes. Hermione destroyed the Hufflepuff’s cup Horcrux, she fought in and survived all the major battles during the Second Wizarding War, and she eventually became the Minister for Magic that the world needed in the years after Voldemort’s death.
3 Harry Potter
Harry was the one to finally defeat Voldemort for good. Even when Harry was a baby and when he let Voldemort cast a killing curse against him in the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts, the formidable Voldemort was never able to kill Harry. With help from his friends and mentors, Harry ensured that all the Horcruxes were found and destroyed.
Harry proved his strength not only when fighting against Voldemort, but also in his ability to empower others so they could be stronger. Other characters like Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom were able to believe in themselves more. They each destroyed a Horcrux and became leaders in their own right, largely thanks to Harry’s positive influence and encouragement.
2 Severus Snape
As a double agent, Severus Snape proved he was one of the strongest members of the Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort was a master at Legilimency, and yet Snape was powerful enough at Occlumency for Voldemort to never learn the truth of Snape’s real loyalties.
After slaying Albus Dumbledore, everyone including the Order believed Snape was loyal only to Voldemort. Despite being unable to communicate with any of them, Snape continued to help the Order. It was he who passed along the idea of the Seven Potters to the Order and he who made sure Harry acquired the real Sword of Godric Gryffindor, a weapon that would allow Voldemort’s Horcruxes to be destroyed. Before perishing, he gave his memories to Harry so he could learn the final secrets to defeating Voldemort — and know the truth of why Snape secretly helped the son of James and Lily Potter for so many years.
1 Albus Dumbledore
Without Albus Dumbledore, there would be no Order of the Phoenix. His leadership and wisdom helped bring about Voldemort’s downfall in the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Dumbledore was the one to uncover the truth of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. With this knowledge passed along to Harry, Voldemort was finally made mortal and defeated forever. Dumbledore understood Voldemort’s greatest weakness was love and used this against him in countless ways.
Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort feared. Because of this, Harry Potter and Hogwarts remained relatively safe just through Dumbledore staying alive. A small taste of Dumbledore’s immense power was shown when he arrived at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, personally capturing all the remaining Death Eaters except Bellatrix Lestrange, and then dueling Voldemort until the Dark Lord was forced to flee. Voldemort couldn’t even bring himself to slay Dumbledore himself, instead thrusting the task on others, which allowed Dumbledore to arrange his demise in a way that behooved the fight against Voldemort.