5 Important Harry Potter Characters Who Didn't Go to Hogwarts

However, not all the characters of the famous franchise were lucky to study at Hogwarts: some lived too far away from London, and others were Squibs.

Let's look at five most interesting characters from the series who never put on the sorting hat.

1. Ariana Dumbledore

Ariana could not attend Hogwarts due to a tragic incident in her childhood. When she was only six years old, Ariana was attacked by a group of Muggle boys who saw her practicing magic. Her father, Percival Dumbledore, saved Ariana and killed one of the bullies in a fit of rage. He was imprisoned and died in Azkaban, and Ariana's mother also died a few years later.

The events inflicted severe psychological damage on Ariana, who refused to use magic and eventually became an obscurial. If it wasn't for her emotional trauma, the only daughter of the Dumbledore family would certainly go to Hogwarts and become a great wizard like her brother, Albus Dumbledore.

2. Credence Barebone

Credence Barebone lived many years before Harry Potter, so we never meet the character in the original series: he first makes an appearance in Fantastic Beasts. Barebone is probably one of the most intriguing characters in J. K. Rowling's magical universe.

Like Ariana, he was also an obscurial because, as a child, Credence had to suppress magical powers bursting out of him. While most obscurials die at an early age, he managed to live into adulthood with the help of the illustrious magizoologist Newt Scamander. Barebone spent most of his life in America and never had a chance to go to Hogwarts.

3. Gellert Grindelwald

The most dangerous wizard in the magical world (after You-Know-Who, of course), Gellert Grindelwald never went to Hogwarts either. Grindelwald was born somewhere in eastern Europe in the early 1880s.

The young wizard studied at Durmstrang Institute in Bulgaria — which is known to put great emphasis on teaching Dark Arts, unlike Hogwarts. But Grindelwald never finished his studies: he was expelled due to multiple violations of school rules.

During his senior year at Durmstrang, the wizard made plans to find the Deathly Hallows and later continued this mission with Albus Dumbledore, whom he met during summer vacation in Godric's Hollow. The two wizards developed a very close relationship, which didn't work out, and Albus and Gellert became greatest enemies. Grindewald tried to start a war against Muggles, for which he was arrested and sent to Nurmengard prison, where he died in 1998.

4. Argus Filch

Argus Filch is the only character on the list directly related to Hogwarts activities.

However, he never went to school because he was a Squib. In the world of Harry Potter, Squibs are people born in a magical family, who for some reason did not inherit magical abilities.

Though he could not practice magic, Filch always wanted to get a wand and learn at least basic spells — that was the reason behind getting a job as a caretaker at Hogwarts. In the movies, Filch has more of a minor role, but many viewers genuinely loved the character for his charisma and dedication to his professional duties.

5. Fleur Delacour

Beautiful Fleur Delacour never attended Hogwarts: she came to school to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, which is when we get to meet her in part four.

Like most wizards from Western Europe, Fleur studied at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. In The Goblet of Fire, the girl demonstrated great courage and skill but, unfortunately, couldn't win the contest — primarily due to the actions of Voldemort and his associates, who had different plans for the tournament's finale.

In the following installments of the series, Fleur started a relationship with Bill Weasley, Ron Weasley's older brother. In Deathly Hallows, the couple had a wedding just before the Death Eaters' attack on the Ministry of Magic.