Every Harry Potter Year at Hogwarts, Ranked From Chaos to Glory

Every kid who grew up in the 90s secretly waited for an owl to show up with a life-changing letter. Same. But here is the thing: each of Harry's school years at Hogwarts is its own little saga. Some are cozy and wonder-filled. Some are straight-up traumatic. So I ranked Harry's Hogwarts years from worst to best based on how magical, fun, and chaotic they feel as actual school years, not just as movies.

Quick ground rules: Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is out, because Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend that year on the run, horcrux-hunting far from the castle. Also, quick refresher for anyone keeping score at home: Harry Potter is a 7-book series by J.K. Rowling adapted into 8 films (not counting the 3 Fantastic Beasts spinoffs). Warner Bros. Pictures produced them, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, and Ralph Fiennes headlining. Across 11 Wizarding World films, the box office sits around $9.5 billion. Okay, wands up.

• 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

  As a movie? Massive. As a school year? Brutal. Hogwarts is basically a war zone under Voldemort's control. The Carrows are torturing students, classes are irrelevant, and whole chunks of the castle are literally blowing apart. Harry, Ron, and Hermione return not for exams or Quidditch, but to finish the fight. We also lose people who meant everything: Fred, Lupin, Tonks. It is important, emotional, and epic, sure, but there is almost zero school-year magic left. Bottom of the list for me.

• 6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

  Harry's fifth year is the 'paper cuts everywhere' of Hogwarts eras. Dolores Umbridge shuts down actual learning in Defense Against the Dark Arts and replaces it with reading quietly while she invents new punishments. Dumbledore's Army is a bright spot, but the vibe stays tense. Harry is dealing with nightmares, a weird mind-link to Voldemort, and a Wizarding World that largely wants to pretend none of it is happening. Teachers get steamrolled, friends fight, and even Fred and George's fireworks feel like a last-ditch pressure release. Then the Ministry fight ends with Sirius gone. Hard year, low ranking.

• 5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

  Fourth year is a rollercoaster: huge spectacle, even bigger stakes. We kick off with the Quidditch World Cup, international players in the spotlight, and then Hogwarts hosts the Triwizard Tournament. Dragons, merpeople, a deadly maze, and visiting schools make the place feel larger than life. For Harry, it is nonstop stress the second his name pops out of the Goblet. He is forced into life-threatening tasks, Ron freezes him out for a while, and a chunk of the school assumes he cheated. The Yule Ball is a blast, but everything turns pitch black when Voldemort returns and Cedric Diggory is killed. Memorable and exciting, but emotionally heavy.

• 4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

  Sixth year is the calm before the apocalypse, if you can call it calm. Hogwarts feels more alive than it did the year before: Quidditch is back, classroom energy is up, and teenage drama is all over the place. Ron and Lavender turn the romance meter to chaotic, and Harry's finally noticing Ginny. The 'Half-Blood Prince' textbook turns Potions into a win for him, which is fun. Underneath, Dumbledore is walking Harry through Voldemort's past, one memory at a time. Then the floor drops out: Draco lets Death Eaters into the castle, and Snape kills Dumbledore. Since Goblet, it feels like the hits keep coming for Harry, and this one hurts most. Bittersweet, strong chapter, but not exactly cozy.

• 3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

  Second year is a weird mix that just works: bright and adventurous, but with a real horror thread running through it. The trio goes full detective, Gilderoy Lockhart adds delightful chaos, Quidditch brings the energy, and we learn more about Voldemort's origins. Meanwhile, students are getting petrified, creepy messages drip off the walls, and a basilisk is on the loose. It all culminates in one of the series' most satisfying wins: saving Ginny, defeating Tom Riddle, and freeing Dobby. Danger plus school spirit plus mystery equals a very high placement.

• 2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

  Third year nails the balance. Hogwarts feels warm and lived-in. Professor Lupin is hands down the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher they ever get, and he actually teaches useful magic. Sneaking to Hogsmeade gives the year a cozy, slightly rebellious glow. Voldemort is not back yet, but the threat seems to be Sirius Black... until it isn't. The reveals around Sirius, Lupin, and Wormtail give Harry something he has been missing: a sense of family and hope. Throw in the Time-Turner heist and Buckbeak's rescue, and you get an emotionally rich year that never drowns in gloom.

• 1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

  The first year is the gold standard for Hogwarts wonder. Floating candles in the Great Hall, shifting staircases, feasts that feel like magic shows, Diagon Alley introductions, and rule-learning that actually feels fun. Harry finds friends, confidence, and a home. Quidditch is exhilarating, and even the gauntlet beneath the trapdoor plays like a series of enchanted puzzles more than mortal peril. No major losses, no soul-crushing battles. Just pure discovery. This is the year that made everyone fall in love with the place.

Agree? Disagree? Which of Harry's school years is your favorite and why?

If you want to revisit them, the Harry Potter films are streaming in the US on Max.