There really are no questions about Harry Potter that we haven’t asked ourselves. And looked for the answers, explanations, discussions or descriptions. It is a world so interesting and imaginative that we want to know everything. J.K.Rowling thought about every little detail, she gave herself into these stories and created a legacy for countless generations.
When we watch Harry Potter movies, additional questions come to mind. And one of them is definitely the characters’ height. Is it the same as in the novels, is it mentioned and are the actors anywhere near their character’s height? We’ll compare some of them, too. Many speculations have been made about their heights, but most numbers are always the same. In this article we will find out how tall Harry Potter characters are.
| Character | Height |
|---|---|
| Harry Potter | 5’11” |
| Hermione Granger | 5’5” |
| Ron Weasley | 6’1” |
| Luna Lovegood | 5’2” |
| Neville Longbottom | 5’7” |
| Ginny Weasley | 5’6” |
| Draco Malfoy | 6’0” |
| Fred and George Weasley | 6’3” |
| Dean Thomas | 6’3” |
| Cho Chang | 5’1” |
| Albus Dumbledore | 6’3” |
| Severus Snape | 5’9” |
| Rubeus Hagrid | 8’6” |
| Minerva McGonagall | 5’9” |
| Sybill Trelawney | 5’8” |
| Alastor Moody | 6’2” |
| Dolores Umbridge | 5’1” |
| Remus Lupin | 6’2” |
| Gilderoy Lockhart | 5’10” |
| Lord Voldemort | 6’3” |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | 6’0” |
| Sirius Black | 6’2” |
| Lily Potter | 5’6” |
| James Potter | 5’11” |
| Horace Slughorn | 5’3” |
| Filius Flitwick | 2’3” |
| Arthur Weasley | 6’2” |
| Molly Weasley | 5’3” |
| Bill Weasley | 6’1” |
| Charlie Weasley | 5’7” |
| Percy Weasley | 6’1” |
Harry Potter – 5’11”
Harry is of average height for a man, not too tall and not too small. He is a little boy when we meet him and when we find out how tall his parents were, we might assume that he wouldn’t go above it.
His father was of the same height and his mom was not a very tall woman. His actual height at the end of the series matches the adjectives used to describe him. A tall and lanky boy. To compare them, Daniel Radcliffe is much shorter in real life, 5’5”.
Hermione Granger – 5’5”
Slender and not too tall, Hermione can at first sight seem like a fragile and shy girl. She doesn’t stand out when you first see her. She can sometimes be too indifferent towards the things that surround her.
But when you meet her, when she shows her grandiosity in every aspect, this rather small height of hers suddenly looks much bigger. Emma Watson’s height matches Hermione’s.
Ron Weasley – 6’1”
The Weasley family can be recognized from far away. All chatty and funny redheads, loud and always quarreling. You might think that they would be of similar height, too. But you would be wrong.
Ron is somewhere in the middle, being also pretty tall for a man, but still much smaller than some of his brothers. Rupert Grint is with his 5’8” much shorter than Ron.
Luna Lovegood – 5’2”
Who wouldn’t notice this platinum blonde quirky girl with innocent big eyes, always lurking about. No one would ever think that she is actually very petite. Her peculiarity and originality definitely add to her small height, since due to her beautiful soul she seems so much bigger and taller. The actress Evanna Lynch is the same height.
Neville Longbottom – 5’7”
Neville is the character that you might think is taller than he actually is. We see the biggest physical transformation in his character. We would assume that he grew a bit taller from the cute, chubby, and insecure boy we met at the beginning of the story. Maybe that’s also because Matthew Lewis, who plays him, is 6’0” tall.
Ginny Weasley – 5’6”
Taller than Hermione, Ginny might not seem that way when we first meet her. Probably because she is younger than the rest of the group and always hiding somewhere. As the only daughter in the Weasley family, she is closer to her mum’s height than dad’s and brothers’ who are pretty tall even for men. Bonnie Wrights is the same height.
Draco Malfoy – 6’0”
Sometimes we can’t separate characters from the novel with the actors who play them in movies. This is the case with many actors here, but Draco is definitely one who we relate to Tom Felton, who gave an outstanding performance in the movies. And his 5’9” is almost as tall as Draco who is a tall man which also goes well with his sometimes pretty terrifying character.
Fred and George Weasley – 6’3”
Fred is one of the tallest members of the Weasley family. Much taller than his father, he is really memorable not only for his wits, but also his lanky and tall figure which makes him stand out in the crowd.
Identical in everything and of course in height, too, George is also someone who steals attention everywhere he finds himself. Always talking and laughing and making pranks, his head will also stick out in a group of people since he is very tall and like his brother, among the tallest characters in the story.
Dean Thomas – 6’3”
One more very tall Hogwarts student. We have followed Dean Thomas since he was a little boy in a new school, just like his best friends. He grew to be a strong and attractive young man whose height definitely made him get noticed among others in the room. Alfred Enoch is the same height as the character he plays.
Cho Chang – 5’1”
One of the shortest characters in general, this cute girl was also one of the most popular at school. A good witch and Quidditch player, she was one of the most beautiful girls at school and Harry Potter’s first crush. Later they became good friends and fought together to defeat the Dark One.
Albus Dumbledore – 6’3”
We couldn’t even imagine the most powerful wizard to be short. And Albus Dumbledore is anything but that, being one of the tallest of all. With his long white beard and protruding eyes, his height is definitely one the first things we notice when we see him.
Michael Gambon was, with his 6 ’11”, pretty close to his character’s height.
Severus Snape – 5’9”
Some people are so charismatic that they don’t have to stand out in the crowd with their height. Snape is one of them, with his deep voice and serious and calm tone. He is often the one we first notice since he has this special and unusual aura that surrounds him. And the most perfect choice for playing him, Alan Rickman, was even taller. With his 6’1” he definitely made Snape one of the most unforgettable characters ever.
Rubeus Hagrid – 8’6”
Someone can be extremely small and seem harmless and then prove to be a nightmare. And some can intimidate with his height, but in fact, be the kindest and nicest soul ever. Half-giant and half-wizard, Hagrid is the best proof that height doesn’t always need to represent something scary and menacing.
He is like a teddy bear in an enormous body. There’s no need to compare Robbie Coltrane with his character’s height, but with 6’1” he is a pretty tall man who gave an outstanding performance.
Minerva McGonagall – 5’9”
Tall and slim, a true leader with her resolute presence and decisive behavior. Of a pretty tall height for a woman, McGonagall is of the tallest women in the Harry Potter world. Although height really doesn’t mean anything and isn’t connected to a person’s personality, sometimes it’s not bad to be bigger than the others. You might be perceived as a bit more serious and even dangerous. McGonagall is much taller than the average 5’5” Dame Maggie Smith is in real life.
Sybill Trelawney – 5’8”
One of the most peculiar and memorable teachers in Hogwarts is Sybill Trelawney. Her curly, long hair and insecure and eccentric behavior stay with us long after we’ve seen the movie. The way she communicates and behaves is hilarious. And especially her relationship with Hermione. Emma Thompson is always a delight to watch and this is one of her best roles ever. She is the same height as her quirky character.
Alastor Moody – 6’2”
Maybe one of the characters who looks the most intimidating when you see him for the first time. Tall, strong and loud, Moody is definitely one which we wouldn’t like to meet in a dark alley. Especially when he looks at us. His height goes well with his personality and it would be difficult to imagine a shorter man with a personality like his. And Brendan Gleeson is also a 6’2” tall man and an excellent choice for playing Moody.
Dolores Umbridge – 5’1”
One of the most unlovable and wicked characters ever anywhere is a short, short woman. The same as with Hagrid, our first impressions might be so wrong. Seeing her might make us think she is a fragile, kind soul. And how wrong would we be. For what we get is the evilest and most selfish woman we might ever meet. Imelda Staunton is even shorter, being 5’0”, but in real life seems the complete opposite of her iconic character.
Remus Lupin – 6’2”
One of the tallest Hogwarts teachers, Lupin’s height goes well with his real personality. It is easier to imagine and envisage his true self when we learn that he is a very tall man. Slender and tall, Lupin can be also pretty intimidating when he wants to, but he is actually a sweet and emotional man who wants to live his life as calmly as possible. David Thewlis is the same height and a great choice for this interesting character.
Gilderoy Lockhart – 5’10”
One of the most self absorbed people ever, full of himself, but so petty and cowardly in the end. Not too tall for a man, but definitely one we will notice in a room full of people. But he will stand out because of his chatty and flashy personality. Always in the center of attention, he hides his true self behind his numerous lies and invented adventures. Kenneth Branagh is the same height as Lockhart and he did a great job portraying this selfish and emotionless individual.
Lord Voldemort – 6’3”
As with Dumbledore, this time it would be difficult to imagine one of the evilest and powerful wizards to be a short man. Lord Voldemort is very tall and as with some other wizards in the story, his height might be intimidating and it definitely adds to his mean personality.
Ralph Fiennes is 5’11” which makes him much shorter than his character, but his facial expressions and fantastic acting skills perfectly depict one of the best villains ever.
Bellatrix Lestrange – 6’0”
This might come as the greatest surprise, seeing that Bellatrix is taller than many male characters in the story. But on the other hand, why a surprise? She is described as tall and strong, we know how powerful and dangerous she is. And it doesn’t only have to be from the magician’s perspective. She is extremely skilled, cunning and always ready to make others suffer. Her height might in a way help her with some things, such as fights and struggles.
Maybe one of the biggest discrepancies between the character and the actor playing it is the one between Bellatrix and Helena Bonham Carter who is really small, being only 5’2”. But as with Oldman and Fiennes, her brilliant portrayal didn’t even make us think of this great difference in height.
Sirius Black – 6’2”
Sirius Black is a strong character, a very brave man who suffered a great injustice. And he is bold and dangerous and we can easily imagine him being as tall as he in fact is. There might be something with height and people’s personalities. For many years Black was thought to be one of the craziest and when we see him before we know anything about him, his height definitely helps in believing the things we’ve heard. Gary Odlman is 5’8” and therefore much shorter than his character.
Lily and James Potter – 5’6” and 5’11”
Harry’s mum was an extremely brave woman who gave her life for her son. When we look at her, we see a fragile, mild tempered and not very tall woman but soon we find out that she was a stubborn and very talented witch. Geraldine Somerville is also 5’6” and she was a very good choice since she really embodies Lily’s personality and looks as we imagined her.
There have been numerous discussions about James Potter’s height. Many stated he was much shorter, but finally, we know that he is 5’11”, just like Harry so many years after. James was his loving father, who also gave his life to protect him. He outgrew his teenage years and from a troublemaker became an excellent wizard and a good friend who would do everything for his loved ones.
Horace Slughorn – 5’3”
As with Bellatrix and Carter, we have one more great difference between a character and the actor playing him. But here it goes the other way round. Slughorn is described as small, old, bold, and fat. And an interesting wizard who wants to know everything and feeds on news and interesting stories.
And Jim Broadbent is very tall, being 6’2”. But he is such a great choice for Slughorn that one again we simply forget about the difference in height and overall Broadbent’s appearance in comparison to Slughorn.
Filius Flitwick – 2’3”
The smallest teacher in Hogwarts, a trusted wizard and beloved professional, he was always there for his students. He acknowledged and accepted his students, even more since he didn’t get much attention while growing up. He is half-goblin, half-wizard, and due to his goblin side, much shorter than he would usually be. Actor Warwick Davis is quite taller in real life, being 3’6”.
Arthur Weasley – 6’2”
As mentioned with Ron and the twins, the Weasley family are mostly different in their height. Their general appearance is very much alike and personality maybe even more. And Weasley men are pretty tall. Mr. Weasley is a tall man and he is definitely one who will get noticed when he enters the room. Ginger haired, with a big smile and a loving personality, Arthur Weasley is one of the most likable characters in the whole story. Mark Williams is almost as tall as his character and as all of them here, a great choice for Arthur.
Molly Weasley – 5’3”
This story is proof that temper and feistiness are not reserved only for tall characters. As with Umbridge and Lovegood, once again we have a pretty short character who with her unforgettable personality makes for her small height. In this case, we have an absolutely adorable kind hearted woman who hides so much love and devotion in only 5’3”.
Being much shorter than everyone in the family, Molly had to be noticed in a different way, so we’ll always hear her talking while trying to take care of everyone by giving them advice. Julie Walters is about the same height and a wonderful choice for this character.
Bill Weasley – 6’1”
Just like his father, Bill is also a very tall man. Not the tallest in the family, but still much taller than some of the mentioned characters. Bill is a good magician and he uses his knowledge for curse-breaking. The oldest child of Molly and Arthur and the first to attend Hogwarts, he eventually marries Fleur Delacour.
Charlie Weasley – 5’7”
The shortest of the Weasley men, but definitely one of the bravest. Charlie was a bit of a loner and felt the best when with dragons who he always wanted to study. And finally, his wish came true and he moved to Romania to train them. Who knows if his height also helped him become one of the best dragon trainers.
Percy Weasley – 6’1”
One of the Weasley’s who maybe sticks out the most. The one without a sense of humor, or at least not that much as his younger brothers. Percy worked at the Ministry of Magic and had to behave accordingly to his job. He refused to take part in any pranks his brothers would want to do.
