7 Most Idiotic Decisions By Harry Potter Characters, Ranked

While flawed choices often drive a good story, some decisions made by characters in the Harry Potter series are simply too frustrating. Throughout the books, characters repeatedly make poor choices, and while some of these choices fit their personalities, others feel unbelievably foolish – even when considering their flaws and the situations they’re in. These decisions may advance the plot, but they can still test the patience of even the most dedicated fan.

As a huge Harry Potter fan, I’ve noticed so many moments where characters make really questionable choices! It’s frustrating because often these decisions don’t seem to make sense, either because they’re not thinking things through or just acting on impulse. Whether it’s a Weasley trusting the wrong person or even Voldemort accidentally setting up his own downfall, these illogical moments always bother me, no matter how many times I read the books.

7) Percy Aligning Himself With Fudge

The movies left out a storyline where Percy Weasley sides with Fudge, and it’s one of the most frustrating choices a character makes in the whole series – though it makes sense given his personality. Percy is always striving for success, and since his family didn’t have much money growing up, it’s understandable why he might betray them for a chance to get ahead. Still, the Ministry of Magic is so obviously wrong in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that it’s difficult to believe Percy would turn against his family and friends.

It’s baffling that Percy keeps avoiding his family even in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, considering he knows Fudge was wrong. While his decision to support the Ministry of Magic is annoying, it’s not one of the worst choices made by characters in the series. It’s understandable how someone young and easily influenced like Percy might act that way—and he eventually realizes his mistake and makes amends in The Deathly Hallows.

6) Fudge Refusing to Acknowledge Voldemort’s Return

Throughout the Harry Potter series, the Ministry of Magic makes many poor choices, but Cornelius Fudge’s refusal to believe Voldemort had returned is arguably the worst. While the story suggests Fudge is in denial and acting out of fear, this explanation feels weak. It’s understandable he’d be hesitant to accept Harry’s claims initially, especially after what happened in Goblet of Fire. However, any logical person would realize the truth will eventually surface, and the story implies Fudge secretly knows Voldemort has returned.

It’s incredibly unwise, almost foolish, that Fudge would risk everything – his career and the safety of the wizarding world – just to avoid facing an unpleasant truth. This makes him and the Ministry a constant hindrance to Harry in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and I still find it puzzling. I don’t understand what Fudge thought he’d gain by denying Voldemort’s return. He isn’t working with Voldemort, so his denial only makes things worse when he’s inevitably proven wrong. It’s a silly plan, even considering the reasons given, though it’s actually more logical than some of the other poor decisions made throughout the series.

5) Harry Rushing to the Ministry to Save Sirius

Harry often acts without thinking, and this gets him into trouble, most tragically when he rushes to the Ministry of Magic to try and save Sirius Black. While it might be unfair to blame Harry entirely, his impulsive decision to go to the Department of Mysteries was clearly a mistake. It’s especially frustrating because Sirius had actually given Harry a way to contact him – a mirror – and even told him it would allow them to connect. You’d expect Harry to remember this when he’s so worried about Sirius, but he doesn’t open the gift until after it’s too late.

Honestly, what frustrates me most about Harry’s choice isn’t just that one thing. After dealing with Umbridge, he and Ron and Hermione had so many options to reach Sirius or someone else in the Order for help. But they decide to go it alone, even though everything was screaming at them that it was a terrible plan. And it’s not just them! Sirius really should have reminded Harry about the mirror when he first tried and failed to use it, and Dumbledore never even prepped Harry for the possibility of Voldemort using their connection against him. Still, Harry charging headfirst into danger feels incredibly reckless. The only reason this doesn’t bother me more is because he’s clearly panicking and not thinking clearly in the moment.

4) The Potters Choosing Wormtail as Their Secret Keeper

The entire Harry Potter series begins with the tragic death of Harry’s parents, James and Lily, at the hands of Voldemort. However, their deaths might have been prevented. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it’s revealed that James and Lily used the Fidelius Charm to hide, allowing only one person to know their location. They initially chose Sirius Black as their Secret Keeper, but then switched to Wormtail, hoping to outsmart Voldemort. Unfortunately, this decision backfired, as Wormtail ultimately betrayed them to the dark wizard.

The plan to use Peter Pettigrew as Secret Keeper is incredibly baffling. Looking back, it’s hard to understand how James, Lily, and Sirius agreed to it, considering how cowardly and easily manipulated he was. Their reasoning—believing Remus was the spy—is strange for a group already prone to trusting the wrong people. Even if they didn’t want Remus involved, they had other options, like asking Dumbledore or becoming their own Secret Keeper, as shown later in The Deathly Hallows. It just doesn’t make sense that they chose someone so obviously weak and unreliable.

3) Letting Wormtail Escape in Prisoner of Azkaban

Peter Pettigrew’s escape in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is incredibly frustrating, and it happens because of several careless errors. The biggest mistake is underestimating how easily Wormtail could slip away, even after being caught. While chaining him to two people was a decent precaution, they should have taken more steps to ensure he couldn’t escape, especially knowing he could transform into an animal. They also should have chained him to someone who wouldn’t be affected by the full moon, avoiding the risk of a transformation that could derail everything.

This creates a larger issue with the plot: Remus inexplicably forgets to take his potion, only realizing his mistake when it’s too late. Considering he’s managed this for years, it feels unrealistic. It’s particularly frustrating because Snape points it out during the confrontation at the Shrieking Shack, meaning it should have been on his mind. This simple error leads to serious problems. Ultimately, the decisions made after learning Sirius is innocent feel contrived, but they are necessary for the plot. There are only two other equally baffling choices made throughout the entire series, and they continue to puzzle me every time I read them.

2) Harry and Ron Flying the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts

I truly don’t get why Harry and Ron decided to fly Mr. Weasley’s magical Ford Anglia to Hogwarts at the start of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was a really rash decision, and the reason they gave for doing it – not wanting to miss the train – just doesn’t seem convincing. They could have easily waited for the Weasleys to come back and contacted the school. There was no need to panic and take such extreme measures. With a little help from the adults, they would have found another way to get to Hogwarts in the end.

Instead, they foolishly decide to steal a car, potentially revealing the existence of magic and putting themselves in harm’s way. Then, they act shocked when they face consequences at school. It’s baffling – we all knew their grand entrance wasn’t going to happen, and the idea they’d even think it was possible is absurd. Only Voldemort’s choices are more extreme. While flying the car was silly, it wasn’t a major problem. Voldemort’s actions, however, caused him immense trouble and ultimately led to his defeat.

1) Voldemort Not Letting Anyone Kill Harry for Him

Throughout the Harry Potter series, Voldemort is determined to kill Harry personally. While it’s established that pride is his weakness, he fails against Harry too often for his actions to make sense. If Voldemort had been more strategic after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he could have made a more secretive and dangerous comeback by letting his Death Eaters finish off Harry instead of letting him escape. Similarly, he wouldn’t have lost in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows if he’d simply delegated the task to someone else.

Voldemort consistently makes predictable choices, which ultimately leads to Harry defeating him repeatedly. It’s foolish that he worries more about appearances – how others might perceive Harry’s death – than actually finishing the task. Fortunately for Harry, this works to his advantage.

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2025-12-22 05:43