Harry Potter: Every Hogwarts Professor's Age (2025)

The Harry Potter series has a significant number of characters, with some of the most important being the Hogwarts professors. These characters teach Harry and countless other students about magic and become mentors, parental figures, and, eventually, allies against Lord Voldemort's dark rule. However, many people might be wondering how old these characters are since the books rarely talk about it.

People in the Wizarding World are way older than they look since magical people live longer. Albus Dumbledore, for example, died when he was 115 years old, making him the oldest main character in the series. Although Nicholas Flamel and his wife lived more than 600 years thanks to the Philosopher's Stone, regular wizards can live between 150 and 200 years. The Trolley Lady, for example, is around 190 years old. This article includes all the major Hogwarts professors and their approximate ages, either at their deaths or in 2017, the year of The Deathly Hallows' epilogue.

Updated on December 9, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Harry Potter may have lost a lot of points for Gryffindor because of the professors at Hogwarts, but it's clear that most of them only wanted the best for him. That said, some professors are considerably younger than their colleagues, raising questions about the credentials required to acquire this esteemed post. As such, we have updated this article with more entries and information.

17 Quirinus Quirrell Might Have Harry's Youngest Professor

Approximate Age: 25-30

Quirinus Quirrell was Harry's first Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, an eccentric man with a dark secret. By the end of The Philosopher's Stone, it turned out that Quirrell was hiding Lord Voldemort himself behind his turban. Still, before going rogue, Quirrell also worked at Hogwarts as the Muggle Studies Professor during the '80s. He ultimately went on sabbatical to Albania which ended with him becoming Voldemort's temporary body.

The Harry Potter series says nothing about Quirrell's death, but it seems that he wasn't nearly as old as his counterparts. Since he was already teaching Muggle Studies in 1985 (per the Hogwarts Mystery video game), he had to be born at least before 1967. Odds are that Quirrell wasn't even 30 when he died trying to obtain the Philosopher's Stone.

16 Gilderoy Lockhart Had Become a True Villain Before His 30s

Approximate Age: 53

In Harry's second year at Hogwarts, he got a new DADA teacher who happened to be a local celebrity. Handsome and charming, Gilderoy Lockhart had made a fortune selling his books about his dangerous adventures. However, in the end, it turns out Lockhart was nothing but a liar. Lockhart's only talent was the Memory Charm, and he used it to delete the memories of the true heroes of his stories.

The night Tom Riddle took Ginny to the Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart tried to use Obliviate on Harry and Ron, but unfortunately for him, Ron's wand was broken. The spell bounced back to Lockhart, who got permanent brain damage. What is astounding about Gildery Lockhart is his age. He was only 28 years old by the time he started teaching at Hogwarts, although actor Kenneth Branagh was over 40 when filming The Chamber of Secrets.

15 Charity Burbage Taught That Muggles and Wizards Were the Same

Approximate Age: 20s-30s

Muggle Studies were briefly discussed in the Harry Potter series, with Hermione being the only student to officially take the course in her third year. The program aims to eliminate any bigotry against muggles by explaining why they lived as they did, and it worked for the most part. Unfortunately, Dumbledore's death allowed Voldemort to seize control of the Ministry and Hogwarts, transforming Muggle Studies into anti-muggle propaganda.

Professor Charity Burbage appears at the beginning of The Deathly Hallows novel and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1 as a victim of Voldemort's cruelty. Despite Charity's pleas for Snape to rescue her, he sits by helpless as Voldemort kills her with an Avada Kedavra. Given that she began her Hogwarts career after 1993 and considering the actor's appearance in the movie, Charity Burbage was probably in her late 20s or 30s when she died.

14 Dolores Umbridge Was Harry's Worst Professor

Approximate Age: 56-58

Dolores Umbridge was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher assigned by the Ministry of Magic during Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts and one of the most disliked Harry Potter characters. Umbridge arrived as a Professor but quickly became the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts as well as the Hogwarts Headmistress. During Voldemort's rule, she was the Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. It is known that Dolores Umbridge started working at the Ministry of Magic as soon as she graduated from Hogwarts, and worked hard to rapidly secure better positions.

Umbridge was the Head of the Improper Use of Magic Department before she was 30 years old. In 1995, she was already the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic. Taking into account Umbridge's ability to obtain power, it's likely she wasn't that old. She was probably around 35 years old when she taught at Hogwarts, which is surprising. There's a majorpossibility that Umbridge even attended Hogwarts at the same time as the Marauders, putting her in the late 50s if she's still alive in Azkaban.

13 Remus Lupin Died Young But Made an Impact

Approximate Age: 38

Remus Lupin was one of the youngest professors to ever teach at Hogwarts, not to mention the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Harry ever had during his time at the school. Lupin was also a close friend of Harry's father, and he continued appearing in the series as one of the Order of the Phoenix members. He eventually married Nymphadora Tonks and had a son, Teddy Lupin.

Unfortunately, Remus was killed by Antonin Dolohov during the Battle of Hogwarts. When he died on May 2, 1998, he was 38 years old. All the Marauders died young, which says a lot about the destructive nature of the war against Voldemort, as they all died during one of the two Wizarding Wars. Remus appears again in the series as a spirit, together with Sirius and Harry's parents, to give Harry strength before facing Lord Voldemort.

12 Sybill Trelawney Was More Talented Than She Appeared to Be

Approximate Age: 55+

While Sybill Trelawney's Divination skills were unpredictable, she had two significant events in the Harry Potter series. Trelawney was responsible for the prophecy that tied Harry and Lord Voldemort's destinies and predicted that Peter Pettigrew would escape during Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Despite this, Hermione, being the more logical student, considered her class a waste of time.

Since there are no physical descriptions of Trelawney that give away her age nor any information about the year she was born, it's hard to know exactly how old she is. However, she gives the impression of a middle-aged woman because of her history in teaching. Around 1979 or 1980, Sybill Trelawney met Albus Dumbledore for a job interview. This means Trelawney was at the very least 18 years old at that time, but it's unlikely that Dumbledore would have hired someone so young. This would mean Trelawney must have been born somewhere in the first half of the 20th century.

Approximate Age: Unknown

When Professor Trelawney was forcefully evicted from Hogwarts by Dolores Umbridge, Dumbledore decided to hire Firenze as a replacement. One of the centaurs living in the Forbidden Forest, Firenze was first introduced saving Harry in The Philosopher's Stone. His centaur peers believed his new job position to be an act of indignity, exiling Firenze from the Forbidden Forest. Firenze continued teaching Divination even after Trelawney was reinstated, much to her obvious chagrin.

As a professor, Firenze explained to the students just how complex and ever-fluid the art of Divination was, claiming that even centaurs are capable of misreading the signs. Firenze and the other centaurs bravely fought at the Battle of Hogwarts, following which his colony accepted him back. Given that nothing is known about how centaurs age, and the fact that Firenze taught well into the 2010s, it seems that this is one professor whose age cannot be guessed at. It can be assumed that he ages differently than humans or magic-users, though.

10 Severus Snape Sacrificed His Life for Lily Evan's Son

Approximate Age: 38

While Severus Snape always wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dumbledore thought it was much too close to Snape's secret passion for studying the Dark Arts rather than defending against them. Because of this, Snape spent most of his life teaching Potions while being the Head of the Slytherin House. However, in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, Snape finally got to teach DADA. Under Voldemort's rule, Snape also became Hogwarts' Headmaster.

Severus Snape went to Hogwarts at the same time as the Marauders; just like them, he was born in 1960, so he was relatively young compared to some of his colleagues. Snape died at 38 years old when Voldemort decided to kill him under the mistaken assumption that Snape was the master of the Elder Wand. Despite his gruesome murder, Snape's accomplishments ultimately helped pave the way for Voldemort's downfall.

9 Filius Flitwick Was One of the Most Likable Hogwarts Teachers

Approximate Age: 59+

The Charms professor, Filius Flitwick, is as charming as his subject. He was a friendly professor who never left too much homework but was always willing to help. Flitwick is a half-goblin, resulting in a very short stature. When teaching, he even has to stand on a pile of books, so students can see him. And yet, Flitwick made a name for himself as one of the greatest dueling champions of the 20th century.

Even though it is known that Flitwick was born on October 17, the books and films don't elaborate on his exact age. The only clue Harry Potter fans have is that Flitwick supervised one of the exams the Marauders took in their fifth year at Hogwarts, which meant Flitwick was already a Professor in 1975. Since he became a champion duelist after graduating from Hogwarts and wizards age so slowly, he was likely born way before 1958. Flitwick was at least 33 years old when Harry met him, but he was probably already in his 50s.

8 Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody Was One of the Best Aurors in the Harry Potter Series

Approximate Age: 50s

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody was supposed to teach at Hogwarts during Harry's fourth year. However, he was kidnapped by Barty Crouch Jr., who pretended to be the retired Auror for a year. Technically, Moody was still the teacher, as he was the one Dumbledore hired in the first place. Harry had the opportunity to meet the real Moody at the Order of the Phoenix meetings, although the Auror sadly lost his life at the Battle of the Seven Potters.

Widely regarded as the peak of his profession, Moody was a well-known Auror known for incarcerating several dark wizards during the First Wizarding War, which started in 1970 and ended in 1981. As an accomplished Auror throughout this time, it's likely Moody was born sometime around the 1950s or late 1940s. This would make Moody around 50 when he was killed by Voldemort in 1997.

7 Rubeus Hagrid Played Multiple Important Roles In the Story

Approximate Age: 89

Hagrid is one of the most lovable professors in Hogwarts, even if his passion is introducing the most dangerous creatures into his class. The half-giant is one of Harry's best friends in the magical world, being the one to deliver him to Privet Drive when he was an infant. Hagrid is also responsible for telling Harry the truth about his magical history and saving him from a life with the Dursleys.

At Hogwarts, the Golden Trio not only took Hagrid's class but spent more than an afternoon in his hut drinking tea and talking about their problems. Hagrid is much older than people would expect him to be. The affable half-giant was born in 1928, so when Harry met him, he was already 63 years old. By 2017, Hagrid would be 89 years old. That being said, the fact that Hagrid wasn't mentioned in The Cursed Child, which spans from 2017 to 2021, has raised several questions from the fandom.

6 Rolanda Hooch Was Older Than People Imagined

Approximate Age: 117+

Rolanda Hooch, better known as Madam Hooch, was the flying instructor at Hogwarts. She was also in charge of refereeing the Quidditch games, maintaining the equipment, and ensuring all the House Quidditch Teams were training safely. There is no information about Madam Hooch's birthday, but fans have speculated that she must have been born around 1900.

Madam Hooch was spotted by a Muggle flying her broomstick during the Great War, which happened between 1914 and 1918. Hooch must have been at least a teenager at the time, which confirms that she was probably born around or before 1900. This would mean that Hooch was around 90 when Harry first met her and must be at least 117 years old as of the epilogue in The Deathly Hallows.

5 Horace Slughorn Taught at Hogwarts for Several Years

Approximate Age: 104-133

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Albus Dumbledore hires a new Potions teacher, Horace Slughorn. However, this wasn't Professor Slughorn's first time teaching at Hogwarts. Slughorn had previously taught several generations of wizards and witches, including Harry's mother Lily Evans and a young Tom Riddle.

In the e-book released by J.K. Rowling in 2016, Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists, it is stated that Horace Slughorn started teaching at Hogwarts in 1931, but nowhere in the Harry Potter series is Slughorn's age specified. However, because of Dumbledore's comment, it's clear that the Potions teacher was younger than the Headmaster. Taking into account that he was teaching in 1931, Slughorn was probably born around the early 1900s, making him almost 100 years old when he started teaching Harry and his friends.

4 Pomona Sprout Retired From Teaching in 2020

Approximate Age: 127-137

Pomona Sprout was Hogwart's Herbology teacher and the Head of the Hufflepuff house. While there isn't any information about Sprout's birth date, she's described as having gray hair in the books, a feature replicated in the movies. What's more, by the year 2020, she retired from teaching, likely because of old age. This would mean that when she taught Harry and his friends, she was an elderly woman already.

More importantly, McGonagall and Sprout have a two-year difference, and they even attended Hogwarts at the same time. This means that Pomona is roughly the same age as Minerva. Since Minerva was probably around 100 years old in 1991, Pomona was probably around the same age, which would make her somewhere around 130 years old in 2017.

3 Minerva McGonagall Spent Most of Her Life Teaching

Approximate Age: 127-137

Like most Hogwarts professors, Harry Potter lore doesn't state Minerva McGonagall's birth year. However, McGonagall worked for two years in the Ministry of Magic after graduating from Hogwarts. When she was around 20, she started working at the magic school with Albus Dumbledore, who was the Head of the Transfiguration Department at the time. Minerva taught Newt Scamander, who was born in 1897 and started attending Hogwarts in 1908.

What's more, Dumbledore graduated from Hogwarts in 1899 and then spent a few years traveling and researching before becoming a professor. So, it's likely that McGonagall started teaching at Hogwarts between 1905 and 1910. This means that she was probably born between 1880 and 1890. At the same time, calculating McGonagall's age is tricky because she never taught Tom Riddle, which doesn't make sense given that he began studying at Hogwarts in 1929.

2 Albus Dumbledore Was Even Older Than People Think

Approximate Age: 115

Even though Albus Dumbledore was one of the most intelligent, talented, and wise wizards of his generation, he decided to dedicate his life to education instead of the pursuit of glory and fame. In his mind, broadening young minds was far more important than being a celebrity. Dumbledore began his career as a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, teaching for many years before shifting his focus to Transfiguration.

He later became the Head of the Transfiguration Department and, eventually, he became Hogwarts' Headmaster. Albus Dumbledore was born on August 1881 and was killed by Severus Snape on June 30, 1997, when he was almost 116 years old, which is not that old for a wizard. If Dumbledore hadn't tried to wear Salazar Slytherin's ring, it's possible that he would have lived at least 30 years longer, allowing him to appear in The Cursed Child.

1 Cuthbert Binns Continued Existing as a Ghost

Approximate Age: 150+

Professor Cuthbert Binns was arguably Harry's most boring teacher at Hogwarts. Binns was a ghost with a monotone voice and long-winded explanations about magical history, making his subject one of the least liked in the school. Professor Binns died of old age after teaching for several years. However, instead of moving to the afterworld, he kept teaching his classes as if nothing had happened.

There are very few details about Binn's life, so his age isn't clear. Still, he was very old when he died, so he could have been as old as 150 at the time. Some fans believe that Binns lived during the 19th century since the book he used to teach the class, A History of Magic, was written by Bathilda Bagshot, who was born in 1873. It's to be expected that a person who loves routine so much used the same book for most of his life, so he couldn't have been much older than Bathilda. There's no doubt that Binns is Hogwarts' oldest professor.

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Harry Potter

The Harry Potter franchise follows the adventure of a young boy introduced a whole new world of magic, mayhem and darkness. Traversing the obstacles in his path, young Harry's rise to heroics pits him against Lord Voldemort, one of the most dangerous wizards in the world and all his minions.

Created by

J.K. Rowling

First Film

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Latest Film

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Upcoming TV Shows

Harry Potter

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon

Where to watch

HBO Max

Spin-offs (Movies)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore