No. 7 Witch of All-Time: Hermione Granger as portrayed by Emma Watson (Harry Potter)

Top Ten Female Witches of All-time (real or imagined)

What fantasy author can resist a witch that loves the library? Certainly not this one! For that reason, and many more actually, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter’s female sidekick, comes into my list of the Top Ten Witches of All-Time at number seven.

The character of Hermione, portrayed in the Harry Potter movie series by the lovely Emma Watson, is more than just a sidekick. Her magick is as powerful as any witch on this list, and without her unique and well studied magickal talents, Harry Potter would have been up the proverbial crap creek without a paddle on more than one occasion.

In a world where female protagonists with super powers are much more common than yesteryear, I certainly like Hermione better than Bella on Twilight. My daughter might feel differently, but Hermione always had a purpose and that purpose usually had more to do with righting wrongs than falling in love. There, I said it…whew!

Another thing that impresses me about Hermione is that she doesn’t have to be perfect. She has doubts, fears and questions everything, but when push comes to shove, she isn’t afraid to shove.

As I researched this character I learned that she has a lot in common with her author and creator, JK Rowling. It’s nothing unusual for an author to put tidbits of themselves into their works, but if JK is anything like Hermione in real life, then she must be as good a person as she is an author.

As the series grows, so does the character of Hermione. Nothing more than a child in the first Potter books, she is a fully grown young woman by the time it all ends. I always kind of wished she and Harry Potter would fall in love, but Rowling chose the third protagonist from the series, the ever loyal Ron Weasly to be her love interest. Through all the bickering they slung at each other, a strange chemistry developed between the two and by the epilogue of the final book, they were married and had children. Perfect fairytale ending, right?

Beyond her magickal abilities, I think the things that make Hermione so charming are her intellect and her loyalty. Never one to back down from a challenge, her response to the antagonists in the series, such as the ever frowning Malfoy, was to get revenge by outsmarting the bad guys. And she did quite a good job of that!

Though some might have seen Hermione as standoffish, I felt relatively the opposite. Being a book worm and someone who did outstandingly well in class, I can relate to her character, even though she is meant to be a geeky female heroine. There is far more to Hermione than that. Seemingly always the first to master new lessons and spells, who else would Harry Potter call upon when he was in a bind against the formidable antagonists he had to face? I am sure Harry would have Hermione a bit higher on the list, but I think she is perfect here at number four. Do you agree?

What this says for the final four witches on my list is that they are amazing! I can’t wait to reveal them to you! Stay tuned!!!

Thanks for reading my blog. Please follow me, share and tell an enemy and a friend. I look forward to seeing you next time. I also encourage you to visit my author website to check out my novels and short stories. My psycho-sexual/dark fantasy novel about dragons, undead knights, and you guessed it, witches is called Rise of the Raven Knights, Suffer the Witch Volume I and it can be found at http://sufferthewitch.com.

My apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, The Devil’s Prophet is also available at http://thedevilsprophet.com.

Number 10 Witch of All-Time: Madam Professor Minerva McGonagall

Top Ten Female Witches of All-time (real or imagined)

Number 10 Madam Professor Minerva McGonagall

Easily the most popular witchcraft story of modern times is Harry Potter. Created and written by J K Rowling, the story is simply fantastic in both imagery and adventure. Though some of her inspiration may have been derived from previous stories, and whose stories aren’t, they still bustle with enough originality to catch the eye of youngsters and parents alike.

Coming in at number nine on my list is Madam Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts, skillfully portrayed in the movies by critically acclaimed actress, Dame Margaret Natalie "Maggie" Smith. The character itself is of a witch with as much knowledge of the craft as life itself. It could be said she is as wise as Professor Dumbledorf, but that would be splitting hairs!

What the character does is teach Harry and his cohorts, as well as play foil to their youthful recklessness. Almost always, in the middle of whatever crisis Harry and his fellows find themselves, she admonishes them and tries to rein them in. In the end, however, Harry ultimately succeeds and she sees the err of her ways, accepts that she has learned something new and exalts Harry to even greater heights, both in front of his peers and hers.

Who can forget her warning at the beginning of the first Harry Potter’s first transfiguration class? “Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." That would be one warning to certainly take heed!

Perhaps my favorite part in the Potter stories is when she puts the lively witch’s hat on the new students head to designate which house they will be assigned. There is so much tension in the air and so much anxiety in the faces of the kids. Madam Professor Minerva McGonagall, never wavers and the kids always seem to find favor with just the right house for their over the top personalities.

On a more personal note, my father left my family when I was a small child. I was raised by women and through that, learned to respect women. Though not witches, my mother, grandmother and aunts showed me how important it is to have strong female role models in your life. After Harry Potter’s parents were killed, his new adoptive family was anything but supportive. When Madam Professor Minerva McGonagall came into his life, at Hogwarts, she filled that roll. Even though the story is purely fiction and J K Rowling could have written it anyway she wanted, I firmly believe this character was one of the most important figures in young Harry’s life, and I doubt he would have accomplished the many great things he did, and survived the wild adventures, without her guidance.

That is why I have listed her as number nine on my list. Her warm maternal instincts to support those she led would have surely made her refuse to be any higher, but her strong willed personality would have accepted nothing less!

Thanks for reading my blog. Please follow me, share and tell an enemy and a friend. I look forward to seeing you next time. I also encourage you to visit my author website to check out my novels and short stories. My psycho-sexual/dark fantasy novel about dragons, undead knights, and you guessed it, witches is called Rise of the Raven Knights, Suffer the Witch Volume I and it can be found at http://sufferthewitch.com.

My Apocalyptic Dark Fiction Thriller THE DEVIL'S PROPHET is available @ http://thedevilsprophet.com