There is hardly a fictional universe around today that people invest so much love in as the magical world of Harry Potter. Adored across the globe, J.K Rowling's blockbusting books, well, busted fastest-selling records and the eight-part film series that adapted the stories to the screen became - and still is, just - the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. It is no surprise then that Rowling herself has been asked to pen a new trilogy of films to extend the Harry Potter world further for its many, many fans. So what is the secret of its success? The fantasy plots may be well-told and rich in a history of mythology and other influences but, as with anything, it's the characters that matter. And those seven books and eight films produced many a beloved hero - apart from Harry, Ron and Hermione there is of course their gang of allies including gentle giant Hagrid, the Weasley family and the benevolent, bearded Professor Dumbledore. However, Rowling and the film-makers who made cinematic hits of her works also gave us a plethora of despicable villains that we love to hate. The following article is a run-through of the ten most moustache-curling (and Unforgivable Curse-using) cads of the lot.
