Harry Potter: 12 Best Supporting Characters
3. Luna Lovegood
Very much the latecomer to Harry's core group of friends and confidants, the enigmatic Ravenclaw was reportedly intended to be something of a one-time player in Order of the Phoenix - but her breakout popularity saw her become a prominent figure across the final two books of the season, helping to hold the home fort at Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows before her kidnap, while an investigative visit to her house by Harry, Ron and Hermione while on the run proves one of the more unexpectedly poignant moments of the final novel.
Brought to life onscreen by newcomer Evanna Lynch with an otherworldliness befitting her slightly off-centre sweetness-and-steel personality, Luna picks up extra points for helping to expand Harry's friendship group beyond his otherwise somewhat insular Gryffindor borders.
Most of her character arc - including her brief stint at the mercy of the Malfoy family - makes it into the films too, arguably making her the lone character in Harry's immediate radius who retains virtually all of her in-book development.