Harry Potter: Ranking All Defence Against The Dark Arts Teachers From Worst To Best

For years, Severus Snape's area of expertise in classrooms of Hogwarts was Potions rather than Defence Against the Dark Arts. Though he never made secret his ambition for the position, every year he was passed over for someone else - usually someone useless.

Surely then, there must have been something about Snape that Dumblebore felt would not make for a good Defence teacher. Since the Slytherin has demonstrated his wizarding power on several occasions, including but not limited to disarming Lockhart, the Defence teacher at the time, it may be that the Headmaster felt Snape was too good a Potions teacher to move.

Maybe it was worry that the dark arts would draw him in, however when he finally did get the job after the Ministry of Magic appointed the awful Umbridge, Snape taught as he did his entire career - strict, but with the knowledge and passion that many of the others on this list lacked. He aimed to instill not only an inventory of defensive spells but also to teach the students how best to react in situations that arose where they may use them.