Harry Potter's Great British Thespians

Emma Thompson as Sybil Trelawny, 3, 5, 8
She's a bit of a klutz, and her predictions don't always pan out, but Sybil, the Divinations teacher at Hogwarts, did foretell the wizarding world–shaking battle between Harry and Voldemort. She's a sad, comic character, equally annoying and endearing, as played by this distinguished comedienne. The child of actors, and an undergrad star at Cambridge, Thompson, 51, is the only person to have won Oscars as both actress (Remains of the Day) and screenwriter (Sense and Sensibility). Thompson's ex-husband, Kenneth Branagh, was the flashy Prof. Gilderoy Lockhart in the second Potter film.

• Growing Up with Harry Potter