The Harry Potter series is definitely an emotional rollercoaster, so it only seems right that I list some of the most tear-jerking and heartbreaking moments.
1. When Harry sees his parents in The Mirror of Erised after using his dad’s invisibility cloak for the first time.
And you see that being with his family is his greatest desire. For an 11-year-old boy, this is just heartbreaking, because you realize how lonely he's been.
2. When Hagrid is released from Azkaban and Hermione is revived from petrification.
Something about the power of their friendship and their reunion really gets to you.
3. When Ron criticizes Hermione during the Yule Ball. During the Yule Ball.
Hermione was having such a great time and then Ron had to come in and criticize her for her choice of date and make her feel bad about herself, so she cries on the steps of the hall. Seeing two people who are great friends with each other at odds over something so trivial is a definite tear jerker in my opinion.
4. When Cedric Diggory is killed by Voldemort.
Harry returns to Hogwarts with Cedric and seeing his son’s dead body, Cedric’s father’s crying is enough to make you emotional.
5. When Bellatrix Lestrange murders Sirius Black in front of Harry.
Sirius was one of the only pieces he had left from his parents’ lives and a father figure to Harry, and the fact that he was so new in Harry’s life makes his death even more devastating.
6. When Hermione cries on Harry’s shoulder after finding out about Ron and Lavender’s relationship.
It’s so sad because you see the point where Hermione realizes she loves Ron, and when she sees that he doesn’t love her back it breaks her heart a little bit. It’s such an emotional moment because you get to see how Harry’s brotherly relationship with Hermione plays a huge role in her life.
7. When Dumbledore is murdered by Snape.
Obviously seeing Snape cast the killing curse on Dumbledore was emotional, but what was even worse was when the entire school stood around Dumbledore’s body and lit their wands to the sky in order to rid it of Voldemort’s Dark Mark.
8. When Hedwig dies.
Hedwig had been Harry’s companion for so long, and she was always with him throughout the good and bad times. She died protecting Harry, and seeing an animal go to such lengths to protect its owner is heart wrenching.
9. When Bellatrix tortures Hermione.
This is absolutely one of the hardest scenes to watch in the entire series, as Bellatrix Lestrange tortures Hermione for information and carves the word “Mudblood” into her arm. It’s terrifying to hear Hermione’s cries for help and it’s awful to see how the torture affects her.
10. When Dobby dies.
Bellatrix Lestrange strikes for the third time as she throws the knife that stabs Dobby in the chest. Dobby was always there to protect Harry and his friends, he had a kind soul and was extremely brave. Knowing that he will never be around his friends anymore is heartbreaking.
11. When Hermione wipes her parents’ memories of herself.
She is about to leave with Ron and Harry to hunt Horcruxes and she knows that the Death Eaters will come after her parents in order to hunt her down, so she wipes their memories and sends them to Australia in order to protect them. It’s saddening to see her wipe away their memories because they are her family, who loves and supports her unconditionally. I cried for about 20 minutes after watching this scene for the first time.
12. When Harry and Hermione dance after Ron leaves.
Ron leaves Harry and Hermione, claiming that the hunt is useless and that they’re better off leaving it alone. He leaves just as he and Hermione are getting closer to realizing their feelings for each other, so to comfort Hermione, Harry dances with her to take her mind off the situation. It’s another demonstration on the sibling type bond that they have, and it is so moving to see them be there for each other.
13. When Snape dies.
Snape definitely wasn’t a hero, but he wasn’t an entirely bad guy. Seeing his memories of Harry’s mother as children, and seeing the fact that he protected Harry because he always loved Lily is a tear-jerking moment.
14. When Nymphadora, Remus Lupin, and Fred Weasley die.
This is a triple whammy because Nymphadora and Remus have a newborn son at home that is now an orphan, while Fred Weasley is leaving behind not only his mother, father, sister and brothers, but his twin George. He’s leaving behind his other half and one without the other is never truly whole.
15. When Harry “dies.”
When Harry is killed by Voldemort, and Hagrid carries him in his arms back to the castle, it’s horrible to see everyone so lost and devastated by his death, not only because he was “The Chosen One,” but because they were his family. After seeing this, Harry jumps out of Hagrid’s arms and runs to fight Voldemort away from the crowd, and it is an incredible sight to see Harry and everyone in the castle fighting together as a family.
These are some of the most emotional moments in the Harry Potter series. They all just show how incredible these stories are, and how each moment actually means something in the long haul.
