The 7 Saddest Harry Potter Movie Moments, Ranked
by Jesse Schedeen
You'd think going to wizard school would be the greatest thing that could happen to a child. But the Harry Potter franchise is crammed with enough tragic and emotionally devastating moments to traumatize anyone for life. While we wait to see if "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" will turn out to be an equally depressing experience, here are the seven most ugly-cry worthy moments in the movie series so far.
7. Cedric Diggory's Funeral
As seen in: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005) The death of suave, handsome Cedric Diggory offered viewers the first taste of the darkness to come in Harry Potter sequels. And Dumbledore milked that death for all it was worth in his powerful eulogy for his fallen student.
6. RIP, Sirius Black
As seen in: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007) As lousy as it is to have both your parents murdered by an evil, nose-less supervillain, at least Harry always had his godfather Sirius watching his back. Until the end of the fifth movie, that is. No, we're not crying. Someone's chopping onions.
5. Returning to Godric's Hollow
As seen in: "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (2010) In the penultimate Harry Potter movie, Harry made a delayed pilgrimage to the town where he was born and where his parents are buried. It was a sad, quiet scene, made all the more haunting by the fact that Ron wasn't around to share in Harry's grief.
4. Dumbledore's Death and Funeral
As seen in: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009) If viewers didn't have enough reason to hate professor Snape already, they certainly did after Snape murdered the beloved Headmaster of Hogwarts. That moment was shocking, but the real emotional toll came when the entire school held their wands aloft in tribute to a fallen legend.
3. The Casualties of the Battle of Hogwarts
As seen in: "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011) Get the entire Harry Potter cast together in one spot and inevitably there are going to be some tragic casualties. The final film offered a sobering reminder of that, as the victims of Voldemort's attack began piling up by the dozens.
2. Harry Meets His End
As seen in: "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011) The second-most emotionally devastating moment in the series came not at the end of Harry's battle with Voldemort, but earlier in the film. Remember when Harry walked, accompanied by the ghosts of his parents, to face certain death at Voldemort's hand? There was barely a dry eye in the theater by that point.
1. Snape's Flashback
As seen in: "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011) "Always." Throughout the Harry Potter series, fans were left to wonder if Snape really was as big a jerk as he seemed, or if he had a valid reason for treating Harry like a smelly house elf. All was finally revealed when the dying Snape granted Harry a window into his mind and the terrible tragedies that shaped him into Harry's greatest ally (if a very secret one).
