Harry Potter and the Scenes that Made me Cry

When you are blessed with an attention seeking uterus (yes, we get it, you aren’t pregnant, congratulations, now can you go back to normal please?) anything will make you cry. This is obviously only one of the many things that we as women go through every month, but I won’t dwell on it right now. This PMS-teary eyed thing is hella annoying on its own anyway.

Every Christmas I do a Harry Potter marathon- books and movies, and while the books leave me feeling emotional all the time anyway, the movies bring everything to life and the tears just come a-rolling. And this year, PMS hit at the same time. So here’s my list of super emotional moments in all the Harry Potter movies in the Christmas Marathon of 2020. Warning: some may be random, but hey, when Christmas, PMS and Harry Potter hit at the same time, you accept the randomness and move on with life.

1. When Hagrid leaves Harry at №4 Privet Drive. If you didn’t get emotional there, you’re a monster. Or maybe you just weren’t PMS-ing.
2. When it’s Harry’s 11th birthday and he draws 11 candles with his finger. In the end, though, he gets the best present ever anyway- his Hogwarts letter.
3. When Harry looks out his window on his first night at Hogwarts, probably filled with gratitude that all the time he spent with the Dursleys brought him to this- a school of magic.
4. When Harry sees his parents in the Mirror of Erised. This didn’t hit me when I was a kid but somehow I could feel his loneliness when he tried to reach for his mother’s hand that was resting on his shoulder but couldn’t find it.
5. When Voldemort tells him he could bring his parents from the dead. Even though he screamed, ‘You Liar!’ in the face of the darkest wizard of all time, you could tell there was a small part of Harry that wondered if his parents could in fact come back to life.
6. When Hagrid gives him the photo album at the train station. This one shouldn’t have hit me as hard as it did but PMS.
7. When Harry confesses to Uncle Vernon that his friends haven’t been writing to him all summer.
8. When Fawkes the Phoenix shows up in the Chamber of Secrets.
9. When Harry says to Ginny about Tom Riddle’s diary, ‘It’s just a memory’. It was all over and they could go back into the castle and breathe and relax.
10. When Hagrid comes back from Azkaban and thanks the three of them, and Harry says, ‘there’s no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid’, giving him a big ol’ hug. Is it weird that I am tearing up a little bit even as I write this?
11. When Harry and Buckbeak fly over the river during Hagrid’s lesson- I really questioned myself when I teared up at this.
12. When Harry finds out Sirius was his Godfather and his parents’ best friend. HE WAS THEIR FRIEND! (it’s weird if you didn’t just hear Daniel Radcliffe yelling that)
13. When Sirius and Harry discuss living together when ‘all this is over’. This is particularly sad because you know that ‘this’ will not all be over any time soon.
14. When Harry dreams about a house in the country so that Sirius can see the sky after all that time in Azkaban.
15. When Harry and Hermione save Buckbeak.
16. When Sirius has to leave Hogwarts without getting to prove his innocence to the rest of the world. Can you imagine, if Wormtail hadn’t escaped, Voldemort’s return could have been stalled a little while longer and maybe Sirius could have spent some more time with his Godson.
17. When Mad-Eye Moody performs the Cruciatus Curse on a spider and Neville is reminded of his parents suffering at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange.
18. When Amos Diggory cries over Cedric’s dead body.

(Also side note, David Tennant as Barty Crouch Jr. > David Tennant as Dr. Who)

18. Dumbledore’s eulogy for Cedric, marking the beginning of dark times.

19. When Sirius hands Harry the photo of the original Order of the Phoenix and says, ‘it’s been fourteen years and not a day goes by that I don’t miss your Dad.’

20. This one wasn’t sad, exactly, but I was filled with an unexplained rage when Umbridge stood up to deliver an introductory speech in her new role as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Reminded me of my Chemistry teacher in school. Also, side note: I am scared that when Imelda Staunton appears on The Crown as the Queen, I won’t like the Queen anymore.

21. When Umbridge fires Trelawney. Anyone saying ‘Hogwarts is my home’ should be enough to turn the waterworks on, to be honest. Even Tom Riddle to a certain extent.

22. When Neville finally disarms Parvati. Seriously, tears were not needed here but they came anyway.

23. When Sirius says, ‘when all this is over, we will be a proper family. You’ll see.’ BUT YOU DON’T GET TO SEE, DO YOU?

24. When Fred and George escape Hogwarts and all the decrees fall to the ground where they belong. These were happy tears so I don’t mind them.

25. When Sirius dies. HE WAS THE ONLY FAMILY HARRY HAD LEFT. And they never even got to spend any real quality time together.

26. When Harry says that he is sorry for Voldemort for never knowing love or friendship.

27. Literally the minute that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince starts because the music is so powerful and it reminds you that Bellatrix killed Sirius Black. Also, can I just say, every single time that I walked on the Millenium Bridge in London I kept imagining Death Eaters gliding amongst us. ‘Imagining’ may be the wrong word. I think what I mean is ‘hoping’. I kid, of course. Do I? I do. Do I?

28. Molly’s face when their house burns down at Christmas. Side note, Ron pigging out at Christmas was strangely comforting to watch.

29. When Bridget Jones’ father agrees to give Harry the real memory of when Tom Riddle asks him about horcruxes. His memory of Lily giving him the fish and it vanishing the day she died was moving. Also, 10 points to Ravenclaw because I noticed that Horace Slughorn is Bridget Jones’ father.

30. When Dumbledore struggles to drink the potion at the cave. The most powerful wizard of all time was reduced to a frail old man by a dark wizard. Sad indeed.

31. When the students and teachers raise their lit up wands bidding Dumbledore farewell. Especially notice Bridget Jones’ mother’s face in that scene. Another 10 points to Ravenclaw for making that connection.

32. When Hermione wipes out her parents’ memories before heading to the Weasleys’. Also, another side note, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows reminds me of the Second World War- not because I was there in either of them, but because it’s the same fear and loss of life, and darkness you read about in any history book. Voldemort is Hitler. Dumbledore is Churchill. Except Churchill dies in the Second Wizarding War.

33. When Arthur and Fred come back from Privet Drive and ask where George is- but Arthur instantly knows something is wrong. In their quest to fight for the greater good, their own families were suffering. Wait, no, greater good was a Dumbledore thing.

34. When Billy Mack dies in the Love Actually x Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows crossover. I kid, of course, but another 10 points to Ravenclaw for making that connection. Ravenclaw wins the House Cup.

35. When Ron gets splinched as he, Harry and Hermione leave the Ministry of Magic- Hermione crying over Ron’s broken arm was the very definition of feelz.

36. When Ron leaves! And the slow dance Harry does with Hermione to make her feel better. Such a pure moment. Unadulterated friendship.

37. When Dobby dies. He says the most beautiful words. ‘Dobby never meant to kill. Dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure.’

Everything about Dobby dying hurts. The fact that he died protecting his friends, that Bellatrix Lestrange, the one who killed Sirius Black, killed another favourite character of mine (although Bellatrix is a favourite as well, I dressed up as her one Halloween- it was easy because we have the same hair and I even did a Dark Mark tattoo- my favourite part about dressing up as her), that he was happy and peaceful to be in the company of his friends, and that he initially made these friends when he was trying to save them five years ago. Such a nice house elf. Shame that the films couldn’t cover S.P.E.W.

Here’s a picture of Dobby that my friend drew so that the readers can remember him and cry just like I am right now.

This incredible artwork was done by Lakshmi. Follow her on Instagram @artmetrybylaksh

Speaking of Bellatrix Lestrange, back in London I used to work at a Physiotherapist’s office as a Receptionist. One fine morning, I looked at the appointments for the day and found the name ‘Helena Bonham Carter’ on the calendar under 6pm. Naturally, my eyes widened and I squealed when I realised that I would be able to see my idol in the flesh. The therapist who was going to examine her came up to me and said, ‘Do you know who that is?’

‘I most certainly do!’ I squealed.

‘Please don’t fangirl over her’, she said and walked away.

I was so excited all day. Come 6pm however, there was no sign of her. I rang the phone number listed on her account- no answer. That would have been one fine story to tell people. ‘I met Helena Bonham Carter this evening. She was lovely, actually. I was scared I was going to gush over her but I held it all in because I’m a professional.’

38. When the students march into Hogwarts as Snape observes them. ‘Lily’s theme’ plays in the background and you just know that things are not the way they used to be.

38. When Harry, Ron and Hermione make it into Hogwarts. It was like hope had returned into Hogwarts. Also there is a shot of Dean Thomas and he looks foine.

39. When Harry reveals himself to Snape and the Order of the Phoenix appear behind him. Professor McG and Snape duel and she gets rid of him like a bawss-lady. Such a heartwarming scene. ‘Potter’, she says. ‘It’s good to see you.’

40. When the teachers secure the castle. All of them look so concerned for the children at Hogwarts. It is the only ever time I have felt that teachers are like our parents away from home- and I never felt that sentiment with my own teachers.

41. The sight of Lavender Brown being brutally killed by Fenrir Greyback.

41. Snape’s death and last words to Harry- ‘you have your mother’s eyes’.

42. ‘Always’

43. Everything from Snape’s memories.

45. The calm and peace at Hogwarts when it is all finally over.

I really thought I would get to 50. No matter. Crying 45 times is exhausting too.

Hey, how long do you think it took Filch to clean up the mess after the Battle of Hogwarts?