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Culture > Entertainment

20 ‘Harry Potter’ Moments That Still Make Us Ugly Cry Every Time

The first Harry Potter book came out—for most of us—in of our early infancies, and the last movie hit theaters somewhere between middle and high school. So it’s no secret that we have a pretty emotional relationship with the franchise. Even though we’ve seen the movies a solid dozen times, there’s just something about them that makes us burst into tears. Every. Single. Time. And why wouldn’t we? Each year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is an emotional rollercoaster like no other. TBH, even The Bachelorette doesn’t get to us this much. These are just some of scenes that STILL make us ugly cry.

1. The Dursleys try to keep Harry away from Hogwarts

Sooo sad and frustrating.

2. Ron sacrifices himself at wizard’s chess

We knew they wouldn’t kill off a main character in the first movie, but Ron was always so brave. <3

3. Harry finds out the “prisoner of Azkaban” is in fact his godfather

And Sirius asks him to come live with him. Oh man, so many feels.

4. Harry realizes he saw himself across the lake, not his dad


Of course they couldn’t give him just this one.

5. Whenever Ron snogs Lavender in front of Hermione

RON! Why can’t you see you’re with the wrong person?! Ugh, typical.

6. Cedric Diggory dies

Nooo, not Robert Pattinson!!

7. Dolores Umbridge fires Professor Trelawney

That line alone is enough to make us tear up.

8. Hagrid leaves Grawp with Harry, Ron and Hermione

The poor giant is so alone and clueless!

9. Bellatrix kills her cousin, Sirius

He was Harry’s ONLY family!!! This is SO unfair!! Not to mention the pangs of pain we feel every time Bellatrix chants, “I killed Sirius Black, I killed Sirius Black.”

10. Bellatrix kills Dobby

Dobby the free elf died saving Harry and his friends… we don’t have the emotional capacity to handle this.

11. Ron says Hermione’s name in his sleep

*happy tears*

12. Snape kills Dumbledore

*wipes tear* Okay but you’re done killing people off now, right? RIGHT?

13. Hermione erases her parents’ memory of her

BRB, hugging our moms.

14. Nagini bites Snape to death

Things weren’t always easy between Harry and Snape, but we had grown attached to him in a weird way. And it’s good to know he wasn’t working for Voldemort after all. But also, stop killing everyone kcool bye.

15. Under the influence of a horcrux, Ron leaves Harry and Hermione

We need wine, chocolate and a blanky right about now.

16. Bellatrix tortures Hermione

One word: sobbing.

17. Fred Weasley dies

Okay, done. We are so done. We’ve run out of tears.

18. Harry dies

We almost believed that this was actually the end and it was HORRIBLE.

19. Neville is reborn a hero

And got super hot in the process. We’re crying because he’s come such a long way since he was the clumsy boy who lost control of his broomstick.

20. The last end credits EVER roll around


Time for another HP marathon, y’all.

Iris was the associate editor at Her Campus. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in communications and gender studies, but was born and raised in France with an English mother. She enjoys country music, the color pink and pretending she has her life together. Iris was the style editor and LGBTQ+ editor for HC as an undergrad, and has interned for Cosmopolitan.com and goop. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @irisgoldsztajn, or check out her writing portfolio here.