Harry Potter Characters with the Saddest Back Stories

The Top Ten
1 Severus Snape Severus Snape is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is characterised as a person of great complexity, whose coldly sarcastic and controlled exterior conceals deep emotions and anguish.

He was in love with Lily, but she didn't love him back, she probably thought they were just friends. And then Lily got taken by someone she truly loved, James Potter. And when she died he was feet away from the door and when he saw her dead body, let's just say things were a little unexpected. And he did everything to keep Harry safe and alive. And I also thought he was bullying Harry to be mean I realized that he really hated him because he was the son of James Potter-Jewel the RainWing

He should be number one! He literally had no one expect Lilly Potter (Harry's mom) and he was so in love with her. But she never loved him, and she died and he was literally feet away from the door when Voldemort killed her. He gave EVERYTHING to make sure her son lived. And all he got was a painful death by the hands of Voldemort.

When you first read about Snape, you think that he is just a dick to Harry because he wants to be. But when you get to the part where you learn his backstory, you realize how difficult his childhood was and how much he was bullied by James. I feel bad for Snape but that doesn't mean that he shouldn't have treated the golden trio better.

2 Neville Longbottom

I feel like his past is sadder than Harry's. Because Harry's parents died, but at least they knew him and always loved him. Neville's past is worst because his parents didn't die but they were tortuted, and because of that they don't even recognise their son anymore. How sad must Neville feel... But he didn't even tell anyone that. Everybody knew about Harry's tragedy, oh it's so sad, but no one knew about Neville because he probably didn't want people to more worry. And even though his awfull past, he stayed strong and didn't go down. And his amazing strengh is moving.

Poor Neville. He probably has one of the saddest backstories of them all. His parents don't remember him, and it seems like he has horrible luck. It almost made me cry when his mom gave him the gum wrapper and he slipped it into his pocket. I feel so bad for him!

Neville has been through some very hard times in life. First his parents were torchered, then he had to live with his Grandmother that is never proud of him.

3 Harry Potter Harry James Potter is the title character of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The majority of the books' plot covers seven years in the life of the orphan Potter, who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard.

His mum loved her sister she didn't know what would happen to her son and there was no other way so she had to put the spell for protection.
Locked in a cupboard for 10 years, what if his cot was in his cupboard? Bullied by Dudley and his gang, not fed properly (he had to do Dudley's diet remember), given Dudley's clothes, not told that he was a wizard his relatives wanted to force him into a muggle school, not allowed to parties like in the second book for example, forced to lie that he goes to some school for kids who break the law.

His parents died! Because they were killed by Voldemort ad this is why I didn't think his story was that sad! It's fine to grow up in an orphanage like he deserved! He murdered so many people, why would I think Voldemort doesn't deserve to live in a perfect house with a proper bed. And I think Harry has a sad backstory because his parents died when he was only one year old! And he didn't even get to meet them. And that is something that is truly sad and then he had to grow up with the worst possible parnets ever-Jewel the RainWing

4 Remus Lupin

Remus easily had it the worst. He was ostracized & discriminated his entire life just for who he was. He found friends who supported him, but eventually was left all alone, believing that two were dead and the third was responsible. He lived alone and in poverty. 12 years later, he gets a teaching job (and was the best DADA teacher), only to leave after Snape outed him because of a stupid childhood grudge. He learns Sirius is innocent and gets his best friend back, only for him to be killed 2 years after that. Then he has a son and then Remus himself dies. And through it all he was a good and kind person (unlike Snape who was a whole blood supremacist).

If it weren't for his friends, I think that his life would have been a whole lot worse. He is a caring person and puts others above himself, and he didn't deserve all the hate he got.

Six words: Remus went to the funeral alone.

5 Sirius Black

It sucks that he grew up in a family that disowned him, was then framed for the murder of his friends, and then finally cleared his name and got to get close to Harry only to die not much later.

It is pretty much Harry who killed him in an indirect way. Harry did not learn Occlumency. Hermione bugged him to do it, but he so refused.

He died soon after telling Harry he was his godfather and clearing his name.

6 Rubeus Hagrid Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. Hagrid is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a half-giant and half-human who is the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, the primary setting for the first six novels.

His mother, being a giant left he and his father young. His father passed away while he was at his second year at Hogwarts. Not long after that, he was expelled from Hogwarts over something he was falsely accused of.

7 Lord Voldemort Lord Voldemort is a fictional character and the central main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter novels. Voldemort first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 1997.

His mother died hours, HOURS, after his birth. He literally never met her or his father. He was raised in an orphanage, and he was different from other kids, so they were cruel to him. Even in Hogwarts, he didn't fit in. His life molded him into who he is now. Also, did you guys know Voldemort is not capable of love? Even if he tried, he can never feel love towards someone. At most, indifference or tolerance. Isn't that kinda sad? And ya know why? 'Cause he was conceived while his father was under the effects of a love potion. Kinda changes the whole story, doesn't it?

I know that he was Hitler. I thought that too
But his backstory is sickening and depressing. He had the most horrible of childhoods, but I agree, it's no excuse to start the Death Eater organization, or kill people. But he did that out of his own grief, and if he didn't have a depressing childhood, he would have turned out a decent character.

8 Albus Dumbledore Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

His sister died when he was young and then he got blamed for it by his brother and his sister had been driven insane and how is he in eighth place his story is really sad. He died by getting his wand blasted out of his hand and then he got hit with he killing curse, with so much power that he fell of the side of the tower they were on (I forgot which tower it was) and a least he got a white marble tomb-Jewel the RainWing

HOW is he in fifth place. Albus Dumbledore belongs in the top three; at the very least. Initially, his sister was driven insane and made an obscurial; then his father got life imprisonment in Azkaban for attacking the people who drove her mad. Furthermore, his brother starts to detest him, and in the absence of love, Albus turns to Gellert Grindelwald, whom he eventually falls in love with but does not say so due to the homophobia of his time. There ends up being a duel between his brother and the man he loves, resulting in his sister's death and Grindewald's betrayal. There is a chance he killed his sister. His brother blames him and becomes estranged. He eventually has to duel the man he loves and ruins his life. Happiness.

9 Draco Malfoy Draco Lucius Malfoy is a character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is a student in Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house.

Should be on the top! He was grown up in a rich family, where his father wanted him to be at Voldemort's side and he had a kind heart inside. He just couldn't and didn't wanted let his parents down. I totally understand that feeling and is struggle.

Draco is definitely not my favourite character, but I despised the way that he was treated by Voldemort in the last books and how he was portrayed as an evil character. Not only that, but his father was also placing pressure on him and it seemed that his mother was the only one who cared about him at all. While I understand that Harry is an orphan and never got a proper chance to meet his family, when he was at Hogwarts at least he had friends who understood him and loved him as a person.

Draco Malfoy had a terrible life compared to the others. He was forced into murder and he was treated very unwell. Harry Potter had friends and people that cared for him, but Draco had nobody and was completly alone. His only friends were Crabbe and Goyle but they were not friends with him for who he was. Growing up, he never had time to have fun. He always had to study and read in his free time since he was born in an evil pureblood family. Harry Potters life may have been bad but it wasn't nearly as bad as Draco's.

10 Dobby

Yeah House Elves are slaves of witches and wizards but Dobby had one of the worst being the Malfoy family.

The Contenders
11 Petunia Dursley

When she was a kid she wanted to be a witch, even sent a letter to Dumbledore.
Every child would want to have magical powers, it would be a dream.
When she couldn't become a witch she just had jealousy instead and that's how she became the way she is.

She just want to be a people like her sister - Lily...

Depends if the Ministry would allow it.

12 Luna Lovegood Luna Lovegood was a witch from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. She was the only child of Xenophilius and Pandora Lovegood. Her mother accidentally died while experimenting with spells when Luna was nine and Luna was raised by her father, who was the editor of the magazine The Quibbler, in a ...read more.

Poor Luna had to watch her mom die and then got bullied while at school for just being herself. It really sucks and I feel bad for her.

Poor sweet Luna what happened we should feel empathy that she lost her mother, she got bullied, and she is still her sweet sweet self

She lost her mother!

13 Barty Crouch

Spends his life fighting dark magic, son becomes a death eater, sends his son to Azkaban, son "dies" a year later, wife dies soon after in grief, son later comes back and kills him after being under the imperious curse.

14 Scorpius Malfoy

Scorpius Malfoy was a kid dude but has a horrible dad. I'm not biased but I don't think Draco is that good of a dad. He expects too much from scorpius.

He lost his mother!

He was a good kid

15 Argus Filch

No! He killed Hermione's mother!

16 Minerva McGonagall
17 Hermione Granger
18 Fred Weasley

It's horrible how his brother whom he was so close have to die like that !

George is now alone!

19 Cedric Diggory
20 George Weasley
21 Lily Evans Potter
22 Astoria Greengrass

She had a blood curse and she had to die. She had to leave her husband and her beloved son Scorpius.

She died and left her son and husband! Tragic!

23 Frank Bryce
24 Susan Bones - Harry Potter

I think this one is funny, while reading the books I realised that a lot of bad stuff happened to her! Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it Susan's rabbit who died in the earlier books. From someone who has a pet I can totally understand the heartbreak.

Then a few years later we see how she is super nervous before the OWL tests. (In The Order of the Phoenix)
And then in her sixth year she is taken out of class because her mother died!

Yes it isn't the longest list of sad things but she should at least be under Luna. Who's mother also died. Susan wasn't bullied but she still had a sad life.

25 Arthur Weasley
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