Top 10 Saddest Harry Potter Deaths

The Top Ten
1 Dobby

So sad... Dobby was a great character. He was faithful to Harry and tried to save his life. At the same time, he pursued his dreams and rejected normal house elf behavior when he wanted to be paid. Bellatrix is so evil. Dobby did so much for Harry, he shouldn't have died.

The first time I watched Harry Potter and saw Dobby, I thought he needed to be there. He brightens up the mood, and you feel so light. That's how I felt, at least. He always wanted to do what's best for Harry Potter, even if it put his life in danger - and that's exactly what happened. He put his life on the line to save Harry and his friends, and no human can relate to that. Most people would not stand up and try to help out their friends, even if it means dying in the process, because we are scared. But Dobby wasn't scared.

At that moment when I saw the dagger fly into the transporter with them all, I was asking my family who it hit. We were all waiting in tension for the next scene. We found out that everyone was alright until we came across Dobby. He was just lying there, saying that he had done what he could and he was happy. When he said that, I almost teared up, but I didn't. Then, when Dobby passed away in Harry Potter's arms, that was when I started to cry. Harry wanted to do it the proper way and bury him. When I saw him covered up in blankets, I was bawling my eyes out. We stopped the film because of how much I was crying.

Dobby was, and still is to this day, the saddest death out of everyone's in Harry Potter.

2 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.

I don't even have the strength to describe this death. Severus Snape was more than a professor, a member of the Order. He was Dumbledore's spy, Lily's friend, Harry's nemesis for a few months, until he died. Ok, I'm crying now.

Severus Snape was cruel, unfair, and rude to Harry Potter because of his dad. So, Harry hated Snape the moment he arrived at Hogwarts. Harry hated Snape for nearly all his life. But when Snape's past was revealed, Harry forgave him. All the time Snape was a spy for Dumbledore. He only killed Dumbledore because Dumbledore asked him to. Snape used Occlumency to hide the truth from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Snape was talented and smart. His death was most devastating. I nearly broke down into tears.

The moment He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named killed Lily Potter, Severus changed sides. But He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not know this because Snape used Occlumency. Snape protected Harry as best as he could. So, I agree with Harry that Severus Snape is the bravest man and has the most devastating death.

3 Sirius Black

Agh! Where do I begin? First off, Sirius was the closest thing Harry had to a father, and his death seemed to have the most impact on him. Second, he had a tough life. Between being disowned by his family, seeing two of his best friends dead, being blamed for that, being away from his godson for so long (and it seems to me that Sirius adores Harry), and spending 12 years in Azkaban, his life seems pretty difficult. That seems like enough tragedy for five lifetimes.

Also, Harry and Sirius both deserved to be happy. They needed each other. It's a shame that Sirius died before he could be happy for the first time in over 13 years.

Sirius didn't simply die, he fell through the veil. It was the most heart-wrenching death to go with his sorrowful story.

In adolescence, Sirius did not fit in at home, and his family life was seemingly miserable. That kid must've been messed up, yet he hung through it and made amazing friends. He unified the Marauders. After seven long years at Hogwarts, the Marauders all graduated and parted, yet Sirius' bonds remained.

Sirius' life was turned upside down when he found James' and Lily's dead bodies. His best friend, Pettigrew, betrayed them all, and his other best friend, Lupin, believed him to be guilty of murder.

For twelve years, Sirius was pent up in Azkaban, having the life sucked away from him by the Dementors. He should have been partying with friends, staying up late, and having a laugh, when instead, he was left to rot in a cell.

After twelve years, Sirius Black was finally free, only to be kept inside and under cover. He wasn't allowed to fight the fight, or to stand against Voldemort. Not yet.

When his beloved godson, Harry Potter, fell victim to Voldemort, Sirius risked everything to save him. Literally. Sirius Black died fighting for his best friend, and his best friend's son.

This man's story only made his death that much more heartbreaking. He was the most courageous and loving man alive. Sirius Black deserves to be number 1. R.I.P.

4 Fred Weasley

I believe this has got to be the saddest death, even though it was really, really, really hard choosing. Fred and George had a legacy. Remember when they rode off into the sunset together on brooms, leaving behind Umbridge's reign of tyranny? When Fred died, a part of George died with him. The loss of a friend or family member is terrible, but losing someone you've been with for quite literally all your life is devastating. Just look at the head canons fans have made about it!

Fred also had a crush on Hermione, but she never knew. And people say Snape's story is sad? At least he grew older. Fred never had the chance. He died laughing at a joke his brother made, and didn't even get to say goodbye to him or the twin he loved so dearly. How often do any of us ever tell our siblings we love them?

I know this is long, but Fred's death broke my heart because that's a loss that is irreparable. One half can never feel whole again.

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

I don't know what to say or where to start. He was amazing and should be forever honored. I know if Dumbledore were here, he would tell us not to pity the dead, but to pity the living who cannot love. However, I can't help but cry when I think about him. He was kind and loving, made sure he only put a little weight on Harry's shoulders at a time, and most importantly, was the only parental figure Harry had left.

It broke my heart to see him lying there, dead, his half-moon spectacles slightly crooked. RIP Dumbledore. I think I speak for all of us when I say we will never forget you and how you saved us all, whether people noticed it or not.

I knew Dumbledore died. I knew before the lightning struck the tower, but I bawled for an hour. This was so tragic, and I just kept saying, Why Snape, why?

I don't know how he isn't number 2 on this list. I can vividly picture the feeling of terror once the world hears of his death. The only one Voldemort ever feared, dead? The only one who knew how to defeat Voldemort (besides 3 teenagers), dead? The greatest wizard the Wizarding world had ever seen, dead?

His death left Harry stranded, left him with the impossible task of hunting down the rest of the Horcruxes without the great wizard that had been watching over him since day one. And to cap it all off, he died for nothing as the locket was a fake. That's the worst part...

6 Hedwig

Hedwig, the best owl you ever did meet. She sacrificed her life to save Harry against the Death Eater and died. I found this death the hardest to watch, as Hedwig had a big place in my heart. She was always there for Harry and never let him down. Okay, okay, she's a fictional owl. But not a normal owl.

Okay, I know she was just an owl. But in reality, in Harry's reality, she was a friend. A loyal friend to the end. I struggled with her death because it just seemed so random and not needed. I mean no offense at all to J.K. Rowling because she wrote some epic books, and I know she needed to kill off some characters. The fact that I care this much about a fictional owl dying means she wrote extremely well.

Hedwig represents how the Wizarding world affected him. He was miserable before. I hate Hedwig dying. It's like losing a dog, but have everything that happened to Harry happen. I love the scene in the books where Harry's mad and takes some of his anger out on Hedwig, where he instantly regrets it when Hedwig gets mad and flies away. But Hedwig comes back. Hedwig always came back. Hedwig's death means Harry is no longer a child. Harry's childhood fell with Hedwig.

7 Remus Lupin

Personally, I preferred Lupin to Sirius. I think he would have made a much more reasonable and responsible godfather, even if he was a werewolf. And his death broke my heart. He had just had a child with Tonks, and now poor Teddy has to grow up without either parent. I wish he could have been a professor longer. It wasn't ever his fault he was born a werewolf.

I kind of hated how in the movies it barely mentions their death. But seriously, Lupin was by far my favorite Marauder (although they are all great - except the rat named Peter) and the smartest, in my honest opinion. So, rest in peace, Lupin. You shall be missed.

Why is Fred above him? People say Fred makes us laugh. In the Marauder era, Remus could make us laugh, if we saw more of him. Because Fred left George alone? James got left alone when in hiding, Sirius was alone in prison, Remus was alone when they died and was living mostly in poverty, and Peter, duh!

I admit Snape and Dobby should be above him. People also say Teddy is overrated, and the 'godson thing' is useless. Well, Teddy and Harry were both orphans, their mothers both died for love, their fathers were both Marauders. Back to business.

8 Lily Potter and James Potter

For me, it was James' death that was the saddest. Sadder than Sirius, sadder than Dobby, even sadder than Fred.

Reason #1: Lily Potter would have had to hear him die. Or just see a flash of green light and hear a sickening thump, her husband's body hitting the floor. She didn't even have time to grieve, she just had to understand that even if she survived that night, she would live the rest of her life without James. Without her best friend, her husband, her soulmate. She knew that her son would live his life fatherless.

Reason #2: Sirius Black found James' body. I feel like people always forget about that fact. Sirius had to walk inside that house, and see with his own eyes the dead body of his best friend. Probably the person who meant the most to him in his whole life. He probably knelt over James' body, tucked a bit of hair behind his ear, maybe kissed his cheek, and then had to step over his best friend to get to Lily, and save James' son.

Reason #3: James' death split up the Marauders. Peter Pettigrew betrayed everyone who trusted him that night, getting one of his best friends killed, framing his other best friend for the crimes he himself committed, and leaving the other one alone to grieve. Remus Lupin spent years alone, thinking that Peter and James were dead, and that Sirius, the man he probably trusted with his life, was the reason for that. Remus had to spend every full moon alone. He had to curl on the floor in the shrieking shack in agony, with no friends there to comfort him or cheer him up. He fell into depression. He likely went to James and Lily's funeral alone. And this all relates to James' death.

Reason #4: Sirius Black spent 12 years in the torturous prison of Azkaban. Grieving alone, with not even Remus there to comfort him. Having that weight on his shoulders knowing that Remus thought he was a traitor. Blaming himself for his best friends' death.

Reason #5: Everyone else who loved James was left... more

9 Cedric Diggory

Say what you will about Dumbledore's death in the sixth film. At least it made sense, since he was already weakened from the potion's effects in order for Harry to retrieve the Horcrux. Plus, his death served as a major plot point for the series.

Cedric Diggory's death in the fourth film, on the other hand, comes out of nowhere, and the fact that he was so young makes it even worse. Once Harry brought his body back from the graveyard, everyone gathered around him, and the reactions are hard to watch, especially from Cedric's father and Harry. Seriously, the actor who played him deserves a lot more than being called "the Twilight guy." He had so much potential.

What's really sad is that he was resurrected as that sparkly vampire whose whole personality was being madly in love with that lousy actress Hollywood tried to make the Next Big Thing.

Although he didn't get much page time before GoF and wasn't as developed as many characters, this was the first non-villain death of someone we actually knew. So it hits you HARD, man. (Don't even remind me of his parents' reactions or I might cry). Harry was so traumatized by his death, more so than any of the other horrors he had experienced. Cedric was good, kind, and brave. He deserved a long and happy life... instead, he died at 17.

What makes his death even worse is how unnecessary it was (seriously, Peter, you could have used Stupefy) and how he would have lived if Harry hadn't tried to do something NICE. Remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he crossed the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.

10 Nymphadora Tonks

She was an amazing character who deserved better than her death in book 7. I cried when she died, which I never do with books. I won't say she was my favorite. That's Hermione, but she is a close second. In fact, I even have doubts about whether she is still only in second place. I wish she'd gotten more page time, and she totally deserved better than this.

The really sad part: she never got to live up to all the potential she showed in "Order of the Phoenix". Her role in both subsequent books only centered on the fact that she had a uterus and thus could grow a baby.

I liked Tonks so much I teared up a bit when I found out she was dead. My two favourite characters dead in the same sentence. "As Ginny and Hermione moved closer to the rest of the family, Harry had a clear view of the bodies lying next to Fred: Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling." Anyone who reads this has to appreciate that I had to go to look for my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, then find the sentence so that I could copy it word-for-word.

The Contenders
11 Colin Creevey

The saddest thing about Colin's death is that it was kind of ignored. In the books, it's just said that Harry walks into Neville who is holding a dead body, and there is very little mentioned about his death. You know nothing about how he died. In the movies, he isn't even mentioned at all.

I liked Colin. He was so innocent and brave. Even though he was told not to fight, he did it anyway. He had been hiding because he was Muggle-born the whole year, then he comes to fight but is told that he is too young. He leaves but sneaks back and then dies... just dies, and the only thing you know is that he was killed by a Death Eater, unknown who.

I like the theory that he was killed by a Death Eater protecting Harry, like a Death Eater casts a killing curse at Harry Potter's back, and Colin then jumps in and dies without Harry knowing anything. I wish that theory was true. I liked Colin, but he was just ignored.

12 Alastor Moody

He was one of the best, bravest, coolest characters. He had a likable personality. When you think of Moody, you think of him always being on guard.

He looked like he had so much potential to be an even greater character than he already is. Did he have to go and die before the stuff gets real?

This death came to me as a shock, and I was devastated that he died. I was shocked that he could die. He was so strong.

13 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.

I wish Harry didn't die in the Cursed Child. It was so painful the way Rowling described the pain everyone felt when the boy who lived twice finally died.

Sad. I didn't know he died in the Cursed Child until I read the death list.

He had to stay with the horrible Dursleys for so long!

14 Regulus Arcturus Black

Reggie! His brother didn't find out about his brave sacrifice. He didn't even need anybody to know. He knew, and he went through all that pain so that someone might be able to destroy the Dark Lord. He also took the potion and made Kreacher leave because he cared about a house elf, which tons of wizards, even the "good" brother Sirius, thought of as inferior, more than his own life. Don't get me wrong, I love Sirius too. But it gets on my nerves that no one ever remembers Reggie. Rant over.

Finally found his redemption, but died with his brother hating him as he didn't know the truth.

Sirius died thinking Regulus was loyal to the Death Eaters. Regulus died knowing his brother loathed him for it.

15 Peter Pettigrew

All Marauders died protecting Harry: James' sacrifice, Sirius's unexpected end, Lupin in the battle, and Pettigrew, who died choking himself to owe Harry. I personally think it was really sad. Voldy was very misunderstood too. He was just an orphan in an orphanage with issues that made him feel insane (magic). Then all of a sudden, Dumbledore comes and boom! He's a wizard. He gets into Slytherin (can't blame him), and well, you know. Slytherins are quite power-hungry.

He didn't turn good. He was in debt to Harry, so when he was unable to kill him, Voldemort used the silver hands to strangle him.

I don't know... Rats are cute and all... But Peter is just awful... He's... Not even a rat, I guess, so I hate him.

16 Ariana Dumbledore

I wish that she could actually be a character. Not just a name on paper. Otherwise, I'm really sad.

I wish I had seen more of her story.

She was so sweet and kind she did not deserve that tragic death

17 Aragog

Even though he (and most scary bugs, such as that butterfly closeup from SpongeBob) traumatized me in my childhood, it brought a tear to my eye when Hagrid, Harry, and Slughorn had a little ceremony for him. It was both a sad and heartwarming moment, especially when it led to the duet between Hagrid and Slughorn.

I was just sad about this death because I saw Hagrid crying.

Mad-Eye killed the spider. He should go to Azkaban for that.

18 Astoria Malfoy
19 The Basilisk

The Basilisk was a beautiful creature. It loved life. In its early life, the Basilisk sat in his room inventing neat gadgets. Its mom and dad did not support his creative side. He moved out at a young age, only 15, and started a business. He sold neat little things. Unfortunately, he found out about the death of his mother and fell into depression.

The Basilisk fought through it, though, and reopened his shop, selling the best darn things he ever had! He invented the can opener, the toilet, and even invented a few spells. He was sleeping when he was woken by an evil boy, who killed him with a sword. R.I.P., Basilisk. You will be missed.

A majestic creature with a sad end, they were just lonely, and slightly crazed from spending 50 years alone - and God knows how many before that!

The basilisk did not deserve to die. It was just being told what to do. The majestic creature died a sad death.

20 Fawkes

Wait, didn't Fawkes regenerate? Or something? Yeah, he did, but then he flew away after Dumbledore passed.

21 Pandora Lovegood

I honestly feel dreadful for Luna, knowing that she was there and that if she just stopped her from casting that spell, it must be awful.

Must have been devastating for Luna... She was only nine, and I'm sure she was so heartbroken.

22 Moaning Myrtle

She was bullied all her life and died out of nowhere because she tried to tell a boy to get out of the girl's bathroom in some school. Not the saddest death, but definitely an undeserved, miserable one. And she didn't even get to tell the boy off.

23 Ted Tonks

Not just because he never got to meet the spawn his daughter was forced to carry and bear by a higher power (read: Joanne Rowling) in a pathetic attempt to create Harry 2.0. He didn't have to die just when he actually became a character.

He never even got to meet his grandson.

Persecuted for being a Muggle-born, and killed before meeting his grandson.

24 Frank Bryce

The Riddle family gardener who was accused of murdering them. Though there wasn't enough evidence to convict him, he remained an outcast for the rest of his life. He died while watching over the one house he worked at all his life.

In the 4th book, the first person Voldemort killed was Frank Bryce. Correction: the first Muggle Voldemort killed. Not so sad, but for some it is. It could be in the top 20s. Or should take Voldemort's spot. By the way, why didn't Umbridge die? The reason I hate pink.

25 Francis the Fish

Truly the bravest character in the series.

He was so inspiring.

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