Harry Potter: 7 Most Heartbreaking Deaths From 7 Movies & Books

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Lily and James Potter

In the first part, we learn the truth about Harry Potter’s parents alongside him, and the painful realization of the reasons for his miserable life settles in.

Together with Harry, we stand in front of the Mirror of Erised and wish for Lily and James to be alive, so while they died before the events of the first book, they deserve this spot.

You didn’t seriously expect us to put Quirrell here, did you?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Ginny Weasley

For someone still alive in the finale of the Harry Potter series, Ginny Weasley comes all too close to dying in the Chamber of Secrets. The tragedy of her demise settles in as we listen to Tom Riddle’s smug monologue about his exploiting the poor naive girl, and her fragile little body on the cold stone is too insufferable of a picture for us.

Once again, be frank: were you expecting the Moaning Myrtle or not?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Sirius Black

Another man who, like Buck from Ice Age 3, died but survived, Sirius Black meets a terrible end in the third part of the Harry Potter series. Having lost his friends and spent years in prison on false accusations, he is once again sentenced to a fate worse than death by the Ministry, and Harry and Hermione essentially revive him.

But we’re sorry for Buckbeak, too. We truly are.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Cedric Diggory

There aren’t two ways to say it: Cedric Diggory, of all people, isn’t supposed to die in the perfect world. A great student, the pride of House Hufflepuff and his family, and a generally positive young man, Cedric has no idea what goes down when Voldemort orders his murder, and dies not from his own fault but by the Dark Lord’s whim.

Diggory’s death is among the most heartbreaking in the series, really.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Sirius Black

Sirius Black might just be the unluckiest man in the Harry Potter series: after going through the Dementor’s Kiss in The Prisoner of Azkaban and being saved, he manages to get himself killed all over again two years later. Sirius’s death was tragic and devastating equally for Harry, his godson, and for all of us crying back home.

Just imagine how happy Harry would have been if he could save Sirius again!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Albus Dumbledore

Love him or hate him, Albus Dumbledore is the beacon of hope in the darkest times. The man opposed two Dark Lords, defeating one and keeping the other in check, so his death implies both an emotional and a factual toll: with Dumbledore dead, thousands of people lose their protector, and Harry loses his wise old mentor.

Imagine Harry’s despair as he stood there frozen, watching Dumbledore’s murder…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Lupin and Tonks

The last installment in the Harry Potter franchise, The Deathly Hallows offers too many heartbreaking deaths to choose from, but we’ll have to go with Lupin and Tonks. Two amazing people who just started a family and had a baby, they deserved to see the end of the war and raise little Teddy Lupin together, but fate decided otherwise.

Honestly, it was the hardest choice: Fred Weasley, Dobby, and Colin Creevey all met gruesome ends in The Deathly Hallows, too, so we have to at least mention them.