Happy birthday, Harry Potter! Our favorite Harry moments from series
There would hardly be any person, child or adult, who has been untouched by the phenomenon of "The Boy Who Lived." JK Rowling's incredibly courageous and instantly likable hero is the textbook example of someone who came from virtually nothing but went on to turn the tide in his favor. On The Chosen One's birthday, we revisit our five favorite moments of Harry Potter.
If you've read the books, you would have descriptive memories of the place where Harry celebrated his 11th birthday: on a harsh, damp floor of a forsaken hut in the middle of nowhere. It was here that he first met Hagrid, who revealed Harry's heroic destiny, and turned his life on its head in an instant. That pink-colored cake? Still has our whole heart!
Though heartbreaking, Cedric Diggory's death was an integral turning point in the series and indicated a coming-of-age moment for Harry. Diggory's tragic death—despite Harry's efforts to save him—signaled a defining moment for the whole wizarding world: the return of the ruthless, villainous Voldemort. The particular scene also sets the foundation for the last three books/films, the themes of which are darker, somber, and grisly.
There is no dearth of people showering love on Harry, partly out of sympathy and partly out of their genuine adoration for him. This thought is further reinstated in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban when Harry meets his godfather Sirius Black, who offers Harry to move in with him. "When all this is over, we'll be a proper family," said Black famously.
The first book/film narrates Harry's journey of coming to terms with what lies ahead for him—his duty to quell the personification of evil: Voldemort. Toward the end, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione unknot one mystery after the other to reach the Philosopher's Stone, Harry bids adieu to Hermione at a crucial juncture to tackle Voldemort alone. It is a lesson of selflessness and courage.
This is an oft-debated scene. Several fans argue that placing Harry right in the jaws of death was a deadly move, and his life plug could've gotten pulled easily that day! Nonetheless, not only did Harry destroy a Horcrux even before he knew what Horcruxes were (with a little help from the magical phoenix, Fawkes, of course), but he also dauntlessly rescued Ginny Weasley!
