Source
r/harrypotter•
[deleted]

Saddest moment in the books that wasnt someone dying?

Title

Basically apart from a character dying, what is the saddest thing you can recall reading about?

For me I think it was Hermione having to wipe her parents memories and basically remove herself from their lives.

Actually, now I that think about it, does JK ever talk about what happened with Hermiones parents? I know in the book Hermione says that maybe someday she'll go seek them out, but I dont recall the Epilogue stating anything about that.

Posted May 18, 2012, 10:29 AM UTC

57108
chimpwizardHead of Gryffindor•

Seeing Neville at St Mungos. When he accepts the wrapper from his mum...so sad.

131
Ocarina654•

And his grandma tells him to throw it away, but he puts it in his pocket.

63
PiratesARGH•

Just reading that gave me the chills. It broke my heart when I first read that moment and it still does.

This whole thread might not be good to read at work. I'll be looking like a fool soon.

10
Madzos•

Nothing else even compares to this.

4
Inquisitive_Ender•

By far the most heartbreaking thing I can think of.

2
medgar633•

The time ron kissed lavender and Hermione was crying and Harry comforted her

51
douchebag_karren[Marauder]•

I feel like the movie did this even better than the books. the whole line about "is this what it feels like?" It's so sad and perfect

25
kialna•

I cried so hard during that moment. Furiously wiping away my tears before I started making noises.

3
GamblingDementor•

Actually, that's something I hated in the movie. Harry and Hermione talking about feelings, that's not something they would do in the books. Harry is not the kind who talks about feelings, he felt so awkward when he had to tell Ron that he and Hermione were like siblings. I found the whole scene totally out of character, for Hermione and Harry.

2
[deleted]•

Nah. They totally fucked up the "Oppugno." I wanted her to lose control an shriek in pain, not whimper weakly.

1
nox_fox•

Almost as bad as when Ron left in DH.

10
hooliganking•

But that was beautiful! I am a guy, I am not supposed to be affected by emotional silliness but that part hits me hard. Maybe because I know how it feels to be in those shoes. Maybe just because it was a beautiful depiction.

I also really find Dumbledore's funeral and Hermoine wiping her parents' memory to be very sombre. fucking onions.

9
melissa714•

This. It was just heart-wrenching for me to read, and the movie's depiction brought me to tears.

2
Black_Market_Baby•

In the Prince's Tale when we find out that Petunia had written a letter to Dumbledore begging for admission into Hogwarts. Petunia's whole story is just so much more tragic once we find out about all this. Think about it; every child wants desperately to believe that there is magic in the world and that he or she is special. So to find out that there is magic in the world, but you don't get to be any part of it (not only that, but your smarter, prettier sister does) must have been soul-crushing.

48
Luzcfir•

it's hard to feel sad about a child abuser. she never treated harry like family. she allowed her husband to bully the poor boy, let him live under the stairs, and talked trash about his parents when hagrid told him the truth of their death. the only reason she kept him around was because she was afraid of what dumbledore would do. although she did know how evil voldermort and his death eaters were, i guess that counts a bit too. i understand being hurt that you can't be a part of the magic world but that does not give her the right to turn out the way she did. i guess having a crappy, abusive childhood it makes it hard for me to sympathize with people like petunia.

8
Black_Market_Baby•

I wouldn't say that Petunia is a kind adult or even a very likable person (and I certainly wouldn't argue that her childhood excuses her behavior as an adult), but at the time of The Prince's Tale, she's not a child abuser, she's just a little girl with a broken heart. That is what is sad to me.

18
Black_Market_Baby•

Oh, also, I do think that Petunia's relationship with Vernon echoes shades of abuse, and perhaps that is why she allowed him to treat her sister's son so poorly. I doubt that, left to her own devices, she would have treated an innocent child the way he did. Petunia is a tragic character to me; Vernon Dursley is a sadist.

8
ReginaPhilangee•

I agree. Her entire story is sad, but that doesn't mean she gets to take it out on a child. By that logic, would we excuse Harry if he turned out to be a horrible dad? His upbringing was worse than hers.

5
Luzcfir•

thank you. my point exactly. besides every villain or abuser usually has a sad or bad childhood. look at voldermort, his mother died when he was born and he wound up living in an orphanage. when he found out the truth about his family , he killed them all. knowing about his adult self's actions do not make me feel bad about his childhood. everyone makes a choice. petunia chose to ignore her nephew and treated him like a second class citizen. voldermort became a mass murderer. Harry became a force for good, and so did Neville.

1
aimignite•

A new chapter of a fanfiction I'm reading (Chasing the Sun by Loten) recently suggested that Petunia was actually so mean to Harry because she was trying to suppress his magic, under the assumption that he would be safe from Voldemort if he wasn't magical. While I kind of doubt this is what JKR intended for Petunia, it's still an interesting theory that I had never considered.

That being said, you're absolutely right. I was never able to feel sorry for her as an abusive adult, but when she was was just a sad little girl, it bummed me out.

2
[deleted]•

But some of that was from her dismay at not being able to be included in a wizarding world where her much more like sister DOES. She probably turned bitter as she got rejected, didn't feel special, and watched her parents favor Lily over her. And living with Vernon also contributed. His very likeness may have grown on her do that centrally she became like him. You cannot blame Petunia for treating Harry like that. He was just a reminder of how she wasn't accepted, her parents' favoritism, etc.

1
Luzcfir•

there's no proof that the parents favored lily over petunia. it's only petunia's perception of her childhood. children always see things like that when they are jealous of their siblings. at least their parents didn't abuse petunia the way she abused Harry. any woman who loves a man or stays with a man that is abusive does not deserve to have children. she also raised Dudley to have a dislike for his own cousin. she tried to make Dudley feel special by making Harry feel small. awful way to raise children. i'm glad Dudley at least accepted Harry after the dementor attack and tried to make up.

1
[deleted]•

Well I know that but Petunia was still hurt by what had occurred within her family. It may have only been her perception but she just thought that was the way it was and still was hurt by it. There is no changing that fact.

1
LumepallMagical catlover•

Snape's memories... :(

46
NightPhoenix35Night Phoenix•

Agreed! I cried when I read it, and I still cry like a baby every time I watch it in DH Part 2. It is sad and also very touching.

11
PsychoActor•

I was especially happy with the scene they added of Snape finding Lily's body. That moment when he's holding her and crying is one of the most heart wrenching things I've ever seen in cinema. :-(

14
DrEw702•

That was some serious ACTINGGGG!!

4
sozza•

I was BAWLING in the cinema at that. A little girl gave me evils, I was all "bitch this book hasn't been half your life!".

In the book it wasn't this part that made me cry but his death scene I was sobbing.

2
amyosaurusThe Philomath•

Regarding your question about Hermione's parents, in this Webchat, JKR states that as soon as the war ended, Hermione went to find them and reverse the memory charm.

39
hooliganking•

I think I love you. Nothing has bothered me more in the series than not knowing if she ever got back in touch after the war.

14
AludraEltanin•

For me it's the scene when Peter turns into Wormtail and escapes because Sirius and Lupin have to be focusing on containing Lupin's werewolf transformation. There isn't actually sadness being expressed in the text at that point, but it seems to me that is the moment that the entire series takes a turn. Up to this point things have been lying in wait, but from this moment onward everything that happens hinges on the fact that Peter got away. Sirius can't be free. Lupin has to retreat from society again. Voldemort gets his servant back. The entire tide seems to change right there, just when things had seemed to be turning so bright. It's subtle, but I find it heart-breaking.

39
shamroxxParselmouth•

I was SO angry when he got away, it really did feel like the whole series took a nose dive right there and in the later books we actually do get to see the repercussions of that night.

11
mmemarlie•

This is the reason that PoA is my favorite book. I was livid. I have never felt so much powerless anger from a book before. There is nothing anyone can do to stop what is coming. And Snape made me SO MAD for being so blind. I end up loving Snape and standing up for him all the time, but the final chapters of PoA for me is him at his worst. This is when he gives into his hatred for the Maurauder's from his school days. UGH. I want to punch him in his big nose for this.

9
GamblingDementor•

I came exactly to say this. I think that re-reading it is even worse than when you read it in the first place, because you know what is going to happen. When Sirius proposes that Harry comes to live by him... I cried re-reading this.

2
douchebag_karren[Marauder]•

the dawning realization that Harry will not be able to live with Sirius, but is going to have to go back to the dursley's in the third book.

34
skelegrowsHalf-Blood Princess•

When Harry discovered the Mirror of Erised. It was so heart wrenching, poor little guy. )':

32
[deleted]•

[deleted]

6
thistleginger•

Not only does he see his parents, but his ENTIRE family. It's so sad he didn't even have grandparents!

3
bassplayinboy7•

Still kinda involves death but... "every mirror was the mirror of erised for the weasley twins"

Edit: damn autocorrect

28
dawnhunterGred&Forge•

Where is this line from? I'm completely blanking.

3
tomomoomo•

I don't think it's a quote from the books or movies. http://www.hypable.com/2012/05/08/theory-to-george-weasley-every-mirror-is-the-mirror-of-erised/

2
[deleted]•

:'(

-4
bassplayinboy7•

Yeah, sorry about that. Autocorrect

1
ZomBrittany•

When Ron left Harry and Hermoine in the woods searching for Horcruxes. Hermoines crying and Ron and Harry are all mad. It just got me really upset because Hermoine was at a total loss and nothing was going to please Ron and make him stay.

26
purpleyuanPotion Master's Apprentice•

*Hermione. Not Hermoine.

The sheer amount of despair I felt as Ron left was incredible. I don't think I've ever felt that way before about any story. He left while they were stuck, they had no clues, no leads, no ideas on where to go. To me, Ron was always the one to keep everyone happy; he was always the heart of the group, the one to crack witty jokes and later-super-ironic lines. And then he left and I was crying so hard I couldn't see the words anymore, my tears were so thick.

4
ZomBrittany•

Yes! Sorry for the typo!

And Rons always been my favorite, and I was devastated that he thought something was going on with Hermione and Harry and that upset me even more.

1
[deleted]•

Ron was always my favorite too, when I read that he left I put the book down and cried for a bit before continuing.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

26
Barnhouse92•

After the last book I just felt plain bad for kreacher

8
spaceman9•

The hardest scene for me to read was the one early in the 7th book when some of my favorite characters take the polyjuice potion to change into Harry. They were all willing to sacrifice themselves to save him, and they all flew straight into an ambush. I knew JK Rowling would kill off at least one of them in the battle.

Then Molly Weasley is forced to wait for her family to reappear at her house, and the first portkeys arrive empty. And Harry has to comfort her, knowing that if any of them died, it was to protect him. I cried the first time I read it.

25
Real2100•

The moment when you can almost feel Molly and Ginny's fear of losing a family member, but stil manages to smile and be happy that Harry and Hagrid are back safe. How can one family contain so much courageousness?!?!

8
howlingatthemoobs•

When Harry found the picture of him as a baby on the broomstick in Regulus' old room. Poor, poor Harry :(

23
Real2100•

The image of Harry as a child swooping in and out of the picture on his mini-broom.... Sad yes, but also brings a huge smile on my face

3
shamroxxParselmouth•

Kreacher reliving what happened with Voldemort on the island while they were hiding the locket. I guess I have a soft spot for House elves.

23
MalinaRana•

I lost it when all the house elves came to battle and Kreacher was leading them and yelled, "For my Master" or something along those lines.

8
jenntasticxxTotally Awesome!•

I remember after the whole deal at the ministry when someone was talking about how they couldn't go back to Grimmauld Place, and Kreacher would be there waiting for them with dinner :[ Just... the look on his face when they didn't show up... would he think he'd been abandoned again? He made such a turn around after they started being nice to him.

4
crazyparrot94puffskein•

You would totally be in S.P.E.W

4
Abisoccer1•

When Hermione is getting tortured in the seventh book... I always freak out and cry because Ron goes nuts trying to get to her, and the situation seems so helpless at first.

The mirror of Erised too... Ps. I always wanted to see what Hermione's would be.

21
jenntasticxxTotally Awesome!•

JKR said that she would see herself and friends unscathed, Voldemort defeated, and herself in a romantic embrace with a certain someone.

2
kacman•

But what would she see in book 1 when Harry and Ron looked? At that point there was no reason for her to be worrying about any of these. This seem's like a rather shallow response, compared to Harry and Ron which can be seen as their fundamental desires as a character throughout the series.

2
jenntasticxxTotally Awesome!•

Dunno. That's just what she said. I'm assuming she was asked this at some point in the later books. Maybe she would see herself prettier (because she seemed to have issues with her teeth/hair) or maybe very very smart and succesesful in the future.

Anyway, she also said that she never did look in the mirror at any point, and I suppose desires can change over time.

2
Simi566Third year•

Same thing here

1
FreakearsBathilda's Apprentice•

"We're all still here, we're still fighting. Come on now..."-Luna, DH 649

That line always hits me hard.

20
felicitationsEducation is not preparation for life; education is life itself.•

  1. Dumbledore's funeral

  2. Harry's journey from Dumbledore's office to the Forbidden Forest after learning what he needs to do

  3. Hagrid carrying Harry's body out of the forest

;_;

15
Dwragon•

Those all kinda still involve death

13
laldans•

that wasn't someone dying

None of those are death scenes.

2
[deleted]•

Oh #3...my heart broke for poor Hagrid.

4
saints_chyc•

Harry walking away from Ginny at the funeral.

Anytime they discussed his "gifts" from the Dursleys.

Anything having to do with the Dursleys.

The Graveyard scene where he sees his parents' graves....

15
[deleted]•

The scene where Ginny and Harry talk after the funeral is one of my least favourites in the series. It feels like the season finale of a bad soap opera to me. I guess it had to be that way because book 6 and book 7 are kind of two parts of the same story in a way and there needed to be some 'To be continued...' moment, I just wish it hadn't felt so cheesy.

Of course, you're entitled to your opinion. I just wanted to throw that out there in hopes that someone/anyone else feels this way.

7
Fernandoskid•

When Harry talks to lily James lupin and Sirius I think I died, couldn't contain the tears! Gets me every time, even the movie version

14
mmemarlie•

When Mrs. Weasley was cleaning out the OOTP Headquarters and finds a bogart which turns into the dead bodies of the people she loves. That was sad to me because she had so much to lose but was still willing to give the cause everything she had.

12