The Great Hall is a key location in the Harry Potter movies and some of the best scenes from the series take place there. When Harry arrives at Hogwarts in the first movie, he is taken to the Great Hall with his fellow students to be sorted into his house.
Throughout the movies, headmaster Dumbledore has several iconic speeches in this location too. The Great Hall is one of the most famous locations in the Harry Potter series and several key moments happen within its walls.
The Sorting Ceremony
When the golden trio and their classmates arrive at Hogwarts in the first movie, they are taken to The Great Hall to be sorted into their houses. Most of the students are sorted without much trouble, that is until it comes to Harry.
The Sorting Hat agonizes over where to place him and considers Slytherin; however, Harry is ultimately able to choose Gryffindor for himself. This scene is an early hint at the connection between Harry and Voldemort which becomes important later in the series. Also, it foreshadows Harry's choice to fight against this connection and take on Voldemort.
The Halloween Feast
The Great Hall hosts many grand feasts during Harry's time at Hogwarts and one of the first is the Halloween feast in the first movie. The festivities are interrupted by Professor Quirrell running in and declaring that there's a "troll in the dungeon!" Quirrell subsequently faints and the students descend into chaos and panic.
While the fight with the terrifying Mountain Troll doesn't take place in the Great Hall, the scene where Quirrell runs in is one of the most quotable scenes from the series. The ease with which Dumbledore commands the situation here is also one of the earliest hints to the true extent of the Headmaster's power.
The Dueling Club
In the second movie, Snape and Lockhart set up a dueling club that meets in The Great Hall. The duel between the two teachers here is a clear warning sign that Lockhart is actually a fraud as he is easily defeated by Snape.
Harry and Draco are then pitted against each other in a duel which leads to the most important moment from the scene. When Draco summons a snake, Harry is able to speak to it and discovers he is a Parselmouth. Similar to his Sorting, this scene is another clue to the connection between Harry and Voldemort that is key throughout the series.
The Golden Trio's Reunion And Hagrid's Return From Azkaban
During the second movie, Hermione is petrified by the Basilisk and Hagrid is sent to Azkaban on suspicion of opening the Chamber of Secrets. When Hermione is finally restored, she has a heartwarming reunion with Harry and Ron in the Great Hall which is followed by Hagrid's triumphant return to Hogwarts.
Hermione immediately hugs Harry but is reluctant to do so with Ron, hinting at their future romance. Upon his entrance into the Great Hall, Hagrid is greeted with a standing ovation from staff and students alike which shows how much he is loved. The scene is quite over the top but is a heartfelt way to end the movie with the major characters back together again.
The Frog Choir
The students are greeted by a Frog Choir when they arrive at the Great Hall in the third movie. One of the best Ravenclaws from Harry Potter, Professor Flitwick conducts the choir which is an element added to the character for the movies.
Following the choir, Dumbledore gives a speech letting the school know about Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban and the increased security at the school. The choir is a memorable visual due to the singing frogs and Dumbledore's quote, "happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light' has become iconic which solidifies this as one of the best Great Hall scenes.
The Yule Ball
As part of the Triwizard Tournament, Hogwarts hosts the Yule Ball in The Great Hall for students and staff of the three schools. Many of the students pair up and Ron is left furious with jealousy when Hermione is asked by Viktor Krum. The ball is a refreshing change of pace for the movie which mainly focuses on the tournament.
Although it's not pivotal to the main story, it does progress the relationship between Hermione and Ron by showing his jealousy and confirming the feelings between the pair. As the movie's tone is quite dark, it's a great chance to see the characters in a more relaxed scenario here.
The O.W.L.s
Fred and George make a chaotic exit from Hogwarts during the fifth movie during Umbridge's reign over the school. Harry and his classmates are taking their O.W.L.s in the Great Hall under her watchful eye when Fred and George charge in on their brooms armed with fireworks.
Umbridge is one of the evilest antagonists Harry faces in the series and her humiliation during this scene is long overdue. The exam is thrown into chaos as she is driven out of the Great Hall by a dragon-shaped firework. The students run into the courtyard and celebrate the Weasleys carnage; this is a final scene of fun in the movie before the tragic events which follow.
Bellatrix Destroys The Great Hall
The sixth movie ends with Dumbledore's tragic death and Bellatrix is disgustingly gleeful in the aftermath. Along with the other Death Eaters, she storms into the Great Hall and jumps on the table. Bellatrix then destroys the stained-glass window at the end of the hall that fans have seen many times before.
Dumbledore was the heart of Hogwarts so it's symbolic to see the Great Hall destroyed in this way following his death. With the Great Hall appearing from the very beginning of the series, the destruction here marks a huge turning point.
Snape Vs McGonagall
Harry makes a return to Hogwarts in the final movie and confronts Snape over his killing of Dumbledore. While Harry prepares to do battle with his former professor in the Great Hall, McGonagall jumps to his defense and duels Snape instead.
McGonagall manages to win the duel and expel Snape from the school and the students of Hogwarts celebrate in triumph. This shows McGonagall's loyalty to Harry and her pain at losing one friend in Dumbledore and also feeling betrayed by another in Snape. As Snape's true motivations are yet to be revealed at this point, the scene is rewarding and it's exciting to see the two teachers battle it out.
Mrs. Weasley Vs Bellatrix
Mrs. Weasley is one of Harry's best parental figures and in the final movie she gets her moment to shine when she takes on Bellatrix. When Bellatrix attacks Ginny in The Great Hall during the Battle of Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley jumps into action, and the two women duel.
Against all odds, Mrs. Weasley manages to defeat Bellatrix and subsequently kills her. Seeing one of the series' most despicable villains get her comeuppance is a great moment, especially at the hands of someone so unexpected. The fight scene shows how powerful Mrs. Weasley actually is and that she'll do anything in order to protect her children.