The magical universe of Harry Potter was replete with characters who were good, bad, and complicated. But, as pointed out by several of the characters at various times, not everyone was either good or bad. A character's personality depended on what they did, and who they chose to become.
By that logic, bravery was a trait that most of the protagonists, even those popularly considered dark, demonstrated. And it was those crucial moments that defined who they were. Bravery doesn't always lie in making huge sacrifices or being a hero. It takes courage to make even tiny decisions in everyday life.
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
This quote was given by Dumbledore at the end of the first installment when the headmaster was giving out the House points. Fans will recall that Gryffindor went from being placed at the bottom to the first position because of some last-minute announcements.
The quote was significant, as it was clear from that moment on that Neville Longbottom would eventually be a force to reckon with. For every moment that Harry Potter fans felt sorry for Neville, there were several inspirational scenes as well, and standing up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione for continuously breaking the rules was certainly one of them.
Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
“Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery...”
Hermione Granger uttered these words to Harry towards the end of Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, right before Harry went on the pursuit of the philosopher's stone by himself.
Hermione becomes candid about her own studiousness and tells Harry that her smartness and quick-thinking comes from burying herself in books and being clever. Yet, she admits that the qualities that Harry brought to the table were often more valuable. This was a vital moment in the trio's friendship, as Hermione, a bit of a know-it-all until then, openly acknowledged Harry's strengths for the first time.
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
".......remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
In the aftermath of one of the most tragic moments in the history of the series, Dumbledore delivered Cedric Diggory's eulogy at the end of The Goblet Of Fire. The young Hufflepuff had been killed by the Dark Lord himself just before Voldemort was resurrected with the help of the revolting Peter Pettigrew.
Dumbledore urged all present to remember the brave young lad who, Harry Potter fans would agree, had made one of the biggest sacrifices in the series. Cedric had been inherently kind, but his bravery had been rewarded most brutally simply because he was unfortunate enough to cross paths with Voldemort.
Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
“....you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.”
In one of the very final scenes in the series, Harry tries to comfort his younger son, Albus Severus Potter, as the latter seems anxious about which House he might get sorted into in his first year in Hogwarts.
Harry mentions the two men that his son is named after, and in an iconic quote, acknowledges that Snape was one of the bravest men he had ever known. The surly professor had spent the major part of his life acting as a double agent, pretending to be a follower of Voldemort when he was really working on behalf of Dumbledore to keep Harry safe.
The Sorting Hat, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
"You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry, Set Gryffindors apart."
The Sorting Hat traditionally gave the first years a peek into the Houses that they would eventually be sorted into.
When it came to Gryffindor, fans know that this was the House that most of the protagonists came from, and it was touted as the place that the bravest and boldest of the students found themselves in. Courage, bravery, and determination set Gryffindor apart, and the Sorting Hat couldn't have been more correct in summing up the House's traits.
Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
"Be brave, Professor. Be brave like my mother... Otherwise, you disgrace her. Otherwise, she died for nothing."
Harry said these words to Professor Horace Slughorn in The Half-Blood Prince as the latter hesitated to share his untampered memory of a teenage Tom Riddle with Harry. He had altered that crucial memory earlier--one of the worst things Slughorn did in Harry Potter.
The quote came at a defining moment in Harry's fight against the Dark Lord. He had convinced Slughorn to show him the true memory of him telling Riddle what Horcruxes were and what they were capable of doing to a person's soul. He egged the professor on, telling him that he needed to be brave, just like his favorite student Lily had been in fighting evil. If he faltered now, then Lily's death would have meant nothing.
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
"You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers."
This quote came at the end of The Goblet of Fire as Dumbledore tried to comfort a dazed Harry after he had just witnessed Cedric being murdered by none other than Voldemort himself.
Harry Potter proved himself to be one of the bravest Gryffindors when he was thrust headlong into one of the most nerve-wracking moments in the series as Voldemort resurrected himself in front of him. Nothing Dumbledore or anyone else said could have comforted Harry or even made sense to him at the time, yet he did indeed show uncommon strength of character as he managed to escape the stark graveyard with Cedric's body.
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire
"My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat.....I’m not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery. . . .”
Aberforth in the movies might not have been mentioned before the very last installment, but he was certainly brought up in conversation by Albus Dumbledore in the book, The Goblet of Fire.
Dumbledore had the most hilarious sense of humor, and it was hard to know how much of it was really true. It is perhaps safe to assume that the Aberforth that Harry and the gang met later on was capable of reading, and it seems unlikely that he was practicing charms on a goat. So suffice it to say that this quote isn't really about Aberforth's bravery, but about Albus having a bit of fun at his brother's expense.
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Yet again, Dumbledore spoke this line after Harry had successfully battled the basilisk inside the Chamber of Secrets and had his second encounter with Voldemort, only this time with the memory of his younger self, Tom Riddle.
The quote was meant to assure Harry that he wasn't evil like Riddle, since his choices were different from those of the Dark Lord. Throughout The Chamber Of Secrets, the author had hinted at the possibility that Harry himself was the true heir of Slytherin. When Harry finally expressed his anxieties to Dumbledore, the latter reassured him that he was nothing like Riddle. He made choices that were braver, and that was what defined a person.
Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
"We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are."
Finally, a truly inspirational quote came in the series' fifth part when Harry wondered whether he was somehow turning bad, after everything that had happened to him.
It was Sirius Black, his godfather, who then told him, much like Dumbledore, that every person had light and dark, good and evil in them. It was up to them to choose which part of them they would rather act on. Since Harry chose the right path, it was implied that that made him a good, brave person, unlike others who chose wrong.