The Harry Potter series featured a whole lot of fight scenes to behold, with the majority of them being duels between wizards. However, most of these can’t qualify as being especially vicious as the duels generally followed a format. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t have brutal or violent fights in the series.
In this list, we’ve considered those battles that didn’t necessarily conform to the traditional wizarding duels, and had a more ruthless feel to them. You’ll be surprised how many fights didn’t necessitate wand use, or had wizards do away with their morals to use their magical skills for menacing means. Here are 10 of the most hard-hitting fights in the Harry Potter movies and books.
Harry Survives The Dementors
We’ll be going for the film version here for its genuinely scary feeling. The Dementors aren’t known for being vicious; they prefer to be slow and haunting. However, on this occasion, the Dementors that attacked Harry and Dudley weren’t messing around.
Quickly grabbing Harry by the throat, the first Dementor looked to make short work of Harry’s soul, while the other did the same to Dudley. It took Harry physically attacking the Dementor with his wand for it to release him, allowing him to cast the Patronus charm seconds before the Dementor could retaliate. This was perhaps the only instance where a human and a Dementor had come to blows.
The Inferi Attack
In another instance where Harry had to physically attack his enemies, he found out that the undead were perhaps harder to fight off than Dementors. After the Inferi emerged from the lake to take him with them, Harry’s “Sectumsempra” curses had no effect since his enemies lacked any innards.
He took to punching and kicking, but the sheer number overpowered him, taking him toward the bottom of the lake. It was Dumbledore’s timely arrival that saved him, as the incredible ring of fire escaping from his wand burned the Inferi’s hold away. Still, this was one fight that was both intense and initially hopeless.
Harry And George Brutalize Malfoy
This is an underrated fight that gets lost among all the dueling, yet it carried the best example of the conflict between the Weasleys, Harry, and Malfoy. As it happened, the latter took to mocking the former after losing at Quidditch, targeting their mothers.
To this, George and Harry launched onto Malfoy, forgetting all about wands, as they brutalized the Slytherin with a flurry of punches straight to the gut. To his credit, Malfoy also attempted to fight back, representing the one time where the hatred between these characters got far too personal.
The Snatchers Chase The Golden Trio
The movie version bettered the novel here as well, so we’ll be taking that one in account. Here, the Snatchers stumbled upon the Golden Trio, leading to a prolonged chase in the woods. The heroes did fight back, though, with Hermione being the star performer as she managed to cast an explosive spell toward one of the pursuers.
With so many Snatchers, the heroes were outnumbered, and the scene involved them evading a number of attacks, utilizing the surrounding trees to avoid them. If you’re looking for an adrenaline-pumping fight sequence, then this is easily one of the best options.
Death Eaters Ambush The Golden Trio
For a short fight scene, this certainly involved a bunch of close calls and dramatic moments. Here, Death Eaters found the heroes’ location, launching an ambush. With the restricted setting of the diner, both sides had to duck behind tables and counters to avoid attacks, which consisted of killing curses.
Despite the Death Eaters boasting their best lieutenants, the heroes managed to best them using smart techniques like baiting the villains out and then attacking from the side. Making this an even more intense experience was how it was the first time the trio seriously considered killing their attackers.
Heroes' Escape From Malfoy Manor
In what was a great blend between magical dueling and outright physical attacks, the skirmish at the Malfoy Manor was a display of the breaking point of desperation. Both sides pulled no punches as Bellatrix firstly manhandled the Snatchers with her wand work before Dobby outclassed her and the rest of the wizards.
It also featured Harry and Malfoy duking it out once more, with Harry gaining access to the Elder Wand not through magical means, but by besting Malfoy in combat. Then there was the memorable moment where Harry used all of three wands to lift Lucius Malfoy off his feet and across the room.
Harry And Hermione Fend Off Nagini
Harry and Hermione were well and truly lucky to have escaped with their lives in this instance, as Nagini was hell-bent on devouring the two. Still, this did qualify as a fight, as the two protagonists put up a joint effort.
After Nagini’s enormous size pretty much took up the entire room, and tore through walls to attack him, Harry had to defend himself using things like broken bricks and chairs. Hermione then displayed her magical skill by parrying the great snake with fire-based attacks and repels before the two blasted through the window to avoid a horrible fate.
The Greatest Duel In History
While we’ve ruled out wizard dueling for the most part, this fight just can’t miss out. That’s because it had everything from emotions to jump scares to total destruction. The book version was superior, with Dumbledore employing the use of Transfiguration to bring statues to life to engage in combat.
Fawkes the Phoenix would also get involved by devouring a killing curse, while Voldemort would create a humongous fiery snake. It was easily the greatest duel in wizarding history, one that had the best of Transfiguration, Charms, and the Dark Arts on display, while also retaining the viciousness that both parties brought to the table.
Ministry Officials Ambush Hagrid
When it comes to hard-hitting fights, no one can hope to top Hagrid in this regard. His half-giant status meant a lot of spells simply bounced off him, something the Ministry officials acting under Dolores Umbridge painfully found out.
After they attempted to falsely take him in, which also resulted in them knocking out Hagrid’s dog, the enraged half-giant took to using his fists by absolutely clobbering the Ministry men around. The men did manage to get a few shots in, but by and large this was a stomp battle that showed how Hagrid didn’t need magic to be a threat.
Golden Trio Overcome The Troll
Out of all the battles the main characters went through, it was this one that shaped them out for the future. Even J.K. Rowling’s many retroactive changes can’t take away from the fact that fighting the troll got the three friends together for certain.
It was a daunting fight as well, with the troll swinging around with no care of killing the eleven-year-olds, who had to dash for their lives around the toilet. With Harry dangling up in the troll’s grasp, and Hermione helping Ron complete the spell, it was a combined effort that had the troll knocked out with its own club. Not only did this fight have an impact, it also hit us right in the feels.