Content Warning: The following article contains description of violence and death.
The Harry Potter series is about love, friendship, and hope. But it also deals with darkness, death, and tragedy. Over the years, fans had to mourn a lot of characters, such as Cedric, Fred, and Dobby. Their deaths left the fans inconsolable and it's taken years for some of them to recover.
Even though Harry Potter is supposed to be for children, some of the deaths can be ruthless and violent. Characters like Voldemort and Bellatrix show how truly evil they are, killing innocent people in the cruelest of ways. Through Ranker, fans have decided which Harry Potter deaths are the most brutal ones - and there are plenty to choose from.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Cedric Diggory Was Murdered With The Killing Curse
When Harry and Cedric arrive at the center of the labyrinth at the same time, they decide to split the victory of the Triwizard Tournament and grab the trophy together. However, the trophy was a portkey that transport them to Voldemort, who immediately tells Peter Pettigrew to kill the Hufflepuff student.
Cedric's death happens in a split second, and Harry doesn't even have time to react. Peter kills him in a cold-blooded way, without even giving him a second thought. Even though the killing curse is painless, the fact that Cedric was so young makes it very ruthless. After escaping, Harry comes back desperately hugging Cedric's body, in which is one of the darkest scenes in the series.
Lily Evans Gave Her Life For Her Son
After Voldemort kills James Potter, he gives Lily the opportunity to move away from Harry's crib and save herself. Of course, Lily stays in front of her son, trying to protect him. Voldemort, then, murders her in front of the baby using the Avada Kedavra curse.
This is one of the cruelest murders in Harry Potter. It comes mainly from the betrayal of one of James and Lily's best friends, Peter Pettigrew. Plus, Voldemort punishes Lily for trying to save her son's life. On top of that, even as a baby, Harry witnessed his mother's death, a moment he replays when he's close to Dementors.
Albus Dumbledore Forced Severus Snape To Kill Him
The night Draco Malfoy helps the Death Eaters infiltrate Hogwarts, he also tries to kill Dumbledore. However, unbeknownst to the Slytherin and to Harry, Dumbledore had previously convinced Snape to kill him first. The reason behind this was to save Draco but also so Snape could win Voldemort's trust.
Harry watched everything from under the invisibility cloak without being able to move. He witnessed his mentor and father figure being murdered by his most hated teacher. On top of that, Dumbledore's body fell from the astronomy tower after being impacted by the killing curse. It's hard to know if Dumbledore was actually right about this decision.
Severus Snape Was Murdered By Voldemort's Snake, Nagini
Snape's powerful Occlumency and Legilimency abilities allowed him to play a double agent with Voldemort. However, Voldemort still decided to kill him because he thought Snape was the master of the Elder Wand. Instead of giving a painless death, he ordered Nagini to bite him in the neck and inject her powerful poison.
Even though this was a terrible way to die, at least it gave him time to share his memories with Harry and finally redeem himself. Snape used his last seconds to share tears that Harry could collect, showing the son of the love of his life every bad and good deed he had ever done.
Hedwig Was Hit With A Killing Curse
After he turned seventeen, Harry had to leave Private Drive since he was no longer safe there. While Harry was trying to escape the Death Eaters that ambushed him and his friend as he left, Hedwig was hit by a random Killing Curse that was probably meant to kill Harry.
The owl had been a present from Hagrid when Harry initiated his journey in the magical world. Hedwig had been there for him during all his teenagehood. Sometimes, she had been the only company he had, mostly through those months of isolation at Private Drive. Hedwig was one of Harry's best friends and losing her was yet another tragedy in Harry's life.
Nymphadora Tonks Was Killed By Her Aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange
At the beginning of The Battle of Hogwarts, Tonks decided to stay home with her newborn son, Teddy. Yet, later on, she chose to join her husband, unable to stay at home while he was fighting. In the chaotic battle, she had to duel her aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the most powerful wizards alive, who ultimately killed her.
Tonk's death is especially upsetting because she was murdered by her own relative shortly after having her first child and fans still mourn one of their favorite characters. Her death is one of the most tragic ones that came from the war against dark wizards.
Sirius Black Fell Through The Mysterious Veil
In the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Sirius was dueling his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. While they were sparring, Sirius got closer and closer to a mysterious veil placed in the middle of the Death Chamber. Finally, after one of Bellatrix's spells impacted him, Sirius fell through the veil and never came back.
Sirius's death is particularly awful. The fact that Sirius simply disappeared and he didn't even leave a body makes his death the more difficult to process. Harry, in denial, tried to chase him and bring him back, but he was stopped by Remus Lupin. This is yet another one of the people who died at the hands of ruthless Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange.
Dobby Was Stabbed In The Chest By Bellatrix
While Dobby and Harry were trying to escape Malfoy's Manor, Bellatrix threw a knife at Harry, but instead, it hit Dobby in the chest. When they apparate in Shell Cottage, Harry notices his friend is fatally wounded. Dobby dies in Harry's arms while saying his name with a smile on his face.
Dobby is one of the most heroic characters in Harry Potter. He was incredibly loyal to Harry and constantly tried to help him, which finally led him to give his life for the boy who lived. His death is a portrayal of Bellatrix's cruel and violent nature, but also of the love he felt for Harry.
Remus Lupin Was Murdered By A Death Eater
Remus was one of the first members of the Order of the Phoenix to answer the call to arms at Hogwarts. He, alongside Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shackelbolt, organized groups of people to fight against the Death Eaters. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Remus was murdered by Antony Dolohov.
This character had a tragic life because of his werewolf condition. It is sorrowful that he died when he had finally found happiness with his wife, Tonks, and his son, Teddy. Plus, Teddy had to grow up without meeting any of his parents, who gave their lives for him to live in a better world.
Fred Weasley Was Blown Up During The Battle Of Hogwarts
In The Battle of Hogwarts, Fred was fighting beside his brother Percy against the Death Eaters. Fred and Percy were joking when an explosion instantaneously killed Fred. Percy was so inconsolable that he refused to leave his brother's body until Harry helped him move it somewhere safe.
Fred is one of the characters that the fans love the most. To see him die while he was finally reconciling with his brother Percy was one of the saddest moments in the books. On top of that, fans deeply empathize with George's grief because he had a very close relationship with his twin brother, and he even named his son Fred.