Top 10 Unforgettable Harry Potter Moments

While we may not have known it at the time, this scene established the important connection between Harry and Voldemort that would come up again and again throughout the rest of the series. The Sorting Hat, which determines which House each new student will be assigned to, quickly assigns Draco Malfoy to Slytherin and Ron Weasley to Gryffindor. The hat has a much more difficult time with Harry, however, believing that he would become famous and achieve grandeur by joining Slytherin, largely due to his connection with Voldemort. Ultimately, the hat respects Harry’s pleas not to join that House, and places him in Gryffindor.

This scene showed what magic was truly capable of. After discovering that the school entrance to Platform 9 ¾ is sealed, Harry and Ron use a flying car owned by Ron’s father to get to Hogwarts. They encounter several mishaps along the way, including almost getting run over by the Hogwarts Express and Harry nearly falling to his death. The scene is visually appealing as we see the car fly over the English countryside, and remains one of the more memorable scenes from the earlier, more light-hearted films.

The first Quidditch game of Harry Potter’s life and the first one we get to see on screen, this scene shows how truly talented Harry is. After overcoming a cursed broomstick, Harry races after the Golden Snitch, flying at full speed towards the ground before pulling up at the last minute. Then, standing on the edge of his broom, Harry lunges and catches the snitch…with his mouth. In classic J.K. Rowling form, the snitch would play a large role later in the series, which was only made possible by a sensational effort from Harry in this stunning scene.

After spending an entire film nearly killing Harry, oddly in an effort to save his life, we discover that Dobby actually belongs to Lucius Malfoy. To free Dobby from slavery, Harry tricks Lucius into presenting the house elf with an item of clothing. When Lucius attempts to attack Harry in retaliation, Dobby blasts him down the hall. This scene not only further intensifies Harry’s rivalry with the Malfoy family, but also shows how far Dobby is willing to go to protect Harry, something that would be important later in the series.

This emotional scene sets the stage for Harry’s ultimate sacrifice. Discovering that he is actually a Horcrux and needs to die to defeat Voldemort, Harry wanders into the Forbidden Forest alone. Along the way, he uses the Resurrection Stone, which Dumbledore had hidden in the snitch, to see his parents, Sirius, and Remus. While Harry had previously seen his parents in the Mirror of Erised, this scene is much more powerful because we see how much Harry has lost throughout the course of the series as he comes to terms with death.

In one of the final scenes of the third instalment of the franchise, Harry and Hermione travel back in time in an effort to save Sirius Black from the Dementor’s kiss. As the Dementors begin to attack Sirius, Harry hesitates, remembering the first time he witnessed this scene and believing his father would arrive to save Sirius with a Patronus charm. Harry quickly realizes that it was actually his time-travelling self who cast the charm, and, after struggling with the Dementors and the Patronus charm throughout the entire film, he unleashes a powerful blast, fighting off dozens of Dementors and essentially saving Sirius’ life and his own.

The first major conflict of the Second Wizarding War, this scene had everything. Not only did we get to see Aurors duelling with Death Eaters, it is the first time we get to meet Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the series’ most iconic characters, and the last time we get to see Sirius Black. The scene is capped by an epic duel between the most powerful dark wizard in the world and the only wizard he was said to fear. From Sirius punching Lucius Malfoy to Harry and Sirius duelling side-by-side to Bellatrix murdering Sirius to Dumbledore fighting Voldemort, this scene was truly memorable.

Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned bank robbery? According to Rubeus Hagrid, Gringotts is the safest place in the wizarding world, but that didn’t stop Harry, Ron, and Hermione from breaking in to steal one of Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes from Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault. Not only did the trio have to get past the suspecting goblins, they also had to overcome a protective charm on the vault that caused all of its contents to start multiplying exponentially. Luckily, Harry was able to grab the Horcrux and escape on the back of a half-blind dragon. Talk about action!

This scene feels like it was taken straight out of a zombie flick. Harry and Dumbledore travel to a remote cave to retrieve a locket, but discover they have to get past several protection charms left by Voldemort to protect the Horcrux. We get to see one of the most powerful wizards in the world in a state of pure weakness, while also seeing the sacrifices Dumbledore is willing to make for Harry. The scene ends with an epic firestorm created by Dumbledore to fight off dozens of Inferi. Epic! Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - Tale of the Three Brothers “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1” (2010) - Dementors on the Train “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004) - Magical Chess Battle “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (2001)

The biggest reveal of the entire series takes the top spot on our list. For seven films, we wondered if Snape was a hero or a villain. It wasn’t until the final instalment, however, that we discover Snape was actually good all along. After being murdered by Voldemort, a dying Snape passes his memories to Harry. We soon see that Snape loved Lily, Harry’s mother, and see how devastated he really was when he found her lifeless body. It’s also revealed that a dying Dumbledore begged for Snape to kill him when the time came. An unsung hero. Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite moment in the Harry Potter franchise? For more exhilarating Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.