Oh, my.  Of course there are those watery-eyed moments, I doubt any true fan made it through Deathly Hallows (the book) without shedding a few tears.  To tell you the truth, I’m not a big crier, though, and I wasn’t found weeping when the series ended; instead I slowly stood up and just kind of staggered around like a zombie, dazed facial expression, proclaiming aloud, “It’s over.  It’s all over.”  But there are a number of key scenes that make me heave a long sigh and sniffle, all the while protesting that of course I’m not crying over Harry Potter, what an inane idea!  Here are a handful (spoilers, as usual):

Book Moments

  •  When Fang was trapped in Hagrid’s burning hut at the end of Half-Blood Prince.  Okay, firstly – Hagrid’s hut is all he has.  You cannot burn his hut.  Secondly, FANG!!  Anytime a dog is described as “yelping” in fear or pain, I feel like someone stabbed my heart.
  •  Fred.  Dead.  Need I say anymore?
  • The moment in which Colin Creevey is described as “small” in death.  I think this is the first time that I ever appreciated Colin as being loyal and remarkably brave (to the point of being foolhardy sometimes) instead of just annoying and twerpy… somehow it hurts to realize that nobody ever thought of him in that manner during his life.
  • In the cave when Dumbledore is begging Harry to stop pouring the potion down his throat.  Once you know exactly what he’s imagining, that scene becomes, oh, about a thousand times more tragic.  Harry is, for the first time in his relationship with Dumbledore, the one who is in control, and he has to force his mentor – who he admires so much for his strength and composure – into unimaginable mental and physical anguish.  For the very first time, Dumbledore is weak, and it hurts to witness.

Film Moments

  • The dancing scene in Deathly Hallows.  Yes, it was made up by Steve Kloves.  Do I care?  No.  If ever the relationships between three teenagers tied closer than family, all facing evil and darkness and pressure and love far beyond their years, was to be summarized into the length of a single song, it happened here.  I can’t say enough about how much this scene punched me in the gut – it’s desolate, cold, empty, and Harry and Hermione were just abandoned by the one person they never thought would leave, and they’ve just realized that there’s a huge void between them due to Ron’s absence, as well as the fact that they are all each other has in the world.  Okay, enough gushing.  I know some people hate this part of the movie, but I will endlessly defend it.
  • Dumbledore’s death.  Wait, no.  Not his actual death, but the scene where everyone raises their lit up wands towards the sky and the music swells.  Sometimes it strikes me as being corny, other times… McGonagall just looks so sad!  The wizarding world is crumbling!  If it wasn’t for damn Ginny hugging Harry it’d kill me every time.
  • When Amos Diggory started screaming, “That’s my son!” after Harry brought Cedric’s body back.  Ohmygod.  So heart-wrenching.

Things I Did Not Cry Over (Does This Make Me A Horrible Human Being?)

  • Dobby’s death in the film.  While everyone else was sobbing, I couldn’t help but raise one eyebrow in skepticism when he melodramatically declared, “HARRY POTTER” in his awkward accent.
  • Snape’s death in the book.  Granted, I thought he was evil.  But still, re-reading and knowing that he wasn’t, I still am not terribly upset about his death.  Yes, it was disgusting and cruel, but… look, just because he had a semi-obsessive crush on Lily doesn’t mean he was a saint whose death should be wept over.  Just sayin’.  However: Snape’s last lines are pretty hard-hitting when you take into account the whole background story.
  • Harry being an orphan.  Could that storyline possibly have been recited to death any more than it was?  Oh, he has his mother’s eyes, and his father’s hair!  But… they were killed!  It’s all so tragic!  After a while, I think I started kind of smirking when Harry would get all angry and randomly scream, “My parents are DEAD!”