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What would be your signature spell?

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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and the Order of the Phoenix

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## If you’re a clean freak… your signature spell would be Scourgify
Dirty dishes piled up in the sink. Clothes dumped on the floor. Cobwebs left undusted and undisturbed. If any of this fills you with horror and makes you break out into a cold sweat, then your signature charm would definitely be Scourgify. As someone who can only function when things are spick and span, and whose house always looks like a show home, we believe you’d derive real satisfaction and joy from this helpful spell. Dust and dirt would be nothing but a distant memory – with a flick of your wand it would be banished. And unlike Tonks who never really got the hang of household magic, we reckon you would master it straight away.

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## If you’re the mischievous type… your signature spell would be Wingardium Leviosa 
If Fred and George Weasley are your idols and you’re a master of tomfoolery – we think you’d love nothing more than using the Levitation Charm to help you with your hijinks. We can imagine you hiding out of sight and causing all sorts of chaos with this spell. Just imagine the look of surprise on your friend’s face as the cup of tea they’re holding floats out of their grasp. Or your parent’s bewilderment as the newspaper they were reaching for suddenly flies up in the air. With a simple swish and flick, you’ll find the opportunities for practical jokes are endless. Just remember, it’s Levi-*o*-sa not Levi-o-SA.

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 

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and the Philosopher's Stone 

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## If you’re a couch potato… your signature spell would be Accio
There’s nothing better than settling down on the sofa with a movie marathon, excellent snacks and the knowledge that you don’t have to move from this position for hours. However, there’s also nothing worse than realising that you’ve forgotten to pick up the remote to watch the movie marathon – or the snacks that were meant to accompany it. This is where being a whiz at the Summoning Charm would come in handy. You’d never have to move if you didn’t want to. If this sounds appealing, and you’re the type of person whose favourite thing is to curl up in your special spot on the couch, then this would be your signature spell.

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## If you love to be dramatic… your signature spell would be the Bat-Bogey Hex
While some spells can be rather efficient for irritating your target, they can also be a bit… boring. The Bat-Bogey Hex is certainly not that. With flying bogies in the form of bats attacking the recipient of this spell, it’s nothing if not dramatic. Like Ginny Weasley, we can imagine your use of this hex becoming legendary. So, if you live for spectacle and excitement, are known for your grand entrances and always like to stand out in the crowd, this is the one for you.

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## If you often find yourself in embarrassing situations… your signature spell would be Obliviate
Do you often feel as though you put your foot in your mouth? Do you sometimes forget to think before you speak? Do you find yourself blushing beetroot red every five minutes? Then we think you would be a master of Memory Charms. Gone would be the worry of what people thought of you. No longer would lie wide awake in the middle of the night replaying everything you had said. Your expertise at Obliviating people would mean you always had a do over, making those mortifying moments a thing of the past.

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## If you are rather clumsy… your signature spell would be Episkey 
Sometimes, and we’re sure Neville Longbottom would agree, it can feel incredibly difficult to just walk in a straight line without stumbling into a rogue chair leg, breaking something, or tripping over your own feet. If you’re someone who can relate to this well-known klutz, we imagine you often find yourself covered in bumps and bruises. So, what could be more useful than being a master of a spell that can heal those minor ailments? Whether you slipped on an icy path or misjudged where that last step was– you wouldn’t have to worry about getting into scrapes, as you’d know exactly how to fix yourself.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Watch Harry Potter alumni and famous fans of the Wizarding World reveal their Hogwarts houses in the Official Sorting Ceremony 

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Discover the Hogwarts houses of some Harry Potter film alumni alongside some other famous faces today – and see who they nominate to join the Sorting Ceremony next. Using our official Harry Potter Fan Club app, where you can don an AR version of the Sorting Hat, we loved discovering everyone’s houses in this new celebratory challenge. 

Take a look and see if they got the houses you’d expect. 

Bonnie Wright | Sorting Challenge

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Alfred Enoch | Sorting Challenge

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Warwick Davis | Sorting Challenge

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Natalia Tena | Sorting Challenge

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As you’ve probably spotted, we are currently working through 20 iconic moments from *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone* – our digital celebration of 20 Years of Movie Magic. [We’re currently on Moment 7](https://www.wizardingworld.com/harrypottermovie20), where Harry nervously attends his first Sorting Ceremony – so what better time to get yourself sorted too! Just in case you haven’t, already...

Here’s a handy reminder of how to get sorted via the Harry Potter Fan Club app.

- Download the free Harry Potter Fan Club app and check out the Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony. You can learn more about the [app’s many magical features ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/a-handy-guide-to-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-harry-potter-fan-club-app)here. 
- Admire yourself wearing the AR Sorting Hat and snap a selfie! If you’re old enough – you could share it and then nominate a friend to wear the hat next. 
- And if you are old enough, you could share your prediction for which house they will be in, using the hashtag #SortingChallenge. 
- Are they a proud Gryffindor, a resourceful Slytherin, a wise Ravenclaw or a loyal Hufflepuff? The only way to find out is to take the test and wait for their reply! You may be surprised! 

All of today’s fun is to continue celebrating [20 Years of Movie Magic](https://www.wizardingworld.com/harrypottermovie20) – where we still have many major moments to commemorate. Join us over at our official hub to enjoy quizzes, articles, puzzles and features deep-diving into iconic first film scenes.

Five differences between the younger Draco Malfoy and the Draco we see in Cursed Child

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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and the Half-Blood Prince

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*Spoiler warning! Before you dive in, we wanted to let you know that this article contains some spoilers for Cursed Child.*

## His views of Voldemort were quite different…
When Draco Malfoy was at school, he believed the abhorrent views of his family. They were all big supporters of Voldemort, who thought that they were superior just because they happened to be pure-blood witches and wizards. They were so invested in this ideology, that Draco and his father were both in Voldemort’s inner circle as Death Eaters. Draco wouldn’t flinch at calling Muggle-borns the derogatory term ‘Mudblood’ and did call Hermione that several times at school. 

However, the older Draco had moved away from that way of thinking. He still had a snobby attitude and some of his old prejudices lingered. Yet, with the help of his wife, Astoria, he had managed to not raise his son with those same bigoted views. While this didn’t excuse Draco’s past behaviour, it did show that he had grown and matured as a person. Where he would have boasted of his connections to the Dark Lord as a teenager, as an adult, that same connection made him feel ashamed.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

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and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

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## His relationship with Harry, Ron and Hermione had changed… 
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco were never going to be best friends – they would probably never even like each other. However, the animosity between them had definitely subsided since their schooldays. In *Cursed Child*, they were no longer on separate sides and had managed to form an uneasy truce. However, that didn’t mean the past had been forgotten. Ron especially remembered the way that Draco was particularly horrible to Hermione. Yet, things clearly had changed, as we don’t think Hermione would have ever spoken about hugging Malfoy as a teenager…

>__Ron__
 
>Malfoy, you may be all chummy chummy with Harry, and you may have produced a relatively nice child, but you’ve said some very unfair things to and about my wife . . .
>
>__Hermione__
 
>And your wife doesn’t need you fighting her battles for her.
>
>*Hermione looks witheringly at Ron. Ron takes the hit.*
>
>__Ron__
 
>Fine. But if you say one thing about her or me . . .
>
>__Draco__
 
>You’ll do what, Weasley?
>
>__Hermione__
 
>He’ll hug you. Because we’re all on the same team, aren’t we Ron?
>
>__Ron__ *(hesitating in the face of her unwavering gaze)*
 
>Fine. I, um, I think you’ve got really nice hair. Draco.
> *Harry Potter and the Cursed Child*

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Members of the Broadway Premiere cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Photography by Charlie Gray

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## He was less reluctant to reach out for help…
When Draco was tasked with the murder of Dumbledore at age sixteen, he didn’t ask for any help. He struggled alone under the enormous weight of such an evil task. Even though Snape pleaded with him to allow him to help, Draco refused his offer. In fact, Draco managed to master the tricky art of Occlumency to keep everyone out and ensure that Snape could not assist him with his mission. 

As an adult, Draco had managed to learn that sometimes you need to reach out to others – especially when your child is involved. With the story that Scorpius was the son of Voldemort running rampant, Malfoy had no choice but to ask his former enemy, Harry Potter, to assist him in dispelling those rumours. The amount of pride that Draco would have swallowed to do that shouldn’t be underestimated. There is no way that the young Draco would have done something for anyone else – let alone something so humiliating.

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## His had new hair…
Draco Malfoy was always famous for his sleek, blond hair. While he was at school, he kept it rather short. However, as an adult, Draco seemed to have had quite the makeover and sported a long, luxurious and swishy ponytail. It’s always good to shake up your look and keep things fresh. But don’t be fooled in thinking this new ponytail meant a more relaxed, hippy version of Draco. He still enjoyed the finer things in life and still liked to look his very best – with no hair out of place.

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## And a new love of farmers’ markets…
Ok, so we don’t know what Draco’s previously feeling were on farmers’ markets, but we would hazard a guess that they probably wouldn’t have been on his radar. We thought it was very cute that adult Draco had an appreciation for thatched roof cottages and local produce – it made him seem like a proper grownup.

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Seven of the most underrated friendships in the Harry Potter series

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## Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil 
One of the most enduring, if unnoticed, female friendships in the entire series had to be that of Lavender and Parvati. While the nature of the story meant we didn’t spend much time with them, the little we saw of their relationship only reinforced the idea that they did everything together. Whether they were racing their pencil cases while practicing Locomotion Charms, or hanging out with their favourite teacher Professor Trelawney, or simply having a giggle together, these two always seemed to be happiest when in each other’s presence. Though when Lavender started dating a certain Weasley, Parvati was a little embarrassed by her friend’s mushy behaviour. But once that was over, we think they would have gone right back to normal.

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## Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas
Dean and Seamus were another pair where one rarely seemed to be without the other. Their friendship was solid from the moment that they met. Even though they didn’t necessarily agree on everything – like the return of Voldemort – they didn’t allow it to come between them. We imagine it would have been horrible for them to have been separated during *The Deathly Hallows*, when Dean had to go on the run because of his unknown blood status. But the joy that they displayed when reunited before the Battle of Hogwarts was a testament to just how close they were.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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and the Chamber of Secrets

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## Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Lee Jordan
While Fred and George were famous for being… well, Fred and George, the third member of their mischief-making gang was woefully overlooked. Whenever Fred and George were causing chaos, Lee was never far behind. The three of them got up to all sorts of hijinks from discovering secret passageways to annoying their teachers. And when the twins were playing in a Quidditch match, Lee was there supporting and giving his best (hilarious) commentary. Lee was as funny and as spirited as Weasley twins and was probably one of the only people that could keep up with them! The three of them had a friendship that we can’t help but be envious of.

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## Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick
These three professors seemed to be fond of one another after spending so many years together at Hogwarts. In fact, Sprout and McGonagall had even been pupils at Hogwarts at the same time (in different years). These three undoubtedly always had each other’s backs. When Umbridge took over Hogwarts, they trusted each other enough to have secret huddled discussions. When Umbridge unsuccessfully tried to get rid of a fellow teacher, Professor Trelawney, all three of them helped to escort her back into the school. And after Dumbledore’s death, they stood united in doing what was best for Hogwarts. This is a friendship we would have loved to have seen more of – especially if it meant we could find out all the interesting gossip that came out of the staff room…

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## Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger
While we saw a lot of Ginny and Hermione throughout the series, their friendship was one that was often ignored. This pair had spent more time together in the background than we had realised. Though it makes sense, because whenever Hermione would stay with the Weasleys during the holidays, it was Ginny’s room she slept in. They must have used that opportunity to grow closer, and it appeared that Ginny would quite regularly confide in Hermione. When Ginny was trying to figure out what to do about her crush on Harry, it was Hermione that advised her. When Ron was shocked to discover that Ginny was dating Michael Corner, it turned out Hermione already knew. These two brilliant witches clearly got on, respected one another and had a strong friendship.

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Harry and Dumbledore's Army in the Room of Requirement 

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## Garrick Ollivander and Luna Lovegood
Now, you might not think that these two would be natural companions – and you would probably be right – but the two of them went through something rather horrific together that forged a bond between them. In *The Deathly Hallows*, both Ollivander (who had knowledge Voldemort wanted) and Luna (whose father was speaking out against the new regime) were taken into captivity and held in the cellar of Malfoy Manor. There they had to spend countless days in the dark, dank room where they were almost certainly mistreated. However, when we hear Luna talking to Ollivander in their prison, her voice is reassuring, calm and doesn’t match the terrible circumstances that they find themselves in. We can imagine that this was a comfort to Ollivander. We know he did appreciate her company, as after they were rescued, he sent Luna a brand-new wand to replace her old one.

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## Argus Filch and Mrs Norris
Filch was a bad-tempered, cantankerous and often petty individual. However, all of that flew out the window when it was just him and his faithful cat, Mrs Norris. That cat meant everything to Filch and brought out the softer, more caring side of him – which many who attended Hogwarts probably didn’t think existed. He even called her ‘my sweet’ which we think is rather cute. These two had such a strong relationship and made an excellent team when it came to patrolling the corridors of Hogwarts in search of troublemakers. When Filch discovered that Mrs Norris had been Petrified in *Chamber of Secrets*, we couldn’t help but feel incredibly sad at his devastated reaction. So, we were rather pleased when this miserable old pair were reunited to live another miserable day.

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What if Ron didn't get in the carriage on the Hogwarts Express with Harry?

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Before we dive into what could have been different, let's consider why Ron and Harry’s friendship was so important to the series. 

As soon as Harry and Ron met, the pair of them seemed to get on like a house on fire. They quickly bonded over sweets, their mutual dislike of Malfoy and the excitement of starting a new school. That initial connection only strengthened over time and by the end of the series they were family as well as friends. Without this very important relationship the story could have looked quite different indeed.

If it wasn’t for Ron, Harry would have found the wizarding world a much trickier place to navigate. Having grown up with his Muggle relatives, Harry had no understanding of how the wizarding world worked – despite his fame amongst the wizarding population. It was Ron that gave Harry so many of the useful insights that helped him to integrate into this magical world. He also stood up for him, frequently risked his life on their many escapades and quickly made him an honorary Weasley – which meant everything to Harry. 

And Harry helped Ron in many ways too. Having always felt like he lived in his siblings’ shadow, Ron had been insecure and prone to jealousy. But after he became Harry’s best friend, and went on many adventures with him, he became a hero in his own right. Not only was he instrumental in helping to save the wizarding world, but he also became a Hogwarts Prefect and a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Ron’s friendship with Harry certainly helped him mature and undergo a positive transformation.  

Their relationship may have had ups and downs – like when Ron’s jealousy in *Goblet of Fire* caused him to turn against Harry – but without each other’s support, the two of them could have been very different people with very different stories. 

So how important was that day on the Hogwarts Express? Would their friendship have survived without it? What would their relationship with Hermione look like? And without that encounter, would Harry have been a Gryffindor?

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## Would Ron and Harry have become best friends?
We would like to think that if Harry and Ron hadn’t been sat together on the Hogwarts Express, they would have still ended up as friends (if not best friends). As two Gryffindor boys in their first year, they still would have shared a dormitory and would have spent many hours together. Their personalities would still have been compatible, and we can definitely see the pair of them still having plenty of fun.

However, there is some question over whether their bond might have been quite so strong. A lot happened on that train ride, despite it being one of the less dramatic parts of the story. It was in those quieter, smaller moments that these two really gravitated towards each other. 

For instance, when Ron let slip that his family didn’t have much money (with his hand-me-down pet rat, second-hand wand and a dry corned beef sandwich as his lunch), Harry sensed his vulnerability and didn’t tease him because he understood where Ron was coming from. Harry had never had anything of his own until he became a wizard, so he wanted to share what he now had with Ron. The second he responded by explaining what it had been like to live at Privet Drive and offered to swap his pasty for Ron’s rather unappealing sandwich, a fledgling friendship was formed. The two of them opened up to one another, despite being virtual strangers, and the rest was history. 

Therefore, it would be easy to assume that if the pair of them had not had this moment on the train and had not walked through the doors of Hogwarts together, they wouldn’t have been so close. Yet, we like to think it probably wasn’t the case. We imagine they would have had that interaction at a different time – whether it was days, weeks or months later. Harry and Ron had a lot in common and their friendship seemed to come so naturally to them. It would have taken an awful lot to keep these two apart and we reckon that one missed day together wouldn’t have changed much.

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## Would Harry have been less resistant to being sorted into Slytherin?
By the time that Harry and Ron came face to face, Harry had heard a few things about Slytherin house… specifically that Voldemort belonged to it and the unpleasant boy he met in Madam Malkin’s wanted to be in it. We think that at this point Harry was already forming his opinion of Slytherin and wasn’t keen on the idea of being one. So, it would be easy to assume that even without meeting Ron, Harry would still have told the Sorting Hat not to place him there. 

Yet would his aversion have been so strong without meeting Ron? They did discuss houses and Harry did find out that all of Ron’s family had been sorted into Gryffindor. He also discovered that Ron would be unhappy to be sorted into Slytherin, so that could have influenced him as well. Not to mention the fact that they had a run in with Malfoy – where he immediately insulted Harry’s new friend. At that moment, everything seemed clear to Harry. He knew that he would always choose someone like Ron over someone like Malfoy – which would have only strengthened his anti-Slytherin resolve.

Ultimately, we believe that Harry would have asked to not be sorted into Slytherin, whether Ron had sat next to him on the Hogwarts Express or not. But we also think that his interactions on the train cemented that feeling. If Harry hadn’t heard about Ron’s background, or seen Malfoy’s treatment of him and others, he might not have been quite as adamant when it came to The Sorting Ceremony.

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## Would Harry have been more open to becoming Malfoy’s friend?
We reckon Malfoy and Harry would not have been friends – even without the skirmish on the Hogwarts Express. Harry already had a negative impression of Malfoy long before he heard him make any comments about Ron’s family. As soon as Malfoy called Hagrid a savage in Madam Malkin’s Harry had got the measure of him. 

So, if Ron hadn’t been in the carriage when Malfoy extended his hand to Harry, we believe he still would have had plenty of reasons to refuse his offer of friendship. Sooner or later Harry would have discovered the truth about the Malfoy family. He would have realised that they had been followers of the Dark wizard who had killed his parents, would have seen their pure-blood mania, would have seen Draco bully those he saw as weak and would have had plenty of exposure to his awful, entitled attitude. Harry would have rejected such hatred and would not have wanted any part in it.

All that happened with Ron being in the carriage that day was that Harry’s impression of Malfoy was reinforced more quickly. Whether that was when Malfoy said that Ron’s family had more children than they could afford. Or when Scabbers bit Goyle after he, Malfoy and Crabbe had tried to take their food. Or when Malfoy made a comment about the death of Harry’s parents. The train journey was a good example of why Harry didn’t want to be an ally of the boy with the snooty nature and nasty attitude.

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## Would Harry, Ron and Hermione have become friends sooner?
While Ron and Harry’s first impressions of each other were nothing but positive, the same can’t be said for how they viewed Hermione. On the occasions that she burst into their train carriage, told them all about the books she had read, ridiculed the spell George had given Ron and pointed out the dirt on his nose, they seemed to find her… annoying. 

Though while Harry was a bit taken aback by her, it was Ron who really seemed riled by her presence. The two of them started to bicker immediately – which we later came to discover was just their dynamic. But by the time they arrived at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron were already becoming fast friends and Hermione joining their pair was not close to being an idea in either of their heads. It was so far from Ron’s mind that he groaned when he heard the Sorting Hat announce that she was a Gryffindor.

So, would they have all become friends sooner if they had met under different circumstances? It could be argued that if Harry had met Hermione without Ron being there, he might have been more open to the prospect. We could imagine him reaching out to her when he realised that she didn’t have any friends after a few weeks of term – it would be in keeping with Harry’s desire to look out for the underdog. But Harry’s patience only stretched so far, and he did struggle to warm to her at the beginning, without Ron’s input. 

We also believe that Ron would have needed to have Harry there to have become Hermione’s friend in the first place. Even if she had still overheard him saying mean things about her at Hallowe’en, and she had hidden in the girls’ toilets, it was Harry who convinced Ron that they needed to try and rescue her from the troll. Without the dynamic of Harry and Ron we highly doubt Hermione would have become part of their group.

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## Would Harry have been able to reach the Philosopher’s Stone?
The answer to this all depends on whether Harry, Ron and Hermione still became friends without having first met on the journey to Hogwarts. We don’t think that Harry would have been able to reach the Philosopher’s Stone without help, and Ron and Hermione were vital in this adventure.

The obstacles that the teachers set to protect it were no joke. While Harry was a talented flyer who could take on the enchanted keys with no issue, that alone wasn’t enough. It took a combination of all three of them and their skills, including Ron’s excellent chess ability and sacrifice along with Hermione’s cool logic and problem-solving, for Harry to reach the Mirror of Erised. 

So, we think that if the journey on the Hogwarts Express was needed for Harry and Ron to become such good friends, and it never happened, then Harry wouldn’t have had the support he needed to retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone.

However, as we have said before, we still reckon that the golden trio would have found their way into each other’s lives. And while it may have taken them a little longer, we imagine they still would have forged a strong enough friendship to take on what was through the trapdoor.

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What do you think? Do you agree with our musings about Harry, Ron and the train compartment?

If this has made you wonder about other ‘What if’ scenarios – then explore some of our others, such as…

[What if Sirius Black had cleared his name in the Prisoner of Azkaban?
](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/what-if-sirius-black-had-cleared-his-name-in-the-prisoner-of-azkaban)

[What if Snape had never been in love with Lily Potter?
](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/what-if-snape-had-never-been-in-love-with-lily-potter)

[What if Ginny Weasley had never possessed Tom Riddle's diary?](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/what-if-ginny-had-never-possessed-tom-riddles-diary)

For beginners, for novices, for Harry Potter superfans going 20 years-strong, dig deep into the Wizarding World with our collection of features.

Features - Wizarding World

For beginners, for novices, for Harry Potter superfans going 20 years-strong, dig deep into the Wizarding World with our collection of features. We also have 'first-year' quizzes for Harry Potter beginners!

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Seven of Harry's most embarrassing moments

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## When Harry, Hermione and Neville lost 150 house points in one go
Losing house points is never fun, but to lose 150 in one go? That’s just embarrassing. Especially, as Harry found out, when you go from being a hero to a zero in the eyes of your fellow classmates. Even though Harry and Hermione had a decent excuse for being out of bed – handing a baby dragon over to Charlie Weasley’s friends – they must have been kicking themselves for leaving the Invisibility Cloak at the top of the tower.

>From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn’t trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him. Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, ‘Thanks Potter, we owe you one!’
> *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*

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## When Hagrid reminded him how friends should behave
In *Prisoner of Azkaban*, Harry and Ron were not particularly good friends to Hermione. In fact, sometimes they were just awful. We were glad when Hagrid decided to call them out on their poor behaviour. However, Hagrid isn’t normally one for serious talks. So, when he sat the pair of them down, spoke about how upset Hermione had been, how overwhelmed she was with work and how she still managed to find time to help Hagrid with Buckbeak’s case… we were glad to see it made them squirm. 

>‘Hagrid, we should’ve helped as well – sorry –’ Harry began awkwardly.
>
>‘I’m not blamin’ yeh!’ said Hagrid, waving Harry’s apology aside. ‘Gawd knows yeh’ve had enough ter be gettin’ on with, I’ve seen yeh practisin’ Quidditch ev’ry hour o’ the day an’ night – but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two’d value yer friend more’n broomsticks or rats. Tha’s all.’
>
>Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks.
> *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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and the Goblet of Fire

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## When Harry was selected for the Triwizard Tournament
Even though Harry often found himself in the spotlight, it wasn’t something he was particularly comfortable with. When his name came out of the Triwizard Cup, and he felt the eyes of the entire school (not to mention those of the visiting schools) upon him, he must have been mortified – especially as his walk to the front wasn’t entirely graceful.

>Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. It felt like an immensely long walk; the top table didn’t seem to be getting any nearer at all, and he could feel hundreds and hundreds of eyes upon him, as though each was a searchlight. The buzzing grew louder and louder. After what seemed like an hour, he was right in front of Dumbledore, feeling the stares of all the teachers upon him.
> *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*

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## When Harry asked Cho to the Yule Ball
Ah teenage romance. It’s always… awkward. It’s embarrassing enough to ask your crush to a ball – especially when your conversation is right by their giggling friends. It’s even more mortifying when they turn you down. We really feel for Harry here. This whole episode with the blushing, the stumbling over his words and the rejection was just painful. 

>He couldn’t ask her. He couldn’t. But he had to. Cho stood there looking puzzled, watching him.
>
>The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them.
>
>‘Wangoballwime?’
>
>‘Sorry?’ said Cho.
>
>‘D’you – d’you want to go to the ball with me?’ said Harry.
>
>Why did he have to go red now? Why?
>
>‘Oh!’ said Cho, and she went red, too. ‘Oh, Harry, I’m really sorry,’ and she looked it, too. ‘I’ve already said I’ll go with someone else.’
>
>‘Oh,’ said Harry.
>
>It was odd; a moment before, his insides had been writhing like snakes, but suddenly he didn’t seem to have any insides at all.
> *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*

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## When Snape read *'Harry Potter's Secret Heartache'* by Rita Skeeter in front of the whole class
Rita Skeeter really was a piece of work. When she published her particularly cringey (and false) article about Harry’s love life it made our toes curl. But Professor Snape managed to bring the mortification to new heights… and enjoyed humiliating Harry far too much. 

>The dungeon rang with the Slytherins’ laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape’s thin mouth. To Harry’s fury, he began to read the article aloud.
>
>‘*Harry Potter’s Secret Heartache* ... dear, dear, Potter, what’s ailing you now? *A boy like no other, perhaps* ...’
>
>Harry could feel his face burning now. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape.
>
>‘... *Harry Potter’s well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate*. How very touching,’ sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins.
> *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*

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## Harry and Cho’s date at Madam Puddifoot’s 
Harry and Cho’s date must go down as one of the worst in history. There was the overly romantic setting for a first date. The cherub who kept throwing confetti. The fact that Roger Davies and his girlfriend would not stop snogging. The awkward and stilted conversation. Harry’s obliviousness when it came to talking about other girls (even though Hermione was just his friend). The crying. The general teenage angst and gawkiness. The list goes on and on. It’s no wonder that these two fizzled out…

>In the time it took for their coffees to arrive, Roger Davies and his girlfriend had started kissing over their sugar bowl. Harry wished they wouldn’t; he felt that Davies was setting a standard with which Cho would soon expect him to compete. He felt his face growing hot and tried staring out of the window, but it was so steamed up he couldn’t see the street outside. To postpone the moment when he would have to look at Cho, he stared up at the ceiling as though examining the paintwork and received a handful of confetti in the face from their hovering cherub.
> *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*

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## Harry explaining to Dumbledore that he hadn’t got the memory
There’s nothing more awkward than letting someone you admire down – especially when they seem to have mastered the ‘I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed’ move. Harry should have worked harder at retrieving that memory from Slughorn and he really shouldn’t have tried to make excuses. All in all, it made for a very uncomfortable interaction with Dumbledore.

>A hot, prickly feeling of shame spread from the top of Harry’s head all the way down his body. Dumbledore had not raised his voice, he did not even sound angry, but Harry would have preferred him to yell; this cold disappointment was worse than anything.
> *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*

The best autumnal passages in the Harry Potter books

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It wouldn’t be autumn in Britain without some rain! The combination of the raindrops on the windows and the giant orange pumpkins feels very autumnal to us.

Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flowerbeds turned into muddy streams and Hagrid’s pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.

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One of the highlights of autumn has to be Hallowe’en! And the wizarding world certainly knows how to make this spooky holiday spectacular. We would have loved to have attended this feast…

‘Yeah, maybe,’ said Harry, as they reached the Entrance Hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.

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There’s nothing quite like making the most of a sunny day in autumn. It can make anything feel better… even a mountain of homework.

Harry felt happier for the rest of the weekend than he had done all term. He and Ron spent much of Sunday catching up with all their homework again, and although this could hardly be called fun, the last burst of autumn sunshine persisted, so rather than sitting hunched over tables in the common room they took their work outside and lounged in the shade of a large beech tree on the edge of the lake. Hermione, who of course was up to date with all her work, brought more wool outside with her and bewitched her knitting needles so that they flashed and clicked in midair beside her, producing more hats and scarves.

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While being caught in incredibly heavy rain is never fun, we reckon being safely ensconced on the Hogwarts Express as it hammers it down would feel rather warm and cosy.

The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved further north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share.

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The Gryffindor common room is just built for autumn evenings. With the red and gold colour scheme, the comfy armchairs and the roaring fire to warm you up – it’s the perfect spot to spend those chilly evenings.

The Gryffindor common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cosy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands by it before going up to their dormitories

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Another perfect rainy moment! This would be such a cosy way to spend an afternoon – we’d even put with the bickering about S.P.E.W. if it meant we were warm and toasty.

A light rain had started to fall by mid-afternoon; it was very cosy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves – for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.