The Battle of Hogwarts

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The Battle of Hogwarts Feature Image

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[Full version](https://images.pottermore.com/bxd3o8b291gf/6AG4uGgsFyekEUai0GisWm/b50368fd3228a4191d0846f9c3b90441/The_Battle_of_Hogwarts_LR.jpg)

[Text version](/about/battle-of-hogwarts-timeline-text-version)

*How much do you remember about this epic final showdown? [Take the Battle of Hogwarts quiz here.](/feature/the-battle-of-hogwarts-quiz "The Battle of Hogwarts Quiz")*

Discover the films

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to Fantastic Beasts

TikTok gets spooky with this Harry Potter outfit swap challenge

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If only we had a wand to sort out our Hallowe'en outfits so quickly! 

## Sara

Dark Arts Swap TikTok Challenge - Sara

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Dark Arts Swap TikTok Challenge - Sherice Banton

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Dark Arts Swap TikTok Challenge - Kari Lewis

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Dark Arts Swap TikTok Challenge - Nova Rose

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 Dark Arts Swap TikTok Challenge - Weasing Weasleys

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For more spooky fun, Wizarding World style, check out our [Dark Arts collection page.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/dark-arts)

Make your Hallowe'en magical with these Harry Potter pumpkin planters

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These exceedingly cute Potter-style pumpkin decorations are guaranteed to bring spooky ambience to your Hallowe'en decor. Thankfully, Hayley made an adorable Harry Potter pumpkin planter rather than, say, Gourd Voldemort.

Pumpkin Planters

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If you fancy having a go yourself, [download our list of requirements](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/25FvZ5clJgKmZmCwftLyxx/eaade9f2ac3f7459c268245dee31647b/DARKARTS-A4-Supply_List-FINAL.pdf). Our other Hallowe'en crafts we've been bringing you all week are also included, from [pumpkin pom-poms](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/dark-arts-crafts-halloween-home-makeover) to [Prophecy cake pops](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/prophecy-inspired-baking-tutorial-dark-arts) to [Pumpkin Planters.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/pumpkin-planters-harry-potter-halloween-decoration)

And there is even much more spooky inspiration on our [Dark Arts collection page!](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/dark-arts) Have fun!

Watch this Prophecy-inspired baking tutorial 

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Miss Marzipan (@missmarzipancom on Instagram) has created these beautiful blue cake pops in the run up to Hallowe'en. Here's how she did it.

For more arts and crafts to Hallowe'en decoration ideas, [visit our Dark Arts collection page.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/dark-arts)

Prophecy Cake Pops | Miss Marzipan 

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How to create a Harry Potter-inspired Hallowe’en at home

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## Get decorating… with bats 

The Great Hall might have live bats fluttering about at Hallowe’en but we’ve got the next best thing. In this video, we teach you how to make bats that you can place around your home. You’ll be sure to create a Hallowe’en in the Great Hall atmosphere with these creepy critters hanging around…   

<iframe width="1280" height="1076" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PTFd-Y_clDE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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<br>

## Get crafting… with cauldron bowls 

The Hallowe’en feast at Hogwarts has golden plates and goblets, and plenty to eat – unless you’re Nearly Headless Nick – and it’s no different outside of the wizarding world. With all the tasty food and treats around on 31st October, you’ll be needing something to keep it all in easy reach! With this brilliant video you can learn how to make cauldron bowls. Will yours be Standard Size 2 or will you go bigger? We can’t think of a better place to keep all your Hallowe’en treats!  

<iframe width="1280" height="1076" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tqiOWWNS_S4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> 

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## Get creepy… and make your own Aragog 

We don’t know about you, but one of the scariest moments of the Harry Potter series was in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Harry and Ron were faced with Acromantula, Aragog. How about having a go at making this paper mache giant spider to decorate your home at Hallowe’en. Hide him in the corner and no doubt it’ll give someone a fright! Watch this video to learn how to make Hagrid’s eight-legged friend…  

<iframe width="1280" height="1076" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/26F5fG3n2Rc?list=PLxDk3VcyNY6BAEsTj3mJhl0FVmywDYw7R" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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## Get creative… with house bracelet treats  
Traditionally, the treat part of trick or treat is all about the chocolate, sweets, candy… But how about making something for your household as a treat that would last longer than a toffee apple? These friendship bracelets are easy to make, and you can choose the correct colours for the Hogwarts house each person belongs to… Watch this video and learn how to make them below: 

<iframe width="1280" height="1076" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P7X60eqLuFM?list=PLxDk3VcyNY6BAEsTj3mJhl0FVmywDYw7R" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hallowe'en-ify your home with pom-pom pumpkins

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Craft-loving expert Amber Kemp-Gerstel (@damasklove on Instagram) has transformed her home into a Dark Arts theme to inspire you this Hallowe'en. No wands or Transfiguration skills required! 

Take a look at this handy tutorial on pom-pom pumpkins.

Pom-Pom Pumpkins | Amber Kemp Gerstel

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Stick around all week for more spooky inspiration from our Harry Potter-loving experts on our [Dark Arts collection](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/dark-arts) page. 

Be inspired by these Dark Arts themed crafts

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Check in each day this week to get your daily dose of Hallowe'en decoration inspiration. From pumpkin planters for your doorstep and Dark Arts-inspired room makeovers, to cooking up tempting gingerbread Hogwarts houses and perfecting new Wizarding World looks.

Download our handy ~~Room~~ List of Requirements to get started.

And here's what else to look out for.

Tuesday: [A Dark Arts-inspired room makeover](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/dark-arts-crafts-halloween-home-makeover), courtesy of @Damasklove.<br>
Wednesday: [Some spooky bakes from](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/prophecy-inspired-baking-tutorial-dark-arts) @missmarzipancom.<br>
Thursday: Quick pumpkin-planters with @iamhayleystuart.<br>
Friday: Dobby-themed make up tutorial from @annalingis. <br>

[Download our handy supply list to make them!](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/25FvZ5clJgKmZmCwftLyxx/eaade9f2ac3f7459c268245dee31647b/DARKARTS-A4-Supply_List-FINAL.pdf) 

If you're old enough, be sure to share your photos and videos of your magical creations and designs on social media using the hashtag #DarkArtsMonth throughout the week. We'll be looking out for them!

Harry Potter fans create unique Autumnal art

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All of the artists featured below are also included in [Harry Potter Film's Instagram Reels](https://www.instagram.com/harrypotterfilm/reels/). If you're old enough, check out all the creations there and share them if you felt inspired! 

## John Marshall - Silhouette Art (@sunsetselfies)

First up, John has made genuine magic happen with this Buckbeak sunset selfie. Using cardboard cut outs and clever photography, John has portrayed the much-loved Hippogriff in a whole new light.

You can [download John's Buckbeak cut-out here](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/1u94CEo8l10wFLWaupP85u/a97a1512bceb123f25e9a80b8b3f3823/HP_DA_InfluencerArt_TEMPLATE_John-SunsetSelfie.pdf) if you want to try it at home yourself.

Dark Arts | Silhouette Art by John Marshall

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## Vincent Bal - Shadow Art (@vincent_bal)

We love this Autumnal piece from artist Vincent Bal, who has cleverly used shadows to create extra seasonal detail with his cartoony Harry Potter portrait. 

Download Vincent's handy guides to create your own [here](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/7HrKlZgZUALYshgveVYXPo/642b5d4ef7a68f908a6b8e93554da645/HP_DA_InfluencerArt_TEMPLATE_Vincent-ShadowArt_PART1.pdf) & [here.](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/49n0AWA1iatLfU4dUzgaus/6aafa0f259b809b8b2b2e591dbcc0c6a/HP_DA_InfluencerArt_TEMPLATE_Vincent-ShadowArt_PART2.pdf)

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Vincent Bal | Shadow Art

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## Andrea Davenport - Pebble Art (@littleretromarket)

Andrea has added a bit of rock n' roll to her interpretation of Hogwarts - by painting it on pebbles! See how she did it and [download her guide here](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/6vw507tH8bqiOWz4uMioJk/12e276d02a52988bf5394081cec74f24/HP_DA_InfluencerArt_TEMPLATE_Andrea-PebbleArt.pdf) to try your own.

Andrea Davenport | Pebble Art

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## Pippa Dyrlaga - Paper Art Tea Lights (@@bearfollowscat) 

Paper artist Pippa has created these gorgeous paper tea light covers portraying Hogwarts surrounded by bats and pumpkins with an ethereal glow.

Download Pippa's printable guides here to make the full piece at home. 

[Page 1](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/2XePQoApTvqMfHHEw8kAKA/97bc855e3c89d35756ba4c84e134d209/HP_DA_InfluencerArt_TEMPLATE_Pippa-PaperTeaLight_PAGE1.pdf)<br>
[Page 2](https://assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/3zctpk8wwurjABljQvmxlb/fd0e924de2ae5544f71aace719da9a4c/HP_DA_InfluencerArt_TEMPLATE_Pippa-PaperTeaLight_PAGE2.pdf) <br>
[Page 3](https:////assets.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5v6T8yDcKVx0aza1qdqdpn/36cc877d975eafd647d83a3433f74f2b/HP_DA_InfluencerArt_TEMPLATE_Pippa-PaperTeaLight_PAGE3.pdf)

Pippa Dyrlaga | Paper Art

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## Hazel Zakariya - Food Art (@hazelzakariya) 

This beautiful, floral Hedwig homage is actually on top of a smoothie! Hazel, who specialises in mixing her love of art with her love of food, has expertly crafted everyone's favourite owl on top of a healthy concoction. And the result is absolutely hoot-iful! 

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Hazel Zakariya | Hedwig-themed Food Art

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So, there you have it. Plenty of seasonal artwork to be inspired by as the nights start drawing in. If you're old enough, keep an eye on our [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wizardingworld), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/wizardingworld/) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/wizardingworld) for more Wizarding World goodies.

[Or visit our Dark Arts Collection Page where we have more spooky crafts, quizzes and challenges to help you while away the hours. ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/dark-arts)

The extra hard wordsearch of scary things 

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Fill in the blank letters of these magical words and then, once you've figured them out, drag your cursor across the letters on the board.

How quickly can you find them all? As this is an extra-scary wordsearch, you only have one chance to get them right! We do enjoy a trick more than a treat sometimes... 

<iframe width="600" height="650" allowtransparency="true" style="background: #FFFFFF" src="https://bridgecard.wizardingworld.com/wordsearch/20201012/00027/" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

For more crosswords and wordsearches, [visit our puzzles hub](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/potter-puzzles) or you can enjoy even more Wizarding World challenges in our app. [Gold Members](https://www.wizardingworld.com/harry-potter-fan-club) can also expect weekly puzzle drops. 

Just a few sensational Severus Snape moments

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Did your favourite make this list?

## That time he called out Harry’s lack of Potions knowledge in his first ever lesson

> “Potter!’ said Snape suddenly. ‘What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?’<br>
> Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione’s hand had shot into the air.<br>
> ‘I don’t know, sir,’ said Harry.<br>
> Snape’s lips curled into a sneer.<br>
> ‘Tut, tut – fame clearly isn’t everything.”

## That time he appeared to know something was up with the Golden Trio

> “You shouldn’t be inside on a day like this,’ he said, with an odd, twisted smile.<br>
> ‘We were –’ Harry began, without any idea what he was going to
> say.<br>
> ‘You want to be more careful,’ said Snape. ‘Hanging around like
> this, people will think you’re up to something. And Gryffindor really can’t afford to lose any more points, can they?’<br>
> Harry flushed. They turned to go back outside, but Snape called them back.<br>
> ‘Be warned, Potter – any more night-time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you.”

## That time he crept up behind Harry and Ron and dispelled their theories...

‘‘Maybe he’s left,’ said Harry, ‘because he missed out on the Defence Against the Dark Arts job again!’<br>
‘Or he might have been sacked!’ said Ron enthusiastically. ‘I mean, everyone hates him –’<br>
‘Or maybe,’ said a very cold voice right behind them, ‘he’s waiting to hear why you two didn’t arrive on the school train.”

## That time he duelled with Professor Lockhart...

> ‘‘As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position,’ Lockhart told the silent crowd. ‘On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course.’<br>
> ‘I wouldn’t bet on that,’ Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.<br>
> ‘One – two – three –’<br>
> Both of them swung their wands up and over their shoulders. Snape cried: ‘Expelliarmus!’ There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: he flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.’

## That time he was insulted by the Marauder’s Map whilst talking to one of the manufacturers...

> ‘‘‘Well?’ said Snape again. ‘This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?’<br>
> Lupin looked up and, by the merest half glance in Harry’s direction, warned him not to interrupt.<br>
> ‘Full of Dark Magic?’ he repeated mildly. ‘Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who tries to read it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke-shop –’<br>
> ‘Indeed?’ said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger. ‘You think a joke-shop could supply him with such a thing? You don’t think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?’

## That time he apparently ran out of Veritaserum...

> ‘‘I wish to interrogate him!’ shouted Umbridge angrily, and Snape looked away from Harry back into her furiously quivering face. ‘I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!’<br>
> ‘I have already told you,’ said Snape smoothly, ‘that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter – and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did – I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling.”

## That time Snape called Harry out on a pretty silly DADA answer...

> ‘‘Let us ask Potter how we would tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost.’<br>
> The whole class looked round at Harry, who hastily tried to recall what Dumbledore had told him the night that they had gone to visit Slughorn.
> ‘Er – well – ghosts are transparent –’ he said.<br>
> ‘Oh, very good,’ interrupted Snape, his lip curling. ‘Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. Ghosts are transparent.”

## That time his last moments were looking into a pair of green eyes...

‘A flask, conjured from thin air, was thrust into his shaking hands by Hermione. Harry lifted the silvery substance into it with his wand. When the flask was full to the brim, and Snape looked as though there was no blood left in him, his grip on Harry’s robes slackened.<br>
‘Look ... at ... me ...’ he whispered.<br>
The green eyes found the black, but after a second something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank and empty. The hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more.’

## Always...

‘‘I have spied for you, and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter’s son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter –’<br>
‘But this is touching, Severus,’ said Dumbledore seriously. ‘Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?’<br>
‘For him?’ shouted Snape. ‘Expecto patronum!’<br>
From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe: she landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office and soared out of glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.<br>
‘After all this time?’<br>
‘Always,’ said Snape.”

And because that all got a bit dark towards the end, here’s a video for you of some of Alan Rickman’s most brilliant Severus Snape facial expressions. 

Pssst... Obviously is at 0.25 seconds… 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fyuIwf_sBAM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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A confused Boggart disguised as Snape in Neville's Grandmother's clothes 

Always. Why the Prince’s Tale is such an emotive chapter

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## The beauty of friendship

In Snape’s memories, Harry – and so the reader – has the opportunity to understand the entire timeline of Severus and Lily’s friendship. They’re both outsiders in their own way. Snape reveals what a tough home life he leads, and as a Muggleborn Lily has been experiencing magic without any reference point for what it is. Until they meet each other. We watch their fledgling friendship blooming, hear Snape’s tiny groan as Lily is sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin as he’d hoped, and then watch the difficulties their friendship faces as Snape becomes more involved in the Dark Arts and Lily struggles to understand it. We root for their friendship in spite of it all because their whole pasts are laid in front of us over only a few pages, a few strands of memory.

We can still see – even though Severus and Lily may forget it in their teenage years – that young witch and wizard lying on the leafy ground with a canopy of leaves above their heads. It’s hard not to wish that things had turned out differently for them. That they could have held onto that friendship all the way through their school years instead of drifting apart. And think that perhaps it might have stopped Snape drifting into circles that would only bring him misery and regret. Though, of course, in later life Lily’s doe protects him from that darkness with its silvery light of hope. 

## The power of enduring love

By Chapter Thirty-Three we already know what Lord Voldemort is capable of. We’ve already seen him use the Killing Curse without remorse on countless innocents – on Snape himself – and we’ve even seen him directing an attack on Hogwarts, the only place he ever really had a home. In the context of this and as Snape’s story unravels, we understand the pure depth of the love he has for Lily. A love that had him spying on one of the most dangerous and deadly Dark wizards that ever lived. From the moment we see him going to Dumbledore ¬– ‘Don’t kill me!’ – we understand better the high stakes Snape has been gambling with. We understand that from the moment he goes to Dumbledore until the moment of his death he has been living in fear for his life. And it’s all for love. All for Lily. Snape shows us that love is stronger than fear, and that is something overwhelmingly beautiful. 

## The devastation of unrequited love

‘After all this time?’ Dumbledore asks as Snape casts his doe Patronus. ‘Always,’ Snape answers. And queue the sobbing and broking hearts! This is, perhaps, the most memorable exchange across the whole Harry Potter series. But why? Perhaps in the doe Patronus we truly understand the depth of Snape’s love for Lily, a love that was never returned in the way he would have hoped. Perhaps it’s because many of us have experienced that pain of loving, and wanting and not being wanted in return (perhaps in a romantic way, perhaps by friends, an estranged parent). Perhaps it is also because throughout the Harry Potter series, Patronuses have always been a symbol of hope. Did Snape still hope that Lily would return his love one day? Or was it just enough for him to hold on to a piece of her, her doe, even though he couldn’t bring her back? Whatever it is, the fact that Lily’s doe protects Snape from the depressive darkness of Dementors is something that simultaneously warms and breaks your heart. 

## The complexity of human character 

Snape’s memories reveal him as a very complicated person. And it is emotive and somewhat reassuring to see this complexity of character in another human being. People are complicated because they’re made up of so many different experiences. Snape was a lonely, friendless child. He was a victim of bullying. He was a bully himself. He found hope and friendship in Lily Evans. He called her names. He joined Lord Voldemort. He betrayed him. He loved the Dark Arts. He taught Potions. He accidentally betrayed the person he loved most. He saved Harry’s life on a number of occasions. He protected Hogwarts. All these facets of Snape are laid bare for us, and in them we understand how he became what he was, but also in general how people become who they are. They are made up of the lived parts of their lives. As Sirius once put it, ‘the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters’ and Snape is a Death Eater but he has also done good. Perhaps there’s hope in this. Just like in his Patronus. 

The truth about the Boy Who Lived at last 
Away from Snape, this chapter gives the truth about Harry at last. It shows a shrewdness and calculative side of Dumbledore that has stayed hidden until this point, and that in itself is disarming. We get answers to questions Harry has asked over and over. About Malfoy, about Snape, about Voldemort, about Dumbledore, and of course, about himself. There is a catharsis in all the revelations. A catharsis that Harry feels too. To have the truth at last. To finally know how to go on. Perhaps even, how to succeed. Even if that comes to making the ultimate sacrifice for the wizarding world. 

Ghostly Helping: 6 times ghosts were more friendly than frightening

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### That time Nearly Headless Nick caused a commotion to distract Filch 

> ‘‘‘Harry! Harry! Did it work?’
> Nearly Headless Nick came gliding out of a classroom. Behind him, Harry could see the wreckage of a large black and gold cabinet which appeared to have been dropped from a great height.
> ‘I persuaded Peeves to crash it right over Filch’s office,’ said Nick eagerly. ‘Thought it might distract him –’
> ‘Was that you?’ said Harry gratefully. ‘Yeah, it worked, I didn’t even get detention. Thanks, Nick!’’

### That time Moaning Myrtle revealed the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets…  

> ‘…They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then –’ Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining, ‘I died.’
> ‘How?’ said Harry.
> ‘No idea,’ said Myrtle in hushed tones. ‘I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away ...’ She looked dreamily at Harry. ‘And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she’d ever laughed at my glasses.’
> ‘Where exactly did you see the eyes?’ said Harry.
> ‘Somewhere there,’ said Myrtle, pointing vaguely towards the sink in front of her toilet.’

### That time Peeves gave Umbridge the farewell from Hogwarts she deserved…  

> ‘Professor Umbridge left Hogwarts the day before the end of term. It seemed she had crept out of the hospital wing during dinnertime, evidently hoping to depart undetected, but unfortunately for her, she met Peeves on the way, who seized his last chance to do as Fred had instructed, and chased her gleefully from the premises whacking her alternately with a walking stick and a sock full of chalk. 
> Many students ran out into the Entrance Hall to watch her running away down the path and the Heads of Houses tried only half-heartedly to restrain them. Indeed, Professor McGonagall sank back into her chair at the staff table after a few feeble remonstrances and was clearly heard to express a regret that she could not run cheering after Umbridge herself, because Peeves had borrowed her walking stick.’

### That time the Grey Lady helped Harry work out the location of Ravenclaw’s lost diadem…  

> "‘And ... and the diadem?’
> ‘It remained where I had hidden it when I heard the Baron blundering through the forest towards me. Concealed inside a hollow tree.’
> ‘A hollow tree?’ repeated Harry. ‘What tree? Where was this?’
> ‘A forest in Albania. A lonely place I thought was far beyond my mother’s reach.’
> ‘Albania,’ repeated Harry. Sense was emerging miraculously from confusion, and now he understood why she was telling him what she had denied Dumbledore and Flitwick. ‘You’ve already told someone this story, haven’t you? Another student?’
> She closed her eyes and nodded.
> ‘I had ... no idea ... he was ... flattering. He seemed to ... to understand ... to sympathise ...’
> Yes, Harry thought, Tom Riddle would certainly have under- stood Helena Ravenclaw’s desire to possess fabulous objects to which she had little right.
> ‘Well, you weren’t the first person Riddle wormed things out of,’ Harry muttered. ‘He could be charming when he wanted ...'"

### That time Moaning Myrtle helped the Hogwarts Champions out with their Triwizard clues…  

> "Oh ... I see ...’ said Myrtle, picking at a spot on her chin in a morose sort of way. ‘Well ... anyway ... I’d try the egg in the water. That’s what Cedric Diggory did.’
> ‘Have you been spying on him, too?’ said Harry indignantly. ‘What d’you do, sneak up here in the evenings to watch the Prefects take baths?’
> ‘Sometimes,’ said Myrtle, rather slyly, ‘but I’ve never come out to speak to anyone before.’
> ‘I’m honoured,’ said Harry darkly. ‘You keep your eyes shut!’
> He made sure Myrtle had her glasses well covered before hoisting himself out of the bath, wrapping the towel firmly around himself and going to get the egg.
> Once he was back in the water, Myrtle peered through her fingers and said, ‘Go on, then ... open it under the water!"

### That time Peeves fought for good in the Battle of Hogwarts… 

> “Harry, Ron and Hermione raised their wands at once, ready to strike, but the duellers were weaving and darting around so much that there was a strong likelihood of hurting one of their own side if they cast curses. Even as they stood braced, looking for the opportunity to act, there came a great ‘wheeeeeeeeeeee!’ and, looking up, Harry saw Peeves zooming over them, dropping Snargaluff pods down on to the Death Eaters, whose heads were suddenly engulfed in wriggling, green tubers like fat worms."


Ten of the best bookish Moaning Myrtle moments

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## 1.	That time she reminded Harry, Ron and Hermione that ghosts have feelings too...

*“What are you whispering?’ said Myrtle, staring at him. ‘Nothing,’ said Harry quickly. ‘We wanted to ask –’<br>
‘I wish people would stop talking behind my back!’ said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. ‘I do have feelings, you know, even if I am dead.’’*

## 2.	That time she took great delight in Hermione’s misfortune...

*“You’ll be teased something dreadful,’ said Myrtle happily.<br>
‘It’s OK, Hermione,’ said Harry quickly. ‘We’ll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions ...’<br>
It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw.<br>
‘Wait till everyone finds out you’ve got a tail!’’*

## 3.	That time she furiously described herself as a ghost scoreboard...

*“But it can’t hurt you if someone throws something at you,’ said Harry, reasonably. ‘I mean, it’d just go right through you, wouldn’t it?’<br>
He had said the wrong thing. Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked, ‘Let’s all throw books at Myrtle, because she can’t feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha ha ha! What a lovely game, I don’t think!”*

## 4.	That time she delighted in telling Harry how she died but also somehow revealed the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets… 

*“To ask you how you died,’ said Harry.<br>
Myrtle’s whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question.<br>
‘Ooooh, it was dreadful,’ she said with relish. ‘It happened right in here. I died in this very cubicle. I remember it so well. I’d hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then –’ Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining, ‘I died.’<br>
‘How?’ said Harry.<br>
‘No idea,’ said Myrtle in hushed tones. ‘I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes…”*

## 5.	That time she made a rather unappealing offer to Harry...

*“Myrtle goggled at them.
‘You’re alive,’ she said blankly to Harry.
‘There’s no need to sound so disappointed,’ he said grimly,
wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.
‘Oh, well ... I’d just been thinking. If you had died, you’d have been welcome to share my toilet,’ said
Myrtle, blushing silver.’*

## 6.	That time she became very interested in bath bubbles...

*“Well, that’s what Diggory thought,’ she said. ‘He lay there talking to himself for ages about it. Ages and ages ... nearly all the bubbles had gone ...’<br>
‘Underwater ...’ Harry said slowly. ‘Myrtle ... what lives in the lake, apart from the giant squid?’<br>
‘Oh, all sorts,’ she said. ‘I sometimes go down there ... some- times don’t have any choice, if someone flushes my toilet when I’m not expecting it ...”*

## 7.	That time she casually appeared in the Lake during the Second Task...

“‘How are you getting on?’<br>
Harry thought he was having a heart attack. He whipped around, and saw Moaning Myrtle floating hazily in front of him, gazing at him through her thick pearly glasses.<br>
‘Myrtle!’ Harry tried to shout – but, once again, nothing came out of his mouth but a very large bubble. Moaning Myrtle actually giggled.
‘You want to try over there!’ she said, pointing…”

## 8.	That time she gave emotional support to the most unlikely person...

*‘Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blond head bowed.<br>
‘Don’t,’ crooned Moaning Myrtle’s voice from one of the cubicles.<br>‘Don’t ... tell me what’s wrong ... I can help you ...’<br>
‘No one can help me,’ said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking.<br>
‘I can’t do it ... I can’t ... it won’t work ... and unless I do it soon ... he says he’ll kill me ...’”*

## 9.	That time she just loved the drama...

*‘Harry did not know what he was saying; he fell to his knees beside Malfoy, who was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of his own blood. Moaning Myrtle let out a deafening scream.
‘MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!”*

## 10.	And then proceeded to gossip about it to the whole castle...

*‘The news had travelled very fast: apparently Moaning Myrtle had taken it upon herself to pop up in every bathroom in the castle to tell the story…’*

Learn all about the most magical sport with our new Quidditch collection 

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This week, *Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition* is [bringing the wizarding sport to life in a whole new way.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/interview-with-emily-gravett-for-quidditch-through-the-ages-illustrated-edition)

![Quidditch_Through_The_Ages_Illustrated_Bloomsbury_Cover](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/NhIe06LaqFfUrA22ccvZo/c45341448a9a4dd4c44c3036ffb42161/quidditch-through-the-ages-illustrated-uk.jpg)

To celebrate this exciting new interpretation of the 2001 Hogwarts Library book, we're thinking about Quidditch, Quidditch and more Quidditch.

![scholastic-us-qtta-illustrated-cover](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/6ctXokAsCOPJgF7HWa5HJZ/c30c372ddb5eda4e5f30a85fa111665e/quidditch-us-cover.jpg)

On our Quidditch hub [(which you can visit here)](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/quidditch) you can play quizzes, learn more about the sport, get sneak peeks inside the new *Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition* book and find an exclusive interview with the book's illustrator, Emily Gravett. You can find out which Quidditch position best suits your personality, catch the latest Quidditch news (did you know there's a new Quidditch-themed statue in London's Leicester Square?) and even watch David Tennant and David Beckham regale you with the Quidditch-themed chapter of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.*

[So get on your broom and get a full Quidditch education! ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/quidditch)

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5 of the most underrated acts of bravery in the Harry Potter series

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## Obliviate  - Hermione Granger

> “I’ve cast a good enough charm to keep them safe and happy. Wendell and Monica Wilkins don’t know that they’ve got a daughter, you see.”*

In *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Hermione’s preparations for a life hunting Horcruxes go way beyond deciding whether or not to pack her copy of *Hogwarts: A History*. She tells Harry and Ron that she’s modified her parents’ memories so that they have different names and a life ambition to move to Australia – which they’ve already done. If she survives, she says she will lift the enchantment, but we just can’t imagine the kind of bravery it took for Hermione to cast that charm on her own parents and have them forget her before her very eyes. 

![HP-F7-hermione-looking-sad-article-insert](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/78RzbzYXSFPM7c5bkkt9MK/e52630a18c20b2c1ab45ca5a6c0d6fe7/hermone_.png)

<br>

## Meeting Aragog – Ron Weasley

> “It’s not funny,’ said Ron, fiercely. ‘If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my – my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick. You wouldn’t like them either if you’d been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and ...”

In *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, we find out that Ron is not at all keen on spiders after Fred’s practical joke on him as a child. Despite this, Ron follows the spiders (and Harry) into the Forbidden Forest, and is then faced with Hagrid’s Acromantula friend (aka a really massive spider), Aragog, before he is swiftly joined by many, many more of his eight-legged friends and family. We have to take our wizard hats off to Ron – despite his fear, as far as we know, he never even thought about leaving Harry to face the Forbidden Forest alone. 

![HP-F2-ron-spiders-car-article-insert](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/7FqkFWqqmz6sySQ5pxzVt2/8ca75e746aa38dc8b0fef4de4e38e942/ron.spider.png)

## Letting go – Harry Potter

> “Ginny, listen ...’ he said very quietly, as the buzz of con-versation grew louder around them and people began to get to their feet. ‘I can’t be involved with you any more. We’ve got to stop seeing each other. We can’t be together.’
> 
> She said, with an oddly twisted smile, ‘It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?’
> 
> ‘It’s been like ... like something out of someone else’s life, these last few weeks with you,’ said Harry. ‘But I can’t ... we can’t ... I’ve got things to do alone now.’
> 
> She did not cry, she simply looked at him..’

Harry Potter didn’t get too many normal teenage experiences at Hogwarts. Between feuding with Snape, fighting off Voldemort and hanging out in the past with Dumbledore, there wasn’t an awful lot of time to just be himself, rather than the Boy Who Lived. His relationship with Ginny gave him a chance to feel something unequivocally good, to experience something that made him purely happy that was not at all out of the ordinary or laced with danger. This act of Harry’s – of letting Ginny go to keep her safe – is one of the most gut-wrenching moments throughout the stories. And it might just be one of Harry’s bravest acts too… 

![HarryPotter WB F7 HarryAndGinnyAboutToKiss Still 080615 Land](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/nN3jmmhBviEYku8yG0CyI/f2145da20d8dea175b6735cd9f67e428/HarryPotter_WB_F7_HarryAndGinnyAboutToKiss_Still_080615_Land.jpg)

## St Mungo’s – Neville Longbottom

> ‘His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh, but Harry did not think he’d ever found anything less funny in his life.’

Neville kept the horror of his parents’ torture by Bellatrix Lestrange a secret for many years at Hogwarts. Whist Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny are visiting Mr Weasley in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* they bump into Neville, his fierce grandmother and Neville’s parents who are long term residents of the Janus Thickey Ward. We can’t imagine how scary and unsettling it must have been for Neville to find himself face to face with his school friends at St Mungo’s. Neville, yet again, shows a quiet defiance and bravery whilst confronted with the unexpected arrival. Something, no doubt, he has always feared. 
<br>

## Breaking the mould – Dudley Dursley 

> “I don’t think you’re a waste of space.’
>
> If Harry had not seen Dudley’s lips move, he might not have believed it. As it was, he stared at Dudley for several seconds before accepting that it must have been his cousin who had spoken; for one thing, Dudley had turned red. Harry was embarrassed and astonished himself.
> 
> ‘Well ... er ... thanks, Dudley.’
> Again, Dudley appeared to grapple with thoughts too unwieldy for expression before mumbling, ‘You saved my life.’…’

For his whole life, Dudley has heard his parents bad-mouthing, bullying and generally complaining about his wizard cousin, Harry Potter. And yet, at the moment of their parting from Number 4, Privet Drive, Dudley breaks the mould. In direct contradiction to the years of anti-Harry tirades, Dudley shows that he respects Harry, even cares for him. And then he does it again, not only in words this time but in actions: 

> ‘Dudley gently released himself from his mother’s clutches and walked towards Harry, who had to repress an urge to threaten him with magic. Then Dudley held out his large, pink hand.’ 

It’s worth remembering that Dudley has bullied Harry for his entire life up until this point, and there is no excusing it. But there is something quietly brave in Dudley’s gesture. It’s more than just a handshake. It acts like a bridge between two cousins from different worlds; it heals something.

![DudleyDurlsey WB F5 DudleyAgainstWallDuringDementorAttack Still 080615 Land](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4VWF4jvQwUW0u2yocqa2Sy/a3adba64ccf2fac06579f8bd97d2145f/DudleyDurlsey_WB_F5_DudleyAgainstWallDuringDementorAttack_Still_080615_Land.jpg)


Delving deeper into Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition with Emily Gravett

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*Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition* is out today! And you can catch more from Emily with our [exclusive interview with her here. ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/interview-with-emily-gravett-for-quidditch-through-the-ages-illustrated-edition)

## The tapestry 

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This tapestry, which depicts an ancient hunt for a Golden Snidget, is one of the biggest pieces in the entire book. It took Emily around 2 weeks to complete. If you look closely, it’s filled with all sorts of commotion, magical creatures, a Latin description and other little details.

‘The tapestry, inspired by the Bayeaux tapestry, was a massive challenge actually, because there were so many elements that I had to make look right,’ Emily said. ‘And I’m not a sewer, so I had to figure out a way to make it look like I’d sewn it in Photoshop – working out how to make stitches and then using individual stitches in Photoshop, so it took about two weeks! I scanned in an old piece of linen as the background and then sewed it together digitally.’  

## The leprechaun 

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Emily also called out this Kenmare Kestral’s leprechaun mascot as one of her favourite pieces, which she made a real-life version of using needle-felting. “I still have him somewhere!” she said.

‘Each one of the Quidditch teams has a badge, so I designed them as logos, but then I thought I’d put all the team ‘merchandise’ in there and make that for real – that’s how I ended up making patches too.’ 

## The Quidditch teams


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The British and Irish Quidditch Teams section of the book was one of the first chapters Emily worked on. And for each team, she was sure to include little details that were true to their real-life locations.

‘There’s little chapter headings in the book so I was trying to find references for each place. Appleby, for example, has a horse fair, so that’s why there’s a little carriage on it and Wigtown has the books. 

## The Quidditch players 


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‘I used to play roller derby, so in my head, roller derby and Quidditch have sort of become the same sport. Roller skates and brooms are not the same at all, but it’s that kind of speed and the ‘being hit’ element of it, so I was thinking of safety gear, knee pads and wrist guards, etc. And the players. The thing I liked about roller derby is there’s quite a lot of diversity, in body shapes and sizes, and I wanted to get that across in the team members I was drawing – make sure they weren’t all just svelte athletes. It’s quite an inclusive sport. After all, you’re sitting on a broom!

## The Quidditch balls 


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I was a bit worried about this chapter because at first, I thought it would be a bit dull – it’s just about balls! But the actual fold-out Quidditch balls sort of amazed me – I thought it’d be a great thing to actually put the actual-size of the balls in – so I measured them on Photoshop. When I saw them printed out, I thought, ‘that can’t be right?’. But I did loads of research into the sizes to make sure I had the most accurate Quaffle! 

***

*Quidditch Through the Ages Illustrated Edition* is out NOW from [Bloomsbury](https://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/quidditch-through-the-ages-illustrated-edition-9781526608123/?ewid=153) and [Scholastic.](https://scholasticlibrary.digital.scholastic.com/978-1-338-34056-3.html) 

A portion of proceeds from the sale of this edition will go to J.K. Rowling’s own international children’s charity Lumos, which helps some of the world’s most vulnerable children and young people to have a better life; and to Comic Relief.

[And for more Quidditch content – visit our hub.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/quidditch)