There was nothing quite like summer at The Burrow. With good company, excellent food and a bit of Quidditch, Harry was often at his happiest here. We have a look at some of the best moments from his many trips there.

When Harry arrived at The Burrow for the first time

We have to begin with the moment that Harry saw the ramshackle yet ‘brilliant’ home of his best friend for the very first time. After spending the long summer days locked in the suburban prison of 4 Privet Drive, being rescued and whisked off to a magical home must have a dream come true. For Harry and this former pigsty, it was love at first sight and it soon became another home for him.

It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigsty, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several storeys high and so crooked it looked as though it was held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lop-sided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read ‘The Burrow’. Round the front door lay a jumble of wellington boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard. ‘It’s not much,’ said Ron. ‘It’s brilliant,’ said Harry happily, thinking of Privet Drive.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Fred and George’s Filibuster fireworks display

Harry’s initial love for The Burrow only became stronger after he spent the summer there. In fact, he said the month he spent with the Weasleys had been ‘the happiest of his life’. Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a loving family, the many excellent meals whipped up by Mrs Weasley and with a bit of extra magic thrown in, we can see why Harry was even a little reluctant to return to Hogwarts. The fireworks display that Fred and George put on during their final evening was the perfect way to end what had been a fantastic summer holiday.

On their last evening, Mrs Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner which included all of Harry’s favourite things, ending with a mouthwatering treacle pudding. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The night before they all headed off to the Quidditch World Cup

Obviously, going to see the final of the Quidditch World Cup was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was hard to beat. Yet, we always thought that some of the happiest and most joyful times Harry had came from smaller moments – and the evening at The Burrow before heading off to the match is an excellent example. From Bill and Charlie’s table battle to eating outside on a balmy summer’s evening, there was no doubt that Harry had fun – which is something his life often seemed to lack.

The source of the commotion was revealed as they entered the garden and saw that Bill and Charlie both had their wands out, and were making two battered old tables fly high above the lawn, smashing into each other, each attempting to knock the other’s out of the air. Fred and George were cheering; Ginny was laughing, and Hermione was hovering near the hedge, apparently torn between amusement and anxiety.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Playing Quidditch in the orchard

Harry and Quidditch went together like salt and pepper – they were just the perfect match. So, Harry must have adored being able to spend his days playing his favourite sport in one of his favourite places. And luckily for him, most of his summer trips to The Burrow seemed to involve playing this beloved wizarding sport in the Weasleys’ orchard.

Harry remained within the confines of The Burrow’s garden over the next few weeks. He spent most of his days playing two-a-side Quidditch in the Weasleys’ orchard (he and Hermione against Ron and Ginny; Hermione was dreadful and Ginny good, so they were reasonably well-matched) and his evenings eating triple helpings of everything Mrs Weasley put in front of him.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

His seventeenth birthday

Birthdays for Harry were historically dreadful – well the Dursleys were hardly going to make effort, were they? Yet, Harry’s seventeenth was a pretty good one (despite the shadow of Voldemort’s return). Not only did Harry get to spend the day with those he cared about the most – and got to eat an excellent birthday cake shaped like a Snitch – but he also received a birthday present from Mr and Mrs Weasley that meant the world to him. This moment proved that he was definitely one of the family and belonged right there at The Burrow.

‘It’s traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age,’ said Mrs Weasley, watching him anxiously from beside the cooker. ‘I’m afraid that one isn’t new like Ron’s, it was actually my brother Fabian’s and he wasn’t terribly careful with his possessions, it’s a bit dented on the back, but –’ The rest of her speech was lost; Harry had got up and hugged her. He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the hug and perhaps she understood them, because she patted his cheek clumsily when he released her, then waved her wand in a slightly random way, causing half a pack of bacon to flop out of the frying pan on to the floor.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry’s birthday present from Ginny

If we’re talking about birthday presents, we also have to mention Ginny’s present to Harry. Though they had split up before this point, Harry and Ginny’s kiss at The Burrow was something Harry wasn’t going to forget about for a long time...

‘So then I thought, I’d like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some Veela when you’re off doing whatever you’re doing.’ ‘I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.’ ‘There’s the silver lining I’ve been looking for,’ she whispered, and then she was kissing him as she had never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was blissful oblivion, better than Firewhisky; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweet- smelling hair –
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Bill and Fleur’s wedding

Our final favourite moment from Harry’s trips to The Burrow has to be Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Ok, so this event may not have ended in the most positive way – the Ministry of Magic falling will have that effect – but for the most part, it was a happy and brilliant day. The Burrow, which was always full of love, was the perfect setting for this young witch and wizard to say their vows. And while Harry may have been a little hot in his disguise as Barny Weasley, we’re sure even he appreciated just how special this moment was.

The tufty-haired wizard raised his wand high over the heads of Bill and Fleur and a shower of silver stars fell upon them, spiral- ling around their now entwined figures. As Fred and George led a round of applause, the golden balloons overhead burst: birds of paradise and tiny, golden bells flew and floated out of them, adding their songs and chimes to the din.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows