The Animagus Quiz

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10 times Remus Lupin made us wish he was our teacher

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## 1) When he gave chocolate to Harry on the train to help him recover and wards off the Dementor

Although Lupin’s entrance on the Hogwarts Express is not a flashy one, (he’s asleep and “rather shabby looking”), his first actions are very impressive. Not only does he calmly deal with the dreaded Dementors, he gives a traumatised Harry some chocolate because of its healing powers. To quote Madame Pomfrey, “We’ve finally got a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies.” Mind you, if we’d been given a Chocolate Frog every time we had a headache at school, instead of a cold compress, we would have never had left the nurse’s room!

![lupin-train-2.0](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5SKLxPyOHnSpJg0qtF7amp/4b031565b51cfd84ba86c49425b58684/lupin_train_2.0.png)
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## 2) When he stuck up for Neville in front of Snape

It’s very rare to see people being nice to Neville because so often he’s the butt of everyone’s jokes or being horrendously tortured by Snape, so we all cheered when Lupin not only defended Neville but praised him after Snape’s casual bullying comments about Neville’s capabilities. There is a great parallel between laughter defeating both Boggarts and bullies - the rebel in Lupin encourages his class to laugh at Boggart Snape, trussed up and stuffed into Mrs Longbottom’s stuffed vulture outfit, taking the sting out of his tail in Neville’s eyes, for a little while at least.
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## 3) When he gave all of us our first, decent, practical DADA lesson!

After Quirrell and Lockhart, it is such a relief to have a teacher who actually knows how to repel dark, magical creatures, and we finally get to meet some of them - the first lesson with the Boggart is so exciting because we get a little peek at everyone’s deepest fears (and mummies, banshees and severed hands are all pretty terrifying), while learning how to combat those fears. No wonder Lupin’s lessons soon become the most popular in the school. All together now...Riddikulus!
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## 4) When he taught Harry how to repel Dementors

Having extra lessons is never much fun but learning something that is literally life-saving definitely beats having to figure out quadratic equations after school. Not only does Lupin make it explicitly clear that Harry’s stomach-churning experience with Dementors is not a weakness when Harry pops in for a cuppa, but his patience during Patronus practice really does save Harry’s life when he sees himself almost succumbing to the Dementor’s kiss across the lake. These extra-curricular classes also lay the groundwork for Harry’s future as the leader of Dumbledore’s Army. Lupin must have been incredibly proud of his former pupil when he heard the news that Harry was following in his footsteps with the DA.

![harry-dementors-lupin-office](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/6qmPS48v32aKtwCY6K7nUl/d463025b4e6da61d09672648a7b1c80c/harry_wand.png)
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## 5) When he told Harry he was disappointed in him after the Marauder's Map incident

Lupin’s admonishments to Harry are equally as important as his praise. Harry has such a deep respect for his teacher so the moment when Lupin makes Harry squirm by questioning his eagerness to gamble away his parents’ sacrifice has a far greater impact than any telling off by Snape. Poor Harry - disappointing Lupin would be the worst feeling in the world. Even when Sirius and Lupin are reminiscing about James with Harry’s head in the fire, Sirius clearly remembers Lupin’s ability to make him feel ashamed of himself at school. His good opinion clearly carries a lot of weight.
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## 6) When he made an exam into an engaging obstacle course

One of Lupin’s greatest achievements at Hogwarts was making the dreaded end-of-year exam into a fun and thrilling obstacle course, involving battling Grindylows, Hinkypunks and Boggarts, all of which come in very useful for Harry during his next year at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. The care and effort that Lupin puts into inspiring his pupils at a time that would normally be horribly stressful is worth celebrating as is the fact that it also marks the very memorable occasion when Harry beat Hermione in a test.
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## 7) When he and Sirius gave Harry books on how to teach practical defensive magic

This is possibly the only time when Harry is excited to receive books that aren’t about Quidditch. It’s an incredibly useful and thoughtful present from two of the most important men in Harry’s life - not only are the books invaluable to Harry’s teaching DADA but the fact that it’s a present from his own, (favourite) teacher emphasises that Lupin fully supports him in his rebellion against Umbridge and this encouragement spurs Harry on in terms of confidence and teaching ability. When Harry muses about getting a Boggart for the DA to try out their Patronuses, he’s basically just channeling Lupin’s enthusiasm for lesson planning.

![lupin-office-2.0](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4HZ1HGIAwM8tFyeF5hr64k/d71da637ebc18a550b8a5ea67f533269/lupin_2.0.png)
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## 8) When he wisely cautioned Harry not to be blinded by his hatred of Snape

If there is a better lesson from a teacher, you’d be hard pushed to find it! Lupin being so magnanimous about Snape, even professing admiration and gratitude for his Wolfsbane potion is essentially a forerunner to Harry not only forgiving Snape but naming his son after his former enemy. One of Lupin’s strengths is the way he is able to see beyond ideas of good and bad, empathising with others, even trying to understand the actions of the werewolf who bit him. He teaches Harry to always look for the good in people, no matter how hard it is to find.
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## 9) When he *almost* apologised to Harry on Potterwatch

It takes a big man and an even bigger teacher to admit to their mistakes, especially so publicly. Considering that the search for Horcruxes is THE most dangerous, frightening and isolating thing that Harry, Hermione and Ron undertake, the praise that Lupin - sorry, Romulus - gives Harry over the magical airwaves is a huge turning point. One of the worst moments in The Deathly Hallows (and there are many to choose from) is the argument that breaks out between

Harry and Lupin over the unborn Teddy which threatens one of Harry’s last remaining ties to his father. This reconciliation is the boost we all needed.
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## 10) When he asked Harry to be Teddy’s godfather

This tear-jerking moment is such a beautiful, concise way of solidifying all the years of mentoring and friendship between Lupin and Harry. It means so much to Harry (and all of us), because the role of godfather is a big deal. Harry’s own godfather, Sirius, was the closest thing he had to a father because of James’ tragic death. Although they don’t know it, Lupin is carving out a similar father-figure role for Harry, as he will die only a few months later, which makes this exhilarating exchange as bittersweet as they come. The trust and respect that Lupin shows towards his favourite pupil is huge and proves once again that he is one of the best teachers to ever pass through Hogwarts.

![tonks-lupin-2.0](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/6koqJNcj9ywAhiVcLdyUVk/b5392c05c8edafb175ed767f6d001bc3/lupin_tonks_2.0.png)

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What if Neville had become the Chosen One?

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Would Voldemort still have fallen? Would Harry have had a more ‘traditional’ life? Would Neville have still fulfilled the prophecy, or would the wizarding war still have waged on? And most importantly, would Neville still have had quite the same passion for Herbology with all this extra admin to take care of?! Of course, this is all hypothetical, so Accio a pinch of salt! But what if, indeed... 
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## ‘As the seventh month dies’ 

![WB-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-harry-dumbledore-in-his-office](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/3q3GrHeA28mnLmDlwvW8Ty/84a7411ee8500dacaa29d679508ea786/WB-F5-order-of-the-phoenix-harry-dumbledore-in-his-office.jpg)
 
In *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Harry is faced with a shocking revelation: his fate with Lord Voldemort was always sealed. It was told in a prophecy when he was just a baby.  
 
>‘The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches … born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives … the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies …’
><br>*Sybill Trelawney, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*
 
In one of Professor Trelawney’s rare prophecies that actually came to pass, she spoke of ‘the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord’, with a specific description of who that could be. Although the prophecy was told to Albus Dumbledore, quite unexpectedly in a pub no less, Severus Snape overheard it, relayed the information back to Lord Voldemort, who, in turn, interpreted this mysterious future assassin to be Lily and James Potter’s child. However, as Dumbledore explains to Harry, it could have meant another. Neville Longbottom, Harry’s classmate, was also born at the end of July, and also born to parents who had thrice defied Lord Voldemort. 

Nonetheless, Voldemort picked Harry for the reasons Dumbledore theorises here. 

> ‘But he might have chosen wrong!’ said Harry. ‘He might have marked the wrong person!’ 
>
> ‘He chose the boy he thought most likely to be a danger to him,’ said Dumbledore. ‘And notice this, Harry: he chose, not the pureblood (which, according to his creed, is the only kind of wizard worth being or knowing) but the half-blood, like himself. He saw himself in you before he had ever seen you, and in marking you with that scar, he did not kill you, as he intended, but gave you powers, and a future, which have fitted you to escape him not once, but four times so far – something that neither your parents, nor Neville’s parents, ever achieved.’  
> 
<br>*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*
 
So, that was that. But what if the variables were different, and it had been Neville, who also grew up to play a vital part in Lord Voldemort’s eventual defeat?  
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## Would Neville’s parents have died, like Harry’s did? And would Voldemort still have fallen? 

![HP7-deathly-hallows-part-one-harry-hermione-visit-james-and-lily-potters-grave](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/1ZdV4qSU1OLSrJvMA2j0eW/033190271c51fbbb9cf6bfb0712bcf70/HP7-deathly-hallows-part-one-harry-hermione-visit-james-and-lily-potters-grave.jpg)
 
Much like Harry, Neville also grew up without his parents, albeit in a very different sort of way. While [both his mum, Alice, and dad, Frank](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/unsung-heroes-of-harry-potter-stories-frank-and-alice-longbottom), were still alive, they had been tortured to insanity by Death Eaters soon after Lord Voldemort’s fall from power and spent the rest of their days at St Mungo’s Hospital. But if Neville’s family had been targeted, and Lord Voldemort had gone after them instead, there is a chance that the Longbottoms could’ve been killed straight after Lord Voldemort learnt of the prophecy. After all, the Potters had been hidden by Albus Dumbledore, after Snape tipped him off and begged him to try and protect the woman he loved, Lily. 
 
Snape did not have the same connection to the Longbottoms, and may well have not interfered, meaning nobody would’ve known the attack on them was coming. Although, perhaps Albus Dumbledore, after hearing the prophecy, would’ve put his own protective measures in place on both families (the Longbottoms and the Potters) anyway. But even without a Peter Pettigrew-type to betray anybody, Lord Voldemort has his ways of finding people. And there are no guarantees that Neville’s parents wouldn’t have tried to protect their son in a similar way that Harry’s parents did. Would a similar protective magic, forged from love, have saved Neville?  
 
It’s quite possible. Dumbledore does explain to Harry that Lord Voldemort went to Godric’s Hollow not knowing that by going to attack Harry, there would be a possibility the event would end in his downfall. This is because Snape never heard the entire prophecy. 
 
>‘He heard only the beginning, the part foretelling the birth of a boy in July to parents who had thrice defied Voldemort. 
>
>Consequently, he could not warn his master that to attack you would be to risk transferring power to you, and marking you as his equal. So Voldemort never knew that there might be danger in attacking you, that it might be wise to wait, to learn more. He did not know that you would have power the Dark Lord knows not –’ 
> <br>*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*  
 
So, if Lord Voldemort *had* chosen Neville, maybe a similar phenomenon would have occurred... 
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## Would Neville still have been friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione? And would they have all been friends? 

![WB-F8-Deathly-Hallows-Neville-Harry-Ron-Hermione-enter-Hogs-Head](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5RRBIPJGEQP8Eq1AXXD4Wq/64934a156e0e5f6efa906110a100efe7/WB-F8-Deathly-Hallows-Neville-Harry-Ron-Hermione-enter-Hogs-Head.jpg)
 
Let’s say it did, and Lord Voldemort *was* still thwarted, and it *was* poor Neville who lost his parents, not Harry. Unlike Harry, Neville would’ve still grown up knowing he was a wizard, as [presumably his grandmother Augusta](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/harry-potter-characters-we-would-like-to-learn-more-about) would’ve still taken care of him.  
 
And maybe we can also assume Neville would’ve still been the same nervous, clumsy child if he was still brought up by his strict, often chiding, grandmother. And let’s assume he was still in Gryffindor. What is not clear is how Harry’s life would’ve been different, and how that would’ve dictated events.  
 
Beyond that, what would Harry’s Hogwarts experience have been like? Would he still have pursued the same interests, still joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team? Still fallen for Ginny? Malfoy wouldn’t have bothered him so much without his fame, surely. And would he still have been friends with Ron and Hermione? Harry’s parents certainly knew the Weasleys, at any rate. But either way, we imagine Harry and Neville would’ve both still been in Gryffindor, and hence would’ve become friends through their house. And we simply can’t imagine a world where Harry and Ron don’t befriend each other eventually. And no matter what timeline of events – the defiant Hermione would always team up with Neville to find his lost toad, Trevor. So those friendships may have found a way...
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## How would Neville have dealt with Harry’s Hogwarts adventures? 

![WB-F5-neville-and-dumbledores-army](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4C5Cb8NebT41WTvfUB2b7H/5a6236dc838f7e80b5e6a5cec5d5a53b/WB-F5-neville-and-dumbledores-army.jpg)
 
Finding the Philosopher’s Stone... Discovering the mysteries of the Chamber of Secrets... Taking part in the Triwizard Tournament... It's a lot. And in his younger years, lovely Neville was definitely not the first Hogwarts student that leapt to mind when it came to saving the castle from certain peril, or indeed, dodging Hungarian Horntails. He could barely keep Trevor under control, let alone a giant, scaly dragon. 
 
Neville only truly came into his own when Harry, Ron and Hermione started up Dumbledore’s Army in their fifth year. And it’s not likely Harry would’ve started up Dumbledore’s Army if he’d been living a considerably calmer Hogwarts life, not having had to learn extra defensive spells, not having had to grow up far quicker than usual with the looming threat of a Dark wizard on his back. But it’s possible Umbridge would’ve still been around, and some sort of alliance would’ve still been needed. Maybe Hermione, who we can definitely still see being friends with Neville, would’ve started it up with Neville in tow? 

In fact, with all of the challenges Harry faced at Hogwarts and beyond, he had his friends (friends like Neville!) to help him. We can only imagine Neville would've got the same support network.
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## And how would things have ended? 

![NevilleLongbottom WB F8 NevilleHoldingSwordOfGryffindorAtHogwarts Still 100615 Land](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/3TG2z3LcOkOuC6qswm6sWC/46e4a3ce08a8e39d063efd9c4c18db61/NevilleLongbottom_WB_F8_NevilleHoldingSwordOfGryffindorAtHogwarts_Still_100615_Land.jpg)
 
When all is said and done, Lord Voldemort would’ve still had his Horcruxes, and Neville would’ve still known that neither must live while the other survives. We imagine Dumbledore would’ve still tutored Neville about Voldemort’s history – and we can still imagine Dumbledore dying, albeit maybe through Malfoy or the Death Eaters rather than Snape. More on Snape in a moment.  
 
With the assumption Hermione and Neville would’ve still been friends... and Neville’s growing confidence shaping him into a great wizard... it is feasible Neville would’ve still fulfilled the prophecy. And if Harry ever found out that it could’ve been him, you’d have to think that he would’ve been on hand to help Neville?  
 
Of course, we’ll never truly know what would have really happened, but never forget the courage that Neville displayed, from a young, nervous first-year trying to stop Harry Potter sneaking around Hogwarts to a war-beaten hero who destroyed one of Lord Voldemort’s most precious Horcruxes. No matter what the prophecy truly meant, Neville would always have a huge part to play in the battle against darkness in the Wizarding World.  
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## A note about Snape  
 
We can’t help but think about how Severus Snape’s life might’ve changed during this altered chain of events, especially as it could’ve resulted in Lily Potter never dying. In our eyes, we can imagine Lily and James would’ve continued to be married happily, and perhaps Snape would’ve simply continued to support Voldemort and never become a double-spy for Dumbledore. After all, his love of Lily and the grief of losing her is very much what shaped Snape’s story. Without that grief driving him on, would Snape really have changed his ways? Maybe that’s a conversation for another day... 

Best dad moments in the Harry Potter series 

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## James Potter  

For James Potter, we’ve picked a moment we didn’t actually get to see, as sadly he didn’t get much time with his son, Harry. But we heard about this adorable dad moment in a letter Lily Potter wrote to Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black. Here’s when Harry saw the enclosed photograph: 

> 'A black-haired baby was zooming in and out of the picture on a tiny broom, roaring with laughter, and a pair of legs that must have belonged to James were chasing after him.' 

We’re so glad that Harry found this carefree photograph of himself and his dad – especially as it showed an early shared love of Quidditch. A special shout-out should also go to Sirius Black whilst we’re talking about Harry. Sirius was a real father figure for the Boy Who Lived – and it’s lovely to read in Lily’s letter that Sirius bought this baby broomstick for Harry, just like he bought him his Firebolt in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. 
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## Arthur Weasley 

There are plenty of amazing examples of Arthur Weasley being a wizarding dad to be proud of, from hilariously asking the twins whether his flying car went alright, to standing up to Lucius Malfoy in Flourish and Blotts. But we’ve chosen a more emotional moment – one that shows the power of this father’s love, even when his son, Percy, had made an awful lot of mistakes: 

> “I’m sorry, Dad,’ Percy said. 
>
> Mr Weasley blinked rather rapidly, then he, too, hurried to hug his son.'

This reunion came in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Percy finally saw the error of his ways at the Ministry. Of all the family, we think Mr Weasley probably suffered the most when it came to Percy’s betrayal. It must have been so difficult for Arthur having to see Percy every day at the Ministry of Magic, and have his own son ignore him. The power of forgiveness really was demonstrated by this hug between father and son.  

![arthur-weasley-article-image](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5kFBOzbB361iZkZxEYFZil/3032727a4093f8f0ae333e6a05088a17/arthur.png)

## Xenophilius Lovegood 

Xenophilius Lovegood might have been an unconventional dad, but the bond between him and his daughter, Luna was strong and beautiful. We loved this moment at Bill and Fleur’s wedding in Deathly Hallows (when you read it, you have to picture them wearing their matching bright yellow outfits!): 

> “Bidding the wizard farewell, he turned to his daughter, who held up her finger and said, ‘Daddy, look – one of the gnomes actually bit me!’ 
> 
> ‘How wonderful! Gnome saliva is enormously beneficial!’ said Mr Lovegood…'

As we said, unconventional but very loving, Xenophilius and Luna really understood each other. And when it came down to saving his daughter later on in Deathly Hallows, there was nothing Xenophilius wouldn’t do to get Luna back – even betray the Chosen One.

![xenophilius-lovegood-article-insert](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4iu3neqXbSsN0CLCI2tT8h/15eb97d76e4dfa8667c3aba8c8513835/xeno.png)

## Amos Diggory  

Cedric might have been a shining example of a humble Hufflepuff, but Amos wasn’t at all shy about telling everyone just how wonderful his son was. Here’s how it went down when Amos met Harry in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the subject of that Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff Quidditch match came up: 

> “Harry fell off his broom, Dad,’ he muttered. ‘I told you ... it was an accident ...’ 
>
> ‘Yes, but you didn’t fall off, did you?’ roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. ‘Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman ... but the best man won, I’m sure Harry’d say the same, wouldn’t you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don’t need to be a genius to tell which one’s the better flier!” 

It was a little embarrassing for Cedric, but we loved the moment this father was bursting with pride at his son out-flying the famous Harry Potter.  
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## Remus Lupin 

Like James Potter, Lupin didn’t get long with his son, Teddy but we wanted to shine a light on a lovely dad moment of Lupin’s, not long after Tonks gave birth to their son: 

> “I can’t stay long, I must get back,’ said Lupin, beaming around at them all: he looked years younger than Harry had ever seen him. ‘Thank you, thank you, Bill.’ 
>
> Bill had soon filled all of their goblets; they stood and raised them high in a toast. 
>
> ‘To Teddy Remus Lupin,’ said Lupin, ‘a great wizard in the making!” 

Lupin had been extremely worried about Tonks’ pregnancy, given he was a werewolf – so it’s no wonder he stayed at Shell Cottage to toast his son in celebration. And we’re sure anyone, whether they’ve been a new parent or not, can relate to Lupin’s unbridled joy at the birth of his child. Heart-warming, or what? 

![lupin-article-web-insert](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4y0DD9NtRBZmfYkNEfUP3z/3e9d83c585ec07f1c72f5674b02fbc5f/lupin.png)

## Harry Potter   

In the final chapter of Deathly Hallows, we got a glimpse of Harry Potter, the father. And he had some particularly sage advice for his son, Albus, who was worrying that he’d be sorted into Slytherin: 

> "But just say –’ 
>
> ‘– then Slytherin house will have gained an excellent student, won’t it? It doesn’t matter to us, Al. But if it matters to you, you’ll be able to choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.’ 
>
> ‘Really?’ 
>
> ‘It did for me,’ said Harry.' 

Seeing the worry about being sorted into Slytherin in Harry’s son was a really special moment – something shared across time and generations. We loved that Harry could help Albus as he boarded the Hogwarts Express, in a way his own parents weren’t able to, and share this piece of wisdom from his own Hogwarts journey. It really is enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye!  

Go wizard Dads! 

 

Polyjuice Potion adventures: ranked

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## 8 – That time Harry pretended to be Barny Weasley

Fleur and Bill’s wedding had a lot of memorable moments. Great Aunt Muriel telling Hermione she had skinny ankles. Viktor Krum. Luna Lovegood and her dad wearing matching yellow robes. Viktor Krum. Oh, and the fact that the famous Harry Potter AKA the Boy Lived Who Lived AKA the Chosen One took Polyjuice Potion and became… Ron’s cousin Barny. Weirdest of all was that Luna seemed to see right through Harry’s Polyjuice disguise. Well, she is a Ravenclaw.
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## 7 – That time Newt impersonated his brother to get into the French Ministry of Magic

In an alley outside the Ministry of Magic in Paris, Newt took out a tiny bottle containing a small amount of Polyjuice Potion. Luckily, he was able to find a hair belonging to his brother, Theseus, and changed into him to make it through the doors with Tina. Unfortunately, he was then spotted by the real Theseus, and the Polyjuice Potion wore off in very little time …
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## 6 – That time it was used by a Death Eater everyone thought was dead

It wasn’t as though Mad-Eye Moody’s teaching style at Hogwarts was exactly normal, and sure, he did keep swigging something out of a hip-flask. But come on – that could’ve been Firewhisky! What a plot twist therefore, when it turned out that not only was he NOT the real Mad-Eye Moody, but he was Barty Crouch junior, who everyone thought had died a year after he entered Azkaban prison. Wild.

![HP-F4-moody-crouch-polyjuice](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4IqXigSbxW1S7IoiGT0xeH/c404ffa0d5fcb7ab72b6334e40a96a01/moody.png)
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## 5 – That time Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy impersonated some very recognisable characters

If you aren’t familiar with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child then skip down to the next one, but we just had to include this Polyjuice Potion adventure that would blow any Harry Potter fan’s mind. Harry Potter’s son impersonating Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy’s son impersonating … just wait for it … Harry Potter! Priceless. And what were they doing? Sneaking into the Ministry of Magic, of course!

## 4 – That time Hermione impersonated Bellatrix Lestrange

It was all for a good cause – breaking into the Lestrange vault – but we have to admit it was downright disturbing when Hermione Granger took Polyjuice Potion so she could trick the Gringotts goblins into thinking she was one of Voldemort’s closest Death Eaters. Though we did love that on this Polyjuice adventure, Hermione had to be reminded not to be too polite!

![HP-F7-hermione-bellatrix-polyjuice](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5nmOktj46TPEU9Jq4pxtVk/f4bfa3505ca1330cf73ae5892b0b8eb3/bellatrix_ron_hermione.png)


## 3 – That time Hermione got herself a tail…

Ah yes. The first time we ever met Polyjuice Potion. Brewed by Hermione of course in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Harry and Ron changed into Crabbe and Goyle, but unfortunately the hair that Hermione had taken from Millicent Bulstrode’s robes actually belonged to her cat. Given Polyjuice Potion isn’t supposed to be used for animal transformations, Hermione had a rather furry surprise…

## 2 – That time the Golden Trio used Polyjuice Potion to break into the Ministry of Magic

Mafalda Hopkirk, Reg Cattermole and Albert Runcorn – otherwise known as the three Ministry of Magic employees Hermione, Ron and Harry changed into in order to get into the Ministry and locate Slytherin’s locket. This adventure almost came top of the rankings, with its nail-biting and hilarious twists in equal measure. Ron accidentally got himself a wife, Hermione was taken down to the courtroom to assist Umbridge, and Harry accidentally chose one of the nastiest Death Eaters to impersonate. Oh, and let’s not forget all those Dementors they had to fight off!

![HP-F7-trio-break-in-ministry-polyjuice](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4QX8ayROAK00FRb8LgZShX/92632f3884c90d821c02783a9f30921c/breaking_in_to_gringotts.png)

## 1 – That time there were seven Harry Potters at Privet Drive

And top of the rankings for Polyjuice Potion adventures is when Harry left Privet Drive for the last time. Seven of Harry’s friends and allies volunteered to change into him for the flight, in an attempt to confuse the Death Eaters as to the true Potter’s identity. We loved this moment for the lightness it brought to a very dangerous situation. Remember when Fred and George drank it down and said, ‘Wow - we’re identical!’? And when Fleur said, ‘Bill, don’t look at me – I’m ’ideous.’ Unlucky Harry! But we also loved it for what it said about friendship and loyalty. Harry’s friends were willing to turn into him – the person Voldemort wanted to capture the most – in order to protect him.

![HP-F7-seven-harrys-polyjuce](//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/3L4z1Z3Uk0DnJTgGRXHDop/323aa68fb464b6dad8b5c528453a06b8/polyjuice.png)

Learn how to make your own lightning bolt keyring

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Growing up with the Dursleys, Harry’s lightning bolt scar was the only thing he really liked about his appearance. Fast forward to Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, and his scar was just about as famous as him!

Watch this video tutorial and learn how to make your very own lightning bolt keyring.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eKGbT2a0-GY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

For more of our arts and crafts videos, check out our [Crafting Magic page](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/crafting-magic "Crafting Magic"), as well as our [Wizarding World YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChPRO1CB_Hvd0TvKRU62iSQ "Youtube"). 

And for even more stay at home fun, check out our [Harry Potter At Home hub](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/harry-potter-at-home "HPAH hub"), and bring the magic to you!


Harry Potter’s relationship with his scar

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Harry showing his scar to Ron on the Hogwarts Express 

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## Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Growing up with the Dursleys, Harry’s scar was ‘*The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance*’. But once he met Hagrid, Harry’s relationship with his scar began to change. Not only did he find out that it was a mark made by Dark magic and by his parents’ murderer, but he also realised that it was a mark that made him recognisable. Time and time again through *Philosopher’s Stone*, it was Harry’s scar that identified him as the Boy Who Lived, identified him as an orphan, or even a victim, of Lord Voldemort. Harry’s scar also changed from dormant to active throughout the first book. Whilst he was growing up, it was merely part of his appearance, but soon after his arrival at Hogwarts it started to cause him physical pain. With his entry into the wizarding world, it was almost as though the scar came alive, and with its awakening came a searing pain in Harry’s forehead that would follow him for many years to come.
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## Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In his second year, comments by Lockhart and Malfoy, emphasised to Harry that his scar was the physical sign that brought him fame and attention that he didn’t want at all. It was part of the tale of Harry Potter that he couldn’t even remember, adding to the mystery surrounding him – when all he really wanted to be known for was catching the Snitch. It wasn’t until Tom Riddle’s diary had been destroyed that Harry’s relationship with his scar shifted again – towards Voldemort. Dumbledore told Harry that ‘*Unless I’m much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar*’. Harry could speak Parseltongue; the Sorting Hat tried to put him in Slytherin – Harry learned that the scar wasn’t just linked to his past– it was linked to his present, and to a Voldemort who was determined to return.
<br>
## Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In *Prisoner of Azkaban*, Harry became increasingly irritated with his scar. Running away from the Dursleys after he’d blown up Aunt Marge, Harry was barely able to conceal his identity from Stan Shunpike on the Knight Bus, and was then exposed once Fudge collected him and Stan was able to see the mark clearly: ‘I can see ‘is scar’. Gawping at Harry’s scar, which didn’t seem to bother Harry that much in the first two books, in *Prisoner of Azkaban*, became something he wanted to absolutely avoid: ‘*Er – no, thanks, Colin,’ said Harry, who wasn’t in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead’.*
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## Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

*Goblet of Fire* was the first time that the pain in Harry’s scar caused him real anxiety. In his first year at Hogwarts, he’d put his scar hurting down to being a ‘warning’ and then, of course, he’d come face-to-face with Lord Voldemort, which had made sense of it all. But in *Goblet of Fire* his scar started to hurt whilst he was in Privet Drive, with no Voldemort in sight. It was something new… and more threatening, and Harry’s relationship with his scar shifted again. But despite this, Harry’s scar hurting was something he first tried to keep to himself – at the beginning of *Goblet of Fire* he didn’t want to worry Ron, Hermione, even Dumbledore – the pain alienated him, and he isolated himself with it – though he was unable to keep his friends in the dark for long even though he might have preferred to. The pain, coupled by his dreams that seemed to link to Voldemort, started to mean that more than ever Harry’s scar was becoming a living link to Lord Voldemort. And when he was finally confronted with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the graveyard, the pain in Harry’s scar was excruciating, unbearable – something that Lord Voldemort could use against him.
<br>
## Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

This idea of his scar as a weakness was something that solidified in *Order of the Phoenix*. Whilst Harry had previously viewed his scar as something to be proud of, the scar was now not only causing him physical pain, but emotional trauma too. Throughout his fifth year at Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic used it as a way to discredit and mock him. The Daily Prophet, following Rita Skeeter’s article about Harry collapsing all over the place, included lines such as, ‘*Let’s hope he hasn’t got a scar on his forehead or we’ll be asked to worship him next*’. Whilst in previous years, pain in Harry’s scar had been something unusual, in *Order of the Phoenix*, the prickling sensation in his forehead became commonplace, a constant reminder that Lord Voldemort had returned – contrary to the lies the Ministry were disseminating. In short, Harry’s relationship with his scar – with the varying levels of pain that came with visions, dreams, Voldemort’s emotions, and Ministry mockery – took over his whole life. This was something that came out in anger when Hermione urges him to tell Dumbledore that it’s hurting: ‘*Yeah,’ said Harry, before he could stop himself, ‘that’s the only bit of me Dumbledore cares about, isn’t it, my scar?’* He wasn’t the boy with the scar anymore, the scar was defining him.
<br>
## Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

At the end of *Order of the Phoenix*, Harry found out more about his scar and what Dumbledore had been keeping from him about it for years, and this changed his relationship with the mark of Dark magic even further. Dumbledore revealed these particular words of the Prophecy that were relevant to the scar: ‘*and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…*’ And Harry could not stop thinking about the fact that Neville Longbottom could have been marked with the scar instead, could have been the boy whose family Voldemort decided to hunt down.

Half-Blood Prince was where it really sunk in for Harry that his scar wasn’t just meant for the past, it marked him as the one who must kill Lord Voldemort – ‘*neither can live whilst the other survives*’. The scar wasn’t just a battle-wound anymore; it was a target.
<br>
## Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

A poignant moment at Bill and Fleur’s wedding near the beginning of *Deathly Hallows* was Harry harking back to time spent with Ginny at the end of Half-Blood Prince. Watching the ceremony, Harry equated having a normal life, with one without a scar: … ‘*he had been stealing shining hours from a normal person’s life, a person without a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead ...*’ Harry’s relationship with his scar at this point was not one he prized – it hadn’t been for a long time – but one that he wished he didn’t have. The scar was now intrinsically linked to finding the Horcruxes, destroying Voldemort, and walking the path Dumbledore set for him.

Interestingly in *Deathly Hallows*, the connection with Voldemort’s thoughts and even actions that so plagued Harry in Order of the Phoenix, started to become a source of strength and knowledge for him. He used the insights into You-Know-Who’s emotions and whereabouts to assist in his own hunt for the Horcruxes and Hallows. For the first time since *Philosopher’s Stone*, Harry’s relationship with his scar became slightly more positive, useful – a warning, again. And then, as he buried Dobby, Harry gained something else: control – ‘*On Harry dug, deeper and deeper into the hard, cold earth, subsuming his grief in sweat, denying the pain in his scar*’.

At King’s Cross, meeting Dumbledore again, Harry’s scar actually disappeared. He had wished it gone so many times. But, as we know, Harry decided to return; return to fight Voldemort and regain the scar on his head and enter battle once again. 
<br>
## Nineteen years later

Nineteen years later, the relationship between Harry and his scar was still there, in the background, but the scar was dormant again, more like the thin lightning bolt that was once the only thing the boy Harry Potter liked about his appearance. But in adult Harry Potter, its silence also signals an end to Harry’s trials and troubles in the wizarding world: *‘The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well’.*

Want to watch to Noma Dumezweni reading Chapter Two of Philosopher’s Stone, where we hear the first ever description of Harry’s lightning bolt scar? [Find it here.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-the-vanishing-glass)

Was Ron Weasley always destined to need the Deluminator?

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*... “to Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it.”*

Albus Dumbledore left Ron the Deluminator in his will, but besides it being useful for taking the light from a place, it was unclear exactly why he had bequeathed it to Ron… until he did something devastating. He abandoned Harry and Hermione on their hunt for Horcruxes.  

We found out once he returned, of course, that he almost immediately regretted his decision and wanted to come back. Ron told Harry and Hermione that he’d heard Hermione’s voice somehow. And that a ball of light from the Deluminator had guided him – had floated right into his chest, right by his heart and brought him back to them.  

Harry mulls this over when thinking about Dumbledore: *‘You gave Ron the Deluminator. You understood him ... you gave him a way back ...’* And now we’re mulling it over too. What exactly did Dumbledore understand about the youngest Weasley brother? Were there any clues in Ron’s life at Hogwarts, from his personality, from the trials and tribulations he’d faced, that meant he was going to leave his friends – but always want to return?  

Young Ron Weasley was a firm friend to Harry Potter from the start, though he was unsure of himself and his family – within moments of meeting Harry he defended his mum making him sandwiches, uncomfortably saying she didn’t have a lot of time. This feeling of inadequacy followed Ron around right from the start – not helped by Draco Malfoy spouting things like: ‘*No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford.’*

And it wasn’t just other witches and wizards Ron couldn’t help but compare himself too. Ron had his five older brothers to contend with. Once he arrived at Hogwarts, Percy was already a Prefect, and later became Head Boy. Fred and George were known for being hilarious but also played excellently on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Not to mention that Bill was also Head Boy and Charlie was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team in their Hogwarts years. Unsurprising therefore that young Ron Weasley saw himself as the best of all his brothers in the Mirror of Erised – succeeding as they had and more – revealing the depth of the superiority complex he had already no doubt developed.  

By Harry and Ron’s fourth year, being friends with the famous Harry Potter was starting to grate on Ron, and it became a wedge that drove them apart quickly and easily. Ron had shown his stubbornness and his unwillingness to see a different point of view at times, back in *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* – refusing to speak to Hermione for ages because he thought her cat had killed Scabbers. But then in *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, being in Harry Potter’s shadow became far too much when Harry was somehow entered into the Triwizard Tournament. During their weeks of silence, Hermione tried to explain it to Harry, which gave us a good insight into Ron’s character: *“... Ron’s got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you’re his best friend, and you’re really famous – he’s always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many ...”* 

 

Ron’s superiority complex only got worse with the onset of teenage hormones. And it wasn’t just about Harry specifically anymore, it was anyone. His temper was very easily raised by Ginny teasing him about not having kissed anyone – she used Harry kissing Cho, and Hermione kissing Krum, as examples, which can’t have helped at all. And then suddenly in *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Harry was the Chosen One, and Ron was… well… still just Ron Weasley, Harry Potter’s best friend. And it just wasn’t enough anymore. Interestingly, this didn’t seem to bother Hermione, but perhaps it was because she – unlike Ron – was hyper logical. She could rationalise out those feelings, whereas Ron was more of an emotional person (some might say hot-headed) – plus, she was an only child and had her own thing – being the brightest witch of her age.  

It’s likely that the strength of Ron’s superiority complex, combined with his stubbornness, made it easy for someone or something to get inside Ron’s head and make him do some*thing* he didn’t really, at base, want to do. It comes as no surprise therefore that Slytherin’s necklace affected him so badly, and once all those feelings of inadequacy had built up he couldn’t shake them, even without the necklace on.  

But Dumbledore giving Ron the Deluminator wasn’t just about him being the most likely of the Golden Trio to walk away from the other three. It was about him wanting to come back – after all, why give someone a magical object that means they can return to those they love, if they’re not going to use it? Of course we can only guess, but it’s hard to imagine Hermione – once she’d made up her mind – going back on a decision to leave, as she would have reasoned the whole thing out far too hard for that. 

Ron was brave, like a true Gryffindor, but he was also very humble. It might have taken him a while to apologise when he was angry at Harry or Hermione, but he wasn’t afraid to admit his mistakes. He was also an extremely loyal friend, and always did the right thing, in the end. And Dumbledore would have known this. Even in Ron’s very first year at Hogwarts he volunteered to sacrifice himself in McGonagall’s giant chess game, so that Harry could rescue the Philosopher’s Stone. In *Chamber of Secrets*, he was mortally afraid of spiders but followed Harry into the Forbidden Forest anyway – because he’d  never have thought to truly abandon a friend to their fate. He fought for and alongside his friends time and time again – in Dumbledore’s Army, in the Battle of Hogwarts – and he was afraid, but he fought anyway.  

And Dumbledore would have known this too.  

The Patronuses of witches and wizards take their forms for a reason, and Ron’s terrier is one of the most tenacious, loving and loyal dogs around. Ron might have left Hermione and Harry in a moment of jealousy and bad judgment – but he was always going to come back. It was decided the moment he faced that mountain troll alongside Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. 

When Harry Potter got it right

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Dobby bows to Harry in his bedroom in Privet Drive

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Perhaps it comes with having faced one of the world’s Darkest wizards before his second birthday, but Harry Potter has a very well-developed sense of justice. That his mother died to protect him from Voldemort has left more than the protection that lingers in Harry’s skin – it’s also left him with an acute awareness of right and wrong, even if those around him don’t always agree. 

From that first ride on the [Hogwarts Express](/writing-by-jk-rowling/the-hogwarts-express "The Hogwarts Express by J.K. Rowling") to the moments after the final Triwizard task, here are some of Harry’s memorable moral moments:

## When he refused Malfoy’s friendship

As soon as he meets the sneering, condescending Malfoy, Harry has a bad feeling about him. So when Malfoy turns up in the Hogwarts Express carriage Harry is sharing with Ron, warning Harry not to associate with the ‘wrong sort’, Harry’s reaction is instant. ‘I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,’ he tells Malfoy, aligning himself firmly with Ron. 

## When he set off to retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone

When Harry, Ron and Hermione become convinced Snape wants to get his hands on the Philosopher’s Stone, they try to enlist the help of a couple of teachers. But Dumbledore’s away and McGonagall won’t listen, so Harry takes it upon himself to rescue the Stone. When Hermione and Ron try to dissuade him, he won’t budge, saying: ‘I’m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me!’ So they join him instead.

## When he used the Mirror to get the Stone

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Quirrell and Harry in front of the Mirror of Erised.

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Dumbledore’s first great Harry-shaped gamble becomes clear when Harry discovers Quirrell in front of the Mirror of Erised trying to get his hands on the Philosopher’s Stone. When Harry stands in front of the Mirror, like Quirrell he sees himself with the Stone – but in Harry’s case this vision comes true, because only a person who wants to find but not use the Stone can get their hands on it. At the age of 11, Harry displays exactly the kind of moral courage Dumbledore has banked on.

## When he saved Justin Finch-Fletchley

When a snake conjured up by Malfoy seems about to attack Justin Finch-Fletchley at the end of their first Duelling Club in *Chamber of Secrets*, Harry unthinkingly speaks in Parseltongue, telling the snake to leave Justin alone. It works – at Harry’s words the snake falls docile. It’s just a shame nobody understands Parseltongue, a skill Harry shares with Voldemort and Salazar Slytherin, and therefore they all wrongly think Harry is egging the snake on. 

## When he followed the spiders

Hagrid’s instruction to ‘follow the spiders’ isn’t something Ron is keen on – it’s Harry who trusts in Hagrid’s instruction and insists they head to the Forbidden Forest. While encountering Aragog and his large family of monstrously huge spiders with a taste for eating people isn’t exactly a picnic, it is worth it for what Aragog tells them about the [Chamber of Secrets](/writing-by-jk-rowling/chamber-of-secrets "Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling").

## When he freed Dobby

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Dobby holds the sock which grants his freedom from the Malfoys.

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Dobby the house-elf’s attempts to keep Harry safe might be a bit, well, dangerous, but Harry knows his heart is in the right place. So when he sees a chance to free Dobby he takes it, tricking Lucius Malfoy into giving Dobby clothes and ending his servitude. This is despite the fact that Harry has just undertaken a gruelling fight with Voldemort-as-Tom-Riddle. He’s never too exhausted to ignore injustice.

## When he thought he was being followed by a dog

After storming out of the Dursley’s house in *Prisoner of Azkaban*, Harry starts seeing a large black dog, seemingly everywhere. It begins to worry him when first Professor Trelawney and then Ron draw comparisons to the Grim, a death omen. Despite Ron’s concerns, Harry is convinced the dog is real and not just a figment of his imagination. When he discovers Sirius’s true identity – and his unregistered Animagus status – Harry is proved right.

## When he stopped Lupin and Black killing Pettigrew

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Peter Pettigrew’s eventual confession about betraying Harry’s parents is enough to make Remus and Sirius prepare to kill him. But Harry stops them, saying to Pettigrew, ‘I’m doing it because I don’t reckon my dad would have wanted his best friends to become killers – just for you.’ It’s a noble decision and one Harry later has cause to regret when Pettigrew escapes. But, as Dumbledore tells him, ‘The time may come when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew’s life.’

## When he resisted the Imperius Curse

In Harry’s fourth year, ‘Professor Moody’ – newly appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher – takes the unusual step of demonstrating the three Unforgivable Curses: the killing curse, Avada Kedavra; the pain curse, Cruciatus; and the Imperius curse, used to control minds. Moody practises the Imperius curse on all his students, but only Harry attempts to fight it off, right from the first. Which, when you think about how Voldemort uses the Imperius Curse, shows how strong-willed Harry is.

## When he told Cedric about the dragons

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People try to restrain the four dragons before the first Triwizard Task

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When Harry discovers the first Triwizard task is dragons, one of his first thoughts is to share that information with his fellow Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory. When he finds out Krum know as well, it becomes even more important. Harry doesn’t share the knowledge because he anticipates it being reciprocated, but his actions are rewarded when Cedric returns the favour ahead of the second task.

## When he waited for all the hostages to be rescued

Harry’s moral fibre is really put on display during his second Triwizard task, when he refuses to leave the hostages under the lake until they have all been rescued. It means forfeiting the task, and it also means fighting the merpeople and rescuing Fleur’s sister. He realises later that he didn’t need to do this, but again, his actions are rewarded and he ends up tying with Cedric.

## When he took Cedric’s body back

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He would have tied with Cedric as the overall winner of the Triwizard Tournament, too, had Voldemort not used the moment to transport Harry and – by virtue of their mutual decision to take hold of the Cup together – Cedric to the graveyard where he is waiting. Voldemort’s first action is to kill Cedric; his second is to put Harry through a nightmarish experience that only ends when their wands meet and, once again, Voldemort is unable to kill Harry, instead unleashing a series of visions of his previous victims – including Cedric and Harry’s parents. After all that, Harry’s overriding thought is to abide by Cedric’s final wish and return his body to his parents.

Well done, Harry Potter for showing so much moral fibre in times of danger and difficulty! A Gryffindor through and through. 

Discover the films

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to Fantastic Beasts

Harry Potter At Home chapter readings: All seventeen chapters now available to watch

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Chapter Challenge: 'The Man with Two Faces'

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Welcome to your seventeenth and final Chapter Challenge! If you need a reminder of Chapter Seventeen, [you can watch three families, with help from a special surprise cameo, reading 'The Man with Two Faces' any time you like here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-the-man-with-two-faces).

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<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5NbVl2rYgQOsomiheQlToy/603c0b01ec47be9b76d40e9b917a327a/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-14.png" alt="my boat">
  
__Write down whether you guessed that Professor Quirrell was the one going after the Philosopher’s Stone. If not, who did you think it was? Why?__

*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*

  
<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/7DGPxsJ6CKKAybKJk2z8VU/55be28bac6ab6daded4ac10bb10c57a5/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-15.png" alt="my boat"> 

__Draw a picture of the Philosopher’s Stone.__
  
*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*
 
<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/76EKXm249R6Av82pPNGMoG/e4a932f2b477a3e645b7280773330069/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-16.png" alt="my boat"> 

__Answer this question and get a clue about the next chapter. *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*. When Harry went to the zoo with the Dursleys all the way back in Chapter Two, which creature did he talk to?__
  
*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*
  
<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/3RO65v5jlfLcUheOJIz3Ky/a17b402d7bf7171748d33604faec3580/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-17_1.png" alt="my boat">

__Write about yourself: What was your favourite chapter of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*? Why?__

*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*
  
<IMG src="https://images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/1XMWX309jyKzFCwPLGQanc/2281a50062bd3fddf1828bd941302a3d/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-17_2.png" alt="my boat">

__Prediction time! Do you think Harry, Ron and Hermione will have to solve any mysteries in their second year at Hogwarts? Or do you think they can just be normal wizarding students?__

*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*

  
<IMG src="https://images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4EH2eETTkq3a5Mbf24yLt4/c2bf7363fb4493fba513fc766137d831/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-17_3.png" alt="my boat">

__Time to be a book reviewer: So, you’ve finished *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*. It’s time to give it a review. Decide how many stars you would give it out of five. Would you recommend it to your friends? Did you enjoy the story? Did you like the characters? Are you excited to read the next book about Harry?__

*This mini-challenge is worth 2 house points.*

  
<IMG src="https://images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5kRx9NHQ0mdxxkoKpgC0gV/865d36dd4c210aa10a8cec9e846f9abb/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-18.png" alt="my boat">

__Secret quest: Remember Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour-Beans? Well, your secret quest is to think of a flavour you would give each member of your household and/or your friends. For example, would you give your Dad earwax flavour, like Dumbledore gets in this chapter? Would you give your best friend bogey flavour? Would you choose sprout flavour for your guardian? .__

*This mini-challenge is worth 3 house points.*
  
  OR...

                              ***

__Quiz time: If this secret quest isn’t for you, you can collect the same number of house points if you answer every question correctly in our [Chapter Seventeen Quiz here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/quiz/chapter-quiz-chapter-seventeen-five-questions "CQ17")...__

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Congratulations! You’ve completed the last Chapter Challenge! Did you know there were a possible __170 house points__ available over the seventeen Chapter Challenges? How many did you collect? Well done for getting to the end of the book! That’s pretty magical! Professor Dumbledore would be proud. 

And if you didn’t manage to do every Chapter Challenge, they’re all still [available on our website here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/first-year-readers), as well as all our [Chapter Videos here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters). 

We expect you know by now, but if you still need to find out which Hogwarts house you belong in, [here’s a link to the Sorting Ceremony on our website](https://my.wizardingworld.com/register). Or download the Wizarding World app to find out your house whilst wearing the Sorting Hat! You’ll need an adult to help you register.

__Illustration by Mary GrandPré © Scholastic__

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Just another cryptic crossword 

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If you missed our first cryptic crossword, you can [play it here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/wizarding-world-cryptic-crossword). For the rest of you budding Hermiones, try our latest here. Remember to keep an eye on your time! 

<iframe width="550" height="700" allowtransparency="true" style="background: #FFFFFF" src="https://bridgecard.wizardingworld.com/cryptic/20200620/00006/" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

For more puzzles, crosswords and wordsearches, [visit our puzzles hub.](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/potter-puzzles) We have even more lurking in our Wizarding World app. 

Plot twist: Did you guess the identity of the man with two faces?

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**Warning! This piece contains spoilers for the ending of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Sorcerer’s Stone. You have been warned!** 

For everyone else! Hello! 

Today we’re looking at who we thought was trying to take the Philosopher’s Stone from the safety of Hogwarts. Severus Snape or Quirrell? Of course, you know the answer by now – but we go back to a time before we knew the answer... 

## Severus Snape

That last line of Chapter Sixteen shook us to our bookish core: ‘There was already someone there – but it wasn’t Snape. It wasn’t even Voldemort.’ How did those of us who always suspected Snape get it so wrong?


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Snape in his potions class room from the Order of the Pheonix 

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The moment Harry Potter set eyes on Severus Snape ‘a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar’ on Harry’s forehead. Suspicious. Well, we really thought so. And we felt very protective of poor Harry at this point. We’d barely just found out his parents were killed by a Dark wizard, and that Voldemort gave him the very scar that Snape seemed to have just set alight with pain. Curious, very curious. From that moment on, we decided to keep an eye on Snape. And we didn’t have to try very hard as he looked guilty at every turn!

Snape was awful to Harry in his first ever Potions class for no reason whatsoever – plus there was all his talk about bottling fame, brewing glory, and even putting a stopper in death. Does an innocent person talk like that? Then we noticed – it was very subtle but we noticed it – that Snape was heading to the third floor when Harry and Ron went looking for Hermione and came across the troll. Aha, we thought to ourselves… Snape was certainly up to something fishy. A bit later Snape limped past the Golden Trio, and then Harry heard him talking about something with three heads – he was seriously up to something! Why would anyone get that close to Fluffy? 

But at Harry’s first Quidditch game we started to question ourselves. Snape jinxing Harry’s broom? It didn’t seem very subtle – not exactly up Snape’s street, who was all about the exact art of Potion making. It was bold, it was risky, and surely he could have found easier ways to kill Harry? Hadn’t he already mentioned the Draught of Living Death? Couldn’t he have just slipped that into Harry’s pumpkin juice? The broom jinxing was very public, too obvious… Our conclusion? A double bluff, of course.

It was so obviously Snape that of course the reader was supposed to go looking for other suspects. Filch, maybe? Or what about someone really innocuous, like poor Quirrell? Yes, that was the garden path the reader was supposed to be led down. And we were not falling for it. We weren’t going to be tricked. Snape was the wannabe thief; we’d known it from the start. And anyway, who were we to argue with Hermione Granger’s logic?

Imagine our dismay when it really was Quirrell standing in the last chamber. And he revealed that Snape had actually been trying to stop him stealing the Philosopher’s Stone! 
Give us a break okay, Quirrell might have had Voldemort on the back of his head, but you have to admit, he wasn’t the only man with two faces throughout Philosopher’s Stone.  

## Professor Quirrell 

Yes, it’s perfectly understandable that Harry, Ron and Hermione, and many, many readers around the world would’ve been convinced that it had to be Snape who wanted the Philosopher’s Stone. His whole, general demeanour seemed to scream that he was no good egg from the moment we met him. But Professor Quirrell didn’t exactly seem like a wholesome, trustworthy sort either. He just presented his shiftiness in a different sort of way.


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Quirrell teaching in his classroom with a lizard

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From Harry’s very first meeting with the nervy Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Quirrell acted suspiciously. Some may have mistaken his stutter for nervousness... especially after Hagrid’s explanation that he had been perfectly fine before a run-in with vampires and a hag in the Black Forest. But surely this explanation prompted more questions than it did answers? 

Things did not improve when Harry got to Hogwarts and experienced Quirrell as a professor. Did you really think this man was perfectly sound? The abundance of garlic in his classroom, for one thing, and the farfetched stories about the origins of Quirrell’s turban, which Quirrell himself often avoided talking about ‘turning pink and talking about the weather’, when asked. 

Again, this could have been mistaken for a man who had come back from his travels deeply disturbed – but he was still supposed to be a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Why so secretive? Why was he specialising in a topic he seemed absolutely terrified of? Even the thought of a troll in the dungeon caused him to faint upon the mere thought. Something never added up about Quirrell being professor of this field, especially considering how knowledgeable all the other staff were about their topics. What was he so afraid of, really?

The signs were always there that it was Quirrell, not Snape, who was the man with two faces. Even upon Harry’s first night at Hogwarts, he had a dream about wearing Quirrell’s turban, which was acting as the Sorting Hat. Was there something in Harry’s subconscious that led him to question Quirrell too? 

We just couldn’t put our finger on what exactly it was about Quirrell that was giving us pause for thought. While Snape was more outwardly villainous in his actions and the way he spoke, Quirrell’ quietness should not have been so easily overlooked. And he was always with Snape! If Snape was so suspicious, we should have been keeping more of an eye on who he keeps company with, too. If Snape had something to hide, maybe he would’ve been a bit nicer to his students to try and cover up things more, but Snape never had a problem being in the spotlight. Quirrell, on the other hand, seemed terrified whenever he turned up in any scene. 

In the overheard conversation with Snape in [Chapter Thirteen](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-nicolas-flamel), Quirrell may have been acting all terrified in Snape’s wake, but he was still asking Snape if he’d ‘found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid’s’ and was clearly potting alongside him. And then there was Snape confronting Quirrell about ‘where his loyalties lie’ – thinking back, this was a huge red flag about Quirrell that many of us misconstrued. 

All the little signs about Quirrell were there, but with the far more naturally antagonistic Snape so often in the foreground, Quirrell was cleverly hidden in plain sight. But were you one of the readers who saw through him? 

                                ** 

So, how about you? Did you see the plot twist in Philosopher’s Stone coming? Let us know on Wizarding World [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/wizardingworld), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wizardingworld) or [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/wizardingworld/). And remember, you can remind yourself of the moment all was revealed in [Chapter Seventeen, 'The Man With Two Faces', narrated by three families of Harry Potter fans here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-the-man-with-two-faces).


What we’ve learned from 50 issues of the Wizarding Weekly

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Wizarding Weeklies have been winging their way into your Wizarding World App every Wednesday for 50 issues! 50? That’s as many points as Harry lost for sneaking out of bed in his first year at Hogwarts, the height of the dive he made to catch Neville’s Remembrall, the approximate number of witches and wizards on the Wizengamot. Phew... well... fifty is a lot of issues, so let’s take a moment to reflect and celebrate the Wizarding Weekly, and you, the fans, who have been reading and interacting with them through polls, watching videos, playing quizzes, reading articles and much more.

## Some of your favourite film clips were...

__1.__ “It’s all here in your head” - the moment Harry gets sorted into Gryffindor

__2.__ Buckbeak’s flight from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 

__3.__ The Tale of the Three Brothers – the beautifully animated Beedle the Bard tale 

__4.__ Narcissa and Bellatrix in Spinner's End from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

__5.__ “Farewell Aragog” - Slughorn and Hagrid get emotional at Aragog’s funeral 

## Some of your favourite articles were...

__1.__ [The stories of the Hogwarts founders](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/stories-of-the-hogwarts-founders) 

__2.__ [What your Patronus says about you ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/what-your-patronus-says-about-you)

__3.__ [6 reasons to get excited if you’re in Ravenclaw](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/6-reasons-to-get-excited-if-youre-sorted-into-ravenclaw)

__4.__ [6 reasons it’s great to get sorted into Slytherin](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/6-reasons-its-okay-if-you-get-sorted-into-slytherin)

__5.__ [7 reasons it’s great to be sorted into Hufflepuff ](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/7-ways-hufflepuff-are-way-better-than-you-realise)

## The five characters you learnt the most about were...

__1.__ Luna Lovegood

__2.__ Newt Scamander

__3.__ Leta Lestrange

__4.__ Scorpius Malfoy 

__5.__ Pomona Sprout 

## The five most popular polls you loved voting in... 

__1.__	Who is the better Care of Magical Creatures professor? 

__2.__	How would you describe Narcissa Malfoy? 

__3.__	Who was the worst DADA professor?

__4.__	Which Hogwarts subject would be your favourite?

__5.__	If you were an Animagus, which would you rather turn into?

## And speaking of polls, here are some interesting poll results...

__Our most popular poll ever is...__

*“Who is the better Care of Magical Creatures Professor?”*

Yes, you all have extremely strong opinions on this particular profession at Hogwarts, as this was the poll that people have played the most in our humble app. And, of course, you all banded together to make sure that Hagrid was the winner across all four houses.
<br>

__The character you would most like to channel in 2020 is...__

*Hermione!*

At the start of this year, we asked you to pick a Wizarding World mascot to embrace in 2020, with the choice of Harry, Neville, Hermione or Draco. Hermione was the resounding winner across all four houses... although Draco nearly pipped her to the post for the Slytherins, with just 3% in it!
<br>

__The Hogwarts gang you’d all most like to hang out with is...__ 
 
*The golden trio!*  
 
When given the choice between the Marauders, the Golden Trio, Draco’s cronies and Ernie Macmillan’s gossipy Hufflepuffs, you voted in your thousands to proudly declare you’d like to be part of Harry Potter’s gang, alongside Ron and Hermione. Even the Hufflepuffs among you picked the golden trio over the characters in your house! However, there is an anomaly here – the Slytherins would much rather be managing mischief with the Marauders than Harry’s lot. Interesting! 
<br>

__You all think that Severus Snape was...__ 
 
*A hero.*  
 
Yes, in our Wizarding Weekly themed all around ‘heroes of the Dark Arts’, we received 20,000 votes on one of the biggest Harry Potter debates going: did you see Snape as a hero or a villain? Or... is the jury still out? The majority of you (around 60% at the time of writing) declared him to be a hero, collectively, with only around 7% dubbing him a villain, and the rest on the fence. No matter what house you’re in, this decision seems pretty unanimous too. But the debate will continue to wage on... Always...  
<br>

__When asked if you’d rather be a Squib or a Muggle, you picked...__ 
 
*Squib! But only just.* 
 
This is perhaps one of our closest polls yet, with 23,000 of you trying to decide which non-magical life you’d prefer. Pick a Squib, and you get to actually know about the wizarding world, see ghosts and get one of your wizard mates to pass you your cup of tea with the Summoning Charm. Pick a Muggle, and you can live in blissful ignorance without the frustration of not being able to perform magic. After all, you don’t know any better. 

 
But when all is said and done, 51% of you (at the time of writing...) decided that being a Squib was the ever-so-slightly superior option. And you could always try the Kwikspell course, after all... 
 
***


We want to thank those of you who have joined us so far on our adventures re-visiting the wizarding world we all love. For those of you who joined us from the first issue of the Wizarding Weekly, thank you for accompanying us on our magical way. And for those who have only just downloaded the Wizarding World App, you’re in luck – there are 50 issues for you to enjoy, as well as many more to come! 

*The Wizarding World app is available from [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/wizarding-world/id1427926466) and [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wwdfe.goog.wizardingworld&hl=en_GB) in selected territories.*
[Find out here](https://help.wizardingworld.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032161172-Where-and-when-will-the-app-be-available-) if it's available where you are. 

Chapter Challenge: 'Through the Trapdoor'

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Welcome to your sixteenth Chapter Challenge! If you need a reminder of Chapter Sixteen, [you can watch Kenneth Branagh and Ruth Wilson, with Helena Bonham Carter, reading 'Through the Trapdoor' any time you like here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-through-the-trapdoor).

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<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5NbVl2rYgQOsomiheQlToy/603c0b01ec47be9b76d40e9b917a327a/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-14.png" alt="my boat">
  
__Write down which of the tasks so far you think is the most difficult. Getting past Fluffy? Defeating Devil’s Snare? Catching the enchanted key? Winning the giant wizard chess game? Choosing the correct potion? Don’t forget to write down why you have chosen that challenge!__

*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*

  
<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/7DGPxsJ6CKKAybKJk2z8VU/55be28bac6ab6daded4ac10bb10c57a5/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-15.png" alt="my boat"> 

__Draw a picture of the specific winged key that Harry has to catch.__
  
*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*
 
<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/76EKXm249R6Av82pPNGMoG/e4a932f2b477a3e645b7280773330069/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-16.png" alt="my boat"> 

__Answer this question and get a clue about the next chapter. What do you call an object in which you can see your clear reflection?.__
  
*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*
  
<IMG src="//images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/3RO65v5jlfLcUheOJIz3Ky/a17b402d7bf7171748d33604faec3580/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-17_1.png" alt="my boat">

__Write about yourself: In this chapter Hermione tells Harry that friendship is very important. Pick one of your friends and write about them. What do they look like? What are their hobbies? What is the best thing about being friends with that person?__

*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*
  
<IMG src="https://images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/1XMWX309jyKzFCwPLGQanc/2281a50062bd3fddf1828bd941302a3d/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-17_2.png" alt="my boat">

__Prediction time! Who do you think Harry can see in the last chamber? We know it’s not Snape or Voldemort. Who is it? And no peaking at the beginning of the next chapter!__

*This mini-challenge is worth 1 house point.*

  
<IMG src="https://images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/4EH2eETTkq3a5Mbf24yLt4/c2bf7363fb4493fba513fc766137d831/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-17_3.png" alt="my boat">

__Time to be Neville Longbottom: In 'Through the Trapdoor', Neville stands up to Harry, Ron and Hermione to try to stop them sneaking out of the common room. Pretend you’re Neville later that night writing in his diary. Are you upset with Hermione for cursing you? Are you glad you stuck up for yourself? Are you worried Harry, Ron and Hermione will get caught? Do you tell any other Gryffindors about it? Have you lost Trevor again? Use your imagination!__

*This mini-challenge is worth 2 house points.*

  
<IMG src="https://images.ctfassets.net/usf1vwtuqyxm/5kRx9NHQ0mdxxkoKpgC0gV/865d36dd4c210aa10a8cec9e846f9abb/numbersquaresArtboard-1-copy-18.png" alt="my boat">

__Secret quest: Challenge someone in your household to a game. It could be chess (like the characters play in this chapter) or something else you have in the house. [Here are some magical ideas, if you’re stuck](https://www.wizardingworld.com/features/how-to-cast-a-spell-over-everyday-games). At the end of the game – whether you win or lose – you must thank the other player for helping you get one step closer to the Philosopher’s Stone. Keep a straight face and absolutely do not laugh ...__

*This mini-challenge is worth 3 house points.*
  
  OR...

***

__Quiz time: If this secret quest isn’t for you, you can collect the same number of house points if you answer every question correctly in our [Chapter Sixteen Quiz here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/quiz/chapter-quiz-chapter-sixteen-five-questions "CQ16")...__

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Did you complete this Chapter Challenge? How many house points did you collect of the possible 10? Have you put all your pieces of paper in the hourglass so you don’t lose count? When a reading of Chapter Seventeen becomes available, there’ll be another challenge waiting for you!

Still need to find out which Hogwarts house you belong in? [Here’s a link to the Sorting Ceremony on our website](https://my.wizardingworld.com/register "Register"). Or download the Wizarding World app to find out your house whilst wearing the Sorting Hat! You’ll need an adult to help you register.

And for more quizzes, crafting, articles and other fun activites go to the [Harry Potter At Home Hub](https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/harry-potter-at-home "HPAH hub").

__Illustration by Mary GrandPré © Scholastic__

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How Ron Weasley’s wizard chess match showed his true potential

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WB F1 Wizards Chess Harry Ron Hermione Crossing chess board 8637

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The Ron we meet in *Philosopher’s Stone* isn’t exactly brimming with self-belief. He’s embarrassed about his hand-me-downs, overshadowed by his older brothers and burdened by the weight of family expectation. It’s really no surprise that the Mirror of Erised shows him basking in the glory of being the best Weasley boy – something, he gloomily tells Harry, is unlikely to happen in real life:

> ‘Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it’s no big deal, because they did it first.’  
<br> *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* </br>

All that sibling rivalry, plus the added factor of being the best friend of the incredibly famous Harry Potter, all seems to contribute to knocking Ron’s self-esteem, and it can lead him to being pretty jealous at times. But in his very first year, Ron shows poise and bravery while battling Professor McGonagall’s huge enchanted chessboard, one of the many obstacles protecting the Philosopher's Stone. He’s even willing to sacrifice himself by being knocked unconscious by the giant chess pieces so Harry and Hermione can move on. It's a hugely mature decision for someone so young, especially for someone who can be a bit immature at times like Ron.

Here’s why Ron’s chess match was so important.

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## He’s in control

Ron’s part of a big family, constantly jostling for room. At Hogwarts, it’s even worse: not only does he have the legacy of his two eldest brothers to contend with, he’s also got perfect Percy and practical jokers Fred and George on his case.

If everyone expects certain things of you, it’s hard to feel in control of your own choices. Chess might be an unpredictable game, but when Ron is directing his pieces around that chessboard it’s just him and his opponent.

## It’s all about strategising

Ron can be impulsive, reckless and irrational – such as stealing his dad’s car in *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, for instance – or falling out with Harry over his Triwizard Cup entry in *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*. Chess, however, is a long game with only three possible outcomes. Chess forces Ron to think strategically, and quickly. This is where he’s at his best. He thrives on action and at the very least he likes a plan. In *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, he initially struggles with the randomness of his Horcrux journey but later, during the Battle of Hogwarts, he has the idea of gathering Basilisk fangs to destroy the remaining Horcruxes — the kind of thinking on the spot that chess encourages.

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## There are no expectations

He says it himself — at every point in Ron’s Hogwarts journey, from the Sorting Hat to his lessons to the Quidditch pitch, he’s burdened by expectation: all his family were Gryffindors, Bill was Head Boy, Charlie was Quidditch captain, Percy’s a prefect and Fred and George make everyone laugh.

But a game of chess demands nothing of you except that you play, and in Ron’s case, he plays well. To lose is disappointing, but not devastating (or at least until he comes to play Professor McGonagall’s giant set), and in any case, he doesn't often lose.

## He can be instinctive, without feeling self-conscious

It’s precisely because nobody expects anything in particular of him that Ron can play wizard chess without feeling self-conscious. When Ron makes it on to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, his anxieties about becoming the new Keeper become so overwhelming that they affect his ability to play – especially joining the team years after Harry did. His insecurities really play havoc with his intentions in *Deathly Hallows*, when he abandons Harry and Hermione after one too many Horcrux-influenced bad thoughts. He has no such insecurity when faced with a chess board so he just plays instinctively, analysing nothing but his opponent.

## He knows he can do it

In *Half-Blood Prince*, Ron’s pre-Quidditch match nerves get so bad that Harry pretends to add a drop of liquid luck to his pumpkin juice. It’s only then that Ron starts to feel confident. But when he comes across Professor McGonagall’s chess set in *Philosopher’s Stone*, he already has the confidence to know he doesn’t need luck. He wastes no time telling Harry and Hermione what to do — he knows he's the best chess player, so he takes charge and says so.

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The giant wizard chess on the way to get to the Philosopher's Stone

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## It’s all his

Above all, wizard chess is Ron’s game. Elsewhere he is overshadowed and sometimes entirely overlooked, but when faced with a chess board, he knows he’s playing to his strengths.

This is what gives him the confidence to face McGonagall’s merciless white queen. When he steps across the square knowing he will be attacked by a large stone chess piece, he does it so that Harry can checkmate the king. Sure enough, Ron is knocked out with rapid brutality, but his strategising works and Harry and Hermione can move on.

Ron’s a Gryffindor, so of course there are many moments where he proves his bravery and determination — attempting to save his sister in *Chamber of Secrets*, ignoring a broken leg to challenge Sirius in *Prisoner of Azkaban*, battling Death Eaters in *Order of the Phoenix*, to name a few. But off the chess board, he generally works best as part of a team.

He has a family full of high-achieving siblings and friends like Harry and Hermione, so the moments that Ron gets to singlehandedly save the day are few. Chess gives him an opportunity to shine, and the things it teaches him — strategy, quick thinking and the importance of self-belief — are pretty important lessons.

Fifty points to Ron.

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<em>If you want to revisit Ron's epic chess match again, you can [watch Kenneth Branagh and Ruth Wilson, with Helena Bonham Carter, read Chapter Sixteen, 'Through the Trapdoor' here](https://www.wizardingworld.com/chapters/reading-through-the-trapdoor).</em>