During the events ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowson May 2nd, 1998, tragedy and horror struck Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As Harry searched for Voldemort’s last remaining Horcruxes, the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore’s Army, and Hogwarts itself elected to stand their ground and defend Harry at all costs from the Dark Lord.
Duringthe ensuing Battle of Hogwarts, many characters lost their lives, regardless of their age or loyalties. Besides those whom Harry knew, there were supposedly 50 other deaths during the Battle of Hogwarts, excluding those of Death Eaters and creatures. While most of the fallen are unnamed, the following are known characters to have died.
This article containsmajor spoilers for the end of theHarry Potterstory and the Battle of Hogwarts.
7Fred Weasley
Killed By: An Explosion, Possibly Augustus Rookwood
Fred Weasley’s demise early on in the Battle of Hogwarts is easily one of thesaddest deaths in theHarry Potterfranchise, especially if you imagine George having to carry on in life without his inseparable twin. While the movie only shows the Weasley family mourning Fred, his death is sadder still in the books, with Harry witnessing it.
Fred was defending the walls with his brother Percy, with the two finally sharing a laugh after years of strain. However, Fred would die with the laugh still etched on his face, due to a large explosion. While it’s unclearwho killed Fred Weasley, the Death Eater Augustus Rookwood is the most likely suggestion, seeing as Percy storms after his former colleague, shouting ‘ROOKWOOD!’.
6Nymphadora Tonks & Remus Lupin
Killed By: Bellatrix Lestrange & Antonin Dolohov, Respectively
Having recently borne a son together, the deaths of Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin are among the most tragic. In some ways, their deaths mirror those of Lily and James Potter, leaving behind a son whose only solace would be eventually knowing his parents died fighting evil.
While their deaths weren’t seen from Harry’s perspective, it is known that Remus was duelingDeath Eater, Antonin Dolohov, and was presumably killed by him. Tonks, on the other hand, was slain by Bellatrix Lestrange, who was her aunt and reportedly trying to trim the disloyal branches of her family tree.
5Severus Snape
Killed By: Nagini At The Behest Of Lord Voldemort
Severus Snape’s death was so dramatic and tied to his past that it’s easy to forget it occurred during the Battle of Hogwarts. This is particularly true in the books, where Snape doesn’t die in the Boathouse, but instead in the Shrieking Shack, which, while accessed in the grounds of Hogwarts, is actually located closer to Hogsmeade.
Snape, who’d managed to keep his true intentions secret from Voldemort for many years, was eventually killed by his supposed master so that the Dark Lord could truly control the Elder Wand. However,while slowly dying from Nagini’s bite, Snape was able to pass his memories onto Harry, helping to bring down Lord Voldemort.
4Lavender Brown & Colin Creevey
Killed By: Fenrir Greyback & Unknown Death Eaters, Respectively
Out of the students who stayed behind to fight, it is unknown how many were among the 50 or so fallen. However, two named students who died during the Battle of Hogwarts were Lavender Brown and Colin Creevey. Lavender Brown was a Gryffindor student in Harry’s year and was most notable for dating Ron duringThe Half-Blood Prince.She met her endat the cruel fangs of the werewolf Fenrir Greyback after falling from a balcony. However, some would argue that she could have survived, given that her body was described as ‘feebly struggling’.
Colin Creevey, on the other hand, who was most notable for his role as an overly excited first year inThe Chamber of Secrets, was underage and supposed to return home with many of the other students. However, he snuck back to fight alongside his fellow Dumbledore’s Army members and was tragically slain by Death Eaters, with his body later being recovered by Neville Longbottom and Oliver Wood.
3Vincent Crabbe (Or Gregory Goyle In The Film)
Killed By: His Own Fiendfyre
In the books, it was Vincent Crabbe who died in the Room of Requirement, after losing control of Fiendfyre, which also destroyed one ofVoldemort’s last Horcruxes, the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. As he was trying to kill Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and also endangering Draco and Goyle, his death cannot be lamented too much, but it’s sad how far Voldemort’s tendrils of corruption reached.
However, due to Crabbe’s actor being unavailable for the last film, there was a switch to make Gregory Goyle the one to lose control of Fiendfyre and ultimately perish.
2Bellatrix Lestrange
Killed By: Molly Weasley
Bellatrix Lestrange is easily one of themost evil characters inHarry Potterand met a just end at the hands of Molly Weasley during the closing stages of the Battle of Hogwarts. Dueling Hermione, Luna, and Ginny at once, and nearly killing Ginny, Molly Weasley stepped in to defend her daughter, refusing to lose another child after the death of her son Fred earlier in the battle.
Throughout their intense duel, which drew a crowd, Bellatrix was laughing and gloating, all until a curse struck her on her chest, and her joy turned to ashes. In the books, Bellatrix’s death even caused Voldemort to scream, as she was the last bastion of his supporters.
1Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle
Killed By: His Own Killing Curse Rebounding
The last death of the Battle of Hogwarts was arguably the most important, as it concluded the conflict and theHarry Potterstory. With his last two Horcruxes in Harry and Nagini destroyed,Lord Voldemort was once again a mere mortal man.
One last time, he tried to kill Harry with the Killing Curse, this time believing he had the upper hand with the Elder Wand in possession. However, Harry, as the true master of the Elder Wand, was able to disarm the Dark Lord, and the Killing Curse rebounded off Harry to strike down its caster. In the books, Tom Riddle’s lifeless body hit the floor with a mundane finality.
