Most Shocking Moment in the Series

[franckolat]

I don't remember reading the first four for the first time. I was, like, seven.

In OOTP,
-A Peck of Owls. That scene in the book was scary, dark and intense. I was really worried for Harry. In the film, however, they shortened it and made it boring and comical.
-Umbridge's hand trying to grab Sirius
-Dumbledore coming to rescue Harry

In HBP,
-Horcruxes. I didn't sleep that night.
-Snape killing Dumbledore.

In DH, like every chapter had a big twist. The most memorable ones were :
-"The ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They're coming." !!!!!!!!!!!!
-Malfoy Manor. I had to stop reading for a moment and gather my courage to continue.
-Dobby's death. I had never cried that much reading something. I was in an airplane and the pilot came to see me, he tought I was having a panic attack!

[Mrk252]

I haven't read the series for a while, especially DH, but the most shocking for me was when either George or Fred lost his brother. That was so cruel and I just couldn't read on, next day I ofcourse continued

[Lauzzy]

I would say Snape killing Dumbledore, because at the time we didn't know it had all been planned beforehand, and Dumbledore really trusted Snape, so that was definitely shocking.

To be honest the moment that shocked me the most out of all of the books is when Bellatrix tortures Hermione for information in Deathly Hallows. I just didn't see it coming... I don't know why, but i was 100% convinced that Hermione wasn't going to live through it.

[SaraHaley]

For me the two most shocking moments in the entire serires was the killing curse on top of the castle. I remember reading that and my mouth falling open not because Dumbledore died (there had been a rumor floating around about it) but because Snape was the one to kill him. I just couldn't believe it. Another shocking, gut wrenching moment for me was when Sirius died. He is one of my favorite characters in the books and movies and to have to read about him dying, followed by Harry's reaction made me cry. My sister had unfortunately ruined the "surprise" that Sirius died, but I didn't expect it to happen when it did, and how it did.

Another moment that was shocking, but not to the extent of the others was when Voldemort "killed" Harry. That entire scene, when Harry's walking and talking to the ghosts or illusions of his loved ones really got to me and it made the next scene real. I got really worried the first time I read it because J.K. Rowling made it clear that she could have possibly killed Harry and that thought freaked me out.

[Bella_Crucio_U]

I agree with all of those moments. When harry was walking to his death I was just totally freaking out and saying "this isn't happening, this can't be happening" haha. When his parents, Lupin, and Sirius appear I pretty much lost it and started crying.

[Lauzzy]

I didn't really find the moment shocking - i found that one more overwhelmingly sad to be honest.
The very end of the chapter before it, when he finds out all along he was meant to die, was quite shocking, but when he's walking to the forest, the shock had sunk in for me, and i just felt so sad. Everytime i read 'The Forest Again' I get filled with sadness

[FutureAuthor13]

In Philosopher's Stone:
1) Snape was all along, trying to save Harry's life. ...Yeah, probably most of you had figured that out when reading the book...but I was young when I first started reading the books (8, I think?) and the moment surprised me greatly. It was one of the first times that a plot twist had fooled me and it made me realise what a great author JK Rowling was. It gave me the motivation to continue the series, as I was longing for more ingenious plot twists and, obviously, I was not disappointed.

In Chamber of Secrets:
1) Harry being able to speak Parseltongue..and how all of it was cleverly foreshadowed in the first book, with the incident of the Boa Constrictor!

2) Ginny Weasely being "responsible" for opening the Chamber of Secrets. I don't know who I was actually expecting to be the culprit but the way Voldemort controlled her was very surprising.

3) Hagrid's History; exactly why he got expelled. This had been niggling me at the back of my mind all while reading PS/SS and CoS and I was pleased to finally find out what had happened.

In Prisoner of Azkaban:
1) The intoduction of the very unnerving Dementors. Their description was so chilling.

2) The intoduction of the Patronus Charm. A lovely litte idea of JK Rowling's- I liked how everyone had a different Patronus and how their one showed either their true personality, or love life...etc

3) We find out what poor Hagrid went through in Chamber of Secrets! It was an overwhelming wave of sympathy that I felt towards him in this book, simply because of how petrifying I found the Dementors.

4) Two names: Remus John Lupin and Sirius Black. Some beautifully well rounded, individual characters that I was keen to see grow throughout each book.

5) The "Pettigrew" plot twist. Foreshadowed the inevitable darkness that was to come in Goblet of Fire and keeps the idea in our minds that things in the Wizarding World are never what they seem...

6) The time turner usage. A complex, handy plot twist.

In Goblet of Fire:
1) The return of Lord Voldemort (duh! ). Also, which ties in with this, is what a dark turn the books have sharply taken.

2) Cedric Diggory's Death. This sadly showed that people presently on the good side can and will die.

In Order of the Phoenix:
1) "Snape's Worst Memory" scene. It added a much needed new dimenssion to his alreadly complicated character.

2) The lengths of extremity that Professor Umbridge goes to, for "order." What a memorable character, I'm sure's we'll all agree...

3) Sirius's Death. Truly was not expecting JK Rowling to put her beloved protagonist through something like that

4) Voldemort trying to possess Harry. One of the tensest and most dramatic moments in the series; literally had me holding my breath.

In Half Blood Prince:
1) Malfoy is a Death Eater! I always viewed his portrayal in the books as a somewhat nasty character, but I never thought he would go this far. Then, Rowling manages to make his feels sorry for him; adding vulnerabilty and some fantastic realism to his traditional "baddie pantomime" like character that I think he was previously shown as.

2) Snape's involvement in Harry's parents death.

3) Dumbledore's death. I can still remember my jaw hanging open as I read his last moment.

In Deathly Hallows: (many, many things shocked me, but I'll just include my significant ones):

1) The re introduction of Ollivander. I just didn't think he would ever appear in the books again, for some reason.

2) Fred's death; you could never see Fred without George and vice versa. Very poignant.

3) Snape's death and his true intentions and history ect...I'll say one thing: it's made him one of my most favourite characters in existance.

[Carpalsc]

The most shocking moment for me probably would've been that Snape killed Dumbledore had it not been ruined for me beforehand. So the most shocking moment for me was when Fred died. I wasn't expecting that at all.

[ProtegoTotalum]

Originally Posted by FutureAuthor13

3) Snape's death and his true intentions and history ect...I'll say one thing: it's made him one of my most favourite characters in existance.

Yesss. The Prince's Tale chapter is quite probably my favourite in the series.

[Fawkesfan1]

Originally Posted by FutureAuthor13

In Order of the Phoenix:
1) "Snape's Worst Memory" scene. It added a much needed new dimenssion to his alreadly complicated character.

2) The lengths of extremity that Professor Umbridge goes to, for "order." What a memorable character, I'm sure's we'll all agree...

3) Sirius's Death. Truly was not expecting JK Rowling to put her beloved protagonist through something like that

4) Voldemort trying to possess Harry. One of the tensest and most dramatic moments in the series; literally had me holding my breath.

In Half Blood Prince:
1) Malfoy is a Death Eater! I always viewed his portrayal in the books as a somewhat nasty character, but I never thought he would go this far. Then, Rowling manages to make his feels sorry for him; adding vulnerabilty and some fantastic realism to his traditional "baddie pantomime" like character that I think he was previously shown as.

2) Snape's involvement in Harry's parents death.

3) Dumbledore's death. I can still remember my jaw hanging open as I read his last moment.

In Deathly Hallows: (many, many things shocked me, but I'll just include my significant ones):

1) The re introduction of Ollivander. I just didn't think he would ever appear in the books again, for some reason.

2) Fred's death; you could never see Fred without George and vice versa. Very poignant.

3) Snape's death and his true intentions and history ect...I'll say one thing: it's made him one of my most favourite characters in existance.

Agreed with all of the above. Especially... with Snape's death and his true intentions... threw me for a bit of a loop there. I still don't really like him as a person, but I do (somewhat) respect him for what he did against Voldemort.

Fred's death -- man, that one hit me hard. Very sad too, since Percy finally made him laugh.

Dumbledore's death -- tragic, is the word for this one.

@ Umbridge and her idea of order... that went over like a ton of bricks... didn't it .

[Dobby_Lives]

Probably when Nagini was inside Bathilda Bagshot -eeeewww and when Dobby and Colin Creevey and Fred died. I would have like to think Dumbledore's death was the most shocking, but, when they saw I has reading HBP in year 5, some kindly person in my class yelled: "You're reading HBP? DUMBLEDORE DIES!!!!!!!!!!!!" urrgh.

[elursoboh]

i was shocked when hedwig died. harrys reaction was so sad also fred but you sorta could guess one of them was gonna die.
also the intense scenes like the naginni in bathlida (as mentioned above) and the battle scene too...also in ootp when bellatrix sirius dies i wanted to say "oh no she di-int" or scream 'biiiiiiiiiiiiitch!" at my book...but i feel like that wouldve been odd

[Bella_Crucio_U]

Well then I guess what i did was odd haha. I was so shocked and extrememly angry when Sirius died. I never got upset more about any HP death than Sirius's. Total shocker. The bathilda scene was shocking too...and disturbing.

[Fawkesfan1]

Originally Posted by Bella_Crucio_U

Well then I guess what i did was odd haha. I was so shocked and extrememly angry when Sirius died. I never got upset more about any HP death than Sirius's. Total shocker. The bathilda scene was shocking too...and disturbing.

Agreed about Bathilda... that was just disturbing and shocking -- definitely didn't see that one coming at all.

[PotterGirl100]

I definitely didn't see Fred dying coming!
I mean, when George lot his ear, I didn't think anything else would happen to the twins

[SevrusSnape]

Finding out that Sirius was good, I was really shocked to see Sirius die, Snape killing DD and basically everything that happened in Deathly Hallows.

[MoodysMagicEye]

The Prince's tale, not just in relation to Dumbledores death I could always see Snape being good in some way. But his love for Lily and the fact he had actually had become quite fond of Harry, I didn't see that coming at all.

[sticky]

Had to be in DH the Princes Tale chapter. Just all this information that you suddenly gained about Snape, Harry and horcruxes, i was devestated that Harry was a horcrux. Snapes death was also shocking and sad.

I was very shocked in HBP as Dumbledore died, being one of my favourtie characters i refused to believe it was true.

[Dan_the_Man]

Originally Posted by sticky

Had to be in DH the Princes Tale chapter. Just all this information that you suddenly gained about Snape, Harry and horcruxes, i was devestated that Harry was a horcrux. Snapes death was also shocking and sad.

I was very shocked in HBP as Dumbledore died, being one of my favourtie characters i refused to believe it was true.

I agree with both of those very much, as I was shocked by a lot of things. I was REALLY shocked that Fred and Moody both died, and that the Hog's Head bartender was Aberforth Dumbledore. Surprise surprise surprise.

[lovexpotter15]

Definitely finding out that Snape was good was the most Shocking for me. It was the only thing that didn't get spoiled to me because I read the series late.