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Harry Potter's wizarding world may be full of magic and wonder, but as many fans know all too well, it's also entrenched in tragedy and loss. Harry himself is an orphan, and he loses many close friends during his journey to defeat Voldemort. He and his friends also have to battle some truly terrible people who wish them harm, leading to some close calls and traumatic moments.
Over the years, some of these details about Harry Potter have been forgotten or overlooked by fans. Some were present in the books but not the movie adaptations, while others are never explicitly stated or are only mentioned in supplementary materials. While these sad details don't lessen the magic of the franchise, they do paint it in a different light.
9 Ginny Weasley Kept a Horcrux for a Year and No One Noticed
During her first year at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ginny Weasley unwittingly came into possession of Tom Riddle's diary, a dangerous Horcrux that influenced her to do terrible things for much of the school year. Despite attending school with four of her older brothers, no one took notice of Ginny's struggles until it was almost too late.
Percy, Fred, George and Ron simply chocked up Ginny's distraught behavior to other causes, like having a cold or just generally being upset at the strange goings-on at Hogwarts. While they can't protect her from everything, it's a little sad that it took so long for Ginny's brothers -- or anyone else -- to figure out that something was really wrong.
8 Sirius Black Never Knew About His Brother's Heroic Sacrifice
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry and Dumbledore retrieve Voldemort's locket, a Horcrux, but it turns out to be a fake. The real Horcrux was stolen by Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius's brother, who turned against Voldemort and tried to destroy the Horcrux. Unfortunately, Sirius never got to learn about this side of his brother.
Sirius's relationship with his family was strained at best since he didn't agree with their pure-blood supremacist beliefs. He even ran away from home at 16 and never went back. Considering how disappointed Sirius was when Regulus became a Death Eater, he probably would've been proud to know that his little brother did eventually rebel against the Dark Lord, but Sirius died before it came to light.
7 Petunia Dursley Was Rejected From Hogwarts by Dumbledore Himself
Petunia Dursley wants nothing to do with magic during the events of Harry Potter, but as fans later learn, this wasn't always the case. As a girl, Petunia was envious of her sister's abilities and wanted to learn about magic, too. She even wrote a letter to Albus Dumbledore asking if she could attend Hogwarts and become a witch, as revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but he politely declined because she was a Muggle.
Although it doesn't excuse her awful treatment of Harry, it could not have been easy for Petunia to deal with that kind of rejection at such a young age. Fans can understand why her relationship with Lily crumbled, even if Petunia still loved her sister deep down.
6 Even in Molly Weasley's Worst Nightmare, Fred and George Were Together
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Molly Weasley had a nasty encounter with a Boggart. Since Boggarts take the form of a person's greatest fear, this one appeared as the dead bodies of her loved ones, changing to a new person every time she tried to cast a spell. During this horrifying display, Fred and George appeared together because even in death, Molly never imagined the twins would be separated.
Molly's fear is heartbreaking enough, but the fact that Fred dies in the Battle of Hogwarts while George survives turns it into quite the emotional punch. It's even more tear-jerking when considering Molly had two twin brothers, Fabian and Gideon, who died fighting side by side in the First Wizarding War. Fred and George's names were a tribute to their uncles.
5 Bellatrix Lestrange Murdered Her Own Niece
Bellatrix Lestrange was one of Voldemort's most devoted followers who committed numerous atrocities in his name. Her loyalty to the Dark Lord even superseded her loyalty to family, as she famously killed her cousin, Sirius. But what some may not know is that she also killed her own niece, Nymphadora Tonks, in one of the most tragic deaths in Harry Potter.
Tonks was the daughter of Andromeda Black, Bellatrix's sister, who was estranged from her family after she married a muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks. While fans already knew that Bellatrix was a vicious Death Eater, killing her own niece -- which left Tonks and Lupin's son an orphan -- showed just how cruel she truly was.
4 James and Lily Were Only 21 When They Died
Since Harry is just a kid for much of the series, it's easy to assume that his parents, James and Lily, were fully grown adults when they died. After all, the actors who portrayed them in the movies, Adrian Rawlins and Geraldine Somerville, were both over 30 in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. However, fans have since learned that James and Lily were only 21 when they were killed by Voldemort.
Although 21-year-olds may technically be adults, it's still on the young side to be parents, even for the time period. This also means that in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry was only a few years younger than his parents were when he summoned them with the Resurrection Stone.
3 Barty Crouch Jr. Showed Neville Longbottom the Curse He Used on His Parents
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire introduced fans to the unforgivable curses in a memorable Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Neville Longbottom was particularly affected by Alastor Moody's demonstration of the Cruciatus Curse, which was used to torture Neville's parents into madness. Moody is later revealed to be Barty Crouch Jr., one of the Death Eaters who carried out the attack.
Neville being forced to witness the curse that was used on his parents was already traumatic. The fact that Crouch did this while knowing exactly who Neville was makes it that much more sickening and reinforces just how cruel Crouch was.
2 After Fred's Death, George Couldn't Produce the Patronus Charm
As Harry Potter fans well know, magic users must think of a powerful, happy memory to produce the Patronus Charm. Both Fred and George were able to cast a full-bodied Patronus, which took the form of a magpie. But, much to fans' despair, George lost this ability after Fred died because all his happiest memories included his brother.
Some fans dispute this because many claim author J.K. Rowling stated this in an interview or a social media post but can't trace the exact source. Others doubt its validity since other characters who've also experienced great loss can still create a full-bodied Patronus, such as Snape and Harry. Nevertheless, the idea that George's happiest memories are all tinged with sadness is an especially heart-wrenching one that's been widely accepted as canon.
1 All of the Marauders Died for Harry Potter
James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew form the group known as the Marauders in Harry Potter. Although the friends were ultimately broken up by war and betrayal, one thing that they still have in common is that, in one form or another, they all died for Harry.
First, James died protecting his wife and son from Voldemort. Years later, Sirius died fighting at Harry's side in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Despite betraying all his friends, Peter hesitated to kill Harry, causing his own hand, created by Voldemort, to strangle him. Finally, Remus died in the Battle of Hogwarts, during which the Order of the Phoenix and other allies fought Voldemort's forces as Harry searched the castle for Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem, one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.