The Harry Potter series, despite initially being created for young children across the globe, contained quite the body count. The first three movies and books pass relatively nicely, with just Professor Quirrell meeting his demise in the Sorcerer’s Stone. But, when Lord Voldemort returns in the Goblet of Fire, that spells the end for many characters within JK Rowling’s franchise.
Some deaths, however, could have been avoided had the characters made better decisions - or not been subject to trickery. We now take a look at five that could have been - as well as five that simply couldn’t.
Avoidable: Professor Quirrell
Professor Quirrel was Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. It emerges right at the end of the Sorcerer’s Stone that, despite his nervous persona, he’s actually a villain working on the orders of Lord Voldemort who, rather horrifically, is stuck in the back of his head.
The movie doesn’t shed too much light on how this came about but the book does. The Dark Lord met Quirrell when the latter was in Albania and, in the end, the Hogwarts teacher’s greed costs him dearly. Quirrell was enchanted by the idea of power and, had he not been so obsessed with it, then he’d have likely remained safe.
Not Avoidable: Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore knew that, in order for Voldemort to be stopped, he had to embark on a mission to destroy as many as the Dark Lord’s Horcruxes as possible. That means that, when he attempts to destroy the villain’s old family ring, he isn’t too fazed at the lethal hex the object contains.
That means that Dumbledore was never destined to see the end of Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts. And, knowing Draco Malfoy has been given the job of killing him, the Hogwarts headmaster strikes an agreement with Severus Snape. Snape then puts Dumbledore out of his misery - and saves Draco’s soul from being shattered in the process.
Avoidable: Cedric Diggory
Cedric Diggory is a nice chap, someone whose likeability makes his death in the Goblet of Fire that bit more painful and heart-wrenching. And, to make things worse, the Hufflepuff student could easily have lived had Harry Potter not been so darn nice.
Harry and Cedric both touch the Triwizard Cup at the exact same time, with the Boy Who Lived pitching the idea in order to ensure Hogwarts wins the prize. Had Potter not been so thoughtful, Cedric would have lived. Instead, they both travel to the Little Hangleton graveyard where Peter Pettigrew then slaughters Diggory in cold blood.
Not Avoidable: Peter Pettigrew
Do you ever get told to do something and, almost without thinking, you just think nope? I don’t want to do that? But then a split second later you realize you’d be doing someone a favor and do it anyway?
Well, Peter Pettigrew doesn’t get that split second. He pauses, just briefly, in the Deathly Hallows book when Harry reminds him he’s indebted to him during a tense scene in Malfoy Manor. Wormtail’s own silver hand, given to him by Lord Voldemort years before, then proceeds to turn and choke him to his death despite Harry and Ron doing all they can to save him. This means that Pettigrew, at some point, was always expected to hesitate and, consequently, die.
Avoidable: Sirius Black
It’s been years since Sirius Black died - but it still hurts us every time. In the Order of the Phoenix, Lord Voldemort tricks Harry into traveling to the Ministry of Magic, making the Boy Who Lived believe his godfather to be in grave danger.
But when Harry gets there, he finds out he’s been tricked. Sirius then comes to his rescue but, amid a huge fight in the Department of Mysteries, is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. Had Harry tried harder at Occlumency, Voldemort wouldn’t have been able to get into his head. And this makes Potter feel guilty and responsible for Sirius’ passing in the immediate aftermath.
Not Avoidable: Fred Weasley
Fred Weasley is another popular Harry Potter character who perishes, going out with a heroic bang amid the Battle of Hogwarts. Given how high the stakes were, literally every magical good guy takes to the battlefield in order to keep evil at bay.
That, in itself, means Fred’s death was unavoidable. And the circumstances make that the case as well. In the book it’s established he dies as a result of an explosion, simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps that’s why we still find it hard to talk about after all these years…
Avoidable: Dobby
Dobby is probably the cutest creature in the Potterverse and, rather, unfortunately, is killed off in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 blockbuster. The House Elf loyally travels to Malfoy Manor to save Harry, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, and Ollivander from certain death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange and her fellow Death Eater cronies.
But, just before they’re set to escape, Dobby can’t resist one final taunt. This proves to be his undoing, giving Bellatrix time to propel a knife at him - which devastatingly lands in the middle of his little chest.
Not Avoidable: Severus Snape
Severus Snape must have known he signed his own death warrant when he agreed to a deal with Albus Dumbledore to take the Hogwarts professor’s life. He also must have realized that the Elder Wand actually belonged to Draco Malfoy, rather than himself.
He makes his sacrifice in Deathly Hallows; Part 2, dying for the cause after Lord Voldemort wrongly believes him to be the true master of the prized possession. Snape isn’t stupid, he knew Voldemort would murder anybody who was in his path to the thing he wanted the most. And that’s why his death was unavoidable.
Avoidable: James and Lily Potter
Everybody has a secret they’re willing to share with their very closest friends. Everybody has that ONE person who is that bit more trustworthy than the rest, who they believe would never breathe a word of it to anybody else.
James and Lily Potter thought they were getting that through Peter Pettigrew but, having fallen into Lord Voldemort’s crowd, Wormtail lets them down by betraying their location. Had they chosen Sirius Black to be their Secret Keeper then they would have lived. And that makes Harry’s decision not to allow Sirius and Remus Lupin to murder their old friend that bit more admirable.
Not Avoidable: Lord Voldemort
‘Neither can live while the other survives.’ Those are the words from Professor Trelawney’s prophecy, long before Lord Voldemort returned to power and waged war on the entire wizarding world.
Voldemort was destined to die because, if he didn’t, it would be Harry Potter. The fact he made so many mistakes on his quest to kill the Boy Who Lived - from failing to check Harry’s body himself to underestimating the power of love - meant he was never going to reign supreme. Harry was smarter, and of far more noble heart, to fail.
