It is with a mixture of sadness, excitement and worry that the final film instalment of the Harry Potter story approaches. Sadness because it will be the end, excitement because it's a Harry Potter film and worry because I'm getting trailer-nerves. They have done a pretty good job of interpreting the books, adding excitement and layers of imagination to the books albeit with one or two dubious choices and one really bad one.
But putting that all to one side, I've spent the last few weeks re-watching all the films in order and it's reminded me of individual delights. The result is this list, my favourite scenes, and it has been extremely tough whittling it down. Have I missed a particularly good one?
1. Mirror of Erised, Philosopher's Stone
Harry discovers a mirror in which he can see himself with his parents, Dumbledore later discovers him and tells him that the mirror shows your deepest hearts desire. Despite the first book being the most child-like and fun this was such a moving and poignant moment, it never fails to bring a tear to my eye - a scene which is nicely mirrored, for want of a better word, by the grave yard scene in Deathly Hallows part 1
2. Whomping willow, Chamber of Secrets
Always makes me smile, the tree with attitude that terrorises birds and Hogwarts students alike. Especially like it when it decides to shed its leaves for winter and just shivers them off.
3. The Knight Bus, Prisoner of Azkaban
So much to like about the bus: the way it shrinks to fit between on-coming traffic, the talking shrunken heads hanging in the window, the way the beds on the bus are all on wheels and move around as the bus swerves and breaks and of course Harry having to peel his face of the window it comes to an abrupt stop outside the Leaky Cauldron - having of course nudged a park car setting off it's alarm.
4. The Yule Ball, Goblet of Fire
The teenage trio take their first tentative steps onto the road of romance and the sexual tension crackles from Harry awkwardly taking his first dance to Hermione's exasperated, high-pitched rant. It is one of the joyful scenes that reminds you of your own early teen romances and unrequited love and also a rare moment when the three can forget the trials and tribulations of magical life.
5. First dual with Voldemort, Goblet of Fire
I love the whole grave yard scene when Voldemort finally gets a human form once again. It still makes me chuckle the way Wormtail drops the foetal-like Voldy into the prepared cauldron from a height - you'd think, what with him being the Dark Lord and everything, Wormtail would have lowered him in a bit more respectfully. Anyway I digress, that whole scene is a pivotal one in the books as the series takes a darker turn. Harry witnesses his first death and is tortured by Voldemort before bravely facing up to him in a dual. He once again sees his parents and we get to see Ralph Fiennes as the delishly evil He Who Cannot Be Named for the first time.
6. Weasley twins leave Hogwarts, Order of the Phoenix
Fred and George really come into there own in Order of the Phoenix and from the moment they announce that their futures lie outside academia you know they are going to go out with a bang and they certainly do that with a fireworks attack on Professor Umbridge (one of my favourite characters in the hands of the Imelda Staunton). Think it also appeals as having someone disrupt an exam so dramatically was a constant dream when I was at school.
7. Harry possessed, Order of the Phoenix
Such a charged moment from Dumbledore and Voldy facing off for the only time in the series then the later playing particularly dirty and possessing Harry. It is a scene that is beautifully described in the book and was always going to be difficult to make work visually but it is superbly done. It demonstrates how far Daniel Radcliffe has come as an actor since the early films as he manages to convey so much pain and emotional suffering in his face. Also like the way he incorporates snake-like movement into his performance. If it one of those scenes that I will sometimes just pop the DVD on to watch.
8. Hermione gets cross at the loved-up Ron, Half Blood Prince
It's only a small scene but I love the little heart to heart Hermione and Harry have about how it feels to have unrequited love. And then when the newly loved-up Ron and Lavender stumble in on them Hermione sets the flock of blue birds she'd conjured onto Ron. Teenage wizard's revenge is great.
9. The seven Potters, Deathly Hallow Part 1
One of my favourite bits in the book that works even better on film, Harry's friends all take polyjuice potion so they can act as decoy Harry's when he leaves Privet Drive for the last time. Love watching the transformation and the seven Harry's talking in different voices - just a shame it's not a bit longer in the film.
10. Escape from Malfoy Manor, Deathly Hallows Part 1
A great sequence that is thrilling in the book and just as thrilling in the film. I really thought they might end Part 1 at the capture, leaving the film on a cliff-hanger but they didn't. Harry is at one of his most vulnerable moments, locked wandless in the basement with Ron while they can hear Hermione being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange upstairs and of course the heroic Dobby comes to the rescue.
So which ones have I missed, come on I know there are plenty?
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