No! Don't kill them! (Character you cried over most)

[February Fortescue]

I cried really hard when Hedwig died. I agree with Vannessa: animal deaths are always hard. I'm a huge animal lover, and our pets are almost like our babies. You feel responsible for them.

I cried when movie Dumbledore died. Harry's weeping, and the background music, really got to me. I cried when movie Lily put her protective charm on baby Harry and then died. I cried when movie Snape died.

I guess the death which affected me most, though, was Lupin's. The man had had a difficult childhood after being bitten by Greybeck, grew up having to deal with the agony of transforming every month, plus all that discrimination. He had finally found love and had a son, only to give his life in the end. He seldom got a break

[Sydney Rogakis]

I agree with what many are saying here. I don't know that I actually physically cried over any character's death. I did cry at the end of the last movie because they were over and it felt like my childhood was officially over as well.

The first death that jarred me was the old muggle man who went to check on the house. There was such a story of his life and then he was just gone because he was there. It was this death that sort of started the point where we got to see Voldemort killing people just because he could and they were there.

I agree that all of the final book deaths were difficult...Hedwig, Snape, the Lupins, Colin, and especially Fred. Fred was hard because it came at such a down time for the characters in the book already and at a time when as a reader you're thinking "okay, when is this going to make a turn around."I think the most difficult however was indeed Dobby. Because he's Dobby and he died doing something awesome and he didn't deserve to die at all.

I think Merope Gaunt's entire life was just one full of sadness and despair, and her death was just as sad to me. Because even though they were a magical family in a magical world, I know of people who just seem to start out life with no chance, you know.

The moment I distinctly remember crying over in the books and I'm so sad it isn't there in the films? When Dudley comes to shake Harry's hand when he realizes he isn't coming with their family. As if somehow he did somewhere deep down come to count him in some way as a person who isn't a "waste of space." So touching! Did we ever find out what happened to the Dursley's? I also cried when Hermione erased her parents' memories but during the film because it was somehow more dramatic that way. In a way, she killed them.

[Zoe Mitchell]

I do believe that the character I cried most over losing was Sirius Black. Actually, no. I take that back. The characters that I wept over were Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

Coming to this conclusion was difficult. Very difficult indeed. I feel like, after all that Sirius had been through, he deserved better than being killed off in such a brutal manner. And although we don't actually see what happened to Remus (or Tonks, for that matter), the end result was the same. He is still dead. And there is no bringing back someone who has already died.

In the end, though, it does not matter who I cried the most over. Everyone who died is still dead. No amount of tears will ever change that. No amount of wishing, or begging, or pleading, or aching will ever bring them back. All we can do is try to live up to their image, try to make them proud to have known us or been loved by us. And sometimes the best way to do that is to start over. To begin anew. Not to forget them, but to make sure their memory is viewed with the brightest smile one could ever hope for, to make sure that their legacy lives on.

[Amy Darvill]

I think the one I cried over most was Dobby. He had been such a dear character to me and a good friend to Harry and he was also such a symbol of I guess innocence and joy. I can't tell you how much I quoted his lines from his fight with Lucius and still do. And I'm half tempted to buy one of those sock boards that says "Free for House Elves" or the like. And so when he was killed, it broke my heart.

I'm pretty sure I'm thinking of the film more than anything at the moment, but his burial scene is what made me cry the most. I certainly cried for other characters, but that's the death that sticks out the clearest in my mind.

[Lucia Dinapoli]

I think I cry so much at pretty much all of the deaths in both the books and movie adaptions but I think the one that hit me the most first time around had to be Cedric.

Cedric's death, especially within the books, was of such huge importance. He was always so consistently shown to be a good, kind, generous and totally pure.

Dumbledore's

Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.

will forever bring tears to my eyes no matter how many times I reread it!

It was his death that truly turned the Wizarding World on its head and a death that definitely stayed with me.

And of course it goes without saying all the others: Dobby, Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, Dumbledore, Snape, !!HEDWIG!! etc. etc. etc.

[Pheonix Airheart]

The two deaths that hit me the hardest would have to be Fred and Sirus. I cry every time I read or watch these parts in the movies or the books.

[Marianne Arden]

I cried over so many characters ' deaths bitterly since I haven't expected that. At first , when I saw Cedric getting shoot at with Avada Kedavra spell , I was so shocked and terrified at that moment , since I admired Cedric for a long time and seeing his body unmoved was like a back stab to me ,I cried over Cedric for the second time while reading the fourth book, I remember too well , also , when Dobby got that dagger hit ino his fragile chest ,when Fred died I couldn't hold my tears, that was so painful and heartbreaking.

[Aurelia Grayson]

Now this is a really good question as three deaths, in particular, come to mind when I read this thread that all affected me in a different way from real life to the fandom heartbreak.

The first..... Hedwig!

The death of Hedwig for me was when death in the story really started to take hold as even though deaths had already happened previously like Cedric and Sirius the fact that Hedwig died to protect her owner really struck me as I am a huge animal lover and in the past have worked with owls who Hedwig really reminded me of and not to mention to me it kind of made me believe that the moment Hedwig was killed that Harry's childhood was well and truly over which was just heart wrenching at the time for me as I was just leaving school myself with no idea what I wanted to do at the time so I could relate to childhood being over.

The second death that affected me was Severus Snape.....

This mainly affected me as even though we all know he hadn't given Harry the best time during his time at school it really did show that his intentions were pure when he presented his memory and that all he ever wanted to do was protect the one remaining aspect of the only woman that he has ever loved and in a way it was very parent like which struck me hard as it was always mentioned how Lily's love saved Harry but what was never mentioned is that fact that Severus's love for Lily is what kept him safe when Lily and James were no longer around and that's really poetic.

Finally, The death of Fred Weasley...

It wasn't for a few years after this happened that it started to hit me after I read a post that had been made by a fan which was talking about the fact that every mirror to George after the death of his brother would have been like a Mirror of Erised and that really struck a nerve with me after losing a sibling tragically last year as now I can somewhat relate to how George must have felt losing a sibling but never mind a twin whom he was so close to.

[Kayla Fredrickson]

The character I definitely cried the most for was Snape. It was the fact that he started off as this mean, and cold Professor that seemed to have it out for Harry. When in the end he did it all to protect him since he loved Lily so much. Which in my eyes made him almost like a tragic hero. He did as Dumbledore asked and was angry, almost hurt, when he found out that Harry had to die. That last line he says always makes me choke up, "You have your mother's eyes,' it just strikes me to my core.

[Spring Rosette]

The one that hit me the most was Fred Weasley, he had always been one of my favourite characters and seeing him dead and George's reaction had me sobbing along with the rest of Weasleys.

[Carrie Warts]

OMG where do I start.
First Sirius Black, I cried so much.
With Dobby I cried like a baby. Same with Hedwig, Albus and Fred Weasley. The one I was super heartbroken was with Lupin and Tonks, leaving a child behind

[Avery Beckett]

It’s close between Sirius and Dobby. I got attached to Sirius very quickly, and Harry’s reaction to his father’s closest friend dying at the hand of his own cousin was heartbreaking. Dobby had been a favorite of mine since his introduction, and I couldn’t believe JK Rowling would kill off such a sweet and lovable character. This second death of a favorite character caused by Bellatrix made me hate her even more, to be honest.

[Brynn Morris]

This is a tough one for me, I found each death in the Harry Potter series a valuable life lost and an impactful moment on Harry's life. The biggest ones for me were Sirius and Fred. Harry had grown up with no one, and then he finally figured out that he had someone he could call a family member (I know he had Ron and Hermione too). Sirius's death was tragic, he died a hero, and I just felt so bad for Harry at that moment. Fred was hard because of how close he was to George, no one knew them like each other and I know that George was not the same after that.

[Elette de Biville]

I cried over Fred. It was so unfair to twins - kill one and leave to live the other one without him? I can't even imagine the pain in George's heart.

[Marley Chase]

Sirius Black.
Almost definitely. He was an excellent Godfather, and his death in the movies seemed so tragic. He was there a minute, then he was not. I cried over that - He helped Harry so much from the third year... Harry was always so happy to see him and it made me feel like Sirius just lighted up Harry's world and showed him light when Harry felt he was in the dark.

Prof. Snape.
3 quotes - two from him and one from Harry:
"After all this time?" Asked Dumbeldore. "Always," said Snape.
Oh, man. It hit me so hard I feel that there is a lump in my throat every time I think of it.
"You have your mother's eyes"
This hit me equally hard as well. This was a sudden twist in Snape's character, which makes it more impactful than ever.
This is the one from when Harry is speaking to his son: "You are named after two headmasters at Hogwarts, one of them was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man I ever knew."
Of course, it was completely obvious. Snape was so brave to kill Dumbledore and so brave to go against Voldemort when he thought that Snape had all his loyalty.

Prof. Dumbledore.
What an I say for this? Dumbledore was a brilliant headmaster: Supportive, respectful and a powerful wizard (he was the wizard who Voldemort feared, after all). The night he was killed in the Astronomy tower and later on when everyone was gathered around Harry and Ginny (this is from the movies) and they were crying because Dumbledore died. I feel that this is one of the scenes which was excellently portrayed, no doubt about that.

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

My answer here depends on whether it is the book or the movie we are talking about. In the book, Hedwig's death certainly hit the hardest. Such a loyal companion to Harry throughout all these years, the gone protecting her human.

In the movie, I do not think her death translated all that well. My answer here would definitely be Fred Weasley. To see the sheer pain and sorrow of the Weasley family was just heart-breaking.

[Celestia Hawkings]

I cried so hard over Sirius blacks death, because that whole scene was so emotional, and harry was left without any true family members, even though he still has lot's of people that care for him, it was just heat breaking.
A close second would have to be Dumbledore, because he was just always there for everyone and i don't think Hogwarts will be the same without him.

[Savanah Sunflower]

Definitely Cedric (When he died)

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

Feels a little heartless to say, but I only really cried over one person. It took me aback so much when we lost Cedric that, after spending the entire day reading, I had to close to book and take a break.

Many other deaths were sad for me, some of which I expected (albeit challenging to accept), and others left me a bit dazed, but Cedric was definitely the one that got me the hardest. Which surprised me then and still surprises me now to a degree since he wasn’t the character I was closest to on the list of options. Something about the tone of the writing/atmosphere of story when he died and the way he and Harry played off each other throughout the Goblet of Fire just really set me up for a heavy blow when he was taken so suddenly.

[Cassiopeia Black]

Definitely Dobby for me, It made me bawl my eyes out!
I have been reading a lot of fanfiction alately though and in those I cry most at Sirius -or James and Lily if its a marauder era (especially in "the Debt of time" on AO3 that broke me for days )