The Best Scenes in Harry Potter!

VO:
Welcome to the Potter discussion.

Oscar:
Welcome back to the Potter discussion discussing Harry Potter fantastic beast and the Wizarding World fandom. I'm your host, Oscar, and this is episode 142. Today we are discussing some of my absolute favorite scenes in the Harry Potter films. I know we did favorite Pieces of Music episode last week, but MSC has been on the list for a very long time. I happen to love a couple of scenes that are really exactly what I imagine the Harry Potter series to be and really what I enjoy waiting for and watching when the time comes during my rewatches. So make sure you stick around the whole episode because there is some good stuff coming your way. The very last one is my favorite, the one I've been talking about for more than a year at this point as my favorite scene in the entire series. So make sure you stick around to hear that one. If you have any questions or comments about this episode, make sure you send me an email. My email is departerscusion@gmail.com. You can also send me a DM on Instagram. My Instagram is at deeppotterscusion or on Twitter. Twitter at discuss. Okay, that goes for anything. If you want me to know anything or suggestions need for episodes, just give me a holler and I will certainly take it into account. So whatever you have to say, I would love to hear it. Now, I've got all that out of the way. So let's get into today's episode. I have prepared eight scenes for you today. Eight scenes that I find absolutely fascinating, absolutely emotional or heart pounding or anything of the like. I have eight scenes that inspire something in me or just are awesome scenes. There are no particular order, but there is. I have saved the best one for last, as I said. Okay, so the first scene I have for you today, the very first scene I think is actually one that I talked about. Oh, yeah, I did talk about it last episode. It is the courtyard apocalypse scene. In addition to this being one of my favorite pieces of all time, the courtyard apocalypse scene is also one of my favorite magical scenes in the entire series because I think it really reflects what magic should be in the Harry Potter series. And I think it utilizes a lot of the strong points of Harry Potter. So this is after they destroy the died. Damn if I ron well, of course they stab with the basic spang, then they kick it into the roof requirement. The scene fire, the doors slam shut and they are in the hallway. Harry looks into his mind, sees Voldemort in the boathouse, which doesn't exist, and then Harry Ronald Hermia run out of Hogwarts and they have to go through the courtyard in order to get to the boathouse, which is across the grounds, down the mountain and into the area with the lake. So they have to go through a lot of battle. And this is that scene I enjoy the part where they're really running through and the music is swelling and there's something's happening. We see the Dementors and we see Aragon's children and we see giants and all these different things and just Death Eaters everywhere. And this is really something that I found just fascinating, of course, to watch the first time, but also is going back and watching it again because I find the magic specifically so intriguing. I think really understanding how the spells are being cast and really seeing what is happening, I think is really one of the most fascinating things about the entire Deathly Hollows. Just because seeing the spells, what they do, what color they are, how they are fired, all those different things are just such an amazing, fascinating thing to me. And, of course, I know that a lot of people are not like that, but me, personally, I find that kind of thing very fascinating. So whatever it was that it was, whatever kind of thing it was, I just absolutely enjoyed seeing those spells flying and seeing the way it was just getting interpreted. Because, again, that's really one of my favorite things about the entire series, is just seeing how it works, seeing all the different exceptions, rules and spells and castings and waving and differences. When Professor Flitwick was talking about when Guardian of the OSA in the Philosopher Stone, he talked about how someone did it wrong and they ended up on the ground with a rhino on their chest. Like, how did that even happen? Did they summon the did they conjure up a rhino? I mean, all these different things are just so fascinating. There could be a million short stories that I would read just about how magic is done, how spells were invented, how all these different things came about, just in general, because it is such a fascinating thing to me. And that's why I really loved I think maybe it was Quidditch Through the Ages, where they really talked about the origins of Quidditch. And that was really funny. Well, funny, but also just fun to read because we learned about the Snippet in the Quidditch Through the Ages book, which I highly recommend if you haven't read it already. The Snigger is a bird that is small, round and golden and is very fast. It sounds familiar. And they would use Sniggers in the playing of Quidditch, and they would cast the Snidget and then the people that have to chase and catch the Snippet to win. But eventually, Snitches became such a dying species because of how often they're being caught and used. So they invented something else. They called it a snitch. And that's exactly how it came about. Actually, I have a picture of a Snitch. Oh, my gosh. I have the funniest picture in my room. I have a picture of Pickett riding Teddy through the air picket has his hand in the air and it's like a war cry. Teddy's bounding to the air and his snitch is flying around them which is so funny. But it's that kind of thing is what I really enjoy about these kinds of scenes. Like the scene in Duffy Hollis with the court apocalypse. This kind of thing I just really love understanding more about. And I think whenever I think of the scene one little moment in particular really stands out to me and that is when they're running down the steps and are about to run around the corner. So it's Harry and Hermione are running and they're about to turn the corner but Harry sees a Death Eater just in time. The DEA door fires a blue spell. Harry pulls Ron hermione back just as it zooms by them. It hits the door right in front of their face and it sizzles and burns. Just thinking they would have been dead, literally dead if that smells hit them and they were just in time to get away. So it's this kind of tightly packed action, this promise of death but escaping nonetheless. It's kind of daring chivalry for everyone is really what I find most compelling about the scene and there's a similar theme with that and a couple of other scenes. So we should definitely move on. Next up in my list of favorite scenes is a scene to do with Neville. And let me tell you, I agree with the Maldor when I say that I believe that it is definitely a lot harder to stand up to your friends than it is your enemies. So that ten points was well deserved. But the scene I'm talking about is in the Philosopher Stone again when Harry, Ron and Hermione are trying to get out of the tower, the Gryffindor Tower and go after what they think is snape in the third floor corridor. Who is going after the Philosopher Stone? Neville stands in their way and they see Trevor and he's like Trevor and then now it's like, oh, you shouldn't be here. And he stands up to them, he fights them. Of course it doesn't really end well but that is really something that I found very inspiring with Neville because in the early days, not even just the early days even in the Order of the Phoenix and some parts of the Half Blood Prince Neville was not very confident in his own spell castings. Only in maybe the Deathly Hallows when he really kind of blew and became the person he really needed to be. But this is definitely reflected in the Philosopher Stone square the very first interaction with magic they have. Neville is kind of timid. He doesn't want to make a big scene. He can't really he has an unfortunate memory and his capacity for magic isn't very good. He's good at her biology because that's to do with plants. Not magic of course magical plants, but less one waiting. This I think was really why I enjoyed the scene so much because Neville of course knew that he couldn't stop Harry Hermione even as eleven year olds they knew their own limits and certainly they were very limited but Neville was I think perhaps a bit lower on the ladder than Harry, Ron and Hermione, especially Hermione. So it was kind of fitting when she gave him the old freeze spell and he fell flat on his back but the scene before that. The couple lines Neville trying to stop them I really enjoyed that because I think it was a true show of Neville's character and of course we see that kind of coming to light in the later books the Battle of Hogwarts when he is really defeating a lot of people and he is trying to defend the people that he loves and the place that he adores and I think this was very deeply rooted in him from his parents. From other people like his grandmother and maybe people at Hogwarts like Templed in McGonigle but we really see this rooted in him and of course I enjoyed this scene because it is an absolute boss move for Neville to just stand up to them but then also is a very telling scene we can definitely tell a lot by what Neville is doing here. We can see how much he cares and how much he wants to defend the honor of Gryffindor and how much he wants to win and what he really cares about is all the right things of course he cares about victory and Gryffindor but he cares about hair around her money. He doesn't want them to get in trouble and it's those points he doesn't want them to have to go through all that again he really cares about a lot of things which I think is definitely displayed in the scene which is why it is definitely on my list for my absolute favorite scenes and the next scene on my list is definitely one that I really love for several reasons and perhaps several different reasons. I am not a fan of horror movies. I want to get that out there right now. I hate scary stuff, all that stuff that's not my cup of tea. But this scene that was I would say perhaps more on the horror side for Harry Potter at least was definitely one that I was first seeing I mean of course I was much younger but seeing it it was like whoa. It was like bone chilling. It was definitely creepy and scary and I think it was very well done and that is when the Dementors went on the Hogwarts Express and this was a very intriguing scene of course nothing near a true horror movie but for Harry Potter I was excited to go to Hogwarts and learn spells and defeat evil and play Quidditch but instead before then they were like ambushed by the deepest darkest creatures of the wizarding world on the train that they know and love. So that was kind of an out of the blue sort of thing here, but that made it even more intriguing, which is definitely a hard thing to do, to surprise the audience with something and make it a good surprise if it is completely out of gen. But this was definitely one of those instances where it was very well done. And actually, in the Leveson studios that I went to, there's a Viagra Express. Oh, my gosh. You can walk on the Hogwarts Express and see different carriages, different compared apartments that carriages, different apartments that reflect the different years. And one of them was the third year. And it was kind of the moment where Ron pressed his hand against the window and left the handprint and looked out and saw the mentors and he said, I think there are people getting on the train. And I was immediately sucked into that story when I saw this train car and the bottle of water was freezing on the table and it was dark and the lights were kind of, like blue and white. I was like seeing that train compartment was really interesting. This scene was definitely a favorite for me, and I think that should mean something again, coming from someone who does not like horror things. I really like this scene, and I think the one moment that really sticks out to me about this scene is when the dementor is first coming down the hallway. We kind of see the silhouette. The glass is fogged, and it's this huge, dark, just billowing mass. Its cloak is kind of ripped and torn and flowing out in front of it. And they're so close. It's kind of stooped and arched, and it's so deathly and just cold, but it's so smooth and just it knows exactly what's happening, and it's just like this bulldozer. Just nothing is in its path but is going so, like, painfully terrifyingly slowly. And we see it's, like hand, the shadow of its hand, like, wave and unlock the door, which was like, oh, my gosh, it's coming in. And at this point, I was freaking out. I mean, I was freaking out because I was like, oh, my gosh. Keep in mind, I had read the book at this point, so I was not surprised by anything that was happening. But I was so scared. I was like, Harry, Harry, do something. Do something. But I couldn't do anything as the mentor reached and his hand was like I think how they discovered in the book was perfect. It was like someone was like a corpse was rotting in water. That was perfect. And it pulled back the door. And then we see the dementor. And that scene had my heart pounding, and I was just waiting for the death blow, even though I knew it would never come. I was like, oh, man. How this scene is going. They definitely have to change something. So I was prepared for Ron to sacrifice his life because of how much of that was happening in the scene. It was like but I made it through and I did not have any trauma. So that is great. But I really like this scene because I think it has done very well. I think Alfonso Carron, the director for this song was definitely on the right track here because he knew what he was doing. He definitely knew what he was doing, which is really important. That's a really important trait for a director to have because, of course, he has many years of experience and he, of course, is a very skilled person, a very skilled filmmaker. And I think that came across for sure in The Prisoner Raspberry, which I absolutely love to see. But it is certainly his style. It's absolutely his work and I enjoyed it immensely. So thank you, Alfonso. You definitely made that film with that scene, of course, among others. But that was definitely the one that is etched into my memory. But, of course, we got so many more, so I definitely wanted to move on. Next up, we have got the graveyard. Not a Godchard's Hollow graveyard, but the graveyard. In the third task of the Tribes Tournament in The Goblin of Fire, harry and Cedric are transported to the graveyard through the Port Key. That what they thought was the Triwizard Cup. They are zoomed away, the hook takes them and they are thrown into little Hangleton, into the graveyard where Voldemort is there to meet them. Wormtail kills Cedric and Voldemort is reborn. Harry is thrown up against he is held by his throat on a gravestone. A gravestone which I saw in Harry Potter Lee Beston. And he's held there as Voldemort touches him and he does the cringy screaming and they take his blood to use for Voldemort. And they have a duel. And that whole sequence, that whole scene was absolutely awesome. And that is, of course, one of my favorites because it is on this list. I like this for a lot of reasons, but I think I'll narrow it down for the sake of time here. I'd say one of the main reasons I really liked the scene is Voldemort. And the Grace finance is a very fantastic job as he always does acting, Voldemort. And I think the way he does and just the mannerisms and his speech, of course, the writers did a very good job with this one. Steve Clovis, I don't know if he wrote this one. I assume he did. Steve Clovis, thank you for this. That was a very great villain monologue. But I think also the fact that their Death Eaters missing was very interesting. And that was one of my favorite parts of the scene. That Death Eaters, of course, dare to not show up but also dare to show up. It's really a lose lose there because unless you were not completely faithful 100%, like Belatrix level, voldemort would have a gripe with you. Voldemort would have a reason to punish you or do anything to you. And of course, even if you were Beletrix level faithful, you were an askaband because you kept up your death. You to practice. People like Lucius, for example. He disregarded Voldemort. He said, not even alive anymore. I was hoodwinked taking me in Ministry. I am a wounded citizen. I am completely by your side. And maybe they might not have the Ministry, but Lucius Malfoy got that kitchen kitchen, if you know what I mean. So they definitely decided to take him in and that was not good. His fame was definitely not helped. His popularity with World Mortgage was certainly diminished with that. But I also really liked the dual. I think that was definitely nice. I did like the book version of the dual much more than the film. Of course, the film always has an edge for duals because of the wind, the sound, the colors, all the flashing lights, all that kind of stuff. Of course, it can be so much better. I think just the way it was done. I think like, all the lines of the dead people, the way it was described, the dome, they were getting carried away. That kind of thing is definitely what I enjoyed more about this particular scene. But that was kind of my initial thoughts when I saw this. And it's definitely one of the things that I look forward to while re watching and it is certainly one of my favorite scenes and one that will continue to be for the rest of time. Now, this scene I won't spend as much time on because there was a similar scene before this that I think covered a lot of my opinions. But this next scene, number five is the Underpass. The Underpass in the Order of the Phoenix where Dudley and Harry are scurrying home because there was a storm. And of course, in the film, that's the version. But in the book they are just kind of wandering home when it gets all dark and they take a shortcut through like Magnolia Crescent and like stereo walk and it goes all dark. Let's cut off the night. The stars just wink out and the Dementors descend. There are two of them and they go after Dudley and he. Dudley slips and he falls and Harris uses his Patronus charm. But I think I really liked that version of the Dementor though. Those effects were very interesting and so much I really liked the effects they use actually in the effects room in the hair studio. In time, I am forever going to be talking about my time here because it was awesome. But I saw the way that they did it. They had this blue screen version of the Dementore. It is like a shell that I'm sure they put on like a stick and they kind of moved around that Harry could track and shoot spells out. But that was done very well. I think the pressing against the ribcage was also very nice. And the fact that they didn't show the face, it was just the mouth, that kind of thing, the hands, all that kind of stuff was really, really awesome. And I think I also liked the lights kind of flickering out and also had, of course, the Patronus Charm was such a a beacon of light. So I'm sure that Scottish Hound had a great time filming that one. But that was really awesome. I think that's a scene that I definitely am definitely for that scene. I think it's a very controversial scene, especially because there's a lot to do with Umbridge and the Ministry and Dudley, I think, too, and also the Squib living in private Drive. But I really enjoyed the scene. I think it is one that plays well. It reads well. It is just a very compelling thing to watch. And it's also very brotherly. Not towards the end of it, because then Dudley blames it all on Harry. But I think the fact that Harry then carries the deadly home, and although they hate it, they are definitely working together to some degree. So that is why I like the scene. Great descriptions, great character development, although small. So that was definitely one of my favorites. And here, on a similarly, similarly, similar note, we have another dementor scene. Yeah, another scene. I think you're going to be seeing a theme here. I love the dementor scenes, but this is not to do with the dementors. This is to do with Harry. So the one I'm thinking of now is in the prisoner vasca ban. Another prisoner vascavan. This is not the train scene. This is towards the very end. Harry and Hermione travel back in time with the time trainer. They escape, looping in the woods and they hide across the lake. They see that the mentors traveling towards Sirius and Harry. And Harry is waiting for his father to show up. He's waiting. He is waiting. He's waiting because he knows he wants to see his father, but he realizes it wasn't him, it was me. So he jumps out behind the bush. He yells, expect a padrona. And the mentor is a Scatter. It is powerful. It is the Stag. This is the first time we see the true stag. And it is an awesome scene. And I just love it. I love the scene because this is a huge moment for Harry. This is really proving to himself that he doesn't need to see his dad. He doesn't need to worry about anything but just saving people's sometimes lives. That's just how it goes. I think he also definitely was, I think, consoled because all he didn't see his dad in some form. The Marauders did walk the grounds that night. There was the stag, the dog the Rat and the Wolf, they were all there. And I think that was a very comforting thing for Harry, I think, because his dad, of course, was a very important person in Harry's life and he's gone and then he was back in some degree. So that was a huge moment for Harry. And of course, it was a very interesting moment for us to see because it was a huge growth moment for him. And of course, also the Patronus was really cool and the way he was coming off of it and the stag just charging and catching the Dementors and it's like with his antlers and all that was just a really cool thing to see. So that was definitely a keeper, for sure. Alfonso outdid himself. Again, thank you. I also like the scene because it is from two different angles which I have experimented with writing a story similar to kind of on a Double POV kind of thing. And it is a lot more challenging than a lot of people think. So I think they pulled this off well and it was definitely, of course, creative, but it also added to the story very much. And I think they definitely did the kind of dual perspective. Harry one, not really seeing Harry two for Harry, but really seeing his dad, which was also very described well in the books, which I think is also another great addition to the scene. So those are my thoughts on this particular rendition of the Dementors. But I've got a couple more on my list that I definitely want to get going on. So let's do this. This is the second to last seen on my list. I want to definitely discuss this, but kind of move along because I want to talk about the last and my absolute favorite scene. Okay, so the second to last scene I have here is in The Half Blood Prince. I wanted to get a scene in The Half Blood Prince and that is when Harry and Dumbledore go into the Pensive. I think he had two scenes in particular when they saw The Gaunts and when they saw Tom Riddle. These two I'm kind of combining because they're a very similar vibe, but also because the gods are not in the films and I very much wish they were, but they were all there in the book, so it's not a total loss. So I really like these scenes because I think, again, they are very well done. I think the vibe of being independent is also very well described but also it's very well shown in the film, which is difficult. The color grading, the choice of makeup and hair and actors and all that kind of stuff. I think Ray Vine's nephew did a very good job portraying Voldemort and I think that was a very good scene. It was pulled off very well. I also liked this because there was an Easter egg in actually the tom Riddle scene, and that was in the film. When they pan past the window, we see rocks lined up on the window, and there were seven rocks on the window. I think that was foreshadowing the horcruxes that he would later have and later lose, of course. Of course, adding eight with Harry. But these were really creative touches. The fire was also a really cool thing. Dumbledore proving to Tom that he was a real wizard. And also I really liked Tom's expression. I think that actors did a very good job portraying his amazement, his fear, but also his excitement that he could do that, too. And I think returning the items that he stole was a very intriguing thing into his character, for sure. And the god scene, I almost disliked reading it because it's such a slimy scene. I mean,

Participant #1:
Marvella, oh, my gosh. I was like, what's his name? The way Marvola was just absolutely abusing both Morphine and Morocco was just so like, oh, my gosh, it was just slimy and just bless. And also, Morphin, like, chilling snakes and casting horrible jinxes and all that kind of stuff. Ogden I mean, he did not ask for it. That Ministry worker did not ask for it. But also, Marobi was just so heartbreaking, just seeing her just being absolutely crushed and abused and just so down in the dumps all the time, and just being forced to just stay there and just do all these things with so little escape. Tom Riddled senior was the only person that she had that she actually did not hate. Absolutely hate, which is horrible. I don't love every person that I meet, but I certainly have more than one person that I care for. So, I mean, it's a horrible life to live. So I think that was just such a horrible scene. But it's such a memorable scene. And at least I'm glad that their family broke up. Marvolo had a bit of an untimely. Morphin is also dead, so that's great. Moroc also happens to not survive, but at least she did give birth to Tom, which is a bit unfortunate for everyone else, but she had a child, which is probably the greatest that she had enough for life. So good job, Moropi. But those are my thoughts on this team because we are reaching the end of our time here. So I want to touch on my absolute favorite scene of the entire Harry Potter series. We are here. We have made it to the end of the episode where I will be giving you my absolute favorite scene in the entire Harry Potter series. I wish I could go into immaculate detail, but I have already actually gone into that much detail in the slowmo I did of this scene. I'm dropping so many hints. I'm dropping so many hints. If you have heard me talk about my favorite scenes before, then you absolutely know what I'm about to say. If. You're a new listener, then you will learn something about me. So if you know what I'm about to say, let's say it on the count of 3123, the Battle of the Order of the Phoenix. So many of those in that sentence, but such a good scene. I adore this. This is my absolute favorite scene. There's so much to do in this. There's so much to absorb, so much to read, to see, to really comprehend. And what I'm really talking about here of the Order of the Phoenix is the time from when they fall into the veil room. So they fall to the veil and then they leave the Ministry. That's really what I'm talking about here. That whole sequence, I just love there's so much here. It goes through so many emotions. The land is kind of like quiet and mystery and fear and just a little unease. And the death leaders swoop down and then Harry's threatened. He's kind of anxious. He's looking at a stressful. So he has to give the prophecy to Lucius. Lucius holds it up. He is so proud of himself. Yes. But then the Order arrived and this is where, of course, also in one of my favorite pieces because this is just a fantastic piece of music. But I also really like the way that it's done, the way that the Order arrives and how they are kind of a horse that deteriorates can fly and they're like black smoke. But the deaths are not the detatres. The Order can fly and they're kind of white. They're white goodness smoke, I guess you call it. And that was very well done, how they were kind of grappling in the air and all that kind of stuff. I think it was such a powerful thing to see them all just land. Kingsley's head held high and Moody with his staff and Nymphodore just ready to kill someone and remus and serious and all they just came in and just came in with a bang. And of course the tides turned pretty quickly. Syria and Lucius were dueling and Harry and another deputy were dueling and they were kind of giving all they were sending all the other Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna Jr. And Neville, I think, were all there. They hid them all in Nymphador and Moody got them all safe. And I think this is also a really good way for the DA to kind of see Harry in action. They really saw him dueling a death theater, which I think is important. And they also then trust him after that, of course, even more because, of course they absolutely trusted him. But I also really like the little aside kind of seeing kind of the death heaters start to cast spells and slowly start to run and then kind of fly and then they kind of transform into their smoke crimson like catching the cast spells at the same time. It's just such an awesome seeing Moody in the Little Rock Alleyway and theater cast a spell, but he blocks it with his staff and the Shockwave and the Death Theater is blown back and all this stuff. And then spoilers. He dies. Avatica diaper from our good friend Hannabamcatter playing Bellatrix. Serious dies. Goes through the veil. Harry's dad. And then it's such a quick turn. It is such a quick turn, which is another one of those really cool things to see because I think the emotion here is just such of course, an important part of everything in general, but also just the general feel of this scene. The huge turns, really quick, just like absolutely devastating moments that were brought out of such little they were high emotion. High emotion. High emotion, then, like, absolute devastation. David Yates, who directed The Order of Phoenix did an absolutely fantastic job with this. I am definitely pro David Yates here because he did a fantastic david Hayman, too, the producer. I think, of course, his input was also taken. So I think that he also did a great job. The David's or a powerhouse team here. And the duel after that was my favorite display of magic in the entire series. Of course, the Choreograph Apocalypse is one of my favorites, but this has to be number one. The duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort is just perfect. I cannot imagine any more perfectness that could be injected into the scene because it is the two most powerful people in the world dueling here. And there is so much power, there is so much magic. And just Harry just being absolutely seeing how powerful Harry was with the Death Eaters and how they defeated them all and then just seeing how he was just a little bug, just trying to not stay trying to stay alive. He wasn't even the line of fire and he almost died. That's how much power was just coming off of these two. And I think the spells, trying to push their one spell into each other and the fire snake and the ball of water and all these different things. And like how Voldemort shattered the entire atrium, every single window just shattered. And how Dumbledore just blocked it all with almost ease. And I think the hairy scene where Harry was kind of like on the ground getting possessed, that was weird. I think I'm more of a fan of the magic here. But it was a very important scene, very important part of the scene that I think was definitely adding to the overall effect. So I can go on and on and on about this, but I've got to end it here. Thank you so much for listening to this. This is just one of my absolute kind of favorite episodes to do because it is such an awesome thing to talk about. Thank you for joining me. If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a review on the show. I think you can leave them on podcast or Apple podcast or Spotify. Five stars if you really enjoyed this. And if not five stars, just tell me how I can make it so, because that is what this show is all about. The Potterdiscusion@gmail.com for any questions, comments, or anything else, and, of course, like I said, you can DM me at the Potter discussion on Instagram or at Potter discuss on Twitter. That is, at potter discuss. Thank you for listening. And as always, remember that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. I'll see you later.