Heroes that Died in the Battle of Hogwarts

The Battle of Hogwarts immortalized many heroes who laid down their lives fighting Voldemort’s forces of darkness. Every one of these warriors fought bravely till the very end, and it was thanks to their sacrifice that good could once again prevail over evil.

The Battle of Hogwarts was the final act of conflict, as well as the deciding factor, for the Second Wizarding War. The casualties were so many, that they cannot be counted by hand; only by tears.

Over fifty people died fighting Voldemort’s forces in the Battle of Hogwarts. These include students, members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore’s Army, residents of Hogsmeade, and others who had shown up to fight for Hogwarts. Of his fallen comrades, Harry only recognized the following people:

• Fred Weasley
• Severus Snape
• Collin Creevey
• Lavender Brown
• Remus Lupin
• Nymphadora Tonks

While the exact number of casualties is unknown, it is definitely possible that the actual number stands head and shoulders above fifty. The Battle of Hogwarts involved a large amount of fires, explosions, and collapses; creating the possibility that a lot of bodies were left in an unidentifiable state, or were never even found.

The Fallen Fifty

The heroes who sacrificed their lives fighting Voldemort’s army in the Battle of Hogwarts are often collectively referred to as the Fallen Fifty.

The Fallen Fifty consist of the dead staff and students of Hogwarts; both who were allowed to fight and those who snuck in later to join the fight, residents of Hogsmeade who had shown up to fight for Hogwarts, members of the Order of the Phoenix, magical creatures like House Elves, and the alumni of Hogwarts who came back to fight.

Death Eaters, werewolves, giants, or anyone from Voldemort’s side of the battle is not included in the Fallen Fifty. We have covered the casualties that Voldemort’s forces suffered extensively in a separate article. Make sure you give it a read by clicking here.

While there is no mention of House-Elf, Centaur, or Thestral-related deaths in the books, it is possible that some of them, too got killed. Whether they were included in the Fallen Fifty or not remains unclear.

The charging centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, everyone was fleeing the giants’ stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements that had come from who knew where; Harry saw great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort’s giants, thestrals and Buckbeak the hippogriff scratching at their eyes while Grawp punched and pummeled them, and now the wizards, defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters alike, were being forced back into the castle.

— Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Fun Fact: The term “Fallen Fifty” was not coined during the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but was first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by Harry in a conversation with Ginny.

Harry: I shouldn’t have survived — it was my destiny to die — even Dumbledore thought so — and yet I lived. I beat Voldemort. All these people — all these people — my parents, Fred, the Fallen Fifty — and it’s me that gets to live? How is that? All this damage — and it’s my fault.

— Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Severus Snape

Severus Snape was Dumbledore’s most prized and trusted asset. Without his help, the Second Wizarding War would have been lost before it even started, and there never would have been a Battle of Hogwarts to begin with.

The Battle of Hogwarts officially started with the sacking of Severus Snape. As the headmaster of Hogwarts, still under the pretense of being a Death Eater, Snape came face to face with a furious Minerva McGonagall: who drove him out of the castle and gave shelter to Harry.

Unlike the others, Severus Snape did not die fighting on the front lines. Instead, he was killed by Voldemort; the very person Snape was fighting for. Or was pretending to fight for, anyway.

Snape was summoned to the Shrieking Shack by an ambitious and concerned Voldemort. The Dark Lord had questions for him, you see, about why his previous wands had failed him. Questions, to which he did not seek answers.

Voldemort’s first wand of Yew, which he had used throughout his rise and reign, had done everything he asked it to do, except for killing Harry.

After a tortured Ollivander informed him about the existence of dual cores; and advised him to use another wizard’s wand, Voldemort borrowed the wand of Lucius Malfoy.

However, when for the second time Voldemort’s magic met Harry’s, Lucius’s wand shattered into pieces. Not knowing what to do, Voldemort sought a third wand; the wand that he knew would never fail him: the Elder Wand.

Stolen from the grave of Albus Dumbledore, the Wand of Destiny; the Elder Wand, was among the three Deathly Hallows. The wand promised its master not only extraordinary power but also victory in every duel.

Voldemort, however, felt that the Elder Wand did not obey him properly, and feared that it, too, might fail him unless it did. He rightly assumed that it was because he was not the true master of the Elder Wand, but mistook its rightful owner to be Severus Snape: since he was the one to have brought down Albus Dumbledore, the previous master of the wand.

To become the rightful owner of the Elder Wand and therefore guarantee his victory over Harry, Voldemort instructed his pet snake Nagini to kill Snape.

The death of Severus Snape revealed a lot of information about his character, redeeming him from his role as a Death Eater and painting him as a hero. While it is still debated if Severus Snape was a hero or not, it is universally accepted that he is one of the best-written grey characters in fiction. To read in detail about whether he was a good character or a bad one, click here.

Fred Weasley

Fred and George Weasley are amongst the most popular and loved characters in the Harry Potter series. Their evergreen love for jokes, mischievous nature, and fun attitude were what made us fall in love with them; and also what made us cry our hearts out when Fred died.

Fred Weasley was not brought down by any spell. He died due to the impact from a wall that had exploded next to him; with his eyes left to stare without seeing, with the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.

The death of Fred Weasley was heartbreaking, yes, but even more so; it was highly unexpected.

It happened right when, after years of being distant and away, Percy came back to embrace his family. When everything seemed somewhat bright and clear. When Fred and Percy had teamed up against Pius Thicknesse, the ex-minister for magic; and had together brought him down. When Percy had made a joke, and Fred was praising him for it, grinning ear to ear.

Fred could never complete his last words, just like we could never get over his death.

“You actually are joking, Perce. . . . I don’t think I’ve heard you joke since you were—“

—Fred’s final words, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

It happened when no one expected it to, and that is what makes it one of the saddest deaths in the entire Harry Potter series.

Lavender Brown

While Lavender Brown had always been present in the Harry Potter series, she only really came to the limelight when she started dating Ron Weasley during the events of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Lavender was a bright student who enjoyed Divination and was the best friend of Parvati Patil. While she initially doubted Harry’s claims about Voldemort’s return in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, she joined Dumbledore’s Army and fought bravely against Voldemort’s forces.

While her relationship with Ron had gotten off to a great start, the latter eventually began to resent her over-the-top affection; which caused their relationship to fade away and eventually die. Her relationship with Ron was what made Hermione realize the feelings she had for him and played a big role in bringing them together.

Lavender Brown was one of the two people who fell from the balcony after the Slytherin hourglass had spilled its emeralds onto the floor. To her misfortune, the vile werewolf Fenrir Greyback pounced on her where she lay, and mauled her to her death.

Hermione, rushing to her defense, quickly blasted Greyback away with her wand; but it was too late. Lavender struggled feebly, then eventually succumbed to her wounds.

Remus Lupin

Remus Lupin is perhaps everyone’s favorite werewolf in the Harry Potter series. Introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lupin was not only one of the most humble and lovable characters in the series but also the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that Harry had ever had.

Remus “Moony” Lupin was bitten by Fenrir Greyback; the murderer of Lavender Brown, at a very young age. The bite took away his childhood from him, and he was forced to hide his identity throughout his life. If it weren’t for headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Lupin might have never been allowed to attend Hogwarts, given his condition and the threat he posed to other students.

Even outside Hogwarts, things weren’t great. His ailment of transforming into a monster every month plagued him to no end and severely affected his career. Lupin could never hold on to jobs and always struggled to make ends meet. During this difficult time, James Potter supported his friend both financially and emotionally.

It was Lupin who taught Harry to use the Patronus charm, without which Harry might have never even made it to the Battle of Hogwarts. He participated actively in the Second Wizarding War and was present on the front lines in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Battle of the Seven Potters, and lastly, The Battle of Hogwarts.

Lupin married Nymphadora Tonks after the funeral of Albus Dumbledore. The wedding was done quietly and in secrecy, and not even Harry could attend it. Soon after the wedding, Tonks got pregnant and gave birth to Teddy Lupin.

Despite becoming a father and having his fears, Lupin never backed down from standing alongside the Order of the Phoenix. He named Harry the godfather of his child and fought against Voldemort’s forces till his very death.

Remus Lupin died in the first half of the Battle of Hogwarts, where he was last seen dueling the Death Eater Antonin Dolohov. His death is amongst the saddest in the Harry Potter series, especially after all the struggles he had to face throughout his life.

“Have you seen Remus?” Tonks called after him.

“He was dueling Dolohov,” shouted Aberforth, “haven’t seen him since!”

— Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Nymphadora Tonks

Nymphadora Tonks, or simply Tonks, as she preferred to go by, was a highly skilled Auror trained under the guidance of Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody. Tonks’s misery after Mad-Eye was killed by Voldemort during the Battle of the Seven Potters suggests she had a good relationship with her mentor.

Tonks was crying silently into a handkerchief; She had been close to Mad-Eye, Harry knew, his favorite and his protégé at the Ministry of Magic.

— Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Nymphadora Tonks was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and similar to her husband Remus Lupin, had a very active presence in the Second Wizarding War.

Tonks was a Metamorphagus, meaning she could change her physical appearance at will, without any external assistance. She liked to change her hair color often, and it almost became characteristic of her.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, Tonks was last seen searching for her husband. We don’t know if she ever found Lupin before she died. Even if she did, we don’t know if she found him dead or alive.

While there is no mention of this in the books, according to JK Rowling, Nymphadora Tonks was killed by her maternal aunt Bellatrix Lestrange.

Casey Kunze: “Who killed Remus and Tonks? I think if I knew this, I would get some closure over the very sad, but understandable, death of two of my favorite characters.”

J.K. Rowling: “Remus was killed by Dolohov, and Tonks by Bellatrix.”

— J.K. Rowling in an interview with Bloomsbury

Colin Creevey

Colin Creevey was junior to Harry, by a year. He was a muggle-born and an avid photography enthusiast. He had an active presence in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

In his first year, Colin practically worshipped Harry Potter. He was always seen with his camera and acted like Harry’s personal paparazzi.

Colin and his brother Denis were both enthusiastic members of Dumbledore’s Army. Though erratic at first, Colin made good progress with the spells that Harry taught them all.

Colin and Denis Creevey, being muggle-borns, were expelled from Hogwarts when Voldemort rose to power. Colin was in his sixth year during that time. Not much is known about what happened to them, but it is possible that the Creevey brothers went into hiding, considering all the anti-muggle laws and institutions Voldemort had put in place.

Even though Colin was underaged during the Battle of Hogwarts, he had snuck in with the other members of Dumbledore’s Army to fight against Voldemort’s forces. His body was recovered by Neville Longbottom and Oliver Wood from the grounds of Hogwarts. It is unknown how Colin died.

Harry Potter

This one is rather controversial. Harry Potter, even though he technically died, is not considered one of the Fallen Fifty; simply because he lived.

Harry is the protagonist of the Harry Potter series and had the biggest role in bringing the Dark Lord down. Harry was the Boy Who Lived, and he truly lived up to his name.

Harry Potter died in the Forbidden Forest, at the hands of Lord Voldemort himself. What makes this death controversial, is the simple fact that Harry did not die. Admittedly, this simple fact is not so simple.

Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear—

He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.

— Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry’s death in the Battle of Hogwarts is a complicated issue, one which we have covered extensively in this article. Make sure to give it a read!

Related Questions

How many people fought in the Battle of Hogwarts?

While the exact number is hard to determine, it is estimated that the battle consisted of over 500 warriors from both sides, magical creatures included.

The warriors included students, teachers, villagers from Hogsmeade, members of the Order of the Phoenix, Death Eaters, giants, werewolves, dementors, thestrals, and even Aragog’s uncountable descendants!

What happened after the Battle of Hogwarts?

After the Battle of Hogwarts, a lot of things changed. The major ones include:

• Minerva McGonagall became the headmistress of Hogwarts.
• Kingsley Shacklebolt was elected the Minister for Magic.
• Harry and Ron, instead of going back for their seventh year, became Aurors.
• Hermione, unlike Harry and Ron, went back to Hogwarts for her seventh year.
• Ginny made a career in Quidditch.
• Ginny married Harry, and Ron married Hermione.
• The events of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child unfolded, and the rest is history.