Eleven of the Spookiest Scenes in the Harry Potter Movies
The Halloween season is here, inundating us with all things spooky and scary. From costumes to haunted houses, every decoration is covered in spiders and bats. Moreover, Halloween-themed movies bring their share of horror. They’re filled with adrenaline-rushing cinematography that makes them perfect for this holiday. The Harry Potter franchise is generally not considered in the horror genre, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any scary moments. These scenes fit right into the vibes of spooky season.
The Turban Reveal
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is generally a joyful and upbeat movie filled with magic. The scenes with Fluffy the three-headed dog and the screaming book in the library’s restricted section are spooky but not terrifying. But when Quirrell unveils his secret and removes his turban, we can’t blame you if you get chills. The image of a second face on his head is incredibly creepy. Quirrell’s words – “I am never alone, never” – are sufficient to frighten anyone.
The Hand of Glory
Upon incorrectly enunciating “Diagon Alley,” Harry ends up in the dark passages of Knockturn Alley. The whole sequence gives off eerie vibes, but the moment when the rotting skeleton hand suddenly grabs hold of Harry is truly sinister.
The Acromantula Chase
After following the spiders into the Forbidden Forest, Harry and Ron reach the Acromantula nest and talk to the supposed beast of the Chamber of Secrets, Aragog. But when Harry and Ron are about to leave, the whole spider clan attacks them. The image of hundreds of spiders chasing two little kids can surely give you creeps. If you’re afraid of spiders, this scene might be the scariest!
Dementor Attack on the Train
As Ron, Hermione, and Harry ride the Hogwarts Express toward their third year at Hogwarts, their journey is halted by a group of Dementors searching for Sirius Black. The stomach-turning scene where the Dementors enter the carriage brings immaculate ghastly vibes. Those bony hands are visually frightening, but the way Dementors prey on their victims is also incredibly unsettling.
Professor Trelawney’s Prophecy
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when Harry walks back to the Divination classroom, a hand suddenly grabs his shoulder. We see a possessed-looking Professor Trelawney reciting a prophecy in a throaty voice. That instant genuinely made us jump for a moment.
The Opening Scene of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Nagini’s slithering entrance in Little Hangleton certainly feels like something out of a horror movie. The dark cinematography and the urgent background voices increase the petrifying nature of the scene tenfold.
The Graveyard Scene
The Triwizard Tournament maze is spooky, but when Harry and Cedric make it through only to be transported to a graveyard with a Portkey, the story takes a terrifying turn. Lord Voldemort returns, and his entire rebirth sequence is ominous. The movements of his hands on his head and the precise creepiness of all his little actions make this scene downright horrifying.
Voldemort Possessing Harry
During the Battle at the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, Voldemort possesses Harry. The visual of Harry shrieking in pain with those cloudy eyes is paralyzing – like something you’d see in any other horror film about possession.
Katie Bell’s Curse
On a Hogsmeade trip during their sixth year, Harry, Ron, and Hermione watch Katie Bell scream in agony after she is cursed by an opal necklace. This scene gives off The Exorcist vibes when Katie is suspended in the air, shrieking her lungs out.
The Inferi
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore is exhausted after drinking too much poison, so Harry turns to the surrounding lake in search of water – and suddenly, a dead hand grabs Harry. The zombies – er, Inferi – start creeping from the lake and pull Harry into the water with them. This is for sure a frightening moment!
Bathilda Bagshot’s Transformation
As Hermione consoles Harry when they visit the Potters’ grave, an eerie-looking old lady continuously watches them. To be honest, she gives us the creeps from the moment she enters the scene. As the woman turns out to be Bathilda Bagshot, Harry and Hermione go with her – and the jumpscare scene that follows is straight from a horror movie. It is made evident that Bathilda is dead and Nagini is possessing her corpse. The background ticking of the Horcrux locket and the Parseltongue make the scene more terrifying. This scene was visually so well done, and it might be the most petrifying moment in the series.
Honorable Mentions
The list of horror-movie moments in the series could also include instances such as Voldemort feeding on a unicorn, the Basilisk chase, Professor Lupin’s werewolf transformation, and Nagini attacking Mr. Weasley.
But before we end, let’s not forget the scariest scene in the movie:
The Jack in the Box
When Professor Lupin teaches the DADA class about boggarts, Parvati’s boggart changes into a “funny” clown, which we believe is more frightening than hilarious.
What are your favorite scary moments in the series? Let us know!
