As the final chapter in Harry Potter’s quest to vanquish the Dark Lord comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the wizards, witches, and other magical creatures who have passed on.

Professor Quirrell

Killed by Voldemort by possession

Quirrell unfortunately encountered Voldemort when he “traveled around the world,” and was possessed by the Dark Lord, who needed a physical body to  seek out the Philosopher’s Stone at Hogwarts. Quirrell hid Voldemort underneath his turban, and pretended to be a nervous, stuttering teacher to avoid detection.

Harry, a freshman then, managed to defeat Quirrell and procure the Stone though the Mirror of Erised. Voldemort left Quirell’s body, leaving him to die.

Aragog

Died of old age

Aragog the acromantula, whom Hagrid raised in the Forbidden Forest because it was once thought of as the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, was introduced to Harry, Ron, and Hermione during their second year in school. Though their encounter didn’t end cordially then, Aragog’s death in Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts proved instrumental to Harry.  With the aid of Felix Felicis (liquid luck potion), he was able to convince the drunken Horace Slughorn to give him an important memory about the young Voldemort during Aragog’s funeral.

Bartemius Crouch Sr.

Killed by Bartemius Crouch Jr. using an unidentified spell, but most likely the Killing Curse

Consumed with guilt after having sent his only son to Azkaban, Barty Crouch Sr. smuggled his son out of prison, even if he was fully aware of Barty Crouch Jr.’s fanatical loyalty to the Dark Lord.

Barty Sr.  thought he could control his son and keep him hidden—a plan that backfired on him, as Barty Jr. soon regained his strength, escaped, rejoined Voldemort, and killed his father.  Barty Jr. made it doubly hard for his father’s body to be found by transfiguring his remains into a single bone.

Bertha Jorkins

Killed by Voldemort using Avada Kedavra

Bertha Jorkins, a ministry official, crossed Voldemort’s path when she was abroad in Albania. Bertha had seen Barty Jr. when she had visited their house, and despite Barty Sr.’s damaging attempt to erase her memory, Voldemort was able to extract enough information from her—enough to know that his most faithful servant was alive and free to do his bidding.

Cedric Diggory

Killed by Wormtail using Avada Kedavra

Cedric had touched the Triwizard Cup at the same time Harry did, not knowing it was a portkey set up by Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Mad-Eye Moody). Both boys were transported where Voldemort was waiting, but as the trap was only intended for Harry, Voldemort wasted no time instructing Wormtail to dispose of Cedric; he could not do it himself yet, as he had not regained his full physical body. Something good did come out of Cedric’s death, though, when the Ministry of Magic finally accepted that the Dark Lord had indeed returned to power.

Sirius Black aka Padfoot

Killed by Bellatrix Lestrange

While Bellatrix delivered the spell that led to Sirius’ death, there is still the mystery of the veil which he fell through in the Department of Mysteries after being hit by Bellatrix’s curse. It was unclear exactly what curse Bellatrix had cast; then again, it could have been that Sirius met his death only because he fell through the unexplainable veil.

Nevertheless, it was one of the most devastating deaths for Harry, as Sirius, his godfather and father’s best friend, was the closest thing he had to family. Harry could not shake his guilt, too, blaming the incident on himself: Had he checked the two-way mirror Sirius had given him instead of believing the torturous image Voldemort implanted in his mind (and rushing to the trap waiting for him at the Ministry of Magic), Harry would have found his godfather safe and sound at Grimmauld Place.

Peter Pettigrew aka Wormtail

Strangled by his silver hand

As far as cowardly traitors are concerned, Wormtail deserves top mention, having betrayed his supposed friends James and Lily to Voldemort and framed Sirius Black for their deaths; pretended to be dead; killed innocent Muggles; and passed himself off as an innocent pet rat to the Weasleys.

But he did hesitate in choking Harry to death when he realized he owed the latter his life, which shows that Wormtail still had a sliver of a conscience left in him. That single incident of remorse ultimately brought Wormtail to his death—the enchanted silver hand given to him by Voldemort choked him instead after he chose not to kill Harry.

Hedwig

Killed by an unidentified Death Eater using Avada Kedavra

Hit with a Killing Curse as Harry was being transported from No. 4 Privet Drive to the Burrow, Hedwig was Harry’s best friend next to Ron and Hermione. The snowy owl, a birthday gift from Hagrid, was Harry’s only link to the wizarding world during lonely summers with his relatives.

Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody

Killed by Voldemort using, most likely, the Killing Curse

Mad-Eye’s death, which, like Hedwig’s, occurred as the Order was transporting Harry from Privet Drive to the Burrow, came as a huge shock, especially since the Auror had survived a year’s imprisonment inside his own trunk three years before (again, the work of Barty Crouch Jr.). His death also remains a mystery, as the Order had never recovered his body after the Dark Lord blasted him off his broom. The only piece of him ever found was his magical eye; Harry recovered it at the Ministry of Magic where he, Ron, and Hermione went looking for Dolores Umbrigde, who had Slytherin’s locket.

Dobby

Stabbed by Bellatrix Lestrange’s knife

From the time he sought Harry during the summer before the latter’s second year at Hogwarts (he was still under the Malfoys’ employment then), up to his tragic demise at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange, Dobby the elf had one mission and one mission alone: to help Harry Potter and protect him from the Dark Lord and his minions. Saving Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the Malfoys’ mansion had been Dobby’s final heroic act. The free elf was undoubtedly one of Harry’s most loyal allies and truest friends.

Colin Creevey

Killed during the Battle of Hogwarts

Arguably one of Harry’s biggest fans, Colin stayed behind to help fight Death Eaters from infiltrating Hogwarts, instead of heading of safety like the other underage students.

Fred Weasley

Killed by an explosion

Also killed at the Battle of Hogwarts, Fred died fighting alongside his brother Percy against Death Eaters. It was a tragic death not just for the Weasley family, but for Harry, too—after Ron, it was the twins whom Harry was closest to among the Weasley brothers.

Albus Percival Wulfric

Brian Dumbledore

Killed by Severus Snape using Avada Kedavra

It was painful for the whole wizarding world see the “greatest wizard who ever lived” defeated, their shining beacon of hope—apart from Harry—in defeating Voldemort. Dumbledore’s fall was caused by no less than the man whom he fully trusted despite everybody’s doubts: Severus Snape. Snape had finally revealed his true allegiance (or had he?) when he struck Dumbledore atop the Astronomy Tower, which fueled even more Harry’s anger toward his former potions professor.

In the months that followed Dumbledore’s death, Harry would sometimes see a flash of blue in the broken two-way mirror Sirius had left him. Whether it is his dead headmaster returned from the dead or just his imagination, Harry has yet to find out.

Remus and Nymphadora ‘Tonks’ Lupin

Killed during the Battle of Hogwarts

As two of Harry’s closest friends, Remus and Tonks fought to the  death to protect Hogwarts against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Though they sadly left their son Teddy Tonks an orphan, they made sure to leave him in the capable hands of his godfather—Harry.

Severus Snape

Killed by Voldemort using Nagini

Voldemort killed Snape believing that it would help him master the most powerful wand in the world—the wand he had taken from Dumbledore’s tomb. Since Snape had killed Dumbledore, Voldemort believed the Elder Wand answered to Snape, making it necessary for him to kill one of his “most faithful” servants.