Every Known Battle In Harry Potter's Second Wizarding War (2024)

The second half of the Harry Potter series occurred during the Second Wizarding War, which contained several battles that determined the outcome of Voldemort's movement. The First Wizarding War took place in the years leading up to Harry's birth and ended Halloween night of 1984 when Voldemort attacked the Potters at Godric Hallow. The magical world of Harry Potter saw relative peace for 13 years after this fateful day, but the return of Lord Voldemort was the start of the Second Wizarding War, which would have a massive impact on wizarding society—and, of course, the plot of Harry Potter.

The Second Wizarding War continued the first, with many of Voldemort's original Death Eaters rejoining the fight. The same was true for the Order of the Phoenix. However, since the Dark Lord had been near to winning his war before his fall to the infant Harry Potter, the Order's numbers had been depleted by the start of the Second Wizarding War in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Still, Dumbledore's forces managed to hold their own through every battle, including his youngest and most important soldier, the Boy Who Lived himself.

RELATED: How Harry Potter's Final Battle Is Different In The Books

8 The Duel At The Graveyard

The first battle of the Second Wizarding War included only Voldemort and Harry Potter. The Dark Lord had expected it to be an easy duel to win. He believed that he had eliminated the magical protection that kept him from touching the Boy Who Lived, and without any parents to sacrifice themselves, Harry was entirely defenseless. Thankfully, Voldemort was altogether unaware of the shared cores that made his and Harry's wands brothers. Once he tried to use one to kill the other's master, it initiated a phenomenon called Priori Incantatum—the wands connected and imprints of Voldemort's latest victims escaped long enough to help Harry to safety.

Of course, despite Harry's victory, the battle at the graveyard near the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire claimed the life of Cedric Diggory. His was the first official death of the Second Wizarding War, but it wouldn't be the last. Diggory was the tragic reminder of what Voldemort was capable of.

7 The Battle Of The Department Of Mysteries

The next battle of Voldemort's war didn't happen until a year after his resurrection at the graveyard in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The Dark Lord was attempting to keep his existence a secret from the Ministry of Magic for as long as possible so that he could rebuild his forces. Moreover, the belief that Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter were liars only benefited the Death Eaters. Still, Voldemort needed to hear the entire prophecy that had been made about himself and Harry, so he lured the Boy Who Lived to the Department of Mysteries to gain access to it.

This led to the first official battle between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters since the end of the First Wizarding War. Casualties were minimal, with only Sirius Black losing his life. Still, this was majorly impactful to the war. The destruction of the prophecy and Harry Potter's escape resulted in Lucius Malfoy losing Voldemort's favor, and he spent the rest of the Second Wizarding War groveling for renewed approval. What's more, the battle revealed Voldemort's return to the wizarding world, thus making the war public.

6 The Giants' Attack On West Country

Though never mentioned in the Harry Potter movies, the Giants' attack on West Country was the first public battle after the ordeal at the Department of Mysteries. Since Voldemort's return had been accepted by the Ministry of Magic, the Death Eaters could finally return to their mission of the First Wizarding War—attacking Muggles. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince book, Cornelius Fudge explained to the British Prime Minister that what the Muggles believed to have been a hurricane was actually an attack mounted by the Death Eaters with the help of the giants that had allied themselves with Voldemort's cause.

It's assumed that Ministry of Magic forces, as well as members of the Order of the Phoenix, participated in this battle. However, little else is known about it. There were most certainly Muggle casualties, but none of the central members of the Order of the Phoenix lost their lives.

5 The Battle At The Astronomy Tower

The Battle at the Astronomy Tower took place at Hogwarts Castle after Draco Malfoy helped the Death Eaters break in through the Room of Requirement. It had taken him the majority of the 1996 - 1997 school year to get the Vanishing Cabinet, which had a twin at Borgin and Burkes, up and running—and several minor battles and attacks happened around the country in the meantime. When Draco was finally successful, it was an easy matter for the Death Eaters to enter the school and assist him in the mission to kill Albus Dumbledore.

Of course, Draco Malfoy didn't wind up being the one to kill the Hogwarts headmaster. This job fell to Severus Snape, who proved himself beyond a doubt in the eyes of Lord Voldemort by completing it. What the Dark Lord didn't know is that Dumbledore's death in Harry Potter had been planned by the man himself. So, while this seemed like a victory for Voldemort, it was really only a step forward for the headmaster's plans.

4 The Battle Of The Seven Potters

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry left the Dursleys' house for the last time. From that point on, Harry would no longer call the residence of his mother's sister home, so the blood protection that had kept him safe from Voldemort all those years was lifted. This provided the Death Eaters the prime opportunity to attack. So, the Order of the Phoenix devised a plan. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundugus took Polyjuice potion, making them take on Harry's likeness. This kept the Death Eaters from knowing which of the escaping Potters was the real one.

The Order of the Phoenix had hoped that Voldemort would never find out they were moving Harry that day, so the seven-Potters plan was only a precaution. However, under Dumbledore's orders, Snape revealed the actual date Harry would be leaving 4 Privet Drive to Voldemort. This meant the Death Eaters were there, ready for an ambush. Mad-Eye Moody was killed, and George Weasley lost his ear. Still, Harry was successfully taken to the Weasleys, so the mission and battle were considered a success.

3 The Wedding Battle (& Fall Of The Ministry Of Magic)

Bill and Fleur's wedding in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was a happy occasion, but it didn't last long. As the celebration was taking place, Voldemort got his hands on the Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, and tortured him in an attempt to discover the hiding place of Harry Potter. When it became clear that Scrimgeour would never reveal this information, the Dark Lord murdered him, which set off a chain reaction that forever shifted the trajectory of the Second Wizarding War.

Scrimgeour's death marks the official start of Voldemort's rule over the wizarding world. Though he never pronounced himself Minister for Magic, the Ministry became his to control. Pius Thicknesse was given the official title, but the Dark Lord called the shots. The Death Eaters flooded the Weasley home, knowing Harry would likely be there (though Harry, Ron, and Hermione promptly Disapparate). Harry Potter's Order of the Phoenix fought back. None were killed, but the full consequence of this battle isn't fully known.

2 The Massacre At Malfoy Manor

The Malfoys and Bellatrix Lestrange were sure that the war was over when they had Harry Potter in custody at Malfoy Manor in Deathly Hallows. Unfortuantely for them, things didn't work out that way. While locked away in the cellar, Harry managed to make contact with Aberforth Dumbledore (though he didn't know that this was who was on the other side of his two-way mirror), and Dobby the house-elf was sent to their rescue. During the escape effort, Peter Pettigrew was killed (by the metal hand Voldemort had rewarded him with in Goblet of Fire), and though Hermione was tortured and Olivander, Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood, and Griphook were all injured, they survive.

Unfortunately, in the most heartbreaking scenes of Harry Potter, Dobby was killed as the result of a knife wound from Bellatrix Lestrange. After the battle, Voldemort murdered several of the Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor in punishment for Harry's escape, and Bellatrix and the Malfoys were severely punished.

1 The Battle Of Hogwarts

The final battle of the Harry Potter series contained the highest number of heartbreaking tragedies. The Battle of Hogwarts occurred in Deathly Hallows after Harry, Ron, and Hermione learned that one of Voldemort's last Horcruxes was concealed within the Castle. The Dark Lord, who realized that Harry was after his Horcruxes after the break-in at Gringotts, followed the boy to Hogwarts and brought his forces in full to end the final resistance of the Second Wizarding War.

How many people died from either side in the Battle of Hogwarts is unknown. Those confirmed to have passed during the first leg were Fred Weasley, Vincent Crabbe, Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Severus Snape. After a short reprieve granted by Voldemort, Harry entered the Forbidden Forest to die, which marked the beginning of the end. The Boy Who Lived survived yet again, and his sacrifice granted protection over all those at Hogwarts Castle. The final Horcruxes had been destroyed, the two rivals faced off for battle, and the Dark Lord fell—marking the end of Harry Potter's Second Wizarding War.