Diwali, known as the festival of lights, was last Sunday. The Harry Potter film series has several light-filled moments so, in honor of this holiday, we will be looking at five of the brightest moments from the series.

Umbridge and the Fireworks

The upshot of it all was that Professor Umbridge spent her first afternoon as headmistress running all over the school answering the summonses of the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of the fireworks without her.” (Order of the Phoenix 633)

This scene in both the movie and the book was great. It was amazing to see Umbridge getting some of the payback she so deserved. The film portrayed this bright and joyous scene perfectly. The happiness of the characters is infectious and still makes us smile every time we watch the film.

The Great Hall

Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. (SS 116)

The moment when the students walk into the Great Hall to see the bright room illuminated by thousands of candles, combined with the ceiling looking like the night sky, is enchanting.

Harry’s Patronus

‘EXPECTO PATRONUM!’ he yelled.
And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse. It was galloping silently away from him, across the black surface of the lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at the swarming dementors.” (PoA 411)

The scene where the Dementors swarm Harry and Sirius is quite dark, both literally and emotionally, which makes Harry’s Patronus particularly visually striking.

The Triwizard Cup

He [Hary] dashed up this one and saw light ahead.
The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards away. Suddenly a dark figure hurtled out onto the path in front of him. (GoF 631)

The moment Harry sees the bright light of the Triwizard Cup is initially a light and happy one since that means he will be able to escape the horrors of the maze. However, as we know, this light moment of relief is only a fleeting one before Harry and Cedric are transported to the graveyard.

Deluminator

A few seconds later, there was a click, and the luminescent spheres the Deluminator had sucked from the lamps in the tent flew into the cellar: Unable to rejoin their sources, they simply hung there, like tiny suns, flooding the underground room with light.” (DH 465)

When Bellatrix is torturing Hermione, Ron is at his darkest, most helpless moment. The Deluminator here gives him the power to light up the darkness and help get them out of the cellar and able to save Hermione.

Are there any other light moments you would include? Let us know in the comments!