With HBO’s Harry Potter series currently well underway, there’s one storyline in particular that is guaranteed to be hitting the small screen: the hunt for Voldemort’s Horcruxes. The story of Harry Potter simply wouldn’t be able to be told without these cursed objects and their ability to keep Tom Riddle/Voldemort alive, so the show will eventually have to depict them. Granted, there are certain changes the show might make to how each Horcrux is destroyed; that was, in fact, already done in the Harry Potter movies.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Yet, the books clearly outline what the Horcruxes are, who destroys them, and how they are destroyed—and not every destruction was quite as cool and/or meaningful as the others. Looking at just those plot details from the books, here’s every Harry Potter character who destroyed a Horcrux, ranked from worst to best by how they did it.
Crabbe Accidentally Destroyed Rowena Ravenclaw’s Diadem
Given how desperate the heroes of Harry Potter were to make sure every last Horcrux was destroyed, it’s doubtful they cared very much about how each one was taken down. In fact, that is the very reason why Harry was willing to sacrifice himself in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; as soon as he realized that he was a Horcrux, he knew he had to die. Killing Voldemort was simply too important. Based on that, there’s little doubt that they were very happy when Vincent Crabbe accidentally destroyed the last Horcrux that Voldemort intentionally made: Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem.
Specifically, Draco Malfoy’s ‘friend,’ but more accurately his lackey, Crabbe, uses an extremely volatile dark magic spell, Fiendfyre, during his battle with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and not only does he accidentally kill himself in the process, but he also destroys the diadem. Again, no one was exactly complaining that Crabbe did so, but it certainly wasn’t the most heroic, meaningful horcrux destruction in the series. (Notably, this was also changed for the movie, with Gregory Goyle replacing Crabbe and Harry and Ron playing a more active role in the diadem’s destruction.)
Voldemort Inadvertently Destroyed A Horcrux By Killing Harry Potter
Although Voldemort was a terrifying dark wizard who tormented—literally and figuratively—generations of wizards, he also had a problem with accidentally doing things that created major complications for himself, often having to do with Harry Potter. After all, Voldemort accidentally turned baby Harry into a horcrux in the first place by attempting to kill him while he was (secretly) protected by the love magic of his mother. Oddly enough, the same was then true of Voldemort destroying one of his very own horcruxes: Harry again.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort is finally ready to make good on his nearly two-decades-old plan to kill Harry, and he once again uses the killing curse on the Boy Who Lived. Unfortunately for Voldemort, this yet again didn’t go according to plan as, not only does Harry come back, but also, this action actually destroyed the part of Voldemort’s soul (that is, the Horcrux) that had attached itself to Harry all those years ago. This therefore can’t rank very highly among the best Horcrux destructions, as it was done completely on accident by Voldemort himself.
Dumbledore Destroyed Marvolo Gaunt’s Ring
Honestly, I have beef with Dumbledore, and that’s likely playing a role in the fact that his destruction of Marvolo Gaunt’s ring ranks lower on the list of ways that Voldemort’s Horcruxes were destroyed. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, be it the book version or the movie(s) version, makes it pretty clear that Dumbledore did in fact use and deceive Harry, and considering that really started when Harry was just a helpless baby, it’s difficult to forgive. Even outside of this, though, Dumbledore had far from the best destruction of a Horcrux in the franchise.
As was the case with several other Horcruxes (thanks to Harry, who gave the sword the ability to destroy Horcruxes during his fight with the basilisk in his second year), Marvolo Gaunt’s ring was destroyed with the Sword of Gryffindor. This was, of course, an important step in bringing down Voldemort, and the ring contained the Resurrection Stone, making it all the more important to the larger narrative. This was far from the most heroic or meaningful Horcrux destruction, though, and it actually left Dumbledore rather scarred.
Hermione Destroyed Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup
Harry often gets most if not all of the credit in Harry Potter, and while that may be deserved to an extent, it was very nice to see that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be giving all three Golden Trio members their time to shine, as each ultimately brings an end to one Horcrux. In Hermione’s case, this was the cup of Helga Hufflepuff, one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It’s particularly fitting that Hermione was able to destroy a Horcrux, actually, as she was such a massive part of Harry’s success overall.
The only reason this destruction doesn’t rank higher is because it wasn’t necessarily significant and special in the way that the other more highly ranked Horcrux destructions were. It was exciting for Hermione to stab the cup with a basilisk fang and bring the heroes one step closer to permanently stopping Voldemort—and, notably, this event is tied to Hermione and Ron’s first romantic kiss, which is also nice in its way—but the Horcrux destructions ranked more highly than this one each had a more personal reason that it was so meaningful.
Ron Weasley Destroyed Slytherin’s Locket
Ron Weasley is a slightly divisive character, although that’s generally truer when it comes to the movie version of the character. Yes, Ron was part of the Golden Trio, and he was Harry Potter’s best friend, but he also struggled heavily with jealousy, which was seen throughout the story (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a great example). This, at times, made him come across as whiny and insecure, which doesn’t exactly make audiences fall in love with a character.
However, it is precisely what made Ron’s destruction of yet another one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, Slytherin’s locket, so profound. As a means of protection, the locket drew upon Ron’s greatest fears and insecurities to stop him from delivering a lethal blow, which specifically meant preying upon Ron’s fear and perhaps even belief that he was always second in life, not only in his friendship with Harry but also in his (budding) romance with Hermione and even his place in the Weasley family. Seeing Ron overcome in this way was brilliant, and it certainly ranks among the best Horcrux destructions.
Neville Longbottom Slayed Nagini
Harry Potter fans have generally agreed upon the fact that Neville Longbottom is owed so many more flowers than he often gets, both within the narrative itself and in the fanbase. Although he’s often treated as a goofy, at times even annoying character by other characters and fans alike, Neville is actually incredibly brave, and he proved to be essential in bringing down Voldemort. His destruction of one of Voldemort’s most unique Horcruxes, his snake Nagini, is proof of that.
During the Battle of Hogwarts, Neville wields the iconic Sword of Gryffindor—yet another symbol of Neville’s bravery, even if it’s frequently been overshadowed—and slays Nagini. This was a major moment not only because it meant the end of Voldemort’s terrifying pet snake but also because this was actually the final horcrux to be destroyed, making He Who Must Not Be Named finally truly killable. It was also fitting that this almost death blow came from Neville, who had so often been ignored and undervalued.
Harry Potter Destroyed Tom Riddle’s Diary
Finally, the single best destruction of a Horcrux in Harry Potter was, rightfully, done by Harry Potter himself. Specifically, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a preteen Harry confronts Voldemort/Tom Riddle once again, this time with Tom being just a memory—but still a very violent, dangerous memory—of himself during his Hogwarts days. After a harrowing battle against the basilisk, Harry takes a fang that he has pulled from his own body and uses it to stab Tom Riddle’s diary. There are myriad reasons this Horcrux destruction ranks as the best.
For one, although the diary isn’t actually the first Horcrux that fans encounter, given that Harry is himself a Horcrux, the introduction of this cursed object felt like it marked a connection to something bigger, even all the way back in book two. However, this was also an incredibly heroic moment in Harry’s journey. Yes, he had already proven himself in the first book, but Harry’s ingenuity in using the basilisk fang and his bravery throughout this confrontation stood out even compared to that. (And, although we’re talking about the books here, it also looked really cool in the movie.)
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
More TV Shows
-
Courtesy of 20th Television Animation -
Courtesy of 20th Television Animation
