There's no better way to celebrate J.K. Rowling's proudest creation, Harry Potter [1], than by crying . . . right? Over the course of Rowling's magical series [2], fans of the books and films [3] have been brought to tears more times than we can count. While the many character deaths are always devastating, there are also plenty of nondeath plot points that are heartbreakingly tragic.

We decided to round up a series of sad moments for a cathartic look back at the series. Pour yourself a butterbeer [4], say "Accio tissues," and embrace the flood of tears that is about to hit you.

— Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes

Related:

The 19 Hottest Harry Potter Wizards, Ranked [5]

1. When Draco feels like he has no other choice than to kill Professor Dumbledore, because Voldemort will punish his family if he fails.
2. Hagrid getting sent to Azkaban in Chamber of Secrets despite his innocence.

3. When Hermione erases her parents' memories of her own existence in order to protect them, not knowing if she'll ever see them again.
4. In Professor Snape's memories, when both Harry and the reader realise that James Potter was a mean-spirited bully who regularly tortured Snape for laughs.

5. When Ron angrily leaves Harry and Hermione, and Hermione is brokenhearted for months while he's away.
6. When Harry considers letting dementors attack him just so he can hear his mother's voice again.

7. The scene when Dolores Umbridge publicly humiliates Professor Trelawney, firing her in front of her students.
8. When Winky the house elf is forced to face her fear of heights due to her magical enslavement to Barty Crouch, then punished and humiliated for a crime that wasn't even hers.

9. Realising that Severus Snape, despite his many flaws, spent Harry's entire life protecting him out of unrequited love for Lily.
10. When a young Ron gazes into the Mirror of Erised to see himself as talented and successful, and it becomes clear that he's been overshadowed for his entire life.

11. Before Harry goes to Hogwarts, when the only acknowledgement he gets on his birthday is from himself.
12. When Professor Slughorn's patronus takes the form of the fish that Lily Potter left on his desk when she was a student.

13. When Harry has to return to the cold, hateful environment of Privet Drive after his two most traumatic life experiences: Cedric Diggory's cold-blooded murder and the devastating death of Sirius Black.
14. When Ron tries to destroy the Horcrux and it airs his deepest insecurity: that everyone in his life, especially Hermione, favours Harry over him.

15. Harry hoping that Sirius will walk out from behind the curtain in the Department of Mysteries, not fully processing that his godfather is gone.
16. The heartbreaking moment when Harry realises that his Aunt Petunia once loved his mother, too, and that she is just as scared about Voldemort's return as he is.

17. When Bellatrix Lestrange physically tortures Hermione because of her blood status, and Ron is forced to listen to every gruesome moment.
18. During the trio's mission at the Ministry of Magic, when Ron realises that the person he's impersonating is supposed to stand trial in defence of his Muggle-born wife and children.

19. In the Goblet of Fire movie, when Cedric Diggory's father repeatedly screams "My boy!" after realising that he's dead.
20. Harry discovering the two-way mirror after Sirius had already died, and never being able to use it with his beloved godfather.

21. Remus Lupin hoping that his infant son, Teddy, will understand what his parents died for.
22. At St. Mungo's, when Neville tenderly tucks a candy wrapper from his mentally handicapped mother into his pocket, cherishing it because he gets so little time with his tortured parents.

23. When Ron and Hermione realise that Harry is going into the forest to die, and Hermione says, "I'll go with you."
24. Kreacher's tearful account of being forced to drink Voldemort's poison, then left to die in the cavern with the Horcrux.

25. The fact that Harry, who desperately hoped to live with Sirius one day, never got to enjoy living with a loving parental figure.
26. Remus Lupin, the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher that Harry's class ever had, getting fired because the parents of Hogwarts students are prejudiced against werewolves and won't let him teach their kids.

27. In Deathly Hallows – Part 2 when George sees that Harry is alive and immediately turns around to tell Fred — only to realise that his twin will never stand by his side again.
28. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione are forced out of No. 12 Grimmauld Place by Death Eaters and realise that Kreacher, who finally has a life purpose and enjoys their company, will have no idea why they've abandoned him.

29. When a grieving Hagrid has to carry what he thinks is Harry's murdered body up to Hogwarts, and Harry can't let him know that he's still alive.
30. Harry breaking up with Ginny, one of the happiest parts of his teenage life, for her own safety.

31. When Dumbledore drinks the poison in Voldemort's cave and has to relive the death of his younger sister.
32. The heartbreaking story of Tom Riddle's mother, Merope Gaunt, and her lifelong cycle of vicious abuse.

33. When Harry sees his parents' grave for the very first time and wishes that "he was sleeping under the snow with them."
34. When Mrs. Weasley hugs Harry in the fourth book and he realises he's never felt a warm, motherly hug.

35. When Harry asks his mum, dad, and other loved ones who have died to be with him as he faces his own sacrificial death at the hand of Voldemort.
36. When Mrs. Weasley is confronted with a boggart that takes the form of each of her slain loved ones in turn, and eventually one of the visions becomes true.

37. When Dobby's last words before dying in Harry's arms are "Such a beautiful place, to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend, Harry Potter [6]."
38. When Percy returns to his family just in time for Fred to die, having missed out on more than a year of his brother's life.