25 Best Harry Potter Movie Moments

The Harry Potter series, as everyone is likely aware by now, is a global phenomenon, spanning seven books, eight films (three more in the making), two theme parks, three unauthorized musicals, and a seemingly endless supply of new material on Pottermore. Despite this overwhelming success, there have always been a few bones of contention amongst some of the diehards. Things that were changed in the films, not given enough attention or simply left out entirely. Movies, they reason, will just never be as good as the books they were based on. But that's not being quite fair to the films, is it? For better or worse, they're the biggest movie franchise in history, and have created a unique identity for themselves. The first couple films followed the books extremely closely, but as they went on they were more willing to experiment creatively. The result is an immensely satisfying film series that feels true to the spirit of the books, even though it doesn't necessarily follow every single plot point to the letter. Sure, there are some issues, particularly when the young cast was green and inexperienced, but for every bum note there are several moments that rival the best scenes in the books.