Harry Potter: 10 Most Heart-Breaking Movie Moments
9. Harry’s Parents In The Mirror Of Erised
During the opening sequence of The Philosopher's Stone, a baby with a lightning shaped scar on his head is introduced to the world. Harry Potter, or The Boy Who Lived, was recently made an orphan after his parents were murdered by the ruthless Lord Voldemort.
Harry's abusive relatives - his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia - make the boy's life a living hell and he only finds some relief when he ventures into the magical world of witches and wizards.
One of the most poignant scenes in the film occurs when Harry stumbles across The Mirror of Erised during a late night wonder underneath his Invisibility Cloak. The mirror shows the looker’s “the deepest and most desperate desires”, as Professor Dumbledore explains later, and Harry, who has no family, sees his mother and father smiling proudly at him.
A touching moment which feels like a stab to the heart comes when Lily Potter places a comforting hand on Harry’s shoulder, a gesture Harry feels in the real world but reminds him he's unable to ever truly be reunited with his dead parents.