Top 10 Harry Potter Moments

Setting Harry and his fellow champions against dragons, mermaids and, eventually, Voldemort himself, the Triwizard cup provided the fourth instalment an enjoyable distraction from the ever-present Dark Lord... even though it resulted in his rebirth. Playing the ill-fated Cedric Diggory, Robert Pattinson got his first taste of illusive fame thanks to Harry Potter. Re-watching Goblet of Fire it's hard to imagine him being the unknown that he was, his appearance providing a neat cross over for two of the biggest fantasy franchises of the last decade (we don't count Dumbledore's resembling Gandalf / Dobby resembling Gollum as a Lord of the Rings – Harry Potter cross over, sorry).

Although it was something the later films forgot about, Christmas played a huge part in the earlier films. Imbibing a sense of magic wands and spells couldn't, the festive walls of Hogwarts made the threat of Voldemort a distant concern. With Harry getting his father's Invisibility Cloak during his first Christmas at the school it also saw him receive his first naff bit of knitting from Mrs. Weasley. D'aww.

Schools are breeding grounds for hormones and Harry's best friends Ron and Hermione were two victims struck with the fancying bug. Although rarely facing their true feelings (with Hermione briefly dating Quidditch player Viktor Krum and Ron taking a liking to Lavender Brown), the two discovered they couldn't live without each other when Ron took off after suffering a hissy fit in Deathly Hallows Part 1. The anticipated kiss finally happens amidst the battle scenes of the saga's final piece. Not like we didn't see it coming!

Harry may take most of the glory but his best friends shine through, too. Chamber of Secrets may be a little dated now but no matter how often you see it Ron's triumphant defeat over a dazed (and rather idiotic) teacher never fails to raise a cheer. Having discovered Kenneth Brannagh's Gilderoy Lockhart is nothing but a fake, Ron and Harry are faced with the unenviable task of finding the hidden Chamber of Secrets before its too late. Tagging along for the ride the newly amnesic Lockhart takes a blow to the head when he asks Ron an incessant list of questions. Yay, Ron!

In the face of Hagrid's beloved Buckbeak's execution Hermione finally does what we've all wanted her to and punches Malfoy square in the face. An unexpected act of violence from the otherwise docile Hermione, she finally silences Malfoy's sneering jibes. Yay, Hermione!

Although it features the excessive use of time travel in its finale Prisoner of Azkaban is easily one of the best in the series. With a crazed convict hot on his trail, Harry is appalled to find that Sirius Black, the man responsible for his parent's death, is in fact his Godfather. A revelation scene in the shrieking shack later and all's cleared up, the real blame laying at Peter Pettigrew's gnarly feet.

Aww the good old days when all Harry really had to worry about was Potions lessons and winning a quidditch match. Being spotted by McGonagall when he zooms after Neville's Remembrall, Harry is soon chosen to be Gryffindor's seeker. Matching the jubilation caused by his being sorted into Gryffindor this decision will go on to affect later decisions and crises.

One of the saga's best characters, Imelda Staunton's representation of the sickly sweet Professor Umbridge was perfect. Secretly packing a venomous side that would later change Hogwarts completely, Umbridge posed a whole new threat for the students of Hogwarts. Tired of her decrees and horrible giggle, Fred and George Weasley left Hogwarts and went out with a bang, putting on a magical fireworks show that put Umbridge's new establishment in Hogwarts to shame. Signalling the beginning of the end for the rotten teacher things go from bad to worse for her. Her appearance gets increasingly dishevelled until she meets her match in Hagrid's brother Grawp.

It was only a matter of time until the two greatest wizards crossed wands. Reeling from the death of Godfather Sirius, Harry chases Bellatrix LaStrange (another great Potter character) through the Ministry of Magic only to be confronted by He Who Must Not Be Named himself. Dumbledore comes to the rescue and the two duel it out, involving some awe-inspiring wizardry that sees Earth's forces battling against each other. Amidst the mayhem Harry must overcome an internal struggle between good and evil. All in a day's work for Harry.

One of the most enigmatic characters of the entire franchise, Severus Snape, played expertly by Alan Rickman, has goaded and chilled Harry and co. for their entire school lives. Making his Potions lessons a misery, as well as ensuring he does what he can to exact punishment on Potter, Snape has been the target for Potter fan hate from the very beginning. That is, of course, until the final instalment. Having aligned himself with both the good (the Order of the Phoenix) and the bad (Voldemort and his Death Eaters) we finally discover his true affiliations in Deathly Hallows Part 2 and the revelation is carried out perfectly.