Battle of Seven Potters [Harry Potter Lexicon]

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======Battle of Seven Potters======
=====Introduction=====
The Battle of Seven Potters, also known as the Flight from [[Privet Drive]], was an aerial battle that took place on the evening of 27 July 1997. The conflict occurred when members of the [[Order of the Phoenix]] attempted to move [[Harry Potter]] from his childhood home at [[Number Four, Privet Drive]] to the safety of [[The Burrow]] shortly before his seventeenth birthday. The plan involved six of Harry's friends and allies disguising themselves as him using [[Polyjuice Potion]], but the group was ambushed by [[Lord Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eater]]s, leading to a fierce confrontation in the skies over southern England. The battle resulted in significant casualties, most notably the death of the renowned [[Auror]] [[Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody]].
=====Background and The Plan=====
As [[Harry Potter]]'s seventeenth birthday approached, the magical protection afforded to him by his mother, [[Lily Potter]], and tethered to his residence with the [[Dursley]] family, was set to expire. To ensure his safety, the [[Order of the Phoenix]] devised a plan to move him to a new protected location. The plan, masterminded by [[Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody]], was designed to confuse and mislead any [[Death Eater]]s who might be waiting to attack.
The core of the strategy involved creating six decoys of [[Harry Potter]].
  * [[Hermione Granger]], [[Ron Weasley]], [[Fred Weasley]], [[George Weasley]], [[Fleur Delacour]], and [[Mundungus Fletcher]] each took a dose of [[Polyjuice Potion]] containing a piece of Harry's hair, transforming them into identical copies of him.
  * Each of the "seven Potters" was assigned a protector. The pairs would depart from [[Privet Drive]] simultaneously, flying on [[Broomstick]]s or [[Thestral]]s, and head towards different safe houses.
  * The real [[Harry Potter]] was paired with [[Rubeus Hagrid]], traveling on [[Sirius Black]]'s enchanted motorbike.
  * [[Mad-Eye Moody]] suspected their plans were known to [[Voldemort]] due to the infiltration of the [[Ministry of Magic]], making the decoy strategy essential. The plan was secretly suggested to the [[Order]] by [[Severus Snape]] (via a [[Confundus Charm]] placed on [[Mundungus Fletcher]]) to protect the real Harry, while [[Snape]] provided [[Voldemort]] with the correct date of departure to maintain his cover as a loyal [[Death Eater]].
=====The Battle=====
Immediately upon their departure, the seven pairs were ambushed by a large contingent of approximately thirty [[Death Eater]]s, with [[Lord Voldemort]] himself leading the attack. It became clear that the [[Death Eater]]s knew about the plan and were prepared.
Key events during the engagement include:
  * [[Mundungus Fletcher]], paired with [[Mad-Eye Moody]], panicked at the sight of [[Voldemort]] and Disapparated, leaving [[Moody]] vulnerable. [[Voldemort]] cast the [[Killing Curse]], which struck and killed [[Moody]], whose body was never recovered by the [[Order]].
  * Harry's pet owl, [[Hedwig]], was hit by a [[Killing Curse]] early in the fight and fell dead into the sidecar of the motorbike. Her attempt to protect Harry inadvertently helped the [[Death Eater]]s identify him as the real one.
  * [[Stan Shunpike]], apparently under the [[Imperius Curse]], was among the attacking [[Death Eater]]s. Harry, recognizing him, used [[Expelliarmus]] instead of a more lethal curse, a signature move that further confirmed his identity to the enemy.
  * [[George Weasley]], flying with [[Remus Lupin]], had his ear cursed off by [[Severus Snape]] with the [[Sectumsempra]] curse. [[Snape]] was aiming for the hand of a [[Death Eater]] who was trying to curse [[Lupin]].
  * When confronted by [[Voldemort]], Harry's [[wand]] acted of its own accord, firing a jet of golden flame that repelled [[Voldemort]]'s curse and destroyed the borrowed [[wand]] he was using (belonging to [[Lucius Malfoy]]).
  * Harry and [[Hagrid]] ultimately crash-landed in the garden of [[Ted Tonks]] and [[Andromeda Tonks]]'s home, where they used a [[Portkey]] to finally reach [[The Burrow]].
=====Aftermath and Consequences=====
The survivors of the battle gradually arrived at [[The Burrow]], where the casualties were assessed.
  * **Fatalities:** [[Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody]] and [[Hedwig]] were killed.
  * **Injuries:** [[George Weasley]] suffered the permanent loss of his left ear. The enchanted motorbike was largely destroyed.
The battle was a tactical failure for the [[Order of the Phoenix]], as their plan was compromised from the start, leading to the loss of one of their most formidable members. The event confirmed that [[Voldemort]] and his followers had deep intelligence on the [[Order]]'s activities. For Harry, the battle marked the true beginning of his hunt for the [[Horcrux]]es and the final phase of the [[Second Wizarding War]]. It also presented the mystery of why his [[wand]] had behaved independently, a question that would later be answered with the discovery of the twin cores it shared with [[Voldemort]]'s [[wand]].
=====Participants=====
**The Order of the Phoenix and Allies**
  * **The Seven Potters (and their Protectors):**
    * The real [[Harry Potter]] (with [[Rubeus Hagrid]] on an enchanted motorbike)
    * [[Hermione Granger]] as Harry (with [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] on a [[Thestral]])
    * [[Ron Weasley]] as Harry (with [[Nymphadora Tonks]] on a [[Broomstick]])
    * [[Fleur Delacour]] as Harry (with [[Bill Weasley]] on a [[Thestral]])
    * [[Fred Weasley]] as Harry (with [[Arthur Weasley]] on a [[Broomstick]])
    * [[George Weasley]] as Harry (with [[Remus Lupin]] on a [[Broomstick]])
    * [[Mundungus Fletcher]] as Harry (with [[Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody]] on a [[Broomstick]])
**The Death Eaters**
  * [[Lord Voldemort]]
  * [[Severus Snape]] (as a double agent)
  * [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
  * [[Rodolphus Lestrange]]
  * [[Rabastan Lestrange]]
  * [[Lucius Malfoy]]
  * [[Corban Yaxley]]
  * [[Selwyn]]
  * At least two dozen other unnamed [[Death Eater]]s
  * [[Stan Shunpike]] (under the [[Imperius Curse]])
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation, //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1//, the battle is depicted with several changes. [[Voldemort]] is shown flying without support, and the chase sequence is extended, including a pursuit through a Muggle road tunnel. (film)
  * In the film, [[Hedwig]]'s death is altered. She is killed while actively defending Harry from a [[Death Eater]]'s [[Killing Curse]], and it is this heroic act that gives Harry away, not his use of [[Expelliarmus]]. (film)
  * The detail of [[Snape]] giving the "Seven Potters" idea to the [[Order]] via [[Mundungus Fletcher]] is a crucial plot point from the book that is omitted from the film adaptation. (film)