battle_of_the_seven_potters

Battle of the Seven Potters

Introduction

The Battle of the Seven Potters, also known as the Flight from Privet Drive, was an aerial battle that took place on the evening of 27 July, 1997. It was a critical operation devised by the Order of the Phoenix to move Harry Potter from the home of his relatives at Number Four, Privet Drive to the safety of The Burrow shortly before his seventeenth birthday. The plan involved using six decoys disguised as Harry through the use of Polyjuice Potion to mislead Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The operation was ultimately compromised, leading to a fierce confrontation in the skies over southern England. While Harry was successfully transported, the battle resulted in the death of Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody and the severe injury of George Weasley.

Prelude

As Harry Potter's seventeenth birthday approached, the powerful protective enchantment cast by his mother, Lily Potter, which had kept him safe at the Dursleys' home, was set to expire. Recognizing this vulnerability, Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters planned to ambush Harry the moment he left Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix, aware of the danger, formulated a plan to move Harry to a secure location before the protection failed. The initial plan to use the Floo Network was deemed too risky as the Ministry of Magic had fallen under Death Eater influence, making every fireplace connected to the network monitored.

The Plan

The strategy, masterminded by Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, was based on deception and creating confusion. The core elements of the plan were as follows:

The pairs were assigned as follows:

The Battle

Despite the Order's secrecy, the plan had been leaked to Lord Voldemort by Severus Snape (on Albus Dumbledore's prior instructions). As soon as the seven Potters and their protectors took to the sky, they were ambushed by approximately thirty Death Eaters.

  • Harry and Hagrid: They were immediately targeted by Lord Voldemort himself, confirming that the Death Eaters knew the real Harry would be with the most formidable protector. During the chase, Harry's beloved owl, Hedwig, was struck by a Killing Curse and fell from her cage. In the ensuing fight, Harry cast a Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) at Stan Shunpike, who was under the Imperius Curse. This act of mercy, a signature move of Harry's, definitively identified him to the nearby Death Eaters. When Voldemort, using Lucius Malfoy's wand, tried to kill Harry, Harry's own wand acted of its own accord, emitting golden flames that destroyed the borrowed wand in an echo of Priori Incantatem. Harry and Hagrid ultimately crash-landed in the garden of Ted and Andromeda Tonks's home.
  • George and Lupin: This pair was attacked by several Death Eaters, including Severus Snape. While aiming a curse at a Death Eater's hand, Snape's spell (Sectumsempra) was accidentally deflected and struck George, severing his ear. Lupin managed to get the injured George to The Burrow.
  • Mundungus and Moody: Upon seeing Lord Voldemort approach them directly, the cowardly Mundungus Fletcher panicked and Disapparated, leaving Moody undefended. Moody was hit squarely by Voldemort's Killing Curse and fell from his broom to his death. His body was never recovered by the Order.
  • Ron and Tonks: They were pursued by several Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange. Tonks managed to fight them off, and the pair successfully reached the home of Auntie Muriel, where they took their Portkey to The Burrow.
  • Kingsley and Hermione: They were pursued by at least five Death Eaters, with Voldemort himself joining the chase for a time before breaking off to pursue the real Harry. Kingsley proved to be a powerful duellist and he and Hermione managed to escape.

Aftermath

The survivors of the battle gathered at The Burrow. They used security questions to confirm each other's identities, such as asking Lupin what creature had been in his office on the first day Harry met him. The Order suffered two major casualties: the permanent loss of George Weasley's ear and the death of their leader, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. Harry was overcome with guilt, believing the plan's failure and the casualties were his fault. The group debated how Voldemort had been able to identify the real Harry, with Lupin correctly deducing it was his use of Expelliarmus, a spell associated with saving people rather than killing them.

Participants

Behind the Scenes

  • In the film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (film), the battle is depicted as a more direct and chaotic aerial dogfight. Hedwig is killed while actively defending Harry from a Killing Curse from Voldemort, rather than being struck while in her cage, giving her a more heroic death.
  • The information about the plan's true date of execution was leaked by Severus Snape under Albus Dumbledore's orders. Dumbledore had instructed Snape to give Voldemort the real date while also providing a false trail suggesting Harry would be moved by Portkey. This was a calculated risk intended to keep Snape's position as a spy secure while hopefully ensuring Harry's ultimate survival, as revealed in “The Prince's Tale”. Snape also suggested the idea of the seven Potters to Mundungus Fletcher via Confundus Charm, ensuring the Order would adopt a plan that he could then “betray” to Voldemort.
  • J.K. Rowling stated that she killed Hedwig to represent the loss of Harry's childhood and innocence as he fully entered the adult wizarding world and its war.