Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Valentine's Day====== =====Overview===== Valentine's Day is a [[Muggle]] holiday observed on 14 February, which has also been adopted by some members of the [[wizarding world]]. It is a day associated with romance, affection, and expressions of love. At [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], the holiday has been the backdrop for several significant, and often dramatic or awkward, events in the life of [[Harry Potter]] and his friends. These occasions have ranged from embarrassing public displays to pivotal plot developments, including a near-fatal poisoning and a crucial turning point in the public's perception of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s return. =====Known Occurrences===== **1993: Lockhart's Celebration** During [[Harry Potter]]'s second year, Defence Against the Dark Arts professor [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] initiated a school-wide Valentine's Day celebration to "boost morale" in the wake of the [[Chamber of Secrets]] attacks. * The [[Great Hall]] was decorated with lurid pink flowers and heart-shaped confetti that fluttered down from the ceiling. [[Professor Lockhart]] himself wore ostentatious, matching pink robes. * Lockhart hired a dozen "surly-looking" dwarves, dressed as cupids with golden wings and harps, to roam the school delivering [[singing valentine]]s. * [[Harry]] was the recipient of a particularly embarrassing public valentine, sent anonymously by [[Ginny Weasley]]. The delivering dwarf tackled Harry in a crowded corridor, spilling the contents of his bag, and sang the following verse: * //"His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad,// * //His hair is as dark as a blackboard.// * //I wish he was mine, he's really divine,// * //The hero who conquered the Dark Lord."// * In the ensuing chaos, [[Draco Malfoy]] mockingly snatched up [[Tom Riddle's Diary]], which had fallen from Harry's bag. This moment was significant as it confirmed to Harry that Malfoy had seen the diary, which would later prove crucial to understanding how [[Ginny]] came to be possessed by it. **1996: Hogsmeade Date and The Quibbler Interview** In Harry's fifth year, Valentine's Day coincided with a [[Hogsmeade]] weekend. This day marked two key events for Harry. * **First Date:** Harry had his first official date with [[Cho Chang]] at [[Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop]]. The establishment was described as nauseatingly decorated, filled with couples, and enchanted with golden cherubs throwing pink confetti. The date was a failure; Harry felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere, and [[Cho]] became jealous when Harry mentioned he had to meet [[Hermione Granger]], ultimately ending the date in tears over both this and her lingering grief for [[Cedric Diggory]]. * **Rita Skeeter Interview:** Immediately following the disastrous date, Harry met [[Hermione]] at the [[Three Broomsticks]]. Hermione had arranged for Harry to be interviewed by the disgraced journalist [[Rita Skeeter]]. This interview, published in [[The Quibbler]], was the first time Harry's full account of [[Lord Voldemort]]'s return was made public, marking a major turning point in the [[Second Wizarding War]]. **1997: Love Potion and Poisoning** Valentine's Day in Harry's sixth year was the setting for a dangerous incident involving a [[love potion]] and a separate poisoning attempt. * [[Romilda Vane]], determined to win Harry's affection, attempted to give him a box of [[Chocolate Cauldrons]] spiked with a powerful love potion. * [[Ron Weasley]], however, mistook the chocolates for a birthday present and ate them himself, falling instantly and intensely in love with [[Romilda]]. * Harry took the afflicted [[Ron]] to Potions Master [[Horace Slughorn]] for an antidote. After successfully curing [[Ron]], [[Slughorn]] offered both boys a glass of oak-matured mead. * The mead had been a Christmas gift for [[Albus Dumbledore]] from [[Slughorn]], but it had been poisoned by [[Draco Malfoy]] in an attempt to kill the Headmaster. [[Ron]] drank the mead and was poisoned, only surviving because [[Harry]] quickly administered a [[bezoar]] from his Potions kit. =====Behind the Scenes===== * The film adaptations of //Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets//, //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, and //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince// all include the Valentine's Day events described in the novels. The depiction of [[Lockhart]]'s celebration, Harry's date with [[Cho]], and [[Ron]]'s accidental ingestion of the [[love potion]] are largely faithful to their source material. (film)
