A fantasy series needs spellbinding narration to come to life, as Jim Dale and Stephen Fry have long proven with their masterful performances of the Harry Potter audiobooks. With enchanting voicework that guides listeners through Harry’s adventure with enchanting heart and humor, their narrations make for totally unforgettable listening experiences. And now, with the arrival of Pottermore Publishing and Audible’s best-in-class, full-cast audio productions of the Harry Potter series, fans can look forward to even more immersion with a host of talented actors, dynamic sound design, and music bringing the story to life anew.
Harry, of course, is the central character in this magical world. He is equal parts kind, curious, and brave. It’s especially compelling to hear him grow from a wide-eyed boy, new to magic, to an empathetic, fearless hero who will stop at nothing to protect his friends and the wizarding world at large. It was quite an effort narrowing down our best-loved Harry Potter moments from the audiobooks, but we’ve managed to rank 10 of our favorites below. Enhanced by exquisite narration, these scenes—ranging from lighthearted to tense, heartfelt to heroic—are our top 10 Harry moments.
1. Harry makes the glass disappear
In the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, we follow alongside the rather normal Dursley family: Vernon and Petunia, their son Dudley, and Harry Potter, Petunia’s orphaned nephew who lives with them.
On Dudley’s birthday, the Dursleys take the boys to the zoo. When Harry is observing a Brazilian boa constrictor (and seemingly chatting with it), Dudley walks over and punches Harry in the ribs to get a better look, knocking Harry to the ground. Just then, the glass in front of the snake’s enclosure disappears, allowing the boa to escape. It’s a surprising, startling moment that goes unexplained until Harry later learns of his wizarding heritage.
From Chapter Two: The Vanishing Glass
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Two: The Vanishing Glass
Performed by Stephen Fry
2. Harry and Ron save Hermione from the troll
Before they became a trio of best pals, Harry and Ron were admittedly a little put off by Hermione. On Halloween night, Hermione overhears Ron making fun of her and disappears. At the Halloween feast, Professor Quirrell announces a troll is in the dungeons, but since Hermione isn’t there to hear his warning, the boys worry she doesn’t know, Harry and Ron are determined to make sure she’s safe.
They find Hermione trapped in the bathroom with the troll, which they manage to subdue. From this time onward, the three are the best of friends. It’s also a moment that both showcases Harry’s inclination to bravely charge forward, even in the face of fear and an event that foreshadows the trio working together through the rest of the series. Post-troll defeat, Harry’s friendship with Ron and Hermione is unshakable.
From Chapter Ten: Halloween
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Ten: Hallowe'en
Performed by Stephen Fry
3. Harry visits the Burrow
From the very beginning, Harry and his best friend Ron Weasley have a brotherly relationship. Ron, along with his twin brothers Fred and George, saves Harry from his bedroom, where Uncle Vernon locks him in after an incident involving a floating pudding for an important dinner at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. When they arrive at the Weasley family home, the Burrow, Harry is enchanted by the joys of a magical home and wonders of a loving family. Mrs. Weasley is also extremely kind and caring to him, setting her up as a mother figure for him throughout the series. Harry’s comfort at the Burrow, along with his close relationship with the whole Weasley family, remain resonant throughout the series.
From Chapter Three: The Burrow
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Three: The Burrow
Performed by Stephen Fry
4. Harry gets the Marauder’s Map
One of the most useful tools in Harry’s arsenal is the Marauder’s Map, which Fred and George gift to him in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It’s a highly detailed map of Hogwarts that includes live views of everyone moving around the school and indicates secret passageways. It gives Harry the freedom and belonging he craves, as he was the only third year not allowed to go to Hogsmeade. Later, it becomes more helpful than he could have ever realized.
The mysterious Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs remain as important to Harry as their map throughout the series. The map also helps him investigate mysteries at Hogwarts and stay ahead of people pursuing him. Even though Harry is careful and understands risks, he is always curious and driven to explore the magical world. Mischief managed, indeed.
From Chapter Ten: The Marauders Map
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Ten: The Marauders Map
Performed by Stephen Fry
5. Harry evades a dragon in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is put in an unbelievably difficult situation: He’s inexplicably chosen as the fourth (and far-too-young!) competitor in the Triwizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts. For the first task, the champions must retrieve a golden egg from a dragon’s keep, and Harry gets paired with the most vicious dragon: the Hungarian Horntail. Despite struggling with the Summoning Charm, Harry practices endlessly and, with Hermione’s help, he is able to get his Firebolt to him to make it past the dragon. His commitment to honing his magical skills, coupled with his top-notch flying abilities, are always impressive. Harry’s triumphs are as thrilling as they are unexpected, and it’s as easy as ever to cheer for the Boy Who Lived.
From Chapter Twenty: The First Task
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Twenty: The First Task
Performed by Stephen Fry
6. Harry goes above and beyond in the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament
By the second task, Harry has a better sense of what he’s getting into. After eventually solving the clue in the golden egg that he got from the first task, Harry has figured out that he needs to find a way to breathe underwater for an hour. After he fails to find a spell, Dobby comes to the rescue with gillyweed, a magic plant that gives Harry gills and webbing to survive in the lake. When he reaches the bottom of the lake, he finds four captives (Ron, Hermione, Cho Chang, and the younger sister of the Beauxbatons champion, Fleur Delacour) held by the merpeople. When Fleur fails to arrive to save her sister, Harry takes her along with Ron up to the surface of the lake. It’s another moment where we fell in love with Harry as a character because of his fearless commitment to saving everyone.
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Second Task
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Twenty-Six: The Second Task
Performed by Stephen Fry
7. Harry teaches defensive spells to Dumbledore’s Army
Fifth year at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a rough time, with greater dangers brewing than ever before. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge, denies the students practical lessons in magic. Harry is angry, and he needs an outlet.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione find everything to start a non-school-sanctioned defense club in the secret, enchanted Room of Requirement. Harry’s an excellent guide for his peers, able to correct them with encouragement. All the members of Dumbledore’s Army succeed in their spell work with Harry as their tireless teacher.
From Chapter Eighteen: Dumbledore's Army
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Eighteen: Dumbledore's Army
Performed by Stephen Fry
8. Harry becomes a Potions expert
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry, Ron, and Hermione step into the next phase of their magical education. After five years of deeply unpleasant Potions classes with Professor Snape, Harry still needs to take Potions for his N.E.W.T.-level classes as a sixth year to work toward becoming an Auror after Hogwarts.
Luckily, the new Potions master, Professor Slughorn, offers a fresh start. Harry comes to better appreciate the class with some help from his used copy of Advanced Potion-Making: It’s filled with helpful tips and little asides, all from the former owner, known only as the "Half-Blood Prince.” Turns out when Harry has a good teacher, he’s pretty good at making potions, a mastery bolstered by his indelible curiosity for magic.
From Chapter Nine: The Half-Blood Prince
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Nine: The Half-Blood Prince
Performed by Stephen Fry
9. Harry sasses Professor Snape
Though Harry has a new Potions master, his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a familiar figure: Professor Snape. His longtime combative relationship with Harry boils over in the classroom. Despite his tragic past, Harry demonstrates an excellent sense of humor time and again through the series. He responds sarcastically to Snape for chastising him for not using non-verbal spells. This kind of sass also speaks to Harry’s bravery. Even when he could have been chastened, he refused to stand down to someone he knew was in the wrong.
From Chapter Nine: The Half-Blood Prince
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Nine: The Half-Blood Prince
Performed by Stephen Fry
10. Harry return to Hogwarts
To continue their mission in defeating Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to where it all started by making their way back to Hogwarts through a secret passage. Harry, Ron, and Hermione only intend to return to Hogwarts to look for an important piece of the puzzle to defeat Voldemort, but the former members of Dumbledore’s Army show up to help. They want to fight and support Harry as much as they can. Throughout the books, Harry has often felt alone, but as his friends and classmates show up to help him and stand by his side, it’s a beautiful moment of solidarity, the culmination of Harry making Hogwarts his home.
From Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Lost Diadem
Performed by Jim Dale
From Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Lost Diadem
Performed by Stephen Fry
