Harry Potter fans note: Today is 16th anniversary of Battle of Hogwarts

Harry Potter fans should take note today, because this is the day that good triumphed over evil, albeit at a very heavy cost. As JK Rowling has pointed out on Twitter today is the 16th anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts - the final showdown between Voldemort’s Death Eaters and Dumbledore’s Army and the surviving members of the Order of the Phoenix. In the books the battle takes place on 2 May 1998, in the early hours. Rowling tweeted out, “It’s the 16th anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. I’m having a moment’s silence over my keyboard. I hated killing some of those people.” You can check out her tweet below:Rowling’s moment of silence is  understandable given that a lot of beloved characters died in that battle. Most prominently Fred Weasely, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. The Battle of Hogwarts is the final battle in the Seventh book of the Harry Potter series, where Lord Voldemort and his Death-eaters turn up at the Hogwarts school grounds, after You-Know-Who realises that Harry has been destroying Horcruxes - parts of his soul, which he has torn asunder and hidden inside various magical objects. Harry, Ron and Hermoine turn up in Hogsmeade and almost get caught by Death-eaters. They are saved in time by Albus Dumbledore’s brother, Aberforth who it is revealed runs the Hog’s Head Inn. Thanks to Aberforth’s help Harry, Ron and Hermoine are able to enter Hogwarts and they arrive in The Room of Requirement where they find their friends led by Neville Longbottom, who’ve been living there to avoid Snape and the other Death-eaters who are now running the school. [caption id=“attachment_804189” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The first Harry Potter book. Reuters[/caption] Dumbledore’s Army overtakes the school with the professors still loyal to the killed headmaster and Snape runs out. The scene is then set for battle. It should be noted that Snape dies soon after, Voldemort kills him at the Shrieking Shack, and it is here that Snape gives Harry his memory to show that he had been in love with Harry’s mother Lily as a child and that he had never really betrayed Dumbledore. The other deaths that are significant is of course Fred Weasley, who’s killed when an explosion hits the wall moments after he bonds with his estranged older brother Percy while fighting death haters. Harry also loses Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks who are married and have a baby. Given that Remus was the last of Harry’s father figures. the loss is  particularly hard.