8 Heartbreaking Facts About The Harry Potter Universe

After Alan Rickman died in at the beginning of 2016 (aka The Year of Sadness), Harry Potter fans eulogized him with one word. Always. That was what Severus Snape said when Dumbledore expressed surprise that he still loved Lily Potter "after all this time." No matter how much time goes by, fans will love Alan Rickman. Always.

James and Lily Potter were just 21 years old when they were killed by You-Know-Who. They didn't live long enough to understand the lyrics of Taylor Swift's 22. You know who will never be feeling 22? Mr and Mrs Potter.

During the filming of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Maggie Smith was suffering with breast cancer. Of course she soldiered on, but the sad fact was that it sucked for her. Really sucked. She said of the experience, "The chemotherapy was something that makes you feel much worse than the cancer itself. You feel horribly sick. I was holding on to railings, thinking ‘I can’t do this.'” Spoiler alert: she did it. Somehow.

Last year, J.K. Rowling revealed that Rubeus Hagrid would never be able to produce a patronus spell because it's a "very difficult spell." Sure. Hagrid is not going to win any awards for cunning wizarding, but some fans suggested that the part of the patronus spell he found most difficult was the "happy memory" part. Is it possible that Hagrid, who, at a young age, was abandoned by his mother, does not have any happy memories? Sadly (so, so sadly), yes it is.

Evanna Lynch had anorexia as a young girl, but she gives credit to words of wisdom from J.K. Rowling for her recovery. Long before Lynch was cast as Luna Lovegood, she wrote letters to Rowling about her struggle, and the author responded, saying that anorexia is destructive, not creative, and the brave thing was not to succumb to it. That JK! Helping us all do The Brave Thing.

The death of Fred Weasley was so sad even J.K. Rowling apologised to fans for it. And well she should! Maybe she should apologise to George. Does she even know how difficult it is to lose a twin? Even for a fictional person? Still difficult, JK! Still difficult.

Poor Edward "Teddy" Lupin. Both his parents were killed while he slept in his crib. And, although Rowling has apologised for their deaths as well, it's really hard to forgive her because these two would have made AWESOME parents...given the chance.

Fans have often debated why Harry Potter's Hogwarts class was so small, claiming the numbers just don't add up. But some fans have posited this heartbreaking theory: Maybe there was a reason wizards weren't hooking up and giving birth during Voldemort's reign of terror. Maybe only the bravest (or foolish) couples dared to attempt to start a family during such a dangerous time. Maybe. And you know what else? Maybe it's no accident that those are the children who ultimately brought Voldemort down.