Love is in the air…

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on 14 February in both the Muggle world and the wizarding world. Marking the death on this day of St Valentine in year 270 A.D. people express their love for each other, particularly romantic love, by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering sweets – typically chocolate. In the following we look at Valentine’s day during Harry Potter’s years at Hogwarts.

Chamber of Secrets – a party in pink!

In Harry Potter, we don’t see any hormones in play till Harry start showing interest in Cho well into the series. Still, in the Chamber of Secrets Professor Lockhart decided to organise a party to cheer everyone up during the gloomy days with students being petrified. In typical Lockhart style, this was a Valentine’s day party, with the Great Hall of Hogwarts being decorated with large, lurid pink flowers and heart-shaped confetti falling from the ceiling.

Lockhart himself was wearing pink robes to match the decorations. He had also hired a dozen dwarves wearing golden wings and carrying harps to make them look like cupids. Totally Lockhart!

While Harry did receive a number of Valentines (including one from Ginny Weasley), Lockhart received a many more from students (Hermoine never admitted to have sent him one).

Order of the Phoenix – a date gone wrong

Later on, in The Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and Cho Chang shared their first (and only) kiss in December of 1995.

Following this, just after the Christmas holiday Harry finally had the courage and asked Cho out on a date.

So they went on their first (and only) date on Valentine’s Day in 1996 in Hogsmeade. After a reasonable start, the two decided to drink coffee in Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop and it went downhill from there, when Harry mentioned we was to meet Hermoine afterwards in a way that made Cho jealous. From that point it deteriorated and sadly ended with Cho in tears and Harry very confused.

The Half-Blood Prince – Dangerous Chocolate!

In his sixth year on Hogwards, Romilda Vane gave Harry a box of Chocolate Cauldrons spiked with Love Potion for Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, Ron was the first to try the chocolate, when they after a period of being stowed away in Harry’s trunk was put on the bed while looking for the Marauder’s map. This happening on Valentine’s day is however only in the movie adaptation, as in the novel, she gave them to him before Christmas.

Having eaten half the chocolate, Ron suddenly became obsessively in love with Romilda, to the point that he declared his love for her in front of Harry, then punched him when the former asked if it was a joke. Luckily Professor Slughorn could create an antidote.

‘Who are you talking about?’ said Harry, with an increasing sense that all reason had dropped out of the conversation.

‘Romilda Vane,’ said Ron softly, and his whole face seemed to illuminate as he said it, as though hit by a ray of purest sunlight.

They stared at each other for almost a whole minute, before Harry said, ‘This is a joke, right? You’re joking.’

Till next time – Build the magic!