Harry’s Biggest Stealth Fails

August 6, 2020—In Episode 4 of Season 2, Victoria and I discussed the many ways those in the Wizarding world disguise themselves and sneak around. But while the Harry Potter series is rife with subterfuge and the characters are creative in ways to conceal themselves, not all of them are success stories. Let’s take a look at the times that Harry’s disguises, whether ill-conceived or masterful, fell apart. (Spoiler alert: He gets caught… a lot.)

When Hermione and Harry forget the Cloak at the top of the Astronomy Tower

The Goal: Sneaking Norbert(a) away from Hogwarts while under the Invisibility Cloak in the dead of night
The Foil: Filch, waiting at the bottom of the tower’s stairs, able to see them perfectly well since they leave the Cloak behind
The Result: Detention in the Forbidden Forest

When the Cloak slips off of Harry in Hogsmeade

The Goal: Messing with Malfoy by pelting him with mud from an invisible source
The Foil: Malfoy himself, when he suddenly sees Harry’s head suspended in mid-air
The Result: No real consequences, since Lupin outmaneuvers Snape’s attempt to punish Harry, though Harry does temporarily lose the Marauder’s Map when Lupin confiscates it and gives Harry a dressing down

When Harry drops the Triwizard Egg down a flight of stairs

The Goal: Discerning the secret of the Egg in the prefect’s bathroom and then investigating the appearance of “Barty Crouch” on the Map in Snape’s office in the dead of night
The Foil: The trick step that traps Harry, who then drops the wailing Egg down the stairs with no means of retrieving it or quieting it
The Result: Events shockingly similar to the previous incident, actually—Not-Moody outmaneuvers Snape’s attempt to catch Harry, and Harry temporarily loses the Marauder’s Map to not-Moody.

When Harry hides in the Dursleys’ begonias

The Goal: Listening to the evening news from outside the open window without the Dursleys’ noticing his presence
The Foil: Mundungus Fletcher, who Apparates away with a loud crack and causes Harry to jump up in alarm and slam his head
The Result: Vernon’s strangling of Harry through the open window and Harry’s magic instinctively shocking the man in self-defense

When Harry gets caught using Umbridge’s fireplace

The Goal: Contacting Sirius through the Floo to ensure he is safe at Grimmauld Place
The Foil: The Stealth Sensoring Spells that Umbridge has placed around her doorway after an unfortunate incident involving a couple of nifflers
The Result: A bit of improv on Hermione’s part leading to an impromptu trip to the Forbidden Forest and the kidnapping of Umbridge by centaurs

When Harry spies on the Slytherins on the Hogwarts Express

The Goal: Finding out if Malfoy really is a Death Eater, as Harry suspects
The Foil: A fluttering of the Cloak revealing a flash of ankle as Harry secures his hiding spot in the Slytherins’ carriage
The Result: One of Malfoy’s few true triumphs over Harry—He manages to cast a Full Body-Bind Curse on him, stomp on his face, and then cover him with the Cloak in an attempt to make sure no one finds him.

When Harry and Hermione use Polyjuice to go to Godric’s Hollow in strangers’ bodies

The Goal: Visiting the Potters’ graves and discovering if Dumbledore has left Gryffindor’s Sword with Bathilda Bagshot (he hasn’t)
The Foil: Great foresight on Voldemort’s part in placing Nagini in the town as sentry in case of their arrival
The Result: One of the most disturbing scenes in the Harry Potter series, during which an old lady’s body is mutilated, Harry’s wand is broken, and four of Voldemort’s soul pieces are very briefly brought together in one place (Harry, Nagini, Slytherin’s Locket, and Voldemort himself)

When Harry claims to be Vernon Dudley

The Goal: Talking his way out of being taken to the Ministry by Snatchers
The Foil: Harry’s scar, visible even through the disfigurement caused by Hermione’s Stinging Jinx
The Result: Harry and Company’s trip to Malfoy Manor, during which Hermione is tortured, Malfoy quasi-defects, Grindelwald dies, and Dobby is dealt a lethal blow

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione have the longest day ever

When they rob Gringotts using Polyjuice Potion, the Cloak, and Transfiguration

The Goal: Retrieving Hufflepuff’s Cup from Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault
The Foil: A combination of Voldemort’s foresight, the goblins’ intuition, and the Thief’s Downfall (a waterfall that washes away disguises)
The Result: A dramatic and daring escape plan to steal a dragon and ride it out of the bank, hatched at the spur of the moment once stealth was no longer an option

When they Apparate to Hogsmeade under the Cloak

The Goal: Sneaking into Hogwarts without detection
The Foil: The Caterwauling Charm that emits a high-pitched scream the second anybody moves outdoors in Hogsmeade after curfew
The Result: Pursuit by Death Eaters, who set dementors after the Trio, who are offered refuge by Aberforth Dumbledore

When they enter Hogwarts by a hidden tunnel to retrieve a Horcrux

The Goal: Locating and retrieving the last remaining non-living Horcrux from Hogwarts before sneaking back out
The Foil: Members of the DA (who contact their friends and allies on the outside to summon them to the school) and Alecto Carrow (who alerts Voldemort to Harry’s presence after she catches him emerging from under the Cloak in Ravenclaw Tower)
The Result: …The Battle of Hogwarts