Voldemort Ruined James and Lily Potter's Halloween Party Plans

Pour one out for Harry Potter’s parents! On this day, 35 years ago, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named struck down James and Lily Potter when both were only 21 years old. They were young, in their prime, and had just graduated from Hogwarts a few years earlier. And as 21-year-olds, they probably had some bomb Halloween plans that involved a little less Avada Kedavra and a lot more Absinthe and Butterbeer. Thank a lot, Voldemort.

The Harry Potter films depict Lily and James as much older than J.K. Rowling had them in the books. In the films, both look to be in their 30s, which is so, so wrong. The two fell in love while at Hogwarts, and then got married and had a kid all within three years of leaving school, making them 21 at their deaths.

Granted, they were members of the Order of the Phoenix and had lives far more complicated than your average married 21-year-olds. The Potters knew that Voldemort was after Harry, and had gone into hiding in Godric’s Hollow with double-agent Peter Pettigrew as their secret Secret Keeper.

Alas, we all know what happens from there.

But Godric’s Hollow on Halloween night has got to be a spectacle. Even with the threat of Voldemort looming over the wizarding community you just know that the magical residents of the small town were going all out and James especially, what with Prongs’s personality in general.

Think about what a big deal Halloween is at Hogwarts. Lily and James had just graduated three years ago from their alma mater, so it would be expected for them to have that mood fresh in their minds. In the Muggle world, Halloween is as close as a lot of people get to the magical side of things, so we imagine the magical members of Godric’s Hollow are a little more lenient around Muggles on that day. It must be an all-out party.

And we imagine it would have been for Lily and James, too, if the Dark Lord hadn’t been such a murderous, evil party pooper.