Harry Potter's birthday was on the 31 of July and Potterheads around the world celebrated the life of The Boy Who Lived. Potter's legacy is still very much alive and continues to garner fans today. Nobody can seem to get enough of the Wizarding world and its fascinating spells, creatures, potions, and lore.
However, a world full of magic is also full of dangers, and time after time wizards have fates that can actually be worse than death. From spells that cause unimaginable pain to life imprisonment in Azkaban, there are plenty of situations that could cause more sorrow than any demise could.
Getting Expelled
Hermione once scolded young Harry and Ron with the unforgettable quote "Now if you two don't mind I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed or worse... expelled!" and proved how much she loved being at Hogwarts.
Although Ron said right after that Hermione needed to set sort out her priorities, it is understandable that Granger would rather die than not be able to study magic for the rest of her life. After all, could any wizard imagine a life without using anything related to magic and its wonders?
Being De-Boned
Luckily for Harry, Madam Pomfrey was around to give him Skele-Gro when Lockhart cast a spell on his broken arm that de-boned it. His bones were restored back to normal, however, if Harry Potter would have not received any help, and had lost more than one limb's bones, he would have suffered greatly.
It is easy to understand why a life without bones would be painful, exasperating, and probably worse than death, and it's unforgivable that Lockhart would put a student in such a precarious situation. For that reason and many others, Lockhart becoming a professor was one of the worst teaching decisions made by Hogwarts.
Being A Squib That Has To Clean An Entire Castle
Argus Filch was always in a really bad mood, but it is understandable that he was bitter after being hired as the caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To be in charge of an entire castle's cleaning with no magical powers could suck out the life out of anyone, especially since everyone around him could've cleaned things in a much quicker fashion.
Filch was one of the characters who had the most to gain from Felix Felicis given that he could have used a little bit of luck to get a less demanding job, but unfortunately for him, he spent the rest of his life being exploited as a worker and facing the Hogwarts' threats without any magic, which for some, is worse than death.
Dementor's Kiss
A Dementor's kiss sucks anybody's soul out of their body and practically leaves a living corpse. Understandably so, for many people in the wizarding world, that is worse than death. Nobody knows what happens to the person's soul once is taken by a Dementor, but it probably never gets to rest in peace or to the afterlife.
To become a shell of what one once was is such a cruel way of living that the Ministry of Magic stopped using Dementors. To be in a vegetative state for the rest of anyone's life is a punishment nobody deserves.
Be Imprisoned For Life In Azkaban
Azkaban was so foul that most prisoners who were inside, after a long period of time, would be drained out of all happiness and would lose their minds. Thanks to the dementors guarding the prison, most criminals would only be left with their worst memories, only to relive them in solitude for the rest of their days.
That is why Sirius Black, despite his humble personality, nearly lost his mind when he was imprisoned in Azkaban. Fortunately, one of Hermione's best decisions in The Prisoner of Azkaban was to release him and grant him the freedom he deserved.
Petrification
Madam Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout saved Hogwarts' students from the devastating fate of being petrified for eternity after the basilisk was released again from the Chamber of Secrets. Being petrified provokes any victim to become unconscious and enter an extended rigor mortis state, which is quite horrendous.
Although not closing Hogwarts and risking the lives of students with the basilisk on the loose is not one of The Chamber of Secrets, his trust in the talented Herbology teacher and skillful nurse saved Hermione, Colin, Justin, and Penelope from a terrible survival.
Become A Ghost
Yes, becoming a ghost is one of the consequences of dying in the Wizarding World, however, it is a manifestation of an incomplete ing. Wizards can choose to become a ghost after death or become one because they have a strong connection to the place they haunt.
Staying in the mortal world can be really difficult, and most ghosts regret their decision of not accepting death in order to rest in peace in the afterlife. To be bound to a place without being able to feel the pleasure of eating, drinking, or hugging a loved one has to be a ruthless fate that is not worth surviving for.
Suffer The Cruciatus Curse
The Cruciatus Curse is one of the unforgivable curses, and they are unforgivable for a reason. The spell inflicts excruciating pain and to have long exposure to it can drive anyone mad. Bellatrix Lestrange enjoyed using the spell to torture people and became the best one to cast it, leading to the unfortunate mental state of the Longbottoms.
Death Eaters also used it frequently to torture their enemies, which is proof of how only the most twisted wizards could cast it upon others. To be exposed to the merciless effects of the spell is a much worse fate than ing away.
Frank And Alice Longbottom's Fate
A perfect example of the devastating effects that come with prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus Curse happened to Neville Longbottom's parents, who suffered so much pain at the hands of Death Eaters who tortured them with it that they forgot who their son was.
They were placed in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and their insanity was irrevocable. Harry Potter lost his parents, but compared to the fate the Longbottoms suffered, their death was undeniably more merciful.
Creating A Horcrux
Voldemort was so afraid of death that he preferred splitting his soul into Horcruxes before facing his demise, which for most, is worse than ing away.
To make each one of the Horcrux it was necessary to kill someone else, and most wizards can agree that if someone is cold enough to do it seven times to be immortal, there is not much that person can rejoice about for the rest of their life.
