Deathly Hallows
The final installment of Harry Potter’s tale [we are disregarding Cursed Child because in my opinion, it was terrible. I have seriously read better fanfiction.] The movie was split into two parts (which became the trend for several series, like Twilight and Hunger Games, then fell out of practice); which, considering how much was packed into the last book and how difficult it would be to trim it down, makes sense. Bill Nighy (who we know from Pirates of the Caribbean as Davy Jones) joins as the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour [he showed up in the book of Half-Blood Prince.] We briefly see Michelle Fairley (we know her more as Catelyn Stark from Game of Thrones, but she was also Princess Augusta in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story) as Mrs. Granger at the start of the first part, and we finally meet on-screen the eldest Weasley child, Bill, played by Domhnall Gleeson (son of Brendan Gleeson, ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody. But we also see Domhnall in the Star Wars sequel trilogy as General Hux.)
Part 2, we meet Kelly Macdonald (the voice of Merida in Brave; she also appeared in Goodbye Christopher Robin [depressing, I do not recommend watching], and she was Evangeline in Nanny McPhee) as Helena Ravenclaw and Ciarán Hinds (Mance Rayder in Game of Thrones, Firmin in Phantom of the Opera, and Lord Tarleton in Amazing Grace) as Aberforth Dumbledore.
The book opens with a meeting between the Death Eaters and Voldemort at Malfoy Manor, with conflicting reports on when Harry Potter will be moved. Snape has his own sources and they differ from the infiltrated Ministry of Magic. Voldemort declares “I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes made where Harry Potter is concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors than to his triumph (pg. 6).” The marriage between Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin is discussed, with Voldemort telling Bellatrix to prune her family tree. Voldemort proceeds to then murder Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher from Hogwarts, who taught her students to get along with Muggles; Voldemort would rather subjugate them. Charity pleads for help from Snape, but gets none. Draco is a bit disturbed now, seeing a teacher murdered in front of him. The Malfoys are still disgraced, and no doubt, Draco is learning that being a follower of Lord Voldemort is not as glorious as he imagined.
The film instead opens with Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour giving a speech that the Wizarding World faces dark times, and also declaring that the Ministry remains strong. It is well delivered by Bill Nighy, though the close up really makes it in your face. We then actually witness Hermione wiping the memory of herself from her parents and leaving home. We barely see the Dursleys leave, then we circle back to the scene at the Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix shows bloodlust; this certainly is no longer a story for young children. While Voldemort gives his little lecture on his thoughts on Muggleborns, I couldn’t help but think that Voldemort is a walking hypocrite (not that we’re surprised). He despises Muggles and the mixture of Muggles and wizards, yet he himself is the product of that mixture. Which is why he hates it. Recall in the book Half-Blood Prince, he figured his mother was Muggle due to dying; those with magic won’t die. Then when he discovers that the opposite is true, he makes sure to go back and kill his Muggle relatives, then desecrate the grave and use his father’s bone in his resurrection potion. And most of these Death Eaters don’t know the truth.
Meanwhile, Harry is getting ready to leave Privet Drive for good. He will soon be seventeen and “of age” in the Wizarding World. The Dursleys are being moved to a new home for their own protection; once Harry leaves Privet Drive, all protections that were there because of Lily will break and make anyone still there vulnerable. Harry wonders to himself “what did you say to one another at the end of sixteen years’ solid dislike (pg. 36)?” But Dudley attempts to make peace with his cousin, even asking his father why Harry isn’t coming with them. He tells his cousin “I don’t think you’re a waste of space (pg. 40),” and they part with shaking hands. Harry takes one last look under the stairs before the Order arrives, comprised of Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Bill, Hagrid, Arthur, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Remus, Fleur, Kingsley Shacklebot, and Mundungus Fletcher. Half of them will take Polyjuice Potion to look like Harry and then are assigned a protector, all in order to confuse the Death Eaters and Voldemort. It is rather humorous in the film. Harry dislikes the idea, but Hermione gets the hair anyway. They’ll fly, by various means, to various safe houses. Hagrid will take the real Harry in Sirius Black’s old bike, in an echo of how Harry first arrived at Privet Drive.
But the group is set upon as soon as they leave. Harry refuses to fight dirty; he won’t be like the Death Eaters, and this gives him away. Hedwig is killed in the fight [and we cry]; “the owl had been his companion, his one link with the magical world whenever he had been forced to return to the Dursleys (pg. 67),” and once the Death Eaters know which is the real Harry, Voldemort shows up. Harry’s wand acts of its own accord and manages to save Harry. He lands with a knocked about Hagrid at Tonks’ parents’ home, then takes a Portkey to the Burrow. Everyone anxiously waits for the others to return. George is now missing an ear, thanks to Snape. He manages to joke with Fred he is saintlike now, because he’s holey. Remus tells Harry off for not being more decisive in his casting, but Harry retorts he won’t blast someone just because they’re there, that’s Voldemort’s tactic. Word also comes that Mad-Eye Moody is dead. This makes Harry want to leave immediately; he doesn’t want anyone else dying for him, but Ron talks him round. This has always been bigger than Harry. Besides, they won’t last two days without Hermione. They also have to stay for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, and Molly has gotten wind that the trio does not intend to return to Hogwarts. They keep very quiet about the task that Dumbledore set them. Hermione is making sure they’re prepared, even bringing along some books, to which Ron cracks “I forgot we’ll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library (pg. 95).” She’s also modified her parents’ memories and sent them to Australia. They’ll be safe and not know that they have a daughter. When Harry tries to protest, she retorts “didn’t [he] realize that Ron and I know perfectly well what might happen if we come with you (pg. 97)?”
“The measure they had taken to protect their families made him realize, more than anything else could have done, that they really were going to come with him and that they knew exactly how dangerous that would be (pg. 99).” [Not quite, as we will see.] They make what plans they can, dodging Molly. Harry wants to visit Godric’s Hollow, mainly for sentimental reasons, feeling that it will hold some answers. Harry still retains a connection to Voldemort and gets glimpses of the Dark Lord asking about a man named Gregorovitch. Harry has no idea why. The Minister of Magic then shows up on Harry’s birthday, interrupting the festivities. The will of Albus Dumbledore is finally reviewed and he has left items for the trio. To Ron, his Deluminator. To Hermione, his copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard (which has been published, along with Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [long before a movie was imagined]). And to Harry, the Snitch he caught in his first match, as well as the sword of Godric Gryffindor. But he can’t release the sword as it wasn’t Dumbledore’s to give away. Harry ends up in another argument with the Minster, since he won’t become a public figure for him.
Luna Lovegood and her father, Xenophilius, attend the wedding, as does Viktor Krum. I rather like the use of Irish music at the wedding; with all the red hair, we do rather suspect there is an Irish ancestor in the Weasley line. It’s Krum who recognizes the symbol that Luna’s father is wearing, and names it as Grindelwald’s sign (the Dark wizard that Dumbledore defeated several decades before Tom Riddle appeared on the scene). That clues Harry in that Gregorovitch is a wand maker; he made Viktor’s wand. Harry ends up at a table with Ron’s great-aunt Muriel, who is discussing articles that have come out about Dumbledore’s life. There was a touching article already run by a dear friend of Albus’s. But Rita Skeeter promises a book soon based on the scandals of the Dumbledore family and even mentions Godric’s Hollow. Harry starts to wonder how much he really knew about his mentor.
The wedding celebration is interrupted by news that the Ministry has fallen to the Death Eaters and the Minister of Magic is dead. Death Eaters are on their way to the Burrow. Guests start leaving and the trio quickly bands together and Disapperates. In the film, Harry does try to see Ginny, but Lupin grabs him and shouts “go!” It is vital that Harry gets away. Hermione has everything packed in a small handbag, magically expanded inside. They’re able to change and try to figure out their next move. Death Eaters manage to find them and there’s a brief tussle, but they get away and head for Grimmauld Place. Ron remarks that Harry’s the boss on this quest, though Hermione is the best at spells. And Ron’s gotten a bit bloodthirsty now, all ready to maim the Death Eaters they’ve Stunned; maybe it was one of them that killed Mad-Eye Moody. That idea is quickly shot down; it would draw too much attention. Arthur sends word that the Weasleys are safe, but not to contact them; they are all being watched.
Harry wanders the house and finds Sirius’s bedroom. It’s been searched, but he finds a letter written to Sirius from Lily that includes a picture of baby Harry riding a toy broomstick. They also spot Regulus’s bedroom and realize his name is Regulus Arcturus Black, making his initials R.A.B. and the same handwriting as the note in the fake locket. Regulus was a Death Eater as a very young man and killed. Hermione remembers another locket from their cleaning a few years ago. They question Kreacher and find out that Mundungus Fletcher stole the locket after Sirius’ death. The story spills out that Voldemort needed a house elf to drink the potion so he could place the locket in the cave in the first place, so Kreacher was offered. Then Regulus had Kreacher take him to the cave later. Regulus drank the potion and had Kreacher switch the lockets. Kreacher was to destroy the first locket, but couldn’t manage to and Regulus was killed. Kreacher was sworn to secrecy. Harry starts being kinder to Kreacher and the trio are able to enjoy some comforts in Grimmauld Place. Harry orders Kreacher to find Mundungus. In the film, Dobby helps. The tale continues, that Mundungus was caught by a Ministry lady, who looks like a toad and had to give her the locket. Toad lady? Umbridge. So the trio start planning how to sneak into the Ministry of Magic when they are the most wanted witch and wizards in the country.
Remus stops by with some news. The coup has been kept quiet from the public, but there have been some moves against Muggleborns. He asks about Dumbledore’s mission and then offers to be protection for the teens. Harry senses an ulterior motive. In truth, Tonks has announced she is pregnant and is currently staying with her parents. Remus feels like a big mistake has been made and fears that his child will be like him, a monster. Harry tells Remus off and calls him a coward. “Parents shouldn’t leave their kids – unless they’ve got to (pg. 215).” Remus leaves. This is completely left out of the film. There was a brief second when the Order arrived at Privet Drive that Tonks wanted to say something, but Moody got on with the plan.
They learn that Snape is now the headmaster of Hogwarts and several Death Eaters are now teachers. Other Death Eaters hang around outside the house, hoping to spot the teens on September 1st. No such luck. The plan comes together to get inside the Ministry. They’ll use Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Ministry employees, then search for the locket around Umbridge. Of course, it does not go according to plan and they’re forced to split up. Harry finds Umbridge’s office and digs Mad-Eye Moody’s eye out of her door. Hermione is forced to be her secretary in a court room, demanding where a Muggleborn witch stole her wand. Harry sneaks into the courtroom and eventually stuns Umbridge and grabs the locket off of her. Harry reveals himself in the movie by telling Umbridge “I must not tell lies.” Totally warranted. They get the Muggleborns out, but are almost caught returning to Grimmauld Place. Hermione gets them to the woods, but Ron is Splinched and wounded. They start camping out.
Harry sees that Voldemort has found Gregorovtich, but a thief stole what he is looking for years ago. The trio moves locations and puts up protection spells as they go. They take turns wearing the locket as they mull over their next steps, and soon learn the lesson that a full stomach means good spirits and an empty one leads to bickering and gloom. Ron struggles most; expecting that Harry and Hermione will come up with plans and necessities. [This shows the truth of teenagers trying to manage an epic quest.] They manage to overhear one evening that Ted Tonks and classmate Dean Thomas are on the run as well as news from Hogwarts. Ginny, Luna, and Neville all got in trouble for trying to steal the sword of Gryffindor; Snape then decided to move the sword to a vault in Gringotts. However, the goblins who are with Ted and Dean reveal that the sword there is a fake. The goblins also feel that Harry should be out front, fighting and rallying the resistance.
The news spurs Hermione and Harry; the real sword is somewhere and being goblin-made makes it useful to destroy Horcruxes. But Ron doesn’t join in. Instead, he starts arguing with Harry (not helped by the fact that he’s wearing the locket). He figured that Harry had a plan. Harry’s been upfront with his friends about everything he knows and tells Ron if he wants to go, go. And Ron leaves. Harry keeps the locket. Hermione stays, but cries the rest of the evening. Since he passed the protective circle, Ron won’t be able to find them again.
There is a completely new scene they added for the film which sort of divides fans; Harry dances with Hermione in order to cheer her up. Some say the filmmakers were trying to hint at a pairing between Hermione and Harry. Others, including myself, simply view it as a friend trying to cheer another friend up. A little odd, but not the worst thing they’ve done in the films.
Hermione turns her attention to her copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard and notes an odd mark on different pages. The same mark that Xenophilius wore to the wedding, Grindelwald’s mark. She also thinks it might be time to go to Godric’s Hollow; it is Godric Gryffindor’s birthplace and could be a hiding place for the real sword. They come to the village on Christmas Eve and walk through the cemetery. Harry makes a point in the movie saying he won’t use Polyjuice Potion (as they do in the books) to return home. There are the graves for Dumbledore’s mother and sister, as well as an Ignotus Peverell, with the same strange mark. Then they find Harry’s parents’ headstones (we cry alongside the teens), then the cottage that Harry lived in as a baby, with a memorial signpost in front of it. There’s a strange woman beckoning to them from down the lane. Harry figures it’s Bathilda Bagshot, a celebrated wizarding historian and apparently an old friend of the Dumbledores, according to Aunt Muriel. But it’s not truly Bathilda. It’s a snake wearing her body [creepy] and attacks Harry. He now sees Voldemort’s side of the attack on Halloween night. Hermione manages to get them to escape, but Harry’s wand is broken in the process.
All of this has built up anger at Dumbledore. “He had left them to grope in the darkness, to wrestle with unknown and undreamed-of terrors, alone and unaided (pg. 351),” with nothing explained. They took a copy of Skeeter’s book on Dumbledore and find a picture of Gellert Grindelwald inside. Apparently, before his reign of terror, Grindelwald was a friend of Dumbledore’s as young men. Hermione points out that Harry’s angry at this because Dumbledore never told him himself. “Maybe I am!” Harry finally unleashes. “Look at what he asked from me, Hermione! Risk your life, Harry! And again! And again! And don’t expect me to explain everything, just trust me blindly, trust that I know what I’m doing, trust me even though I don’t trust you! Never the whole truth! Never (pg. 362)!” [Very good point.] Hermione insists that Dumbledore loved Harry; he doesn’t believe her.
They next camp out in the Forest of Dean. That evening, Harry spies a silver-white doe and decides to follow it. It leads him to a frozen pond, in which the sword of Gryffindor hides. Harry feels he needs to undress before diving in to show his daring and courage [dumb move, aside from he wouldn’t want to get his clothes soaking wet and cold]. However, he’s still wearing the locket, so once he tries to kick back to the surface, the evil thing tries to drown him. Someone pulls him out…Ron. Harry insists Ron destroy the locket. When it opens, it hisses to Ron “second best, always, eternally overshadowed.” It’s a bit weirder in the film, with shadowy figures of Harry and Hermione making out and for a second, when Ron plucks up the courage and stabs the thing, you wonder who was hit. Harry insists that Hermione is simply like a sister to him. Hermione’s not exactly leaping for joy to see Ron waltz back in; instead, she punches him. On the one hand, Ron does have an extra wand Harry can use now. Ron tells Harry that it was the Deluminator that led him to Harry and informs him that Voldemort’s name is now Taboo, because only those who oppose him would say his name. That was how the Death Eaters managed to find them that first night.
Hermione decides they should visit Luna’s father and ask about the mark he wears. It refers to the Deathly Hallows he informs them (after acting very odd and no sign of Luna). Tales holds the Tale of the Three Brothers, where three wizard brothers magically build a bridge over a river and then confront Death. Death gives them three gifts for their prowess; an unbeatable wand, a stone to recall the dead, and the final brother requests an invisibility cloak like Death’s. The eldest brother with the wand wins a duel, but is murdered in his sleep for his boasting. The second brother recalls his lost love, but since he can’t really be with her, he kills himself. The youngest stays hidden until he is an old man, then greets Death and walks away with him, the cloak passed on to his son. These three objects, legends says, if united, makes the possessor the master of Death. The three brothers were the Peverell family: Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. The very grave Harry and Hermione saw in Godric’s Hollow. The tale in the film is done in quite frankly a creepy animation and shows images not safe for small children, like blood spatter and a swinging dead body.
The trio soon figure out that Luna is not at home and her father has been stalling for time for Death Eaters to arrive. They’ve been holding Luna hostage and he wanted to trade Harry. But the trio escape. Harry begins to piece together the truth of the Hallows. Gaunt bragged he was a descendant of Peverell, with the stone set in a ring; the very same one the Dumbledore destroyed as a Horcrux. They figure that the ring is in the Snitch, but it still won’t open, saying only I open at the close. And Harry’s invisibility cloak is rather remarkable; it’s been in his family for years and the charm has never worn off. And there are rumors enough of the Elder Wand. That is what Voldemort is after and he quite possibly doesn’t know about the Deathly Hallows. Could it come down to Hallows versus Horcruxes? Hermione rather put the whole story behind them.
Ron introduces them to the underground wizarding radio program Potterwatch, with some familiar hosts. They announce deaths, such as Ted Tonks and urge wizards to protect the Muggles around them. “Every human life is worth the same and worth saving (pg. 440).” Tonight, Remus contributes “The Boy Who Lived remains a symbol of everything for which we are fighting; the triumph of good, the power of innocence, the need to keep resisting (pg. 441),” and urges Harry, wherever he is, to follow his instincts. Ron learned that Remus did return to Tonks. Again, this is all left out of the film. Unfortunately, Harry slips as says ‘Voldemort’ in their discussion and they get caught by Snatchers. It’s a good choice in the movie to not have a soundtrack during this scene; it’s only the sounds of the characters running and the blasts of the spells they throw. Hermione at the last second fires a hex at Harry that makes his face swell and unrecognizable.
They’re taken to Malfoy Manor and Draco is told to take a look at them. He hesitates about identifying them, saying it could be, but not sure. The sword catches Bellatrix’s attention; it’s supposed to be in her vault. She keeps Hermione to torture and Ron yells for her as they hear her screams. Well-acted, because the audience gets shivers watching the movie. Ron and Harry are sent to the cellars where they encounter Luna, Dean, and Ollivander, along with Griphook the goblin. Harry pulls his piece of Sirius’ mirror out and catches a blue eye in it and asks for help. Dobby pops in, to the rescue. He takes the others to Shell Cottage, where Ron spent his time with Bill and Fleur after he left Harry and Hermione. Ron and Harry attack Wormtail when he enters. Since Wormtail owes Harry for saving his life four years’ prior, the silver hand Voldemort gifted him turns on Wormtail and strangles him. That bit is left out of the film.
Bellatrix has called for Voldemort, who is in the middle of questioning an old man, who doesn’t have what the Dark Lord wants; the wand was never his. Ron rushes in to save Hermione; Bellatrix has carved ‘Mudblood’ into her arm. In the film, they never get around to calling Voldemort, though Lucius was about to; he’s interrupted by Dobby dropping a chandelier on Bellatrix. Dobby argues he wasn’t trying to kill the evil witch, only maim or seriously injure. Harry grabs the sword and the goblin and Dobby magics them away to Shell Cottage. But a knife that Bellatrix threw at the last moment catches the house elf and he dies in Harry’s arms. Harry decides to dig the elf’s grave by hand. Even though his scar burns, he’s finally mastered the pain. “Just as Voldemort had not been able to possess Harry while Harry was consumed with grief for Sirius, so his thoughts could not penetrate Harry now, while he mourned Dobby. Grief, it seemed, drove Voldemort out…though Dumbledore, of course, would have said that it was love (pg. 478).” Harry buries Dobby and carves into a rock ‘Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf,’ as a headstone.
The end of film one comes with Voldemort going to Dumbledore’s grave, opening it and taking the Elder Wand. Nice, comforting scene to end on. They repeat the scene at the beginning of Part Two, since there are about eight months between the releases.
Harry speaks to Griphook about the sword of Gryffindor and now wants to break into the Lestrange vault; there is a good chance that another Horcrux is kept there, since Bellatrix was so angry at the idea of someone in her vault. He also questions Ollivander about wand ownership [this seems convoluted to me and either creates a plot hole or badly tries to patch a plot hole, I haven’t quite decided which], and the Elder Wand. Voldemort feels he will be truly invincible if he possesses the Elder Wand; that is what he’s been looking for, going through Ollivander, then Gregorovitch, then Grindelwald. Then Dumbledore won it, hence the desecration of his tomb done by Voldemort.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione keep their plans quiet from Bill and Fleur. It’s tricky negotiating with a goblin; Griphook wants the Gryffindor sword (Bill points out that goblins believe that ownership of a crafted item reverts back to the crafter, not down the purchasers’ line). But the trio need the sword in order to destroy the rest of the Horcruxes, so Harry keeps mum on when exactly Griphook will get the sword.
Happy news arrives. Tonks has given birth to a baby boy, Teddy. Remus comes to announce it and ask Harry to be godfather. To himself, with his crazy plan closing in, Harry thinks “he seemed set on course to become just as reckless a godfather to Teddy Lupin as Sirius Black had been to him (pg. 518).” Again, left out of the film. Hermione uses Polyjuice Potion to look like Bellatrix, and they had retrieved her wand, along with Draco’s when they fled Malfoy Manor. But Gringotts is on the lookout, so Harry uses the Imperious Curse to control some goblins so they make it down to the oldest vaults, guarded by a dragon. They manage to get in, but there is some difficulty getting out. They’re successful in getting Helga Hufflepuff’s cup, but Griphook makes off with the sword and guards are alerted to intruders. The trio escape on the dragon and jump off when they can.
Voldemort is angry at the break-in, and starting to wonder if Harry knows about the Horcruxes. Preposterous. For “surely if the boy had destroyed any of his Horcruxes, he, Lord Voldemort, would have known, would have felt it? He, the greatest wizard of them all; he, the most powerful; he, the killer of Dumbledore and of how many other worthless, nameless men: How could Lord Voldemort not have known, if he, himself, most important and precious, had been attacked, mutilated (pg. 550)?” [Someone’s got an ego.] But Harry can’t know. Nevertheless, he will keep Nagini close, and his thoughts stray to Hogwarts. Harry sees all of this and now they know for certain where to go next. In the film, Hermione argues that they need a plan. Harry points out, “when have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose.” (He’s got a point). They Apperate into Hogsmeade, which sets off an alarm. The barman from Hog’s Head pulls them in, and the blue eyes give him away. This is Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus’s younger brother, and it’s his eye Harry saw in the mirror and who sent Dobby to them. But Aberforth tells Harry to go home, he’ll live longer that way. Abandon whatever fool’s errand his brother sent him on.
However, Harry made his choice when he dug the grave for Dobby; he will continue on the dangerous path that Albus Dumbledore set him on. The truth comes out about Ariana; the Muggle boys who tormented her for her magic made it turn wild. Their father went after the boys and was imprisoned for it, but the family kept the secret of Ariana so she wouldn’t be taken away. Their mother’s death was an accident, but that meant Albus had to stave off his great plans and take care of his family. Gellert Grindelwald just fed into Albus’s ideas of using magic to rule over Muggles, ‘for the greater good,’ though they disagreed on method. An argument broke out between the three young men and Ariana ended up in the middle of it. Grindelwald fled and Albus never forgave himself. There is a portrait above the fireplace in Hog’s Head of Ariana, which actually becomes a passageway into the school. Neville emerges and fills the trio in on what’s going on in Hogwarts while they make their way into the Room of Requirement. Neville’s bruised for standing up for what’s right and protecting others; he’s trying to give everyone hope. His gran’s finally proud of him, saying he’s his parents’ son and she even held her own against Death Eaters sent to kidnap her in order to quiet Neville.
It is rather wonderful in the movie that the theme starts up with the reveal that Harry has returned to Hogwarts (noticeably absent from the beginning of both Deathly Hallows). Dumbledore’s Army wants to help Harry. They’ve proven themselves loyal to Dumbledore, they point out when Harry protests. “We all thought that if you came back, it would mean revolution. That we were going to overthrow Snape and the Carrows (pg. 581).” Other members of the Order start pouring in, including Luna, Dean, Fred and George, and Ginny. Ginny is thrilled to see Harry, who is also pleased. Ron’s rather put out that his own sister doesn’t pay him any mind. Seamus points out in the film that Ginny has plenty of brothers, but there’s only one Harry Potter. In their discussion in the book, Ron points out that they could use help finding the Horcrux, they just don’t have to tell the others exactly what it is. Hermione chimes in, “you don’t have to do everything alone, Harry (pg. 583).” Harry decides he will trust his friends and be different than Dumbledore.
Luna takes Harry to Ravenclaw Tower, but the Carrows were already warned that someone might come looking for something from Ravenclaw. Harry reveals himself when one of them spits on McGonagall, even using the Cruciatus Curse. McGonagall supports Harry’s mission; they will secure the school while Harry searches. The plan is to get the students out. This plan does not sit well with the current headmaster and a duel breaks out between Snape and the other Heads of Houses. He flees and McGonagall declares that it is time for Slytherin House to declare their allegiance. Any who stand in the way of the Order will be dealt with accordingly. To the shock of the Weasley family, Percy arrives and shouts an apology.
It happens a bit different in the movie. Harry doesn’t make it to Ravenclaw Tower. Instead, Snape calls all the students to the Great Hall and asks that anyone with information on Harry step forward. If not, there will be dire consequences. Harry himself steps out, claiming that the headmaster has a security problem as the Order enters. He demands that Snape tells everyone how Dumbledore was actually killed; students start edging away. Snape draws his wand on Harry. Before Harry can even react, McGonagall steps in front of him and everyone hurries out of the way. Snape even hesitates for a moment. McGonagall starts firing spells [like a badass!] Snape quickly flees and McGonagall shouts out the window “coward!” A cheer erupts.
Voldemort’s voice sounds through the Great Hall, saying that if they give Harry Potter to him, they will not be harmed, indeed, they shall be rewarded. Pansy Parkinson is the one who cries out to seize Harry, but the rest of the school protects him. The Battle of Hogwarts begins.
McGonagall directs Neville and Seamus to blow up the bridge; she recalls that Seamus has a “particular proclivity for pyrotechnics.” She directs other about, pointing out that they might as well use the name ‘Voldemort’ since he’s going to try to kill them either way. She then turns and calls down the stone knights to man the boundaries, to do their duty to the school. To Molly, she remarks “I’ve always wanted to use that spell.”
Harry has to find the ghost of Ravenclaw, Rowena’s daughter, Helena. Luna has to shout at Harry in the film to listen to her. She knows about the ghost and takes Harry to her. Helena tells him how she stole the diadem from her mother and ran away. But Rowena sent a man who once loved her to bring her back, but when she refused him, he became angry and stabbed her. When he saw what he had done, he killed himself and became the Bloody Baron. Helena hid in Albania, and eventually told her tale to Tom Riddle, who flattered her. He took the diadem and hid it in Hogwarts the night of his job interview with Dumbledore. The backstory is left out of the film, though the Grey Lady knows what Tom has done to the diadem, that he’s defiled it with Dark Magic. Harry realizes where it is and it’s a place he would share with Tom, but Dumbledore, being more rule-abiding wouldn’t know: the Room of Requirement, where Harry hid the disastrous Potions book.
Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione venture down to the Chamber of Secrets to get basilisk fangs. The cup is now destroyed. Ron then suggests they need to get the house-elves out before they’re killed and that is when the big kiss between him and Hermione happens (in the film, it’s in the Chamber). Harry has to remind them “Oi! There’s a war going on here (pg. 625)!” But Draco has followed the trio with his cronies just when they find the diadem. Draco is more cautious than Crabbe (in the film, it’s Goyle. And in place of Goyle, it’s Blaise); he wants to know what Harry is looking for. Crabbe just wants to kill him. A huge magical fire erupts, killing Crabbe. The trio manage to find broomsticks and Harry won’t let Draco die. Ron’s not pleased and tells Harry if they die saving Draco, he’ll kill Harry. They stab the diadem once they’re free and kick it back into the fire before the doors shut.
They come upon Percy and Fred dueling Death Eaters, including the new Minister of Magic. Percy jokes about resigning and Fred is so pleased. A blast hits them and Fred is dead. Harry is shocked; how can there be a world without Fred Weasley in it? He’s more determined than ever; there’s only the snake left. He looks into Voldemort’s mind and finds him in the Shrieking Shack (the boat shed in the film); the Dark Lord requires Severus. Voldemort also insists to his followers that Harry will come to the Dark Lord that night. The trio argue who will go as they take in everyone fighting around them, including Trelawney. Luna and some other D.A. members help them against dementors (Aberforth in the movie) and the trio manage to make it to the Shrieking Shack and hide while Severus greets his lord. Even Severus is offering to bring Harry to Voldemort.
The problem is Voldemort feels no difference between his old wand and the Elder Wand. The issue lies with the fact that Voldemort was not the one to kill Dumbledore; that was Snape. So for the wand to work correctly for Voldemort, he must kill Snape. He sets Nagini on Snape and leaves. The teens are horrified and Harry goes to the former Potions master. He takes the memories spilling out and then the man dies; his last words in the film are for Harry to look at him and the remark “you have your mother’s eyes.” Again, Voldemort’s voice sounds across the grounds. He will have his forces retreat for an hour. Use it to bury your dead. And to Harry, “you have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself…if you have not come to me…I will enter the fray myself…and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me (pg. 660).” He will be in the Forbidden Forest. This is Harry’s foible; he hates others getting hurt for him, risking their lives for him. In the Great Hall, the Weasleys are gathered around Fred. Harry also sees Remus and Tonks dead, leaving their infant son to Tonks’ mother. Harry cannot face anymore [and neither can we at this point] and turns away and goes to the headmaster’s office. He pulls out the Pensive and dumps in the memories.
We see the Prince’s Tale; how young Severus Snape met a young Lily Evans, spurned by Petunia as being a freak. But Snape wants to show Lily the wonders of magic and teach what he already knows as a half-blood. Apparently, Petunia even sent a letter to Dumbledore, asking to come to Hogwarts; Lily found it and Snape mocks Petunia, hurting during the argument. Then there’s young James and Sirius in Gryffindor, where Lily is Sorted, while Snape goes to Slytherin. Lily soon dislikes Severus’s friends; children who will go on to become Death Eaters. Severus strongly dislikes James Potter, and even though Lily doesn’t like him yet, she points out there is a difference between humor and pranks, and just being evil. After the disastrous OWLs incident, Snape apologizes to Lily, but she says he’s chosen his path, so they will part ways. Years later, Snape comes to Dumbledore, begging for Lily’s life, though he doesn’t care about the deaths of her husband and child, if only Dumbledore will help him save Lily. Dumbledore even points this out, that the man is alright with her family being killed, as long as Snape gets what he wants (this bit is left out of the film). Finally, Snape begs for Dumbledore to hide them all. Alas, only Harry is left, with Lily’s eyes. Dumbledore extracts a promise from Snape that he will protect the boy once he comes to school. Snape insists no one can know his deeds. It was Snape that Dumbledore had heal his hand and once again, has the man promise that he will kill the headmaster instead of Draco. He’s on borrowed time now anyways.
And there is one more thing that Harry cannot know until the time is right. Only then will he have the strength to follow through. The night that Voldemort went to kill the Potters, and the curse rebounded on him due to Lily’s protection, a piece of Voldemort was cast into Harry, the only other living thing in the cottage. That is why Harry is a Parslemouth. That is why there is a connection between their minds. This is indeed why Harry can feel the destruction of the other Horcruxes. And while that bit lives in Harry, Voldemort cannot truly die. So Harry must die. And Voldemort must be the one to do it. “We have protected him because it has been essential to teach him, to raise him, to let him try his strength (pg. 687),” Dumbledore argues. Snape is not pleased that “you have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment (pg. 687)?” He shows Dumbledore that his Patronus is a doe. In the film, we see Snape cradle Lily’s body while infant Harry cries in the background. “After all this time?” Dumbledore asks. “Always.” Now Harry sees that the spell that hit George was meant for a Death Eater. He took the last page of the letter to Sirius and tore the photo so he could keep Lily. He was the one who put the sword in the woods.
Finally, Harry has the truth. He is not supposed to survive this battle. Neither would live, neither would survive. “His will to live had always been much stronger than his fear of death (pg. 692).” This walk to his destruction requires a different kind of bravery. He will do no good-byes, no explanation (his friends would only try to stop him). In the film, he does stop to tell them where he’s going and gives Hermione a hug. Ron and Hermione must be left so they can kill the snake. On his way to the forest, he meets Neville and tells him to kill the snake, just in case. He walks away from his home, this place that took in the abandoned boys of Tom, Severus, and Harry. “The long game was ended, the Snitch had been caught, it was time to leave the air (pg. 698).” With that thought, Harry pulls out the Snitch again. I open at the close. “I am about to die,” he whispers. Inside is indeed the Resurrection Stone. Turning it brings James, Lily, Remus, and Sirius. In the movie, this is the only mention of Remus’s son. They will stay with him until the very end; their presence gives Harry the courage he needs.
Hagrid has been captured by the Death Eaters and watches Harry reveal himself to Voldemort. “The Boy Who Lived. Come to die,” Voldemort remarks. There is a green light. And Harry oddly ends up in a very white, very bright King’s Cross. With a small, grotesque child. Dumbledore comes to him. Yes, the part of Voldemort’s soul that was in Harry is now gone. But Harry’s blood in Voldemort tethers him to life [this part is still confusing.] Dumbledore further explains that the Peverell brothers were real, the Deathly Hallows are real. That is why Grindelwald originally came to Godric’s Hollow. Due to what happened, Albus learned he was not to be trusted with power. Only Harry is worthy to truly unite the Hallows, for the right reason. Harry also has a choice about going back. The young man looks to the disformed creature. Dumbledore sagely advises “do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, those who live without love (pg. 722).” And while this is all going on inside Harry’s head, that doesn’t mean it’s not real.
Harry quietly comes back to himself on the forest floor. Voldemort asks for someone to check that he is really dead. It is Narcissa Malfoy who crouches next to him. She ever so softly asks if Draco is alive and in the castle. Harry answers yes. So she announces that Harry is indeed dead. Voldemort crows that no man alive can threaten him now. He orders Hagrid to carry Harry back to the castle. A crowd gathers outside. McGonagall screams “No!” at seeing Harry (in the film, it’s Ginny who screams), followed by Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Neville breaks free of Voldemort’s call for silence. Voldemort asks him as a pure blood to join the Death Eaters. Neville refuses. Voldemort calls down the Sorting Hat, declaring there will be no need for it now, for all students will be Slytherin. That bit is left out of the movie; instead, we get an awkward hug between Draco and Voldemort after his parents insist he leave the school. They are seen later, walking away. A commotion creates a distraction and Harry uses it to scamper away. Neville draws the sword of Gryffindor and slices the head off Nagini. The battle commences again and the house elves are led by Kreacher, fighting for his master, the defender of house elves (not in the movie). Bellatrix ends up dueling Hermione, Ginny, and Luna. Molly steps in and shouts “NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!” [one of the best lines of the series.] She dispatches Bellatrix. Voldemort turns from his duel against Kinsley, Slughorn, and McGonagall to face the woman; Harry casts a Shield Charm.
The duel between Harry and Voldemort begins. Harry taunts Voldemort that Snape was never the Dark Lord’s true servant. And goads him to be a man, try for remorse. He also points out that the Elder Wand will still not work properly for Voldemort because Snape did not truly defeat Dumbledore. It was Draco who disarmed the headmaster that night. And only a day ago, Harry disarmed Draco. Voldemort fires Avada Kedavra and Harry uses Expelliarmus. The Elder Wand flies to Harry. Tom Riddle is finally dead, killed by his own rebounding curse. Ron and Hermione are the first to reach him, followed shortly by Ginny, Neville, and Luna, then the Weasleys, Hagrid, and McGonagall.
It’s a bit different in the movie; the two hop around the school dueling each other. [At one point, I tell the screen; “Dude, you’re not Darth Vader, you can’t Force-choke him.] Harry does tell Voldemort that the Elder Wand was never Snapes, then grabs the man and tells him “Come on Tom, let’s finish this the way we started…together.” Then there’s lots of falling and black smoke. A green blast from Voldemort’s wand meets a red blast from Harry’s. Ron and Hermione are trying to kill Nagini, but the snake almost ends them. Neville, in a completely badass move, jumps in and slices the head off the snake. Voldemort and Harry fire another blast at each other, but Harry’s red beam overpowers Voldemort’s green. Voldemort begins to crumple and the Elder Wand sails over to Harry. Voldemort flakes away.
Kingsley Shacklebot is quickly named the temporary Minister of Magic. Voldemort is laid apart from the rest of the dead. When Luna realizes that the crowd is too much for Harry, she helps him slip away. He grabs Hermione and Ron. He reveals what he saw about Snape and what happened in the forest. They make their way again to the headmaster’s office. The portraits applaud Harry, but he looks to Dumbledore. He dropped the Resurrection Stone in the forest; he’s not sure where and he won’t go looking for it. He’ll keep his cloak, and he doesn’t want the Elder Wand. However, he uses it to repair his first wand. He’ll put the wand back in Dumbledore’s tomb and if Harry dies a natural death, that will be the end of the Deathly Hallows. After all, “I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime (pg. 749).”
They don’t visit the headmaster’s office again in the film. Harry instead takes his best friends outside and explains Draco and the wand. Ron remarks that they’ll be invincible with the Elder Wand. But Harry doesn’t want it. He breaks it in two and tosses it away (and doesn’t fix his own wand). The trio stands together in front of the damaged school.
We get an epilogue, entitled Nineteen Years Later, using the same music from the end of Sorcerer’s Stone (a hit of nostalgia). Families crowd King’s Cross, including Harry’s. He’s married to Ginny and they’ve had three children: James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna. Ron and Hermione have had two; Rose and Hugo. There are other family members there, like Teddy Lupin and Vicotrie Weasley. There’s even a grown-up Draco and his son, Scorpius. This is Albus’s first year and he quietly asks his dad about being sorted into Slytherin. Harry comforts his son that he was named for two headmasters, one of whom was Slytherin and was the bravest man Harry ever knew. However, the Sorting Hat will take into account Albus’s choice. They see their children to the train and Harry feels all is well.
Hedwig’s Theme plays over the credit and it is a bit sad to watch them go by and see the ones who are no longer with us.
One of my biggest pet peeves about this film, and the trend anymore it seems, is that dark scenes are incredibly dark, as in lighting. [We’ll cover more of this in Lord of the Rings, in a good way.] Game of Thrones was bad about this as well. Yes, a scene may take place in the dark, at night, and evil things are happening, but I can’t actually see them! All I see is a black screen and I sometimes worry that something has happened to the disc or player. Doesn’t matter what you have going on screen, any action or character movement because you’ve made sure we don’t see it. As it’s been pointed out on fansites, we’ve suspended our disbelief to watch this story, we’re okay with it being properly lit.
Also, the final book is jam-packed with information and not really in a good way. I read somewhere that her publishers had her pull information from previous books, so it all got shoved in the final book and it shows. And that may be why plot point and plot lines are well developed. As an adult, going back and re-reading these books, there are plot holes abounding. And since it’s jammed with new information, there is little tension. It stalls and you wonder if they’re ever going to achieve their goal, then everything happens at the last minute, and there’s last-minute information. Another pet peeve of mine is that Dumbledore had an entire year to help Harry out in Half-Blood Prince; he knew what was going on and how much time, and he purposefully did not completely fill Harry in. Harry already got mad at Dumbledore posthumously once this book, yet, is completely fine with the last-minute knowledge that he has been reared to be a sacrifice nearly his entire life. The only sure-fire way to finish off Voldemort is for Harry to die. And he’s supposed to be fine with that. As a dumb teen, maybe we do view it as a heroic sacrifice, and yes, heroes go into last battles with some notion that they may die, or it’s very likely. Not that their mentor has made sure everything aligns and kept them in the dark so they will willingly walk into Death. Not cool.
As a result of the info-dump, the final two movies plod along at points. And doing the final two duels, between Voldemort and Nagini, all in slow-motion, at this point does not make tension mount. To the audience, it’s ‘how much longer are they going to drag this out?’ Yes, there was enough information for two movies (which is not always the case), but the action and pacing suffered.
I am glad that the primary trio of characters survived. Super sad that Remus and Tonks were killed off (I do not support that decision; maybe it was an excuse just to kill all the Maraduers). Heart-wrenching that Fred is killed. I will admit, the mark of a better writer is that they are willing to kill off important characters (Stephanie Myers didn’t do that and her ending suffered because not everything is sunshine and roses, and honestly George R.R. Martin just kills everyone off, so it goes the other way), and these deaths should mean something. There is a cost to victory. But some here seemed unnecessary.
One thing Rowling did well was point out that there is not always a plan with these epic quests; the hero doesn’t have all the answers. This makes the story a little more plausible. She also showcases characters that are flawed. Most characters are not what they appear. I’m not sure ultimately how I feel about Ron leaving Harry and Hermione for a while, because he’s always been Harry’s best friend and most supportive, barring that incident in Goblet of Fire. He claims he knew what it meant to follow Harry, but once things got really tough, he leaves. Yet, he is able to bring back useful information. Just proves that not all characters, even good guys, are perfect. It was nice to bring Percy back and show that he’s not just a Ministry brown-noser.
I agree with Harry that Remus should not have tried to have left Tonks once she was pregnant. Not to simply offer his services to tag along with Harry with no clue what Harry is actually up to. Think these things through, sir. You married her. You made a commitment. You probably told Sirius off for being reckless, learn from that. And Tonks and Remus definitely should have made a better decision regarding their son; think ahead to the worst-case scenario. Lily and James didn’t really get a choice about leaving Harry; they tried everything to keep him safe. And Tonks and Remus rush into the final battle.
I’ll discuss more on Dumbledore, Snape, and the epilogue in the wrap-up blog that will be coming shortly.
Dreamer in the Mirror 