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• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7

This reviewer’s heart felt more than a touch of sadness as she closed the back cover of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. It’s never easy to say goodbye, especially to those we love and cherish, and to a world we believe in totally, without question.

Reading the  Harry Potter  series has been a reader’s excavation: the simple, jeweled surface of THE SORCERER’S STONE caught the attention of bibliophiles the world over nearly a decade ago. Its straightforward yet engaging structure charmed readers of all ages and introduced them to a world of magic and friendship --- and of good and evil.

However, the real magic of Harry Potter’s story is that THE SORCERER’S STONE was just the beginning. After the first three volumes, J.K. Rowling quickly abandoned the “bad guy of the year isn’t who you think it is” method of storytelling (while deliciously depositing other plot treasures here and there, like Ron’s “pet” Scabbers and Ginny’s possession in THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS) and revealed to her faithful readers a deeper, richer world than anyone could have imagined at the outset of the series.

And THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is the richest book of them all. Throughout the series, the majority of the action has taken place with “Harry blinders” on --- that is, because of the third-person limited narration of most of the books, the other characters’ actions, appearances, motivations and loyalties have been colored for the reader by Harry’s opinion of them.

Now that Harry has matured and is on the cusp of manhood, those around him are seen in far more detail and with more care than ever before. Rather than just basing opinion on what surface information he has presented, Harry examines and speculates on the reasons for action in those around him, and the characters are more real because of it. In the first several chapters, the reader is presented with some precious observations about Harry’s loved ones --- a blossoming romance, a marriage, the presentation to Harry of a meaningful birthday gift --- that makes the other cold fact of the book that much harder to handle: Harry’s world is a world at war.

At the very time when the characters become that much more precious to the reader, their lives hang in the balance --- from the moment Harry Ron, Hermione and numerous Order of the Phoenix members depart 4 Privet Drive and are ambushed, it is clear that a war has begun. When everyone finally regroups at the Burrow several hours later, some arrive injured --- and some never return.

True to his resolve, Harry goes willingly into this battle. Gone is the safety of Hogwarts and of the structured familiarity of the school year. Rowling creates a deep sense of unease and restlessness by yanking this security blanket from both her characters and her readers. Though Harry is clearly on a quest, there are many false starts, delayed plans and poorly-executed missions. The reader can very much empathize when Ron, Hermione and Harry, roughing it in the woods on their frustrating search for the Horcruxes, become cranky, sniping and petty.

Though the structure of THE DEATHLY HALLOWS differs slightly from its six predecessors, Rowling’s themes remain familiar --- good versus evil, the redemptive and protective power of love. What Harry discovers on his search for the Horcruxes (as well as the Hallows, but I will leave each reader to discover exactly what the Hallows are) is that, as Sirius has so wisely pointed out to him, “People are not separated into good people and Death Eaters.” The book humanizes both a perceived hero and a perceived villain by displaying both sides of each man’s personalities, light and dark.

Never fear. In addition to the ever-deepening emotional maturity of its main character, THE DEATHLY HALLOWS also offers quite a few nail-biting battle scenes and more than one narrow escape. Rowling still firmly believes that a person’s actions can be just as important as their emotional inner landscape. She has stated that more than a few people will be upset by the high death toll in her final installment of Harry’s battle against Voldemort, and she does with fair warning --- more than a half-dozen characters Harry (and readers) know and love (or love to hate) perish before the ultimate one-on-one battle between the boy hero and evil personified.

In the end, the survivors of this battle cling to each other with love that has deepened and grown over the past nine years. Rowling, who began writing this story longhand over a decade ago, in a café while her infant daughter slept in a stroller beside her, believes unwaveringly in the fundamentals of love and family. She reminds readers that these things are more important than magic, fame, power or glory --- and so does Harry. 

Reviewed by Colleen Christi on July 21, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7 by J. K. Rowling

• Publication Date: June 26, 2018
• Genres: Fantasy
• Paperback: 784 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• ISBN-10: 1338299204
• ISBN-13: 9781338299205

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , the seventh and last book in the series.

The book was published in the US and the UK on 21 July 2007.

• Day by day calendar of events in the book
• Differences between the British and American versions
• Changes in the text: There are no reported changes in the text since publication

Reader’s Guide to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

A complete chapter-by chapter guide with notes and commentary

Chapter 1 -The Dark Lord Ascending

In which Snape reports to Voldemort the plans of the Order of the Phoenix to move Harry Potter from number four Privet Drive, Voldemort takes Lucius Malfoy’s wand, the Death Eaters gathered in Malfoy Manor make fun of Tonks’ marriage to a werewolf, and Voldemort kills Charity Burbage, the erstwhile Hogwarts Muggle Studies teacher.

Chapter 2 – In Memoriam

In which Harry is preparing to leave Privet Drive, emptying his school trunk and packing a rucksack with the items most important to him. In the process, he also sorts through the newspapers of the past few weeks to re-read and save Dumbledore’s obituary. At the end of his packing, he notices an interview in the current day’s paper in which Rita Skeeter is talking about her upcoming tell-all biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore .

Chapter 3 – The Dursleys Departing

In which Vernon Dursley is reluctant for the family to flee Privet Drive on Harry’s say-so, Harry explains the situation again, and Dudley talks sense.

Chapter 4 – The Seven Potters

In which Mad-Eye arrives with Ron, Hermione, and various Order members in tow, announcing a change in plans. Six of them are to use Polyjuice Potion to act as decoy Harry Potters while seven act as protectors, which each protector/Potter pair heading to a different safe-house. Upon getting airborne and splitting up, all of them are attacked, and Hedwig is soon killed. Harry gives himself away by using the Disarming Charm, and he and Hagrid barely escape with their lives, crashing into the Tonks’ back garden.

Chapter 5 – Fallen Warrior

In which the survivors make their way to the Burrow, learning that Mad-Eye was killed in the fight and George Weasley severely hurt, while Mundungus fled. Harry then has a vision of Voldemort torturing Ollivander, seeking to know why using Lucius Malfoy’s wand did not solve the problem of being unable to defeat Harry Potter.

Chapter 6 – The Ghoul in Pajamas

In which Molly Weasley loads Harry, Ron and Hermione up with wedding-preparation chores in an attempt to stop them from making plans to leave, while Ron and Hermione prove to Harry that they understand what’s involved in accompanying him and have taken steps to protect their families from retaliation. Hermione reveals that she has researched the problem of destroying Horcruxes using books stolen from Dumbledore’s office. Fleur’s parents arrive for the wedding, and simple plans are made to celebrate Harry’s birthday, which falls the day before the ceremony.

Chapter 7 – The Will of Albus Dumbledore

In which it is Harry’s seventeenth birthday, and Rufus Scrimgeour arrives to deliver the bequests of Albus Dumbledore to Harry, Ron, and Hermione in an attempt to pump them for information.

Chapter 8 – The Wedding

In which Harry, disguised by Polyjuice Potion, attends Bill’s wedding to Fleur, where he meets Xenophilius Lovegood and Ron’s Great Aunt Muriel and reencounters Viktor Krum and Elphias Doge. Thanks to Krum, Harry remembers who Gregorovitch is and learns that Xenophilius is wearing a symbol associated with Grindelwald, and thanks to Muriel’s gossip he hears more about the Dumbledores. The party is broken up by the arrival of Shacklebolt’s Patronus, warning the guests that the Ministry has fallen and Scrimgeour is dead, so the Death Eaters are coming.

Chapter 9 – A Place to Hide

In which Harry, Ron and Hermione flee the Death Eaters by Apparating to Tottenham Court Road, Hermione’s handbag turns out to have hidden depths, and they go to a Muggle café to plan their next move. Dolohov and Rowle arrive, they duel, and after cleaning up Harry recommends hiding out in Grimmauld Place.

Chapter 10 – Kreacher’s Tale

In which Harry explores more of Grimmauld Place, finding a letter from his mother in Sirius’ room, then discovering that Sirius’ brother Regulus was the mysterious R.A.B. Hermione remembers seeing the locket two summers before, Harry calls Kreacher, and Kreacher reveals that while he took the locket, it was then taken from him by Mundungus Fletcher, and explains how it came into Regulus’ possession. Harry then asks Kreacher to find Mundungus and bring him to Grimmauld Place, and wins Kreacher’s loyalty by giving him the false locket for his own.

Chapter 11 – The Bribe

In which Lupin seeks out Harry, Ron and Hermione at Grimmauld Place and offers to accompany them on their quest, but Harry refuses, recognizing that Lupin is seeking escape from complications in his personal life. Kreacher returns with Mundungus, who reveals that Umbridge took the locket from him as a bribe for not turning him in for selling magical artefacts without a license.

Chapter 12 – Magic Is Might

In which Harry, Ron and Hermione, after weeks of planning, ambush three Ministry workers, assume their identities, and sneak into Ministry headquarters. To their horror, they learn that Ron has taken the identity of a man whose wife is about to be interrogated about her blood status, and who faces a sentence in Azkaban for being a Muggle-born with a wand.

Chapter 13 – The Muggle-born Registration Commission

In which Hermione accompanies Umbridge to court while Harry breaks into Umbridge’s office, to find Mad-Eye’s eye mounted on her door, while inside she has a file on Arthur Weasley and a copy of Rita Skeeter’s book. Harry retrieves the eye and heads back downstairs to the courtroom, where he and Hermione Stun the Ministry workers, take the locket, and release the prisoners, telling them to go into hiding. They collect Ron and attempt to return to Grimmauld Place, but must abandon it when they realize they’ve accidentally brought a Death Eater with them into its protections.

Chapter 14 – The Thief

In which Harry, Ron and Hermione have Apparated to the old Quidditch World Cup campgrounds, Ron having been splinched in the process. Hermione treats Ron’s injuries and they set up camp, whereupon Harry has a vision of Voldemort interrogating Gregorovitch and realizes that Voldemort is searching for something Gregorovitch once had but which was stolen by a young man long ago.

Chapter 15 – The Goblin’s Revenge

In which Harry, Ron and Hermione spend weeks moving from place to place, failing either to destroy the locket Horcrux or to think of a lead to find the others and squabbling with one another in frustration, aggravated by the Horcrux’s poisonous influence. Eventually they stumble across other fugitives – a party of Muggle-born wizards and goblins on the run – and learn that a fake has been substituted for Gryffindor’s sword. They then question the portrait of Phineas Nigellus (which Hermione hid in her bag) and learn that the sword should be able to destroy Horcruxes. Ron, his self-control sapped by the Horcrux, then loses his temper and leaves.

Chapter 16 – Godric’s Hollow

In which weeks pass while Harry and Hermione, the heart gone out of them with Ron, concentrate on finding a lead to the sword’s location. At Christmastime, Harry asks to go to Godric’s Hollow for personal reasons and Hermione agrees for quest-related reasons. After planning carefully, they Apparate into Godric’s Hollow in disguise and visit the graves of Harry’s parents.

Chapter 17 – Bathilda’s Secret

Leaving the cemetery, Harry and Hermione see the Potters’ old house, then encounter someone who appears to be Bathilda Bagshot but does not speak until she gets Harry alone. Too late, Harry discovers that they’ve been led into a trap, and that Bathilda’s corpse is being used as a disguise for Nagini. He and Hermione manage to escape, at the cost of Harry’s wand being broken accidentally by Hermione.

Chapter 18 – The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore

In which Hermione gives Harry a copy of The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore that she picked up in the Bagshot house, and they learn that the young man in the picture was Gellert Grindelwald, who according to Rita Skeeter was very close to Albus Dumbledore for a brief period when they were young, at a crucial period in both their lives.

Chapter 19 – The Silver Doe

In which Hermione Apparates with Harry to the Forest of Dean, where Harry, keeping watch late at night, sees and follows a Patronus in the form of a silver doe to a frozen pool in which the sword of Gryffindor lies. He is nearly strangled by the locket Horcrux’s chain when he dives to retrieve it, and is saved from drowning by Ron, who has been shown the way back by the Deluminator. Ron then confronts and destroys the Horcrux after Harry commands it to open in Parseltongue. They return together to camp, where Harry has to protect Ron from Hermione for a while.

Chapter 20 – Xenophilius Lovegood

In which Harry and Ron bring each other up to date on their adventures, Hermione finds the triangular mark in a photograph of one of Dumbledore’s letters, and the trio seek out Xenophilius Lovegood at his home for further information about the mark.

Chapter 21 – The Tale of the Three Brothers

In which Xenophilius Lovegood explains that the symbol is the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, and that the origin of the story is “The Tale of the Three Brothers”, which Hermione then reads aloud. Xenophilius then explains the symbolism of the symbol and discusses the Hallows. Harry, wandering around the house, notices that there is no sign of Luna having been present for weeks, then confronts Xenophilius. Xenophilius then reveals that the Death Eaters took her, and he plans to hold Harry, Ron and Hermione until they arrive so that he can trade them for her. Harry, Ron and Hermione manage to escape while making it clear that Xenophilius wasn’t making up what he told the Death Eaters.

Chapter 22 – The Deathly Hallows

In which Harry becomes obsessed with the Hallows, particularly the Stone (which he realizes is hidden inside the Snitch that Dumbledore left him). Ron takes over the hunt for Horcruxes. Then Ron finally manages to pick up a Potterwatch broadcast, from which Harry, Ron and Hermione learn that Voldemort is out of the country – and Harry deduces that Voldemort is looking for the Elder Wand. Harry then accidentally says Voldemort’s name aloud, which breaks their protective enchantments, betraying their whereabouts to a gang of Snatchers.

Chapter 23 – Malfoy Manor

In which Hermione disguises Harry’s appearance with a jinx just before the Snatchers kidnap all three of them and take them to Malfoy Manor. Unfortunately, the Snatchers recognize Hermione and find the sword, so the subsequent questioning at Malfoy Manor soon takes a grim turn – Hermione is tortured by Bellatrix, who wants to know how they got the sword. Harry uses the broken two-way mirror to ask for help, and Dobby appears. Dobby helps Ron and Harry rescue all the captives at the Manor, which includes Disarming Bellatrix and Draco, but in the end Dobby is fatally wounded by Bellatrix.

Chapter 24 – The Wandmaker

In which Harry buries Dobby and regains perspective, putting the Horcrux hunt above the Hallows quest, though he realizes where the Elder Wand is and that Voldemort is about to get it as well as that there is probably a Horcrux hidden in the Lestranges’ Gringotts vault. He first asks for Griphook’s help in breaking into Gringotts, then asks Ollivander about the Elder Wand before telling the others that Voldemort is stealing the Elder Wand from Dumbledore’s grave.

Chapter 25 – Shell Cottage

In which Griphook agrees to help break into Gringotts in exchange for the sword, which he considers to be rightfully goblin property, and Harry and Ron agree in bad faith, planning to retain it until the Horcrux hunt is over. Lupin arrives to announce the birth of his son and to ask Harry to be godfather, and Bill takes Harry aside in the confusion to warn Harry against breaking faith with goblins.

Chapter 26 – Gringotts

In which, plans and preparations being complete, Griphook accompanies Harry, Ron and Hermione to Gringotts, hiding with Harry under the Cloak while Hermione poses as Bellatrix and Ron assumes a false identity. By using various spells to interfere with the minds of Gringotts staff members, they manage to reach the level of the Lestranges’ vault before various defences are set off against them. They manage to obtain the cup from the vault, then escape by releasing the dragon guarding the most secure vaults and helping it break out.

Chapter 27 – The Final Hiding Place

In which Harry, Ron and Hermione spend most of the day riding the dragon, only to get away from it near sunset. Harry has a vision of the theft being reported to Voldemort, and realizes that they are running out of time – Voldemort now knows that they are after Horcruxes, and they have to get to the Hogwarts Horcrux before he does.

Chapter 28 – The Missing Mirror

In which Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogsmeade, are pursued by Death Eaters, and are rescued by Aberforth Dumbledore, who advises them to give up their quest, and explains why he doesn’t blindly trust his late brother’s judgement by telling them the true story of the life and death of Ariana Dumbledore.

Chapter 29 – The Lost Diadem

In which Neville escorts Harry, Ron, and Hermione through the passageway from the Hog’s Head to the Room of Requirement, where Dumbledore’s Army recaps the situation in Hogwarts and the Ravenclaws tell Harry about Ravenclaw’s diadem. Luna escorts Harry to Ravenclaw Tower to look at its representation on Ravenclaw’s statue, and Alecto Carrow ambushes them in the Ravenclaw common room.

Chapter 30 – The Sacking of Severus Snape

In which the Carrows are tied up, Voldemort learns of both the theft of the locket Horcrux and Harry’s arrival in Ravenclaw Tower, Snape takes a short break, McGonagall rouses the castle, and many alumni arrive to help defend Hogwarts from the Death Eaters.

Chapter 31 – The Battle of Hogwarts

In which McGonagall orders the evacuation of those underage or who do not wish to fight, Voldemort delivers an ultimatum, and Harry learns how Voldemort acquired the diadem. Ron and Hermione return from destroying the cup, and together Harry, Ron and Hermione go to the Room of Requirement to destroy the diadem. There they encounter Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, but his former henchmen no longer answer to Draco; during the subsequent duel, Crabbe unleashes Fiendfyre, which destroys much of the room’s contents and kills him. Harry, Ron and Hermione escape, rescuing Draco and Goyle in the process. They then encounter Percy and Fred, duelling Death Eaters, only to be caught by an explosion that kills Fred.

Chapter 32 – The Elder Wand

In which the battle continues but Voldemort remains with Nagini in the Shrieking Shack, awaiting Harry and brooding on the Elder Wand. He reaches a conclusion about the latter and sends for Snape while the trio make their way to him under the Invisibility Cloak, only to arrive in time to witness Snape’s murder and receive some of his memories as a final message.

Chapter 33 – The Prince’s Tale

In which Harry, using the Pensieve, learns of his mother’s childhood friendship with Severus Snape, that Snape’s worst memory was of how they became estranged, of how Snape became Dumbledore ‘s agent, and that he himself was accidentally made a Horcrux on the night his parents were murdered.

Chapter 34 – The Forest Again

In which Harry, having learned that he himself was turned into a Horcrux when Voldemort killed his parents, goes to keep his appointment with Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Along the way, he makes sure that Neville knows about Nagini, then retrieves the Resurrection Stone from the Snitch and uses it. Upon reaching Aragog’s web, where the Death Eaters are now camped, he permits Voldemort to use the Killing Curse on him without attempting to defend himself.

Chapter 35 – King’s Cross

In which Harry awakens in what seems to him to be King’s Cross station, where he encounters a fragment of Voldemort’s soul, now powerless, and Albus Dumbledore, who explains what has just happened. Harry has to choose between going on or going back, and chooses to go back.

Chapter 36 – The Flaw in the Plan

In which both Harry and Voldemort regain consciousness in the Forest, Harry plays dead, and Hagrid is forced to carry Harry’s body up to the castle, where Voldemort displays him to the defenders in an attempt to break their will to resist. Neville confronts Voldemort, who Body-Binds him and puts the Sorting Hat on him to make a point. Neville pulls Gryffindor’s sword out of the Hat and kills Nagini when Voldemort is distracted by the arrival of the centaurs, the battle resumes, and Voldemort is finally defeated by Harry.

In which Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Draco are all putting their older children on the Hogwarts Express.

About the Dedication:

The dedication of this book is split seven ways: to Neil, to Jessica, to David, to Kenzie, to Di, to Anne, and to you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end.

The text is laid out in the shape of a lightning bolt. In the UK editions, the text is in italics, but not in the fancy Harry Potter font.

Seven is a powerfully magical number in wizard magic, and Voldemort wanted to split his soul seven ways. (The properties of the number seven were first discovered by Bridget Wenlock, the famous Arithmancer (fw)). Neil is Jo's husband. Jessica, David, and Kenzie are her children. Di is Jo's sister and Anne is her mother. And "you" means all of us, which is really quite cool :)

Interesting facts and notes

Bloomsbury (Britain) covers

This cover shows the locket Horcrux, gold with Slytherin's mark on it.

The cover of the UK adult version, by Michael Wildsmith

This cover shows Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook tumbling out of the LeStrange's vault, with multiplying and burning hot treasure all around them. Griphook is on Harry's back and clutching the Sword of Gryffindor. Harry should be grasping Hufflepuff's cup at this point in the story, but that detail is not included.

The cover of the UK kids version, by Jason Cockcroft

Scholastic (U.S.) Edition covers

The US cover shows Harry and Voldemort in their final showdown in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The enchanged ceiling shows the golden sunrise. Harry is reaching up to catch the Elder wand which is flying through the air because of his Expelliarmus spell. The back shows Voldemort, dying from his own rebounding Avada Kedavra curse. The curtains on either side suggest the veil in the Death Chamber of the Department of Mysteries.

Deluxe Edition jacket art

The trio riding on the back of the Gringott's dragon from chapter 27.

The covers of the US editions, by Mary GrandPré.

Characters Introduced

• Cattermole family

Harry Potter and the Relics of Death  can be considered an official alternate title for Book 7. The Leaky Cauldron reported back in 2007 that Jo's editors provided this title to translators who were having a difficult time coming up with an accurate title. Other variations include Insignia of Death and Gifts of Death.

From the Web

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Wikipedia

Portraying the Protagonists: A Study of the Use of Adjectives in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by Hishamuddin Salim and Nadia Nabila Saad

Pensieve (Comments)

Tags: camping end friendship heroism power sacrifices

Editors: Steve VanderArk and Cathy McCabe

• July 21st, 2007 : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is published
• 2020 : The Lexicon's 20th Anniversary Celebration!

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An Epic Showdown as Harry Potter Is Initiated Into Adulthood

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By Michiko Kakutani

• July 19, 2007

So, here it is at last: The final confrontation between Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the “symbol of hope” for both the Wizard and Muggle worlds, and Lord Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, the nefarious leader of the Death Eaters and would-be ruler of all. Good versus Evil. Love versus Hate. The Seeker versus the Dark Lord.

J. K. Rowling’s monumental, spellbinding epic, 10 years in the making, is deeply rooted in traditional literature and Hollywood sagas — from the Greek myths to Dickens and Tolkien to “Star Wars.” And true to its roots, it ends not with modernist, “Soprano”-esque equivocation, but with good old-fashioned closure: a big-screen, heart-racing, bone-chilling confrontation and an epilogue that clearly lays out people’s fates. Getting to the finish line is not seamless — the last part of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in the series, has some lumpy passages of exposition and a couple of clunky detours — but the overall conclusion and its determination of the main characters’ story lines possess a convincing inevitability that make some of the prepublication speculation seem curiously blinkered in retrospect.

With each installment, the “Potter” series has grown increasingly dark, and this volume — a copy of which was purchased at a New York City store yesterday, though the book is embargoed for release until 12:01 a.m. on Saturday — is no exception. While Ms. Rowling’s astonishingly limber voice still moves effortlessly between Ron’s adolescent sarcasm and Harry’s growing solemnity, from youthful exuberance to more philosophical gravity, “Deathly Hallows” is, for the most part, a somber book that marks Harry’s final initiation into the complexities and sadnesses of adulthood.

From his first days at Hogwarts, the young, green-eyed boy bore the burden of his destiny as a leader, coping with the expectations and duties of his role, and in this volume he is clearly more Henry V than Prince Hal, more King Arthur than young Wart: high-spirited war games of Quidditch have given way to real war, and Harry often wishes he were not the de facto leader of the Resistance movement, shouldering terrifying responsibilities, but an ordinary teenage boy — free to romance Ginny Weasley and hang out with his friends.

Harry has already lost his parents, his godfather Sirius and his teacher Professor Dumbledore (all mentors he might have once received instruction from) and in this volume, the losses mount with unnerving speed: at least a half-dozen characters we have come to know die in these pages, and many others are wounded or tortured. Voldemort and his followers have infiltrated Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic, creating havoc and terror in the Wizard and Muggle worlds alike, and the members of various populations — including elves, goblins and centaurs — are choosing sides.

No wonder then that Harry often seems overwhelmed with disillusionment and doubt in the final installment of this seven-volume bildungsroman. He continues to struggle to control his temper, and as he and Ron and Hermione search for the missing Horcruxes (secret magical objects in which Voldemort has stashed parts of his soul, objects that Harry must destroy if he hopes to kill the evil lord), he literally enters a dark wood, in which he must do battle not only with the Death Eaters, but also with the temptations of hubris and despair.

Harry’s weird psychic connection with Voldemort (symbolized by the lightning-bolt forehead scar he bears as a result of the Dark Lord’s attack on him as a baby) seems to have grown stronger too, giving him clues to Voldemort’s actions and whereabouts, even as it lures him ever closer to the dark side. One of the plot’s significant turning points concerns Harry’s decision on whether to continue looking for the Horcruxes — the mission assigned to him by the late Dumbledore — or to pursue the Hallows, three magical objects said to make their possessor the master of Death.

Harry’s journey will propel him forward to a final showdown with his arch enemy, and also send him backward into the past, to the house in Godric’s Hollow where his parents died, to learn about his family history and the equally mysterious history of Dumbledore’s family. At the same time, he will be forced to ponder the equation between fraternity and independence, free will and fate, and to come to terms with his own frailties and those of others. Indeed, ambiguities proliferate throughout “The Deathly Hallows”: we are made to see that kindly Dumbledore, sinister Severus Snape and perhaps even the awful Muggle cousin Dudley Dursley may be more complicated than they initially seem, that all of them, like Harry, have hidden aspects to their personalities, and that choice — more than talent or predisposition — matters most of all.

It is Ms. Rowling’s achievement in this series that she manages to make Harry both a familiar adolescent — coping with the banal frustrations of school and dating — and an epic hero, kin to everyone from the young King Arthur to Spider-Man and Luke Skywalker. This same magpie talent has enabled her to create a narrative that effortlessly mixes up allusions to Homer, Milton, Shakespeare and Kafka, with silly kid jokes about vomit-flavored candies, a narrative that fuses a plethora of genres (from the boarding-school novel to the detective story to the epic quest) into a story that could be Exhibit A in a Joseph Campbell survey of mythic archetypes.

In doing so, J. K. Rowling has created a world as fully detailed as L. Frank Baum’s Oz or J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, a world so minutely imagined in terms of its history and rituals and rules that it qualifies as an alternate universe, which may be one reason the “Potter” books have spawned such a passionate following and such fervent exegesis. With this volume, the reader realizes that small incidents and asides in earlier installments (hidden among a huge number of red herrings) create a breadcrumb trail of clues to the plot, that Ms. Rowling has fitted together the jigsaw-puzzle pieces of this long undertaking with Dickensian ingenuity and ardor. Objects and spells from earlier books — like the invisibility cloak, Polyjuice Potion, Dumbledore’s Pensieve and Sirius’s flying motorcycle — play important roles in this volume, and characters encountered before, like the house-elf Dobby and Mr. Ollivander the wandmaker, resurface, too.

The world of Harry Potter is a place where the mundane and the marvelous, the ordinary and the surreal coexist. It’s a place where cars can fly and owls can deliver the mail, a place where paintings talk and a mirror reflects people’s innermost desires. It’s also a place utterly recognizable to readers, a place where death and the catastrophes of daily life are inevitable, and people’s lives are defined by love and loss and hope — the same way they are in our own mortal world.

Follow Michiko Kakutani on Twitter: @michikokakutani

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

74 pages • 2 hours read

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-20

Chapters 21-26

Chapters 27-31

Chapter 32-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh installment in the record-breaking Harry Potter series and the highly-anticipated conclusion of the boy wizard’s story. Since the publication of the first Harry Potter novel in 1997, the series has sold over 500 million copies, and Harry Potter has become the best-selling fantasy series of all time. Released 10 years after the initial publication of the first Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows takes place during (what would be) Harry’s seventh year at Hogwarts. Instead of following the traditional arc of the previous Harry Potter novels, Harry and his friends choose not to return to Hogwarts and focus on trying to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort . The novel focuses on many of the same themes as the previous novels, including love, sacrifice, family, good versus evil, friendship, prejudice, and hope. The final novel in the Harry Potter series was broken up into two films, which were released in 2010 and 2011 and earned critical acclaim. The version of the novel used for this guide is the hardback Arthur A. Levine imprint of Scholastic Press.

Plot Summary

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After years of battling against the evil Lord Voldemort, 17-year-old Harry Potter is finally an adult wizard, and he and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger must set out on a dangerous mission to stop Voldemort once and for all. Harry and his friends must destroy Voldemort’s Horcuxes, which enable him to live on even after he is killed. To succeed on their mission, they must leave behind their friends and families to face old and new challenges and end the Dark wizard’s evil reign.

Harry and his friends know they must find and destroy four Horcruxes: a locket that once belonged to Voldemort’s ancestor Salazar Slytherin, a cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff, a diadem that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, and Voldemort’s pet snake, Nagini. However, finding the Horcuxes proves to be more challenging than expected. With a wide world of possible hiding places, a relentless army of Death Eaters pursuing them, and time running out, Harry and his friends are pushed to their breaking point and must learn to rely on one another and their friends in the wizarding community to reach their goal.

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Along the way, Harry uncovers dark secrets about this childhood mentor, Albus Dumbledore . Harry learns that Dumbledore, who dedicated his life to stopping Dark wizards and guiding others, dabbled in Dark magic in his youth. Harry feels the weight of his responsibility to destroy the Horcruxes but resents Dumbledore for his secrecy and unclear instructions. Harry begins to wonder if the Dumbledore he knew was the real Dumbledore, and as he finds himself struggling to figure out how to eliminate the Horcruxes, Harry realizes that he cannot rely on adults like Dumbledore to help him or protect him anymore. He struggles to overcome his fear, grief, and confusion.

Throughout the story, Harry and his friends learn about the Deathly Hallows: three legendary objects that grant their possessor power over death. Harry realizes that Voldemort is after the Elder Wand, a hallow that would make Voldemort impossible to defeat. Harry realizes that they are running out of time to defeat Voldemort before he becomes unstoppable, and the search for Horcruxes intensifies.

To find the Horcruxes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione must infiltrate the Ministry of Magic, break into Gringotts, and sneak into Hogwarts while keeping their mission secret. They are helped by their fellow Hogwarts students as well as new and old friends in the wizarding world, and as the final battle against Lord Voldemort and his followers breaks out at Hogwarts, the terrible truth about Harry’s mysterious bond with Voldemort comes to light. Harry learns that years ago, a piece of Voldemort’s soul latched onto Harry, making him a Horcrux that must also be destroyed. Harry allows Voldemort to kill him so this piece of Voldemort’s soul can be destroyed and bring Harry’s friends one step closer to killing the evil wizard. Miraculously, Harry comes back to life because of his mother’s sacrifice to protect him when he was a baby. He faces down Voldemort, and the evil wizard accidentally kills himself when his killing curse rebounds on him. With all of the Horcruxes destroyed, Voldemort is gone forever. The Battle of Hogwarts results in a tremendous loss of life, including the deaths of Lupin, Tonks, and Fred,

Years later, Harry is married to Ginny Weasley, and they have three children. Harry takes his children to board the Hogwarts Express, and his son Albus is nervous about leaving for wizarding school. Harry assures him everything will be alright, and as the train pulls away, Harry realizes that his scar hasn’t bothered him since his final showdown with Lord Voldemort. Peace has been restored to the wizarding world, and Harry has a life with his children that he never got to have with his own parents.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

• View history

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling . It was released on 21 July 2007 at 00:01 am local time in English-speaking countries.

It was followed by a sequel to the original series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child .

The title was first released to the public through a hangman game posted by J. K. Rowling on her official website on 21 December 2006 . Shortly afterwards, it was confirmed by the publishers. Rowling left a note, written on a bust of Hermes in her room at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, saying, " JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (652) on 11th Jan 2007 ". On her website she said, " While each of the previous Potter books has strong claims on my affections, Deathly Hallows is my favourite, and that is the most wonderful way to finish the series. " She has previously said that although all the books carry on the story, Deathly Hallows is more a continuation of the story in the previous book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , than has been the case with any other book in the series. It is the fastest-selling book of all time, selling 20 million copies in the first 24 hours. [1] [2]

• 1 Dedication
• 2 Epigraphs
• 3 Book description
• 4.1 Chapter 1: The Dark Lord Ascending
• 4.2 Chapter 2: In Memoriam
• 4.3 Chapter 3: The Dursleys Departing
• 4.4 Chapter 4: The Seven Potters
• 4.5 Chapter 5: Fallen Warrior
• 4.6 Chapter 6: The Ghoul in Pyjamas
• 4.7 Chapter 7: The Will of Albus Dumbledore
• 4.8 Chapter 8: The Wedding
• 4.9 Chapter 9: A Place to Hide
• 4.10 Chapter 10: Kreacher's Tale
• 4.11 Chapter 11: The Bribe
• 4.12 Chapter 12: Magic is Might
• 4.13 Chapter 13: The Muggle-Born Registration Commission
• 4.14 Chapter 14: The Thief
• 4.15 Chapter 15: The Goblin's Revenge
• 4.16 Chapter 16: Godric's Hollow
• 4.17 Chapter 17: Bathilda's Secret
• 4.18 Chapter 18: The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore
• 4.19 Chapter 19: The Silver Doe
• 4.20 Chapter 20: Xenophilius Lovegood
• 4.21 Chapter 21: The Tale of the Three Brothers
• 4.22 Chapter 22: The Deathly Hallows
• 4.23 Chapter 23: Malfoy Manor
• 4.24 Chapter 24: The Wandmaker
• 4.25 Chapter 25: Shell Cottage
• 4.26 Chapter 26: Gringotts
• 4.27 Chapter 27: The Final Hiding Place
• 4.28 Chapter 28: The Missing Mirror
• 4.29 Chapter 29: The Lost Diadem
• 4.30 Chapter 30: The Sacking of Severus Snape
• 4.31 Chapter 31: The Battle of Hogwarts
• 4.32 Chapter 32: The Elder Wand
• 4.33 Chapter 33: The Prince's Tale
• 4.34 Chapter 34: The Forest Again
• 4.35 Chapter 35: King's Cross
• 4.36 Chapter 36: The Flaw in the Plan
• 4.37 Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later
• 5 List of deaths
• 6.1 Harry Potter and the Relics of Death
• 7.1 English-language
• 7.2 Translations (cover based on Scholastic's)
• 7.3 Translations (alternative covers)
• 7.4 Hogwarts House Edition
• 8 Future books
• 9 Film adaptation
• 10 Behind the scenes
• 11 Mistakes
• 12 See also
• 13 Notes and references

Dedication [ ]

US cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by Mary GrandPré

The dedication of this book is split seven ways. To Neil To Jessica To David To Kenzie To Di To Anne And to You If you have stuck with Harry until the very end.

The "seven-way split" refers to some of those with whom Jo has shared her life while writing Harry:

• Dr Neil Murray is Jo's husband.
• Jessica, David, and Mackenzie are her children.
• Di is Jo's younger sister, Dianne.
• Anne is Jo's mother, who died at 45 of MS. (Although Jo's mother did not know of the books since she died early on, Jo has said her death had a profound influence on how the series was written).
• The final dedication is to all the fans who have made Harry's journey their own.
• The seven dedications could be a reference to the seven books in the series, or seven Horcruxes, or the fact that seven is the most powerful magical number.

Epigraphs [ ]

Oh, the torment bred in the race, The grinding scream of death And the stroke that hits the vein, The haemorrhage none can staunch, the grief, The curse no man can bear. But there is a cure in the house, And not outside it, no, Not from others but from them, Their bloody strife. We sing to you, Dark gods beneath the earth. Now hear, you blissful powers underground – Answer the call, send help. Bless the children, give them triumph now. (Aeschylus, The Libation Bearers) Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal. (William Penn, More Fruits of Solitude)

Book description [ ]

Harry is waiting in Privet Drive . The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him?

As he travels Harry discovers that a battle is breaking out at Hogwarts. He has to do anything to stop it even if that involves killing himself.

Chapter 1: The Dark Lord Ascending [ ]

The Dark Lord holding Nagini

The seventh and final book begins with Voldemort and his Death Eaters having a meeting at Malfoy Manor . They are beginning to plan out how to kidnap Harry Potter during his evacuation from 4 Privet Drive when he will be vulnerable. After "borrowing" Lucius Malfoy 's wand in order to annihilate Harry once and for all — Voldemort does so in a way that indicates Malfoy has no choice — Voldemort kills his captive, Charity Burbage (the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts ) for teaching the subject and penning an article suggesting that Muggles should be treated as equals to pure-bloods . It's revealed during this meeting that Lucius has lost all of Voldemort's respect and that the Dark Lord's favour has shifted to Lucius's sister-in-law Bellatrix Lestrange , who has helped wreak chaos on the wizarding community; Severus Snape , who has enabled a clear field for his master's rise to power with his murder of Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts; and Corban Yaxley , who has enabled the Death Eaters to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic by means of the Imperius Curse .

Chapter 2: In Memoriam [ ]

Harry looking at the shard of the Two-Way Mirror given to him by Sirius Black

Harry, meanwhile, is rummaging through his school trunk, sorting what he will need to take with him from what will be left behind. While taking a break, he reads some articles about Dumbledore. One is sympathetic, the other critical. In those obituaries, it is revealed that Albus's father Percival supposedly hated Muggles and had attacked three Muggle boys, earning himself imprisonment in Azkaban , where he later died. The other article is an interview by Rita Skeeter , concerning a forthcoming biography of Dumbledore entitled The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore , in which she hints that Dumbledore was responsible for the death of his younger sister Ariana , and that he was, at one time, a wizarding supremacist with Gellert Grindelwald .

Chapter 3: The Dursleys Departing [ ]

Dudley thanks his cousin for saving his soul

Harry is beginning to have regrets about not having asked Dumbledore more about his past, but this is soon forgotten as he leaves his home that night. He convinces Petunia , Vernon , and Dudley Dursley that they need to leave as well to avoid being captured by the Death Eaters. Eventually Order of the Phoenix members Dedalus Diggle and Hestia Jones arrive to escort them to an undisclosed location. Before leaving, Dudley admits that he cares about Harry and thanks him for saving his soul during the Dementor attack of 1995 , and they shake hands. Petunia burst into tears saying what a gentleman her son was, yet Hestia objected, saying he didn't really say, "Thank you." but Harry tells her he was.

Chapter 4: The Seven Potters [ ]

The Seven Potters

Soon after, the Order of the Phoenix arrives with a plan to sneak Harry away from his house and avoid being captured by Voldemort. After initially opposing the plan, Harry acquiesces, seeing that he has no choice, and Ron , Fred , and George Weasley , along with Hermione Granger , Fleur Delacour , and Mundungus Fletcher , take Polyjuice Potion to make themselves look like Harry, in order to act as decoys for Voldemort. Each depart with a different Order member (Ron with Nymphadora Tonks , Fred with his father Arthur , George with Remus Lupin , Hermione with Kingsley Shacklebolt , Fleur with Bill , and Mundungus with Alastor Moody ) to protect them while riding on broomsticks or Thestrals , while Harry leaves with Rubeus Hagrid in a side-car attached to Sirius Black 's motorcycle. However, the plan goes badly wrong as the group is attacked by Death Eaters almost immediately after taking off, during which Hedwig is killed. Harry fights off Death Eaters by firing curses and hexes at them, while Rubeus uses a number of gadgets the motorcycle is now equipped with: a deployable solid brick wall, a net, and a dragon-fire booster.

The Death Eaters discover the real Harry after he attempts to Disarm an Imperiused Stan Shunpike . Moments later, Voldemort joins in the pursuit. Hagrid leaps off the bike at another Death Eater, and as Voldemort is about to kill Harry, the latter's wand acts of its own accord and shoots a curse at Voldemort that breaks Lucius' wand. Voldemort attempts to strike again, but at that moment, Harry enters the protective charms of the Tonks ' home, and Voldemort and the Death Eaters are unable to follow him.

Chapter 5: Fallen Warrior [ ]

The survivors at the Burrow

Harry finds that Hagrid has crashed in the garden and he is able to get out a simple "Hagrid?" before he too collapses.

When Harry wakes up, he meets Tonks' parents, Ted and Andromeda , who have been taking care of him and Hagrid. The couple show the two a Portkey , which transports them straight to the Burrow . There, the casualties are counted: Hedwig was killed by a Killing Curse from a Death Eater; George's ear was cursed off by Severus Snape ; and Mad-Eye was killed by Voldemort himself. George makes a joke about his ear being cursed of and says he’s feeling: “saint like” because he is “holey.”

Harry later has a vision regarding his escape, as a result of a connection between his and Voldemort's minds, in which Voldemort questions Garrick Ollivander , who crafted the wands, about why Harry's wand acted as it did. Garrick is unable to explain.

Chapter 6: The Ghoul in Pyjamas [ ]

The Weasley family's ghoul in pyjamas

During their time at the Burrow, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are kept busy with preparations for Bill and Fleur's wedding , which Harry suspects is an attempt by Molly Weasley to stop their planning and delay their departure. Nevertheless, they manage to get together and discuss their plans for completing the quest Dumbledore left them, to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes .

Chapter 7: The Will of Albus Dumbledore [ ]

Harry and Ginny embracing in Ginny's Room on Harry Potter's seventeenth birthday

The day before the wedding, Harry's 17th birthday, he dreams of Voldemort searching for someone known as " Gregorovitch ." For his birthday, he receives a number of gifts, the most useful being a new sneakoscope from Hermione. Knowing that Harry was about to leave, Ginny Weasley passionately kisses him as something to remember her by, which Ron "accidentally" interrupts.

Later in the day, Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour , arrives at the Burrow to give Harry, Ron, and Hermione Dumbledore's personal effects, which had been bequeathed to them in his will :

• To Ron, the Deluminator , with the power to douse all lights in the surrounding area.
• To Hermione, The Tales of Beedle the Bard , a book of wizard-culture fairy tales written in Runes .
• To Harry, Godric Gryffindor's Sword , and the first Golden Snitch Harry had ever caught in a Hogwarts Quidditch match.

The sword is withheld because, Rufus claimed, it was not Dumbledore's' to give. The three try to discover the purpose of the objects given to them, but are forced to give their attention to other matters, specifically Bill and Fleur's wedding the following day.

Chapter 8: The Wedding [ ]

Shacklebolt's Patronus, warning the guests that the Ministry has fallen

Harry disguises himself as Ron's "cousin" Barny Weasley for the wedding to avoid causing an uproar. After the ceremony, while Ron and Hermione are dancing, Harry speaks with Elphias Doge and Ron's great-aunt Muriel from whom he learns more less than savoury details from Dumbledore's past: Dumbledore had had a sister, Ariana , whose existence had been hushed up by the family and who Muriel believes was a Squib . Muriel then speculates whether it was Albus or Aberforth who killed Ariana. Elphias is shocked and will not believe Muriel and is brought to tears because of all of the lies. During the wedding celebration, Kingsley's Patronus arrives to warn the attendants that Voldemort has taken over the Ministry of Magic and Rufus has been killed.

Chapter 9: A Place to Hide [ ]

The trio Apparate to Tottenham Court Road

Harry, Ron, and Hermione flee the wedding, first arriving on Tottenham Court Road in Muggle London. There, they quickly make for a café to settle down and decide their next course of action. Though they think themselves safe for the moment, two Death Eaters suddenly locate them, almost immediately upon their arrival, and attack them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione manage to defeat the Death Eaters, but thinking themselves in danger in public, flee to 12 Grimmauld Place , former Order headquarters, where they hide. Although there was some debate whether Snape could get in, with reinforcement Death Eaters, but their fears were soon realised to be untrue as they reach the dilapidated house.

Chapter 10: Kreacher 's Tale [ ]

The Marauders

The first morning there, Harry finds the name Regulus Arcturus Black , the deceased younger brother of Sirius and a former Death Eater, on a bedroom door. Harry realises that Regulus was the "R.A.B." from the faux-Horcrux Harry found with Dumbledore, and he, Hermione, and Ron begin searching the house for the real one. They soon surmise that the locket had indeed been in the house, at one time. Unable to find it, they call upon Kreacher , the Black family's house-elf. Kreacher tells the trio that he had helped Voldemort place the real Horcrux in the cave. After Regulus learned of this, however, he had ordered Kreacher to return with him to the cave in order to substitute a fake locket for the real one, as the Black family would have been safer not involved in Voldemort's affairs. Regulus was killed in the process while Kreacher escaped with the Horcrux locket. Kreacher also tells them that Mundungus stole the locket, and they send Kreacher to find him.

Chapter 11: The Bribe [ ]

Lupin at Grimmauld Place

While waiting for Kreacher, the trio are visited by Remus. He explains more of the situation: the Voldemort-controlled Ministry and Death Eaters are searching for Harry, claiming that he had a part in Dumbledore's death, and now openly persecuting Muggle-born wizards and witches. He then offers to join the trio in their quest, not wanting to remain with his wife, Nymphadora, who is pregnant with their child because he fears the child will be a werewolf like him. Harry calls him a coward for abandoning his son, and Remus angrily storms off. Later, Kreacher brings Mundungus back to 12 Grimmauld Place, but he has already given away the locket to Dolores Umbridge as a bribe.

Chapter 12: Magic is Might [ ]

Hermione taking Phineas Nigellus's painting

After a month of spying on the Ministry of Magic , the trio infiltrate it in order to retrieve the Horcrux from Umbridge. They ambush three employees and use Polyjuice Potion to impersonate them with Hermione taking on the appearance of Mafalda Hopkirk , Ron looking like Reginald Cattermole , and Harry impersonating Albert Runcorn .

Chapter 13: The Muggle-Born Registration Commission [ ]

Moody's eye

After being separated, Harry discovers Alastor's magical eye has been taken by Umbridge. Thinking it a disgrace to Alastor's memory to keep it stuck in Umbridge's door, he steals the eye, so as to give it a proper burial and the respect it deserves. Once Harry reunites with Hermione, he witnesses the Muggle-Born Registration Commission , set up to convict Muggle-borns of "stealing" magic, at work. Enraged by what he sees, Harry stuns Umbridge and the Death Eater Corban Yaxley , who is now head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement . Hermione takes the Horcrux, which Umbridge had falsely used to bolster her Pure-blood credentials, from Umbridge. By the time Harry and Hermione begin freeing the Muggle-borns, the Ministry knows that there are intruders in the building, having discovered Alastor's eye missing. Once they reunite with Ron, they encourage the Muggle-borns to flee the country.

Chapter 14: The Thief [ ]

The trio at their camp

They make for the exit, and as they escape, their hiding place is discovered, Ron is splinched, and they are forced to flee to the countryside, where they move from place to place, never staying anywhere for more than a night or two. One night, Harry has a vision of Voldemort interrogating Gregorovitch and realises that Voldemort is searching for something Gregorovitch once had but which was stolen by a young man long ago.

Chapter 15: The Goblin 's Revenge [ ]

After several weeks of travelling in which they accomplish nothing, they overhear a conversation between Ted , Dirk Cresswell , Dean Thomas , and Goblins Griphook and Gornuk , wherein it is revealed that Godric Gryffindor's sword, which had been in Dumbledore's possession and was then sent to the Lestrange Vault for protection, is actually a copy. They also mention that the whereabouts of the real sword are unknown. Harry, Hermione, and Ron also overhear that some students attempted to steal the sword from Snape, prior to its removal. Upon hearing that the perpetrators were their friends, the trio worry about the punishment but are relieved to hear that their friends only served detention with Rubeus Hagrid. Harry and Hermione hear all this and are heartened, and after questioning the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black , they discover that the sword had last been used by Dumbledore on another Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt 's ring .

Hermione realises that it must be impregnated with basilisk venom and therefore can destroy Horcruxes. Ron is discouraged, feeling that with the sword now necessary as well and out of reach, their quest is becoming hopeless. He argues with Harry and it becomes apparent that the locket Horcrux has messed with Ron's mind, making him behave the way he is, and angrily departs claiming that Hermione had chosen Harry over himself when she decides to stay, leaving Harry and Hermione together.

Chapter 16: Godric 's Hollow [ ]

The statue of Potter family

Hermione is distraught upon Ron's departure, and Harry is angry, but the two of them realise they will have to continue without him. After many more listless weeks, they make their way to Godric's Hollow on the off-chance Dumbledore left the sword there for them, with Bathilda Bagshot , author of A History of Magic . Arriving in Godric's Hollow on Christmas Eve, the two first visit the graveyard where both Harry and Dumbledore's families are buried. After sharing an emotional moment and laying a wreath on Harry’s parents' grave, they visit the memorial to Harry's family, and then encounter the historian Bathilda, who was an old family friend of the Dumbledores.

Chapter 17: Bathilda 's Secret [ ]

The Potter's destroyed house

Harry and Hermione follow her to her old, disgusting home, where they find a picture frame of Gellert, who is Bathilda's great-nephew and, long ago, was Dumbledore's childhood friend. However, Harry and Hermione don't realise that the real Bathilda has been killed and her body has been taken over by Voldemort's pet and Horcrux Nagini . Only Harry can understand the very little that Bathilda speaks as he can speak Parseltongue , and Nagini is a snake.

Bathilda coaxes Harry up the stairs, ordering Hermione to stay behind, in order to ambush Harry. Hermione seems reluctant, but Harry thinks that by following her perhaps she may present him with the Gryffindor sword.

Once Harry is upstairs, Bathilda's body crumbles and Nagini flops out, and begins attacking Harry.

Upon leaving, Hermione runs upstairs to help Harry, unfortunately her Blasting Curse rebounds in the chaos and cracks Harry's wand in two.

As they Apparate, the very second that Voldemort appears, Harry's mind begins to flash back to the night in which his lightning scar on his forehead became so , and it reveals exactly how Voldemort had killed Harry's parents.

Chapter 18: The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore [ ]

Harry looking at his broken wand

Harry was briefly incapacitated following the incident in Godric's Hollow, and he and Hermione spend Harry's few days convalescing in the Forest of Dean where Harry sits down to vindictively read Rita's book The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore . He discovers that the boy he saw in Voldemort's mind is none other than Gellert and that Dumbledore and he had been good friends as teenagers and had shared the idea that wizards should rule over the Muggles. Making this discovery, Harry reaches a new level of disillusionment with his former mentor.

Chapter 19: The Silver Doe [ ]

The silver doe

While Hermione sleeps, Harry resumes the position of keeping watch outside the tent. Not long after a silver doe appears. It is obviously a Patronus , due to the silvery texture and appearance.

The doe leads Harry away from the camp site and to a small, frozen lake, where, at the bottom, lies Godric Gryffindor's Sword . Harry breaks the ice using Hermione's wand, strips to his underpants, and attempts to retrieve the sword. Only when he attempts does Salazar Slytherin's locket sense that the sword is near, it wraps itself so tightly around Harry's neck that it cuts his flesh, keeps him from getting to the surface for air, and begins to both strangle and drown him. Harry tries to make it back to the surface, but he only kicks himself into the rocky and icy part of the pool. Harry attempts to loosen the locket but his fingers are too frozen. Harry begins to suffocate, and he feels a pair of arms (Harry thinks they belong to Death) wrap around his chest before passing out.

When Harry comes to, he thinks Hermione has come and saved him again, but she hasn't -- it's Ron! Ron was also able to retrieve the sword and cut the locket off of Harry's neck. Ron asks Harry why he didn't take the Horcrux off first, then explains that he'd been looking for him and Hermione all day. Ron also reveals that while running to the pool, he saw something move behind the trees. Harry quickly dresses himself and tells Ron that since he was the one who got the sword out of the pool, he has to be the one to destroy the Horcrux.

Harry speaks Parseltongue in order for the locket to open and be able to be destroyed. Tom Riddle 's eye appears when it opens and a voice begins speaking to Ron, teasing him.

From the locket appears two figures that are meant to belittle any person attempting to destroy it in order to stop them: Riddle-Harry, and Riddle-Hermione, who was more beautiful and at the same time more terrible than the real Hermione. They tease Ron, all the time Harry is telling Ron to stab it; Riddle-Harry saying that Ron's mother would rather have had him for a son than Ron. Riddle-Hermione saying that nobody would ever look to him when Harry was around. She then proceeds to wrap her arms around Riddle-Harry. They kiss romantically, and it is at that moment that Ron almost fails in both spirit and mind.

He overcomes his weakness and smashes it with the sword, and the Horcrux is destroyed. Harry tells Ron that he has no deep romantic love feelings for Hermione, he loves her like a sister, and that she cried for weeks once he left. They hug and reconcile, and Ron is there to stay. When they head back to the camp, they awake Hermione to tell her of the good news: The Horcrux was destroyed and Ron has returned. She, however, doesn't seem too happy with Ron leaving them. She begins to beat him up.

Hermione is furious at Ron for leaving for weeks and then suddenly showing back up. Ron explains that he wanted to come back as soon as he left but he ran into some Snatchers, whom he tricked into thinking he was Stan Shunpike and escaped with an extra wand. He then tells them that early Christmas morning, he heard Harry and Hermione talking through the Deluminator (discussing Harry's broken wand). Next, he explains that the Deluminator showed him the way back to them. He tells Harry and Hermione how he saw the silver doe while waiting for someone to show themselves and Harry following it, then explains how he watched Harry jump into the pool and then after a while realised something was wrong and rescued Harry, then grabbed the sword. He and Harry tell her about vanquishing the Horcrux (though they're careful about skipping the part where Riddle-Harry and Riddle-Hermione show up). In the end, Hermione lets him go and goes to bed without another word, while Harry and Ron talk about how she could have been worse.

Chapter 20: Xenophilius Lovegood [ ]

The Lovegood's House

Ron reveals that he was able to find Harry with the aid of Dumbledore's gift, the Deluminator , which has many more useful abilities than they originally thought. He also reveals that Voldemort's name has been "made Taboo :" anybody saying it can be traced and located, which is how they were found in the café back on Tottenham Court Road . Hermione, who has recently been poring over The Tales of Beedle the Bard realises their next necessary step. She tells them that they need to speak to Xenophilius Lovegood and ask him about Grindelwald's mark , a symbol which has shown up time and again during their journey. Only days after escaping from Voldemort in Godric's Hollow, the trio begin searching the hills surrounding Ottery St Catchpole for the Lovegood residence.

Chapter 21: The Tale of the Three Brothers [ ]

The Deathly Hallows symbol

At the Lovegood House , Harry, Ron, and Hermione are told that the symbol actually represents the Deathly Hallows . Mr Lovegood then introduces them to The Tale of the Three Brothers , a fairy tale about three men who bested Death and who received a magical item for it: An unbeatable wand (called the Elder Wand ), a stone which could bring back the dead (the Resurrection Stone ), and an Invisibility Cloak that can hide the wearer from Death itself and never failed with age, unlike most cloaks of that nature. Lovegood tells them that the three items are collectively represented by the symbol, and whoever masters all three artefacts will be the "Master of Death." Harry believes his own cloak to be the legendary Invisibility Cloak and is very excited. They soon discover that Lovegood has betrayed them to the Ministry; Luna , his daughter, was taken captive earlier in the year because he was encouraging support for Harry, and he believes that giving them Harry will win her freedom. The trio barely escape from the Death Eaters sent to fetch them. In an ingenious plan to ensure escape, but also protect Ron's alibi, Hermione throws Harry's cloak over Ron and blasts away the floor. When they are sighted by the Death Eaters, she guides Harry and Ron as they Disapparate away.

Chapter 22: The Deathly Hallows [ ]

Ron picking up a Potterwatch broadcast

After hearing the story of the Deathly Hallows , Harry becomes obsessed with finding them, and he begins to neglect his duties as the group's leader as he sits in reverie. With Harry not performing, Ron steps up to lead them as they venture up and down the island checking any place with links to the wizarding world for signs of another Horcrux . After listless weeks, Ron finally manages to tune into a rogue wizard radio broadcast called " Potterwatch ," run by Lee Jordan , which reports the news as it actually happened unlike the Daily Prophet . The broadcast is quite entertaining, and Harry laughs for the first time in months. However, after the programme, Harry accidentally says Voldemort's name, breaking the Taboo, and a group of Snatchers find Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Chapter 23: Malfoy Manor [ ]

Hermione is tortured by Bellatrix

Hermione's quick thinking comes in handy when she uses a jinx to disfigure Harry's face so he is not immediately recognisable. They all give false aliases, but the Snatchers soon find out their true identities, albeit a little uncertainty. Because of their uncertainty, the Snatchers take the trio to Malfoy Manor.

There, they are taken into the drawing room to have their identities confirmed. The Malfoys' son Draco is home for the Easter holidays . He is reluctant to identify the trio, but when Lucius Malfoy is satisfied that the prisoners are indeed Harry Potter and his accomplices, he reaches for his Dark Mark . At that instant Bellatrix Lestrange , who was with the Malfoys, stops Lucius, because she saw a sword being carried by one of the Snatchers and believes it to be Godric Gryffindor's Sword which was supposed to be in her vault at Gringotts . She singles out Hermione for torture and interrogation, although Ron tries and fails to take her place, to find how the trio acquired the sword, while Ron and Harry are locked in a cellar with Dean , Griphook , Garrick Ollivander , and Luna . Hearing Hermione's cries, Harry locates his broken shard of mirror, sees a flash of blue in it resembling Dumbledore's eye and in desperation begs for help. Upstairs, Hermione lies to Bellatrix, saying that the sword is a copy. Bellatrix sends Draco to fetch Griphook who Harry convinces to corroborate Hermione's story. As Draco slams the door, Dobby Apparates into the cellar. Harry orders him to take Dean, Luna and Ollivander first and then return for everyone else. When Dobby Disapparates, the noise is heard upstairs, and Wormtail is sent to investigate.

When he reaches the cellar, Harry and Ron attack him, but Wormtail resists, losing his wand to Ron, but grabbing Harry's neck with his artificial hand. Harry calls upon the life debt that Wormtail owes him, and Pettigrew momentarily hesitates, and his artificial hand , made for him by Voldemort three years previous, immediately strangles Wormtail to death for the mercy he has shown. At that moment, Hermione lets out a horrible scream of pain. Harry and Ron leave Wormtail's body on the floor and rush upstairs to find Bellatrix questioning Griphook and an unconscious Hermione at her feet. Griphook tells Bellatrix that the sword is, in fact, a copy. Bellatrix kicks him aside and presses her Dark Mark . When they crash through the door, Ron disarms Bellatrix, and he and Harry begin a fierce exchange of spells with the others in the room. They are forced to stop when Bellatrix threatens to cut Hermione's throat. As Voldemort approaches, Dobby returns and drops a chandelier onto Bellatrix, who drops Hermione and runs away. The chandelier falls onto the goblin and Hermione and shards of glass fly all over the place. Ron sprints to pull Hermione from the wreckage as Harry wrests three wands from Draco ; his wand and the wands Ron and Harry had taken during the earlier skirmish. Harry picks up Griphook, seizes Dobby and Disapparates as Ron does the same with Hermione. They escape as Voldemort is close to arriving, but Dobby is struck by Bellatrix's knife as they flee. They Apparate to Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur's house, as Voldemort makes it to Malfoy Manor. As Ron takes Hermione inside, Harry sees that Dobby has been struck with Bellatrix's sharp knife and that he is dying. Dobby dies in Harry's arms with the final words, "Harry...Potter..." as Harry is forced to watch helplessly.

Chapter 24: The Wandmaker [ ]

Dobby buried at Shell Cottage

As Harry stares at dead Dobby curled up on the grass, he can't help but remember staring at Dumbledore's corpse the same way. Bill suggests that he bury him. Harry believes that for Dobby's bravery, he deserves a funeral just as grand, and he refuses to use magic. He digs Dobby's grave by hand as Hermione and Griphook's injuries are tended to in the house. While digging the grave, Harry does some thinking. He realises that Dumbledore had been right about Dobby, Ron and Pettigrew. He comes to a reaffirmation of faith in his old mentor and loses his burning obsession with the Deathly Hallows . Dean takes the injured Griphook inside as Bill tells Harry that Ron has taken Hermione inside and that she'll be alright.

Dean and Ron come outside. Ron says to Harry that Hermione is doing better and Fleur is looking after her. Then Dean and Ron join Harry with digging the grave. The group holds a funeral for Dobby. They provide clothes for him; Harry wraps him in his jacket, Ron gives him shoes and socks, and Dean gives him a hat. Luna says a few words for him, as Harry is too grief-stricken to speak.

Ron and Dean give thanks to Dobby, and Harry manages to choke out a goodbye as he forces himself not to break down. He asks for some alone time, then finds a large stone and places it, pillowlike, on Dobby's grave with the epitaph "HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF." He looks at the grave once more and heads back inside.

Once inside, Harry washes his hands, then tells Bill he needs to talk to Ollivander and Griphook. He meets up with Ron and Hermione and then questions Griphook about how to break into Gringotts Wizarding Bank , believing that a Horcrux is hidden in Bellatrix's vault . This feeling was based on her reaction when she saw that the trio had Gryffindor's Sword . Harry then questions Ollivander about the Elder Wand , revealing his deep insight into Lord Voldemort 's way of thinking. Ollivander also gives him a lesson on wand mechanics; when a wizard disarms, kills, or otherwise defeats another wizard, they can use that wizard's wand as well as their own. Harry tells Ron and Hermione that Voldemort is seeking the Elder Wand as the way to defeat him. While telling them this, he receives confirmation as he has a vision in which Voldemort successfully steals the Elder Wand from the tomb of Dumbledore.

Chapter 25: Shell Cottage [ ]

Harry thinking at Shell Cottage

Griphook eventually agrees to help the trio, in return for Gryffindor's sword. Harry reluctantly concedes that he will have to give up the sword but plans to hand over the sword after all the Horcruxes have been destroyed. He tells Griphook he can have the sword after they have broken into the Bank, but he is very careful not to mention when, as Goblins are notoriously known for going back on their word. The trio spends nearly a month planning in one of the Cottages cramped bedrooms, only seeing daylight or the other occupants of the house at mealtimes. Harry, as well as the other two, comes to strongly dislike Griphook because the Goblin seems to relish causing pain. During their stay, Remus Lupin visits them again. Chastened by Harry, he had returned to Tonks by Christmas, and he came to Shell Cottage to tell everyone that she has given birth to a son who does not have his werewolf tendencies but instead possesses Tonks's Metamorphmagus abilities. Lupin also gives Harry the honour of being Teddy Lupin 's godfather. After many rounds of wine, he departs, and as they are cleaning up, Bill corners Harry and tells him to be wary of Griphook. Harry realises that if keeps this up, he'll be just as reckless a godfather to Teddy as Sirius had been to him.

Chapter 26: Gringotts [ ]

After extensive planning, on 1 May the group sets out for Gringotts to obtain the Horcrux . Hermione poses by way of Polyjuice Potion as Bellatrix using a lone hair that had been left on her during the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor . Ron is disguised as a fictional foreign wizard, and Griphook and Harry go under the Invisibility cloak . Through their use of disguises and Harry's repeated use of the Imperius Curse , they manage to gain access to the bank. As they are travelling down the tunnel to the Lestrange Vault , their cover is blown by Thief's Downfall , and the Gringotts' defences are set against them. With Griphook's help, they gain access to the vault and find the Horcrux, Helga Hufflepuff's Cup . Harry grabs it, but Griphook betrays their presence and flees with the sword. Many guards begin to pour into the vicinity as Harry, Ron, and Hermione exit the vault. Fighting off the guards, they narrowly escape on the back of a captive half-blind dragon which is released into the wild following their escape. Gryffindor's sword is kept by Griphook.

Chapter 27: The Final Hiding Place [ ]

The trio riding the dragon

Sitting on the edge of the lake where they dismounted from the dragon, Harry has a vision shortly after their escape in which Lord Voldemort discovers that his secret has been discovered. In his rage, he kills dozens of Gringott employers and lists off all the locations of the Horcruxes, now that he realises they are being sought after and destroyed. Voldemort inadvertently reveals that the unknown Horcrux, which Harry suspects to be a relic of Rowena Ravenclaw , founder of Ravenclaw house, is safe within Hogwarts Castle , confirming a belief Harry had shared with the others to much derision. Harry realises that if they want to get the Horcrux within Hogwarts, they need to do so immediately, before Voldemort finds his other Horcruxes are missing. They immediately Apparate to Hogsmeade to find a way to sneak into the school.

Chapter 28: The Missing Mirror [ ]

Ariana Dumbledore's portrait

When they arrive in Hogsmeade, they immediately trigger the Caterwauling Charm placed on the village alerting the Death Eaters to their presence. Harry and friends are cornered by the Death Eaters, but are saved by Aberforth Dumbledore , Albus Dumbledore's younger brother. Harry also discovers that Aberforth was the one he saw in the mirror at Malfoy Manor. During the ensuing argument, Aberforth urges the trio to flee, but they refuse to give up. Aberforth then tells them the truth about Ariana; She had been a witch, but an attack on her by Muggle boys had left her unable to control her natural magical abilities. Percival attacked the Muggles in retaliation. The family kept Ariana and her incurable condition secret to protect her, with Kendra and Aberforth caring for her the most. However, one of Ariana 's magical outbursts killed Kendra. With Aberforth about to return to school, Dumbledore took over care of Ariana. At this time he was introduced to Gellert Grindelwald . He began to neglect his duties as he was planning his uprising with Grindelwald, for which he was confronted by Aberforth. Grindelwald, Albus, and Aberforth got into a duel, in which Ariana was accidentally killed in the struggle.

Chapter 29: The Lost Diadem [ ]

Neville greets the trio

After sharing this sad story and being told by Harry that his brother regretted that moment to his death, Aberforth opens a secret passageway to Hogwarts, where Neville Longbottom greets them. The trio learn that Neville, Ginny , and Luna had restarted Dumbledore's Army to resist the regime of Severus Snape , who was made headmaster following Voldemort's takeover of the Ministry and that the members of the reconstituted Dumbledore's Army have taken shelter in the Room of Requirement to hide from Snape's forces.

Believing that Harry's return meant revolution, Neville summons members of the D.A. who have been forced to leave the school, including Ginny, Luna, and Dean , or those who had graduated previously, such as Fred and George Weasley , Harry's old Quidditch team, and his first girlfriend, Cho Chang . Harry asks them what they know about any artefact that belonged to Ravenclaw, which Dumbledore believed to be a Horcrux. However, the only known relic is Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem , which has been lost for centuries. Wishing to see what the diadem looks like, Harry and Luna venture under Harry's Invisibility cloak to Ravenclaw Tower . He reveals himself to get a closer look at the diadem but is seen by Alecto Carrow who had been stationed to watch the room.

Chapter 30: The Sacking of Severus Snape [ ]

The armour that Snape hides behind

She immediately summons Voldemort, but she is immediately stunned by Luna. Soon, both Amycus Carrow and Minerva McGonagall arrive to see what the disturbance is about. When Carrow suggests that they push the blame off onto the students, McGonagall protests, and he spits in her face. In a rage, Harry uses the Cruciatus Curse on him until he passes out. Telling her that he is on a mission for Dumbledore, Harry asks McGonagall for time to search the castle, but before plans can be made, they come across Severus Snape in the corridor, and in a fierce duel, Snape is run out of the building.

Shortly after Harry's arrival, Voldemort discovers that two more of his Horcruxes have disappeared and gathers an army of Death Eaters, Dementors , and his other supporters, in order to assault the school and kill Harry once and for all. After forcing Snape to flee, McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt , who only recently arrived, raise their own army consisting of teachers, students, the D.A, the Order of the Phoenix , and enchanted statues and suits of armour.

Chapter 31: The Battle of Hogwarts [ ]

The Grey Lady

At midnight, the Battle of Hogwarts begins. All the while Harry tries to locate the diadem and Ron and Hermione who had gone missing. Thinking that the diadem had not been seen in living memory, he speaks with the Grey Lady and surmises that Tom Riddle had learned of the diadem's location from her. Shortly after the battle begins, Harry recalls seeing the diadem in the Room of Requirement and meets up with Ron and Hermione, who had disappeared in order to retrieve Basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets to destroy the next two Horcruxes. The trio re-enter the Room of Requirement, and Ron remembers all about the house-elves in the kitchens. He does not feel that it is right to order them to die for them, so he makes his thoughts known. With a clatter, Hermione drops all the basilisk fangs she is holding, and she and Ron share a deep, meaningful kiss, completely forgetting that Harry is there and that there is a war going on. After being reminded, they search the Room of Hidden Things, a version of the Room of Requirement that students have used to hide contraband over the centuries. Once they are inside, they are confronted by Malfoy and his cronies Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle . During a short duel in which Crabbe aims to kill, Crabbe mishandles the Fiendfyre spell, causing a huge inferno. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy, and Goyle escape on two old brooms, and the diadem is destroyed by the fire, along with Crabbe. Soon after, Fred and Percy Weasley, who had just reconciled with his family, are seen duelling with two Death Eaters one of whom is Minister for Magic Pius Thicknesse . After they defeat them, there is an explosion in the corridor, and Fred is killed, deeply affecting his parents, sister and brothers, as well as Harry and Hermione.

With the cup and diadem destroyed, only one Horcrux remains. Voldemort's snake, Nagini . The trio fight their way through the castle, as the two armies battle furiously, dodging curses, Death Eaters, and Acromantulas and saving Draco Malfoy's life again along the way. When they reach the Entrance Hall , they find that Giants have joined the battle. Before leaving Hermione spots Fenrir Greyback trying to attack Lavender Brown on a balcony and casts a spell that knocks them off. While Lavender stirs feebly, Fenrir tries to get up but Sybill Trelawney drops a Crystal ball on his head and he is knocked unconscious. It is presumed that Lavender dies later. Trelawney then grabs another Crystal ball and uses her wand to throw one with a "tennis like serve". Once onto the grounds, they come across Voldemort's Dementors . Unable to produce Patronuses , because of the horrors they have witnessed, all seems lost, and Harry even welcomes the oblivion that accompanies the Dementor's Kiss . They are saved by Seamus , Luna, and Ernie , who conjure Patronuses long enough for Harry to summon the will to drive the Dementors away. Then Seamus, Luna, and Ernie run to safety.

Chapter 32: The Elder Wand [ ]

Voldemort and the Elder Wand

Harry, Hermione, and Ron finally make it to the Shrieking Shack , where Voldemort is waiting out the battle. They discover him talking to Severus Snape , who wishes to participate in the battle to find Harry, but Voldemort's only concern is that the Elder Wand does not seem to work properly for him. He coldly sets his snake on Snape, believing that the wand cannot serve him while Snape is still alive, as Snape had killed Dumbledore. As he dies, Harry runs out to him, and Snape gives up his memories to Harry, and his last request was to look into Harry's eyes who has the same eyes as his mother Lily. Voldemort then delivers an ultimatum; if Harry does not surrender himself in an hour, he will join the battle, and all in Hogwarts will be destroyed. Returning to the castle, Harry sees the defenders looking for loved ones and counting up the dead, with Lupin and Tonks laying next to Colin Creevey and Fred. After seeing this, Harry makes his way up to Dumbledore's office to view the memories Snape left him.

Chapter 33: The Prince 's Tale [ ]

Snape's memories

Harry dives into Snape's memories, learning several surprising secrets. Snape and Lily were friends as children, back when Lily was first discovering her magical powers. The two remained close friends through school, even after Lily was sorted into Gryffindor and Snape was sorted into Slytherin, until the day Snape angrily called Lily a mudblood while being teased by James and Sirius. This ended their friendship permanently, as Lily refused to accept Snape's many apologies despite his total regret and remorse leading to him joining the Death Eaters. After overhearing the prophecy involving Harry and Voldemort and reporting it to the Dark Lord, Snape was horrified when Lily was targeted and went to Dumbledore begging him to keep the Potters safe. Dumbledore agreed on the condition Snape promised his total allegiance to him, however even he couldn't protect them due to their poor judgement in making Wormtail their Secret Keeper . Afterwards, Dumbledore knew the day would come Voldemort would return and Snape promised to protect Harry no matter what in Lily's memory, which he did throughout his time at the school despite the boy reminding Snape of James and the risk to his life if Voldemort or the Death Eaters should find out. Upon Voldemort's return, Dumbledore sent Snape to return to the Death Eater's ranks to act as a double agent for him.

Harry then finds out that, prior to his sixth year, Dumbledore had put on the ring in a foolish attempt to see his deceased family only to fall victim to a curse which, despite Snape's efforts, would kill him within a year. Dumbledore then tells Snape to do what he could to protect Draco and, knowing that Voldemort had ordered the boy to kill the headmaster, to take over the task. As well as preventing damage to Draco's soul from committing a murder, he would also be sparing Dumbledore from a painful death. Dumbledore then explains why Harry is so important; when Voldemort's body was destroyed, a piece of his soul latched onto the baby since he was closest living thing (explaining why Harry can speak Parseltongue ). In effect, Harry himself is a horcrux and must be killed by Voldemort personally to destroy that part of his soul. Snape is horrified that they have essentially been preparing Harry to die at the proper time, and when Dumbledore notes that despite everything Snape does truly care for Harry, Snape summons his Patronus which is a doe... his love for Lily being so strong, his Patronus changed to be the same as hers (as well as revealing that it was Snape who led Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor in the lake).

Chapter 34: The Forest Again [ ]

Harry's mother comforting him before his "death"

Harry emerges from the memories, now knowing that Snape was always working for Dumbledore against Voldemort and that he must die to destroy the Dark Lord forever. Resigned to his fate, Harry sneaks out of the castle under his Invisibility cloak and stops to tell Neville to kill Nagini, the other remaining Horcrux, at all costs. Then, before he sacrifices himself to Voldemort, he opens the Golden Snitch left to him by Dumbledore to reveal the Resurrection Stone . He uses it to summon the spirits of his parents, of Sirius, and of Remus Lupin, all of whom provide emotional support as Harry walks to his death. He enters Voldemort's camp and shows himself. He tries to betray fear as he allows himself to be hit with the Killing Curse .

Chapter 35: King's Cross [ ]

Harry during his "death"

However, Harry finds himself in a sort of dream and meets the deceased Albus Dumbledore in what appears to be a deserted King's Cross Station . He appears to be in a Limbo state in which he can speak to Dumbledore. Here, it is explained he cannot be killed by Voldemort whilst Voldemort lives. Since Voldemort used Harry's blood to recreate his body, Lily's protection over Harry binds the two and therefore tethers Harry to life. Dumbledore then gives Harry a theory on why his wand acted of its own accord: as a result of their encounter in the Little Hangleton graveyard three years previous, Harry's wand was imbued with some of the qualities of Voldemort's wand and regurgitated some of his own magic back at him. He also discovers that the part of Voldemort's soul he had had inside himself has been destroyed by the attempted murder; Harry was in fact a Horcrux. Near a bench Voldemort's soul is represented as a naked flayed child, whimpering and struggling for breath.

Dumbledore confides in Harry that he had sought the Hallows , with Grindelwald, for less than noble reasons and that the death of his sister resulted from their association. In Dumbledore's opinion, only Harry is worthy of possessing the Hallows. With all of his secrets in the open, Harry can no longer find himself angry with Dumbledore even after all he has been through, fully reconciling with his old mentor. Harry is given the choice of moving "on" to the afterlife or returning to life to try to stop Voldemort. Harry chooses to return to life and fight back.

Chapter 36: The Flaw in the Plan [ ]

Hagrid carrying Harry's body

Back in the forest, Voldemort appears to have collapsed at the same time Harry did. Fearing not all went according to plan, he orders Narcissa Malfoy to check and see if Harry is dead, and after being subtly notified that her son, Draco , is alive and well inside Hogwarts, she tells Voldemort and the Death Eaters that Harry is indeed dead, so that she may enter the castle and find him. Voldemort then attempts to desecrate Harry's "corpse" by casting the Cruciatus Curse on it multiple times, but Harry feels no pain from these curses. Afterwards, Voldemort orders Hagrid to carry Harry back to Hogwarts during the Death Eaters victory march. Voldemort then challenges Hogwarts to surrender, but is faced down by Neville. Voldemort proceeds to torture Neville by summoning the Sorting Hat , placing it on his head, and setting it aflame. At that moment, Hogwarts reinforcements appear near the school boundaries and run toward the school, the centaurs join the side of Hogwarts in the battle, and the battle recommences.

In the confusion, Harry covers himself with the Invisibility Cloak. Nagini, the last Horcrux, is beheaded by Neville using Gryffindor's sword, pulled from the Sorting Hat in part for his bravery. Harry fights his way into the Great Hall casting curses and protective spells from underneath his cloak, where a huge battle is taking place as Hogwarts fighters, Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, and other forces battle the remnants of Voldemort's army. Eventually, All the Death Eaters are either killed or defeated, with just Voldemort and Bellatrix left standing. Voldemort duels Minerva McGonagall , his old mentor Horace Slughorn , and Kingsley Shacklebolt , while nearby Bellatrix battles Ginny, Luna, and Hermione. After Ginny narrowly avoids a Killing Curse, her mother takes over and brutally kills Bellatrix in a duel. In his deep fury and anger, Voldemort tries to kill Mrs Weasley, but Harry reveals himself by casting a Shield Charm to protect her.

Coming face-to-face with Voldemort in the Great Hall , Harry is seemingly faced with impossible odds: Voldemort possesses the Elder Wand and has murdered whom he thought to be its previous master, Severus Snape . Harry believes differently based on the information he received from Ollivander; as Harry sees it, Draco Malfoy became the true master of the Elder Wand when he disarmed Dumbledore against his will, therefore, defeating him. Since Harry had taken Malfoy's wand at Malfoy Manor , full mastery and control of the wand then passed to Harry, not Voldemort. The two debate this point among the verbal barbs they trade, with Harry revealing that Dumbledore also asked Snape to kill him if necessary to prevent anyone else from defeating him and having the Elder Wand's power die with him, but that was prevented by Draco disarming him. Harry also attempts to save Voldemort, whom he is calling by his given name, Tom Riddle, from himself by telling him to feel some remorse for all he had done. This shocks Voldemort more than anything Harry has ever said to him up to this point.

Harry explains all of this to Voldemort, who chooses not to believe him. Just as the sun breaks the horizon, Voldemort attacks Harry. When Voldemort's Killing Curse from the Elder Wand strikes Harry's Disarming Charm , the Elder Wand flies out of Voldemort's hand into Harry's hand and the Killing Curse is directed towards Voldemort. Harry's theory has been proven correct; the Elder Wand refuses to kill its true master. Voldemort is bereft of all his Horcruxes and is finally killed. His mutilated soul returns to Limbo for eternity. Harry is congratulated for his final victory. The dead are buried with respect, with Voldemort buried separately.

In the wake of the battle, major changes begin to occur in the Wizarding world . Kingsley Shacklebolt is appointed interim Minister for Magic and the Death Eaters are fleeing for their lives. Harry takes the time to explain to Ron and Hermione everything that happened as they walk to the Headmaster's office . Harry is now master of all three Deathly Hallows but chooses to leave the Resurrection Stone lost in the forest where he dropped it, and plans to return the Elder Wand to Dumbledore's tomb in the hope that when he dies its tremendous power will be broken, although not before he uses it to fully repair his own holly and phoenix feather wand. Dumbledore's portrait applauds his decision.

Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later [ ]

King's Cross Station - 19 years later

In the story's epilogue, taking place nineteen years later, that is in 2017 , Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all meet at King's Cross, preparing to send their children to Hogwarts, where Neville Longbottom has become the Herbology professor. The four adults have remained very close friends, and their children too are very close. Harry and Ginny are married with three children named James Sirius , their eldest, Albus Severus , starting his first year, and Lily Luna Potter , who complains about having to wait two years to go to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione are also married and have their own two children named Rose , starting her first year with Albus, and Hugo , who has to wait two more years like Lily. Harry incidentally sees Draco Malfoy with his wife (later disclosed as Astoria Greengrass ) and son Scorpius , and is acknowledged with a curt nod. James spots Ted Lupin kissing Victoire Weasley , interrupts them, and comes running to tell the others. He also teases Albus that he might be sorted in Slytherin. As James gets on the train, Albus confides in his father his fear of being sorted into Slytherin . Harry tells him that he was named after two Hogwarts headmasters, one of whom was a Slytherin and probably the bravest man he ever knew. When Albus is still scared, Harry tells him that the Hat will also take into account his personal preference, as it had when Harry himself was sorted—something he has never shared with any of his kids. As he watches the train pull away, Harry absent-mindedly touches the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, noting that it had not pained him for nineteen years. The story closes with the words, " All was well. "

List of deaths [ ]

This book has the most named casualties of any book in the series. In all, more than 50 people were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts . Several people were injured, including George Weasley losing an ear with the Sectumsempra curse in the Battle of the Seven Potters . Here is a list of people killed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in order of death/murder:

Choice of title and symbolism [ ]

Artwork of the American deluxe edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Rowling first announced that she had a particular title in mind in the latter part of 2006. However, she also announced that she had a final choice of three possible titles, before choosing this one. She has declined to explain the meaning of the title, or say what the other two possibilities were, on the grounds that doing so would reveal information about the book. The other titles she had in mind were Harry Potter and the Elder Wand , which became a chapter title, Harry Potter and the Peverell Quest , and Harry Potter and the Hallows of Hogwarts . There were also fan rumours of titles such as "Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch," "The New Beginning," the "Pyramids of Furmat," "The Forest of Shadows," the "Fortress of Shadows," and others.

Hallows is a word which has fallen into disuse in modern English except as part of some names. It is popular to name churches after saints, and there are a number of 'Church of all Hallows' in Britain, as well as some schools. Similarly the holiday of Hallowe'en is derived from "All Hallows' Eve." This usage of the word refers to saints, relics of saints, or the places where saints have lived or their remains have rested (making those places holy). Part of the mythology of hallows is that the spirit of the saint remains in his relics, and may come to the aid of those who seek it. Thus pilgrims venture to see holy relics or visit shrines hallowed by the saints.

Rowling has chosen to use the word 'deathly' in the title, rather than deadly. These two are similar in sound, and sometimes confused in meaning, but are different. A 'deathly hallow' need not be dangerous, but rather in some way is related to death.

The word 'hallows' has been used in a number of legends to represent important and powerful objects. The Tuatha de Danaan in Ireland possessed six hallows: Manannan's horse, Goibniu's shirt and tools, Lochlan's helmet, Alba's shears, a fishskin belt and Asal's pig bones. These were guarded by four Guardians of the Hallows: Manannan, Lugh, Cumhal and Fionn. As the legend changed, the hallows became four objects: The spear of Lugh, Stone of Fal, Sword of Nuada and Dagda's Cauldron.

The symbolism of four hallowed objects extends into the suits which now appear on tarot cards. These are wands, coins, cups, and swords. In particular the picture card, the Magician, shows a man waving a wand, with a sword, cup, and engraved metal disc on a table in front of him. Sources suggest that the figure depicted may represent Hermes, the same ancient god as the bust which Rowling used to announce completion of the book. Hermes is also considered a messenger in older legends.

The coronation ceremony for monarchs still contains four ritual objects, now represented as the sceptre, sword, ampulla of oil and crown. Similar objects also appear in Arthurian legends where the Fisher King is the guardian of four hallows; the sword, spear, dish and holy grail. Earlier Arthurian legends also refer to a set of thirteen treasures of Britain.

The symbolism in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows does not follow any particular legend, but there are clearly four Hogwarts founders, and Voldemort indicated that he intended to make six Horcruxes.

Harry Potter and the Relics of Death [ ]

Before the book was officially published, it became apparent that many people advertising the book in non-English-speaking countries without being able to read it, were having much difficulty working out what the words "deathly hallows" mean, when translating the title. As a result, Rowling authorised the alternative title "Harry Potter and the Relics of Death" to translate.

Editions [ ]

British Children's full dust jacket

In the UK, a paperback edition of Deathly Hallows was issued in both children's and adult editions in 2008, roughly a year after the hard-cover. In North America, however, readers had to wait until mid-2009 before a paperback edition arrived. In Canada, only the children's edition has been published in paperback; the Raincoast Books adult edition (which corresponds to the Bloomsbury edition) does not, as of late February 2010, have a scheduled publication date. In 2010, a new UK Bloomsbury edition of the Harry Potter series was issued out, labelled the 'Signature' editions, to introduce the new generation of young readers to the Harry Potter story.

Hogwarts House Edition [ ]

Future books [ ]

Rowling has said that she will not write any more books about Harry. However, she has also said that she may publish some of the 'background' information which she has created during the seventeen years she has been writing the books. When questioned about possible future books about Harry, she jokingly suggested Harry Potter and the Mid-Life Crisis . This background information will be released, all 18,000 words, on her new Harry Potter website, Pottermore . Pottermore will contain 18,000 words of never before seen background information about the going on's at Hogwarts, the characters and many magical creatures. Pottermore was released to the public in April , 2012 .

Otherwise, following the publication of Deathly Hallows , Rowling has published two additional Harry Potter-related works: Harry Potter Prequel , a short story that was written for charity in 2008, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard , a book published at the end of 2008.

In April 2010 , Rowling hinted that she might return to the Harry Potter series, but not for another 10 years.

On 23 November , 2015 , it was revealed that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would be the official sequel to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as the eighth story of the series. [4]

Film adaptation [ ]

The book was also adapted into two films, completing the Harry Potter film series. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was released on 19 November , 2010, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was released 15 July , 2011. David Yates directed both parts, and all the major cast members returned.

This is the only book that was released as two separate films.

Behind the scenes [ ]

• J. K. Rowling finished writing this book on 11 January 2007 in an unknown hotel room. [5]
• This book is noted for containing more and stronger profanity than in the other books; Aberforth Dumbledore called the three Muggle children who attacked his sister, Ariana Dumbledore "bastards" and the trio "bloody fools", Hermione Granger called Ron Weasley an "arse", Ron Weasley called Draco Malfoy a "two-faced bastard" and, most notably, Molly Weasley called Bellatrix Lestrange a "bitch". The series covers such profanities, such as when Ron Weasley insulted Severus Snape in the third book (Chapter 9, Grim Defeat), it did not reveal the words Ron used, and when Lee Jordan insulted Draco Malfoy for playing foul in Quidditch , the word was not revealed either (Chapter 15, The Quidditch Final), and when Ron told Draco to "go and do something that Harry was sure he would have never said in front of Mrs Weasley". Ron also said 'effing', which is a bowdlerised version of 'f**king'. While other books had used minor instances of strong language, they had never delved beyond "damn" or "hell" (although this book uses such words with a generally higher frequency than the first six books). The previous book similarly contained some strong language, but not as much as in this book. For example, Morfin calls Merope a "slut" for marrying a Muggle.
• The Three Peverell brothers are connected to Harry Potter, Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort due to the way they die. Lord Voldemort and Antioch Peverell die for power. Severus Snape and Cadmus Peverell die for love. And Harry Potter and Ignotus Peverell greet Death as an old friend and depart that life for good. It is stated that Lord Voldemort is distantly related to Cadmus, as is Harry to Ignotus.
• In chapter seven, when Harry discusses Ginny with Ron , Harry says "It's not as if I'm going to marry her!" Ironically, he is married to her in the epilogue.
• This is the only book in the series to not feature any Quidditch matches.
• In the episode of iCarly ( iFence ), Sam Puckett can be seen reading the American version of the 7th book because of the red page and the cover if the sleeve is removed. Freddie Benson betted her to read "The Penny Treasure", a fake cover was used to disguise the book in this episode.
• Angela Biola was the manufacturing director for the American edition of this title, Karyn Browne was the managing editor and Cheryl Klein was the continuity editor.
• In the long running series Doctor Who, the 10th Doctor played by David Tennant said that he had cried when he read book 7 which had not yet come out at the time. Coincidentally, David Tennant portrayed Barty Crouch Jnr, a main antagonist, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . In another Harry Potter reference in the same episode, William Shakespeare used Expeliarmus as the end of a formula to defeat the bad guys at the suggestion of protagonist Martha Jones, causing the Doctor to quip "good old J.K." with a smile.
• The contents of the book were treated with the utmost secrecy prior to its release, such that not even a basic preview summary was released, unlike past Harry Potter titles. The book was marketed with the simple phrase "We now present the seventh and final instalment in the epic tale of Harry Potter." The text was present on the inside cover of all library-edition releases of the novel, as opposed to the brief premise of the book that was present in the previous 6 novels. [6]
• Rowling introduced her favourite scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in The Birthday Book [7] with illustrations by Quentin Blake. [8]

Mistakes [ ]

See also [ ].

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (character index)
• Seventh year

Notes and references [ ]

• ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/books/22cnd-potter.html
• ↑ http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/press-release/scholastic-announces-record-breaking-sales-115-million-copies-harry-potter-and-deathly
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 "A transcript of a web chat with J.K. Rowling" from The Leaky Cauldron
• ↑ New details on Cursed Child, the ‘eighth Harry Potter story' by the Pottermore Team
• ↑ Finished Hallows 9 yrs ago today. Celebrated by graffiti-ing a bust in my hotel room. Never do this. It's wrong.
• ↑ Arthur A. Levine Books - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/nov/13/jk-rowling-harry-potter-birthday-book JK Rowling on Harry Potter's last, long walk
• ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2008/nov/12/books-quentin-blake-michael-morpurgo The Birthday Book
• Harry Potter
• 1 Tom Riddle
• 2 Harry Potter
• 3 List of spells

• In My Own Words
• Younger Readers

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter is leaving Privet Drive for the last time. But as he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and they take to the skies, he knows Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters will not be far behind.

The protective charm that has kept him safe until now is broken. But the Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything he loves. And he knows he can’t keep hiding.

To stop Voldemort, Harry knows he must find the remaining Horcruxes and destroy them.

He will have to face his enemy in one final battle.

Publishers: UK Print – Bloomsbury US Print – Scholastic EBook –  Pottermore Digital Audiobook – Pottermore

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Harry potter and the deathly hallows: harry potter, book 7, common sense media reviewers.

Grim, gripping end to the biggest saga in history.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Author J.K. Rowling borrows from many established

The whole series is full of positive messages abou

Harry finishes his hero's journey with bravery, da

Kingsley Shacklebolt is Black and is an important

At least 50 heroic characters die in the final bat

Kissing and one bawdy joke.

Infrequent use of "damn" and "hell," plus "effing,

Wine, mead, champagne, fire whiskey, and brandy se

Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's series about an orphan who discovers that he's a wizard tasked with saving the magical world from the evil Lord Voldemort. There have been major character deaths since Book 4. Here, so many notable…

Educational Value

Author J.K. Rowling borrows from many established stories and myths to piece together her magical world. Kids can look up more about centaurs, elves, giants, hippogriffs, werewolves, vampires, acromantulas (giant spiders), inferi (reanimated dead), magic wands, flying brooms, etc., compare the author's take with other interpretations, and think about how and why she weaves these magical elements and beings into her stories. The registration and persecution of those who aren't "pure blood" witches or wizards mirrors the many times in real human history when those not of a certain race or religion have been persecuted and even systematically annihilated.

Positive Messages

The whole series is full of positive messages about the power of love, friendship, and self-sacrifice. In this book, evil's reign must be overcome with many acts, big and small, of rebellion and sacrifice. Trust is also tested among friends and mentors.

Positive Role Models

Harry finishes his hero's journey with bravery, daring, and self-sacrifice. He faces a lot of doubt both about the task in front of him and about whether to trust Dumbledore, the mentor who set him on this difficult path. In the end he chooses trust and he accepts the fact that Dumbledore made mistakes in his life and learned from them -- he wasn't perfect. Ron faces so many doubts that he deserts his friends but later makes amends. Hermione is the stalwart character here. Her careful planning and considerations help the central trio survive on the run.

Diverse Representations

Kingsley Shacklebolt is Black and is an important member of the Order of the Phoenix. Students of color who fight in the climactic battle include Cho Chang, the Patil twins, Lee Jordan, and Angelina Johnson. Characters in the wizarding world face a lot of discrimination, especially for not being "pure- lood." In this book, it's gotten so bad that they're being rounded up, put on trial, and jailed. Harry and friends fight against this pure-blood mania with everything they have. Some diverse family structures are described: Harry grew up with his aunt and uncle, Neville with his grandmother, and Tom Riddle in an orphanage. Women have prominent roles at Hogwarts: Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout are both heads of houses.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

At least 50 heroic characters die in the final battle, including some who are very well loved. A very significant apparent death. Many other deaths on both sides, from curses, a giant snake, strangulation, and a stabbing. Scenes of torture, with characters writhing in pain, and some injuries that can't be healed by magic (e.g. an ear is cursed off). Violent action sequences include a flying motorcycle crash, explosions, snake attacks, kidnapping, a near-drowning, and a number of chases, duels with wands, and close-call escapes. Constant talk in the news about the deaths of both wizards and Muggles at the hands of Death Eaters. Stories recalled of tragic family deaths and an attack on a girl that left her permanently scarred, mentally. Harry finally visits his parents' gravesite and the home where they were killed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent use of "damn" and "hell," plus "effing," "bastard," and one (very memorable) "bitch."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Wine, mead, champagne, fire whiskey, and brandy served to adults and older teens (you're considered of legal age at 17 in the wizarding world). Pipe smoke spotted at a wedding.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling' s series about an orphan who discovers that he's a wizard tasked with saving the magical world from the evil Lord Voldemort. There have been major character deaths since Book 4 . Here, so many notable characters die (or appear to die) that it's almost hard to keep track by the end. One or two deaths will really stick with readers, depending on who they liked best throughout the series. Get ready to have a few good cries with kids. Most happen in battle, but others are caused by curses, a giant snake, strangulation, and a stabbing. Scenes of torture are described, with characters writhing in pain, and characters sustain injuries that can't be healed by magic. Violent action sequences include a flying motorcycle crash, explosions, snake attacks, kidnapping, a near-drowning, and a number of chases, duels with wands, and close-call escapes. There's constant talk in the news about the deaths of both wizards and Muggles at the hands of Voldemort's followers. Harry finally visits his parents' gravesite and the home where they were killed. Other mature content includes some drinking -- Harry and friends are considered of-age in the wizarding world at 17 and drink wine, mead, and some hard alcohol, but never to excess. Swearing includes mostly "damn" and "hell" but also "effing," "bastard," and one very memorable use of "bitch." Harry finishes his hero's journey with bravery, daring, and self-sacrifice. He faces a lot of doubt both about the task in front of him and about whether to trust Dumbledore, the mentor who set him on his difficult path. In the end, he chooses trust and accepts the fact that Dumbledore wasn't perfect. Parents who want to learn more about the series (and spin-off movies and games) can read our Harry Potter by Age and Stage article .

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (36)
• Kids say (385)

Based on 36 parent reviews

AWESOME BOOK

Its amazing but..., what's the story.

In HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, Harry has his assigned mission from Dumbledore: a hunt for hidden horcruxes (parts of Voldemort's soul). But he has an agonizingly long wait before he can get started. First he must send his Muggle relatives into hiding so Voldemort can't use them as bait. Then he must escape from the Dursleys' home when a protective charm breaks. This proves extremely difficult, even with the best aurors flying alongside him and a clever plan that results in several decoy Harry Potters. More than one life is lost when the heroes are attacked by Death Eaters on all sides. After a direct attack from Lord Voldemort, Harry is shocked to see his wand mysteriously act of its own accord to save him. Even after that ordeal, Harry still can't set off on his mission because Bill Weasley is getting married. Harry, Ron, and Hermione help with the preparations at the Burrow while trying to plan how they'll live on the run. But when the celebrations are interrupted by news of the Ministry of Magic's fall, the time for planning is over. Harry, Ron, and Hermione barely escape with their lives and are nearly caught by Snatchers -- a gang of wizard kidnappers -- in London. From there they hide out in Grimmauld Place, where they try to work out clues to find the only horcrux they know about: the locket stolen by the mysterious R.A.B. Luckily, the first hint is right in Grimmauld Place. Unluckily, Harry's scar is now bothering him constantly. His connection to Voldemort is stronger than it ever was, and the trio's search for horcruxes may not be a secret for long.

Is It Any Good?

There's everything in this epic fantasy finale and more: mysteries solved, institutions plundered, dragons ridden, sacrifices made, battles fought, and evil defeated. So much happens that not one but two movies were adapted from the last Harry Potter book. It would have been a crime to cut short any of the action scenes in the Ministry of Magic, Gringotts Bank, or the final battle at Hogwarts. All three places are impossible to break into or out of, and yet somehow Harry, Ron, and Hermione pull it off -- and with the kind of narrow nail-biter escapes fans have come to expect from the series.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows delivers the action sequences, but also a lot of mysteries to solve. There's so much to ponder about wand lore, Dumbledore's complicated past, Professor Snape's allegiances, the location of the final horcruxes, Kreacher's cruelty, and more. Wand lore is the most confusing to decipher, as well as the most clever and crucial element to the series' good-vs.-evil struggle. It will leave readers piecing together the complex puzzle until the very end. Dumbledore's past is a sore spot for Harry, who never wanted to see his hero as flawed but learns to accept the man he was -- the very relatable process of realizing that our parents and mentors are human, too. Snape's secrets are the most poignant and heartbreaking and drive Harry to his ultimate act of sacrifice. So many revelations are expertly woven together in the final act, so many beloved characters get their moment to shine (yay, Neville! yay, Mrs. Weasley!) that it's oh so hard to see the true magic of this series come to an end.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about all the loss of life in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Whose death hit you the hardest? Why? Were you braced for it, or did it catch you by surprise? All the known characters that died were willing to die for a cause greater than themselves. Does that make their deaths easier to bear?

A major theme tackled here is the terrible prejudice against those who are not from "pure blood" wizarding families. For not being the "right" kind of witch or wizard, they're ostracized and sent to jail. In real life, author J.K. Rowling has spoken out against the trans community and publicly stated her prejudice against them. Can you still appreciate the message presented in the book knowing that? How separate is a work from its author?

In the Deathly Hallows, Rowling shows Dumbledore in a new light, as a complicated and very flawed character instead of the infallible headmaster. Harry undergoes a period of anger and then finally reaches acceptance. Are we all Harry when faced with the flawed real selves of those we put on pedestals, whether they're authors, actors, or any public figure?

Book Details

• Author : J. K. Rowling
• Illustrator : Mary Grandpre
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Arthur A. Levine
• Publication date : July 21, 2007
• Number of pages : 759
• Last updated : July 14, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J. k. rowling, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Introduction

Harry potter and the deathly hallows: plot summary, harry potter and the deathly hallows: detailed summary & analysis, harry potter and the deathly hallows: themes, harry potter and the deathly hallows: quotes, harry potter and the deathly hallows: characters, harry potter and the deathly hallows: symbols, harry potter and the deathly hallows: theme wheel, brief biography of j. k. rowling.

Historical Context of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Other books related to harry potter and the deathly hallows.

• Full Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• When Written: 2005-2006
• Where Written: England
• When Published: 2007
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Fantasy, bildungsroman
• Setting: England
• Climax: Harry defeats Voldemort
• Antagonist: Lord Voldemort
• Point of View: Third-person limited

Extra Credit for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Books vs. Movies. While all of the books in the Harry Potter series have won awards, none of the corresponding film adaptations have—though collectively, the films were nominated for twelve Academy Awards. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 was, however, the highest-grossing film of 2011, as well as the highest-grossing film of the series.

Planning for Death. In addition to meticulously planning out the plots of all of her novels, Rowling wrote how the series was going to end (specifically that Hagrid was going to carry Harry's body out of the forest) very early on in the process. This made Hagrid one of the few characters who was safe from being killed off, unlike Arthur Weasley and even Ron, whom Rowling considered killing at several points while writing.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (Harry Potter: Book 7)

Harry has left Hogwarts to dedicate himself to the quest for final Horcruxes, together with his friends Ron and Hermione. Harry is also searching for the answers he feels Dumbledore has left unanswered and his feelings for his beloved old headmaster veer from anger and bitterness to painful loss. Voldemort continues his rise and nowhere seems to be safe anymore. With three gifts, bequeathed by Dumbledore to our intrepid trio, they set off on their deadliest task yet and know that this could be the end of everything they hold dear, even themselves. With Voldemort ever closer our hero must not hesitate; the final battle is coming and no one knows what the outcome will be.

The seventh and final instalment of the Harry Potter series sold 11 million copies in the first 24 hour of its release. To say it was eagerly awaited would be an understatement. It was like holding the holy grail when my copy arrived (pre-ordered of course) and I savoured the moment before I actually opened the book; this would be the last time I would hold a Harry Potter book that I had not read, once I had finished this, that would be it, no more. That lasted about three seconds, I read the book in almost one sitting, this was to get me complete and undivided attention, no telephones answered, no friends welcomed in if they called, just this long awaited last piece of the puzzle and me.

“ ‘What is it’ he asked as he reached the dressing table which was heaped high with what looked and smelled like dirty laundry. ‘ There’, she said pointing at the shapeless mass. And in the instant that he looked away, his eyes raking the tangles mess for a sword hilt, a ruby, she moved weirdly: he saw it out of the corner of his eye; panic made him turn and horror paralysed him as he saw the old body collapsing and the great snake pouring from the place where her neck had been.” Chapter seventeen: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

And did it deliver? You bet your sweet behind!! There are many loose ends that are tied up here, lovely little snippets of additional information that enable to not merely understand why and event has occurred but understand the characters personality (JK Rowling is so good at this), why they would react a certain way. There are of course many revelations not just for Harry but for the reader and some suspicions you may have had about some characters are found to be true! The end of the book really takes you there and back before you reach the conclusion and I am not surprised that Rowling cried when she had completed it, it was emotionally draining for me and I was only reading it!! It has been said that this and the Half Blood Prince were really one book splint into two, rather than two separate stories, and I do believe that to be true.

“ And the source of the light stepped out from behind an oak. It was a silver-white doe, moon-bright and dazzling, picking her way over the ground, still silent, and leaving no hoof prints in the fine powdering of snow. She stepped towards him, her beautiful head with it’s wide long-lashes eyes held high. Harry stared at the creature, filled with wonder, not at her strangeness, but at her inexplicable familiarity. He felt that he had been waiting for her to come, but that he had forgotten, until this moment, that they had arranged to meet. His impulse to shout for Hermione, which had been so strong a moment ago, had gone. He knew, he would have staked his life on it, that she had come for him, and him alone.” Chapter nineteen: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I would still say that Half Blood Prince is my favourite but it’s a close call and very difficult to separate the two. All I can say is that you will not be disappointed when you read the Deathly Hallows. How can a series of books, written for children (although admittedly I think us grown ups were considered a bit more in the writing of the last three) become something so entrenched in peoples imaginations? It’s simple, I KNOW that I was destined to go to Hogwarts, that I have special powers that I remain ignorant of and that there is more to life than the world we see around us, it is only by some fluke that my true destiny was never fulfilled and that Harry Potter was written as a way of letting me experience a little of what could have been – also, JK Rowling isn’t too bad a writer. I feel a little sad that there will be no more books, but in a way, it was good it has ended leaving you wanting more, and now I have my own daughter, I cannot wait until she is old enough and we can read them together.

10/10 I feel a little sad that there will be no more Harry Potter books.

• Buy on Amazon

Review by Amanda White

31 positive reader review(s) for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

370 positive reader review(s) in total for the Harry Potter series

JK Rowling biography

JUNIOR BOOYSE from SOUTH AFRICA

BEST BOOK EVER,YOU SHOULD TRY THIS BOOK OUT AWESOME.............

Gokulnath from India

It was a good book. But when help came too readily, it brought down the quality of the book. But it was a stupid way to put Neville in the fight. His parents were aurors, super aurors and you make him fight with weeds. Stupid indeed! And Ron too must age been shown as a hero's friend. He should have defeated 2 or 3 death eaters. All these seven years, he was never shown as a warrior. And he and Neville went on to become aurors.

Himanshu from India

10 stars are not enough for these HARRY POTTER SERIES!!!

Corrine Y from United States

Avada Kedavra! On July 21, 2007, J.K. Rowling released the final iconic novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, of an astonishing seven book series. The Harry Potter series are still wildly loved to this day, with 400 million copies sold worldwide, and translated in 68 different languages. The Deathly Hallows is about Harry Potter and his friends finding ways to destroy Voldemort. They learn that even good contains a bit of evil, and vise versa. Even though the trio faces many difficulties, they persevere. And most importantly, they learn that love conquers fear, and this allows then to be selfless in many ways. The Deathly Hallows is written in third person and portrays the thoughts and emotions of each character. This allows readers to thoroughly see inside the characters’ heads. The Deathly Hallows is marvelously written, and closes the series out beautifully.

T from Australia

This book was awesome you should definetly read it. I love everything about it and the idea of the Hallows was great. The only disappointment is that there is no more books.

Lakshmy from India

I have read all the 8 books. I liked all of the books. I request the author to write more!

S. P from South Africa

HARRY POTTER is a brilliant set of books with a well thought out plot. The deathly hallows which is the 7th and concluding entry Spreads out its complex plot in one book While Some Parts of the book Were Bloated. Most Of the story Was good if Not Excellent. Its a smart and slick conclusion with a deep religous,Polictical And Philosphical message. It has A build Up Pace With Sudden Deaths that show the Evil Of War. HP ROCKS and so does JK Rowling. Hope Cursed Child is a Movie With Dan,Emma,Rupert,Evanna,Matthew,Bonnie in it. Currently Waiting For Fantastic Beasts Movie. So Excited. Pray Fantastic Beasts Does Brillantly at the box office and critically. Fantastic beasts movie is the prequel to main Harry potter Verse. The Potter Movies Were Great [All 8 Got good reviews and made tons of cash ]

Vidya from UAE

Excellent way to finish off this wonderful seires!! J. K. Rowling has outdone herself! Wish I could read the Cursed Child as soon as it comes out...

Prashant from India

Excellent book written by J K Rowling. I wish there could be another book.

Asma from Pakistan

Loved it it was a treat!

Himika from India

A spellbinding end to the series! Leaves any reader with tears in his or her eyes when he or she comes to the last page. Basically Harry is every readers' companion in growing up and learning about life, because love, innocence, cruelty, friendship and victory of good over evil is the same in our Muggle world as it is in the magic one. Hats off to Rowling! HP is a religion, it is immortal because "the stories that we love live on in us forever."(Lovely review Himika - Lee @ Fantasy Book Review)

Emma from NZ

I love this book for some reason when I read it it I get shaky. I've read it at least 7 times for it is the ultimate book! The chapters are always new and exciting bringing on unexpected twists. Characters have great roles and bad turns to good without the simplest knowing. This is the best book ever : D

Rachel from USA

I love these books and the movies. The movies follow the book completely. My favorite part about the movies is that you can see the cast grow up. The plot is amazing and I love the actors they picked for their parts. My favorite is Alan Rickman as Snape. The last movie makes me cry when Snape dies.

Nathan from Pamilan

Ages since I read this book the first time. Still the book has its own charm and an everlasting magic of its own. But it seems that Jk Rowling is blundering by alienating herself from the genre where she can work wonders. I'm sure that there are billions who feel the same. I just hope that our wishes travel till her and persuade her to weave new stories in the wonderful world she has created. It's really agonising to realise that the above mentioned wish may never come true... But that will always be my fantasy.

Piper from England

Amazing book, don't let anyone tell you different, the best series ever, J.K. Rowling and her books are Brilliant, BEST SEQUEL ever!!!

Sharna from England

You can't beat any of the Harry Potter books, I only wish Rowling would continue writing forever. It would just be brilliant to hear about Rosie and Albus Severus. The fact that the end leaves you wanting more is infuriating and amazing. I turned the last page, and cried. But then I found the 19 years later bit. A nice touch. Xxx

Jon from England

Best in the series by far.

Nikola from Australia

Amazing. Harry Potter is my life. I've been very impressed with the whole series and I just keep reading them over and over agian. Brilliant

Miggz from Pakistan

This is the best series ever! I have read all the parts and am only 12!

Joshua from England

Usualy I would never give such a dynamic brilliant book an 8 but like some people say, it can be a little boring at times. I am a MASSIVE J.K. Rowling fan, books 1 to 5 were amazing but J.K. Rowling just seemed to stop caring about her charecters, killing off the best ones. In my oppinion it could have taken a more interesting route to the final battle but it didnt and I am unhappy it didn't. Even though it was imaginative and detailed it lacked that wow that you get in the other books.

skanda from india

awesome.................................

Tarun from India

The best book I have ever read in my life!

Guillemette from Belgium

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I think it is just magical and entertaining!

D from Ukraine

This is the book for eyes and heart to feast on!

Daniel from Sheffield

Over 4 years on from this publication and I still find people are taking the books too seriously, at the end of the day, J Rowlings initial target audience was children. To create a series of books that can not only entertain and keep children interested, but also capture the imagination of millions of adults worldwide, is something that happens very rarely and should never be forgotten. But now for the matter of Deathly Hallows, I think certain people have been far too critical. I personally believe that the series was concluded excellently, many loose ends were tied and many unexpected twists were included in the plot. I would have perhaps liked Harry to have had some sort of special power in him to defeat Voldemort but maybe that would have been too cliche and easy to finish this story. I am overall still extremely satisfied at the end of Harry's adventure and I remain adamant that Rowling created an excellent conclusion and deserves all the plaudits she recieves and one day she will become Dame Joanne Rowling for her outstanding contritubion to British and Worldwide reading for young and old alike. Personally, J.K. Rowling is probably the only ever hero/heroin I have had in my life and I am eternally grateful for that.

Sharnali from OAE

Basically Harry Potter is a legend. JK Rowling, if you read this, you inspire me!!!

Jamie from Australia

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is AWESOME!!! I annoy everyone at school, talking about Harry Potter!

Riley from U.S.

@Anon I honestly think books 6 & 7 were the best from the series. Greatly written, as if planned out. Everything ends in a way that makes you think "Oh my gosh! I remember that happening!" If you think these 2 books are horrible especially 7, then you should not be reading or reviewing fatasy books because this book is the greatest book I've ever read.

Perky from London

This has to be the best book I've ever read. I loved it, the storyline is fantatic and my favourite character is Ginny Weasley, even from the first book. I'm so sad that the series has ended!!!!!!!!!! I love this book.

Arielle from US

Well, I'm on chapter 10 right now and well - is the rest of the damn book good or not? Well, this is actually the first time I heard something bad about it, well I quess I should just read some more and find out myself...

TY from United States

Best book ever, it helps wrap the sequel up well, and has many twists. I hope she writes one more book about Harry's future, but if not this is a good enough book to close out the best sequel ever.

9.6 /10 from 32 reviews

All JK Rowling Reviews

• Harry Potter (Harry Potter)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Harry Potter Companion)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter Companion)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter: Book 1)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter: Book 2)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter: Book 3)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter: Book 4)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter: Book 5)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter: Book 6)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter: Book 7)

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) Paperback – July 1, 2009

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience. --Daphne Durham

• Book 7 of 7 Harry Potter
• Print length 784 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 4 - 7
• Lexile measure 880L
• Dimensions 5.5 x 1.75 x 7.5 inches
• Publisher Scholastic Inc.
• Publication date July 1, 2009
• ISBN-10 0545139708
• ISBN-13 978-1338878981
• See all details

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What's it about, amazon editors say....

J. K. Rowling’s series finale weaves its unstoppable storytelling magic as Harry, Hermione, and friends go to battle against Voldemort.

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Editorial reviews, about the author.

J.K. ROWLING is the author of the enduringly popular, era-defining Harry Potter seven-book series, which have sold over 600 million copies in 85 languages, been listened to as audiobooks for over one billion hours and made into eight smash hit movies. To accompany the series, she wrote three short companion volumes for charity, including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , which went on to inspire a new series of films featuring Magizoologist Newt Scamander. Harry’s story as a grown-up was continued in a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , which J.K. Rowling wrote with playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany.

In 2020, she returned to publishing for younger children with the fairy tale The Ickabog , the royalties for which she donated to her charitable trust, Volant, to help charities working to alleviate the social effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. Her latest children’s novel, The Christmas Pig , was published in 2021.

J.K. Rowling has received many awards and honours for her writing, including for her detective series written under the name Robert Galbraith. She supports a wide number of humanitarian causes through Volant, and is the founder of the international children’s care reform charity Lumos. J.K. Rowling lives in Scotland with her family.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Inc. (July 1, 2009)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 784 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0545139708
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1338878981
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8+ years, from customers
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 880L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.75 x 7.5 inches
• #99 in Children's Books on Orphans & Foster Homes
• #2,197 in Children's Friendship Books
• #2,562 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7 By J.K. Rowling

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About the author

J.k. rowling.

J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular, era-defining Harry Potter book series, as well as several stand-alone novels for adults and children, and a bestselling crime fiction series written under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

The Harry Potter books have now sold over 600 million copies worldwide, been translated into 85 languages and made into eight blockbuster films. They continue to be discovered and loved by new generations of readers.

Alongside the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling also wrote three short companion volumes for charity: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in aid of Comic Relief, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in aid of her international children’s charity, Lumos. The companion books and original series are all available as audiobooks.

In 2016, J.K. Rowling collaborated with playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany to continue Harry’s story in a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which opened in London, and is now thrilling audiences on four continents. The script book was published to mark the plays opening in 2016 and instantly topped the bestseller lists.

In the same year, she made her debut as a screenwriter with the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Inspired by the original companion volume, it was the first in a series of new adventures featuring wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander. The second, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was released in 2018 and the third, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was released in 2022.

The screenplays were published to coincide with each film’s release: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - The Original Screenplay (2016), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (2018) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay (2022).

Fans of Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter can find out more at www.wizardingworld.com.

J.K. Rowling’s fairy tale for younger children, The Ickabog, was serialised for free online for children during the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 and is now published as a book illustrated by children, with her royalties going to her charitable trust, Volant, to benefit charities helping alleviate social deprivation and assist vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

Her latest children’s novel The Christmas Pig, published in 2021, is a standalone adventure story about a boy’s love for his most treasured thing and how far he will go to find it.

J.K. Rowling also writes novels for adults. The Casual Vacancy was published in 2012 and adapted for television in 2015. Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, she is the author of the highly acclaimed ‘Strike’ crime series, featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott. The first of these, The Cuckoo’s Calling, was published to critical acclaim in 2013, at first without its author’s true identity being known. The Silkworm followed in 2014, Career of Evil in 2015, Lethal White in 2018, Troubled Blood in 2020 and The Ink Black Heart in 2022. The series has also been adapted for television by the BBC and HBO.

J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard Commencement speech was published in 2015 as an illustrated book, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination, sold in aid of Lumos and university-wide financial aid at Harvard.

As well as receiving an OBE and Companion of Honour for services to children’s literature, J.K. Rowling has received many other awards and honours, including France’s Legion d’Honneur, Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award and Denmark’s Hans Christian Andersen Award.

J.K. Rowling supports a number of causes through her charitable trust, Volant. She is also the founder and president of Lumos, an international children’s charity fighting for every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world.

www.jkrowling.com

Image: Photography Debra Hurford Brown © J.K. Rowling

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Hogwarts Legacy 2 Could Adapt an Iconic Harry Potter Setting

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Fans are already talking about the potential characters and settings that could feature in the sequel. The game could draw from a range of settings within the Harry Potter universe, including the climactic events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

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Themes and Analysis

Harry potter and the deathly hallows, by j.k. rowling.

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' is loaded with the themes of almost every other Harry Potter book, only in a more significant and heightened sensitivity. Common themes of the Harry Potter series like love and friendship are put to the ultimate test in this book.

Article written by Mohandas Alva

M.A. Degree in English Literature from Manipal University, India.

‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ by J. K. Rowling is a very testing book in that a lot of common themes that are portrayed in the Harry Potter series as a whole are put to test here, especially the theme of friendship and loyalty. For instance, in the previous books, the stakes to exhibit integrity were not as high as in the case of ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows .’ Be it Xenophilius Lovegood, who reveals Harry’s location to the Death Eaters, or Ron himself, who decides to leave Harry and Hermione in the middle of their mission of hunting down Horcruxes, the world around these characters has become a much darker and more difficult dwelling.

The choices they tend to make question their very identities but they have no choice. In the case of Xenophilius Lovegood, it is his daughter Luna who has been kidnapped that makes him break his allegiance to Harry. With Ron, it is just a general fear of wanting to see his family and ensure their safety, coupled with the failure of the trio to do much with the Horcruxes. Several themes are abundant in the story of ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, ‘ but some of them are more strongly illustrated in the book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Themes

Allegiance is a crucial theme in ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ because it determines a major part of the outcomes that occur in the book. Firstly, since there are two sides at war here in the wizarding world, it is only fair to expect members of each side to be completely loyal to their own. However, in this case, since Voldemort and the Death Eaters represent a cause that is not inclusive and convenient to everyone but is so only to themselves, the reader expects someone to betray them at great risk to defeat them at war.

This is where Severus Snape comes in. Throughout the book series, Severus Snape has been a very ambiguous character because of his constant bullying of Harry but is justified by Dumbledore as a loyal man to the Order of the Phoenix. Since the first time Harry saw Snape, he has been doubtful of him, but Dumbledore has always laid his faith in Snape.

In ‘ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ,’ Snape finally shows his strange side when he murders Dumbledore in front of Harry. Therefore, when ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ starts, Harry is more furious at Snape than he is at Voldemort. However, when Harry collects Snape’s memories, and all the truth comes out, Harry is shocked at the complexity of Snape’s actions.

Snape was always allegiant to his love for Lily Potter, and by extension, to the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore, and their cause. However, Snape had to pretend on both sides to be actually allegiant to each of them, which is not only a daunting task but also very risky and highly dangerous.

Allegiance is a very strong theme in this book precisely because while it is easy to be loyal to someone when the stakes are not all that high, it takes great internal strength and grit to do the same when a lot is at risk. Snape is considered a great person by Harry despite what he did to him because of the respect that Harry has for Snape’s internal strength.

Other examples of allegiances in this book include the Malfoys and Peter Pettigrew. In the case of the Malfoys, it is simply their love for their son Draco that enables them to get away with lying to Voldemort about Harry being dead. Despite showing no remorse for their actions or empathy for their fellow beings, the Malfoys still show the emotion of love for their own kin, which makes them slightly more redemptive as characters than Voldemort will ever be. Their allegiance changes for love, just like Snape, who, before Lily’s death, was a Death Eater eager to climb the ranks.

Peter Pettigrew, on the other hand, changed his allegiance long back when he outed James and Lily’s address to Voldemort out of fear. This is very different from the others mentioned above in that, while Snape and even the Malfoys changed their allegiance to protect someone else as an act of selflessness, Peter Pettigrew solely does it out of a selfish cause.

Good and Evil

Despite there being several debates on whether good and evil even exist as absolutes, ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ precisely show that they do. It illustrates clearly why Harry’s cause represents good while Voldemort’s represents evil.

Harry is a boy who was driven into a path that he did not ask for, just like Voldemort, who was orphaned early and shown no love. However, they are both products of society’s failure to show affection. This changed for both of them when they were ‘adopted’ by Hogwarts, a school that made them both feel very special and loved in their own ways. However, while Harry looked unto others as well as himself to understand and reinforce his innate principles, Voldemort saw his admission into Hogwarts as an opportunity to satisfy just his own needs and wants.

As time progressed, they both grew. But Harry grew with everyone else around him, whom he also benefitted from, while Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, although benefitted from his surroundings, only grew for himself, without any gratitude or affection for his fellow beings. This also resonated with his cause. He wanted purebloods to rule the magical world. He depended on his hatred for his muggle father and respect for a powerful ancestor (Salazar Slytherin) to determine the purpose of his life – to conquer his surroundings and control them.

Harry, on the other hand, used his love for his parents and his admiration for almost everyone around him to determine his life’s purpose – to create a world where everyone could, as much as possible, live harmoniously.

While Harry and Voldemort themselves are not good or evil, their causes and their purposes evolved into absolute good and evil. To be fair to Voldemort, his father, whom he hated, abandoned his mother and him, so his hatred is somewhat justified. However, instead of seeing it as a single instance of human failure and seeking possibilities where humans could be better, he shut himself down completely from that possibility and advanced to a loveless and emotionless rampage of world domination.

Analysis of Key Moments in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

• Voldemort readies his Death Eaters and collects information from Snape, Yaxley, and the others about Harry’s departure from Privet Drive to ambush and attack him when he does.
• Harry reads the In Memoriam on Dumbledore written by Elphias Doge and uncovers a lot of details that he had no clue about. He also reads about Rita Skeeter’s scandalous biography of Dumbledore titled The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore.
• Harry says his goodbyes to the Dursleys, and Dudley shows some remorse and affection towards Harry before they leave for a secret location far away from Privet Drive.
• Mad-Eye Moody arrives with the battalion of the Order of the Phoenix members and Harry’s friends and plans an elaborate plot to take Harry safely out of Privet Drive. This plan involves six others taking Polyjuice Potion to look exactly like Harry and flying together to prevent Harry from being identified easily.
• Harry and the others are ambushed by Death Eaters and eventually by Voldemort himself, and Harry’s wand performs magic despite him being unconscious, protecting him from Voldemort’s curses. Also, Hedwig, Harry’s owl, dies.
• Harry and the others make it safely back to the Burrow after Harry and Hagrid temporarily stop at Ted and Andromeda Tonk’s house. George loses one of his ears, and Mad-Eye Moody is dead.
• Rufus Scrimgeour arrives at the Burrow to give Harry, Ron, and Hermione the contents that Albus Dumbledore left behind for them in his will. Harry gets the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match, Ron gets Dumbledore’s Deluminator, and Hermione gets a copy of the ‘ Tales of Beedle the Bard. ‘
• Bill and Fleur’s wedding takes place, but it is suddenly interrupted by news from Kingsley Shacklebolt that the Death Eaters are coming, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparate from there and eventually end up in Sirius’s house.
• They find out about Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius’s brother, who stole the Horcrux from the cave that Voldemort hid it in, figure out that Mundungus has stolen it from Sirius’s house, and eventually find him through Kreacher and realize that the Horcrux is with Dolores Umbridge.
• They plan to break into the Ministry of Magic disguised as three Ministry officials and eventually steal the locket from Umbridge but are chased in the process and eventually apparate to a forest.
• In the forest, they try to destroy the Horcrux but are unable to do so. Furthermore, they see Ted Tonks, Dean Thomas, Dirk Cresswell, and two goblins camping near their site and overhear from the Goblin that the Sword of Gryffindor that has been kept in Bellatrix’s vault is a fake.
• Ron is angry at Hermione and Harry for being unable to make any progress with the Horcruxes and feels like he wants to see his family, so he leaves them.
• Hermione and Harry decide to go to Godric’s Hollow, where they visit Harry’s parents’ grave and later go to Bathilda Bagshot ’s house and meet her, but finally realize that it is actually the snake of Voldemort, Nagini, who is disguised as Bathilda. They fight their way through the snake’s grip and eventually apparate to a Forest from there. Harry’s wand breaks in the process.
• They apparate to the Forest of Dean and at night, and when Harry is keeping watch, he comes across a silver doe Patronus which he curiously follows, and comes across the Sword of Gryffindor. He almost drowns trying to get it from the bottom of a cold lake but is saved by Ron, who retrieves the sword and destroys the Horcrux as well.
• They meet Xenophilius Lovegood, and he tells them the Tale of the Three Brothers and about the Deathly Hallows. However, he betrays them by calling the Death Eaters to catch Harry. The trio manages to escape with great difficulty.
• Back in the forest, Harry accidentally says Voldemort’s name, and the enchantments around them break, revealing them to a group of snatchers. The snatchers take them to Malfoy Manor, where Hermione is tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange about the Sword of Gryffindor that they were carrying. Eventually, Dobby appears and saves all of them by apparating them from there, but he gets killed.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione break into Gringotts Bank to steal the Horcrux that is in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault with the help of the goblin Griphook . However, Griphook betrays them, but they escape from there by riding on the back of a dragon.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter Hogsmeade and are hidden safely from the Death Eaters, looking for them by Abeforth Dumbledore. Furthermore, he summons Neville Longbottom , who helps them safely travel to Hogwarts through a secret passage.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet the members of Dumbledore’s Army, Order of the Phoenix, and other students of Hogwarts, all hiding from the Carrows and Snape in the Room of Requirement .
• Harry enlists Luna’s help to enter the Ravenclaw dormitory in search of Ravenclaw’s Lost Diadem, which he thinks is a Horcrux. There, the Carrows appear and try to duel with him, but McGonagall arrives, and Harry and she successfully defeat the Carrows and keep them captive.
• The Battle of Hogwarts commences, and simultaneously, Harry finds the Horcrux and destroys it, and Ron and Hermione also destroy the Horcrux they stole from Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault using Basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets. Fred is killed in an explosion during the battle.
• Harry witnesses the death of Severus Snape at the hands of Voldemort. He collects the memories of Snape on his request and then witnesses them in the Pensieve . He discovers that Snape was working for Dumbledore and that he loved Harry’s mother, Lily. He also realizes that he must sacrifice himself and specifically die at the hands of Voldemort because he is a Horcrux.
• Harry uses the Resurrection Stone on the way to the forest and talks to his parents, Sirius and Lupin, who also died in the war, along with his wife, Tonks. Harry then faces Voldemort, and the latter incants the killing curse at Harry.
• Instead of dying, Harry ends up discussing his situation with Albus Dumbledore in a dream world. He eventually pretends to be dead and is carried by Hagrid, who walks with Voldemort and his Death Eaters to Hogwarts.
• Neville kills Nagini, the last Horcrux, and Harry suddenly chimes out into life and duels with Voldemort, eventually defeating him. The war is finally won.
• Nineteen years later, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione arrive at Kings Cross Station to drop their children at Platform 9 and 3/4 to board the Hogwarts Express.

Writing Style and Tone

The writing style of ‘ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘ is quite similar to that of the previous installments in the series. Since this is the finale of the book series, it is far more interesting to read in terms of the plot because a lot of cliffhangers and mysteries that were left intact are resolved here. Furthermore, despite being one of the longest books in the series, it is very crisp, packed with a lot of tense action, and well-written.

While there exists a ‘limbo’ period during the time Harry, Ron and Hermione are in the forest searching for ideas about Horcruxes but doing very little, where the crispness of the narrative is not followed, it still works really well in portraying the misery of the situation, especially when contrasted with the other action-packed parts of the book.

Analysis of Key Symbols in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The deathly hallows.

The Deathly Hallows are very closely tied to the story that sets them in legend. The Tale of the Three Brothers, which talks about Death granting wishes for each brother and the three of them choosing different things, speaks volumes. The first brother, like Voldemort, asks for the Elder Wand, which is a metaphor for the ultimate power to control everyone. It so happens that Voldemort seeks the wand within the plot, which makes it more meaningful as a symbol.

The second brother, like Dumbledore, asks for a Resurrection Stone, which could bring back his lost loved ones. Dumbledore, despite being a very powerful and strong wizard, is overcome by very strong guilt and a sense of loss over the death of his sister, Ariana. So, he even tries on the Gaunt ring without any warning, which is what causes his early death.

The third brother, just like Harry, cheats death by hiding under the Invisibility Cloak , which could be seen as a metaphor for accepting death. The first step to not being afraid about death is accepting that it is inevitable. Harry does this when he walks into the Forbidden Forest devoid of the fear of death and still ends up alive.

Is Snape Harry’s dad?

No. Snape is not Harry’s father. Despite being fantasized about in several fanfiction writings of Harry Potter, there is no way that Snape could be Harry’s father because Lily and Snape were never together. Lily never reciprocated Snape’s romantic feelings for her despite Snape remaining loyal to his love for her. Lily loved Harry’s father, James Potter, romantically, and the two got married and had Harry as their only child. Furthermore, all of Snape’s resentment towards Harry came from the fact that Harry was the son of James Potter, whom Snape really hated in his school days.

Why is May 2nd Harry Potter day?

May 2 was decided to be celebrated as International Harry Potter Day in the year 2012. The British Prime Minister of that time, David Cameron, announced in 2012 that May 2 would be celebrated as Harry Potter Day because that is the day that the Battle of Hogwarts was fought and that commemorated the victory of Harry Potter and his friends over Lord Voldemort , ushering a new era for magical beings throughout. It is also a fitting tribute to J. K. Rowling’s great Magnum Opus, which has made a lot of people very happy over the years.

Why did Harry name his daughter after Luna?

Harry and Ginny’s children are all known for their vibrant names that commemorate a lot of people that were important to Harry. Harry’s eldest son was named after his father and his godfather, James, and Sirius. Harry’s youngest son was named after the two headmasters of Hogwarts that impacted him the most, Albus and Severus. However, Harry’s daughter, Lily Luna Potter , was named after Harry’s mother, Lily and Luna Lovegood, who was a very close friend to both Ginny and Harry. So, Harry and Ginny probably wanted to commemorate their common friendship with one of the most interesting characters in the Harry Potter book series , Luna Lovegood.

Harry Potter Quiz

Summon your wit and wisdom—our Harry Potter Trivia Quiz awaits you! Do you have the knowledge to claim the title of Master Witch or Wizard? Take the challenge now!

1) What was the last Horcrux to be destroyed?

2) In the "Order of the Phoenix," who is NOT a member of the original Order of the Phoenix shown in the old photograph that Moody shows Harry?

3) What is the core ingredient of the wand owned by Harry Potter?

4) What is the name of Harry Potter's pet owl?

5) Who is the Half-Blood Prince?

6) Who originally owned the Elder Wand before Dumbledore won it?

7) What are the dying words of Severus Snape in both the book and the film "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"?

8) Which character is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts?

9) What form does Hermione Granger's Patronus take?

10) Which potion did Hermione brew in her second year that allowed her, Ron, and Harry to assume the identities of Slytherins?

11) What is the name of the train that takes students to Hogwarts?

12) What does the Mirror of Erised show?

13) What is the effect of the Cheering Charm?

14) What is Dumbledore's full name?

15) What is the name of the goblin who helps Harry, Ron, and Hermione break into Gringotts?

16) Which spell is used to open the Marauder's Map?

17) What creature is Aragog?

18) What is the name of the goblin-made object that is supposed to bring its owner prosperity, but also brings them into conflict with goblins?

19) What does the incantation "Obliviate" do?

20) Who teaches Herbology at Hogwarts?

21) In which Harry Potter book does Harry first speak Parseltongue?

22) What animal represents Hufflepuff house?

23) What is the name of the book Hermione gives to Harry before his first ever Quidditch match?

24) What specific type of dragon does Harry face during the Triwizard Tournament?

25) Which object is NOT one of the Deathly Hallows?

26) Who was the Peverell brother that owned the invisibility cloak?

27) What potion is known as "Liquid Luck"?

28) Which creature can transform into a person's worst fear?

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About Mohandas Alva

Mohandas is very passionate about deciphering the nature of language and its role as a sole medium of storytelling in literature. His interests sometimes digress from literature to philosophy and the sciences but eventually, the art and craft of narrating a significant story never fail to thrill him.

About the Book

The Harry Potter section of Book Analysis analyzes and explorers the Harry Potter series. The characters, names, terminology, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros ©. The content on Book Analysis was created by Harry Potter fans, with the aim of providing a thorough in-depth analysis and commentary to complement and provide an additional perspective to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

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• Life & Entertainment
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• Harry Potter Film Concert Series

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One TV Spot, '2024 Live Symphony Orchestra'

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Harry Potter: Most Powerful Magical Items

• Powerful magical objects in Harry Potter have the potential to bring havoc if misused, as every action has consequences.
• The Mirror of Erised shows people's deepest desires, but it can lead to delusion and loss of sanity if fixated upon too much.
• The Deathly Hallows consist of three objects with powerful magical abilities that help Harry defeat the Dark Lord.

There are many magical objects in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter . However, not everything possesses special abilities where its power goes beyond humans and wizards' apprehension. The functions of these items are various, ranging from showing people's location, taking and creating lights, to literal containers of a soul spread into different objects, making the creator immortal.

Harry Potter: 5 Most Useful Spells In Daily Life, Ranked

These powerful magical objects in Harry Potter are mighty, as they are horrifying, and cautious usage of such items is incredibly important. If misused, these items can bring havoc to their users and the people around them. Many wizards and witches who fail to handle these objects properly have to pay the price, as every action has its consequences.

The Mirror of Erised

Shows desire and delusion.

The Mirror of Erised is an item that holds a mystical power that will show their deepest desire . On the mirror, words are inscribed, " erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi ". When reversed, it's stated, "I show not your face but your heart's desire." This item is first introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, after Harry accidentally stumbled upon his reflection with his parents, alive.

As Dumbledore said, one mustn't hang onto the utopian reflection too much. In the past, many lost their sanity while looking in this mirror, swallowing themselves into delusion. Nevertheless, this mirror bears an important plot point of the first book and movie, as it helps Harry find the Philosopher's Stone.

Time-Turner

Short-term time travel.

This specific item cannot fall into the wrong hands, as cautious usage is extremely important . Although it can only be used for short-term time travel, many wizards who squandered this item fell into their demise. It is said that the time-turner is restricted for a maximum of five hours into the past, following the Croaker's Law principle, to avoid a crippling effect.

Harry Potter: Time-Turners, Explained

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Hermione Granger Helps Harry Potter to save Sirius Black and Buckbeak from their unfair death sentences. Hermione herself receives this item from Minerva McGonagall, for her to enroll in several classes throughout the semester, although those classes are happening at the same time. It is later revealed that Hermione gave the time-turner back to McGonagall, as she is exhausted from the overload courses.

Deluminator

Remove & return light.

Remember the very first scene of Dumbledore on Privet Drive? Yup, it is a deluminator. This specific item is not particularly powerful per se, but it is one of the most important plot points that bear sentimental value for the Golden Trio, especially Ron. Invented by Dumbledore himself, this device is used to remove or return light to its sources.

In his will, Dumbledore marked Ron as the receiver of the item, as he believed Ron needed a little extra guidance from him , which turned out to be true. In a fit of rage driven by jealousy and hatred emitted from Salazar Slytherin's locket, Ron leaves Harry and Hermione distraught. Thankfully for them, the deluminator guides Ron back to them as it also works as an apparition device.

Wizard's Chess

Barbaric chess pieces.

Although it bears a resemblance to regular chess, Wizard's Chess is something that cannot be tampered with lightly. Described by Hermione Granger as "barbaric", the pieces of chess can move and attack their opponents, violently. In every capture made, the winning piece can knock down the captured till it is disfigured.

Harry Potter: 7 Most Popular Fan Theories

This item itself is first introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , as Ron shows his chess ability among the first-year students during Christmas. Later on, this skill turns out to be important, as Ron helps Harry and Hermione win the human chess game. Although he wins the chess game, Ron is severely injured as he sacrifices himself for Harry to make his winning move, marking how brutal yet powerful this object is.

Deathly Hallows

The elder wand, the resurrection stone, & the cloak of invisibility.

The Deathly Hallows consists of three objects that bear powerful magical abilities , derived from a famous tale in the Wizarding World called The Tale of The Three Brothers. The tale tells the story of three brothers who meet Death on their journey. Using their magic, the brothers avoid their demise, and Death grants them three wishes, with ulterior motives of its own.

The first brother asked for the most powerful magic wand called The Elder Wand. The second brother asked for an item to resurrect the dead, which led to the creation of the resurrection stone. And the third brother, the most humble one out of the three, asked for an item that made its wearer invisible, later known as the cloak of invisibility. The Deathly Hallows is proven to be very powerful, as can be seen from how these items help Harry win against the Dark Lord.

Pieces of a Soul, Split Into Objects

Horcruxes are made by their creator from an object to split their soul into an object , protecting them from their demise. Splitting one soul requires them to commit a murder, as this dark magic requires a sacrifice, to rip the soul apart. This method of immortality is chosen by Voldemort, splitting his soul into 7 objects:

• Tom Riddle's diary
• Marvolo Gaunt's ring
• Salazar Slytherin's locket
• Helga Hufflepuff's cup
• Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem
• Harry Potter

Harry Potter: 7 Great Places To Hide A Horcrux

In each destruction of the object, a part of the creator's soul dies with it, as can be seen in Voldemort's ultimate demise. A Horcrux is very difficult to destroy due to its enchantments. The three known ways that successfully destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes are the Fiendfyre spell, Basilisk Venom, and the Sword of Gryffindor.

Gryffindor's Sword

For any gryffindor house members who are worthy.

This goblin-made sword is not like any other, it only takes in that which makes it stronger. If a Horcrux is a powerful object, then Gryffindor's Sword must be more powerful, as it can destroy such dark magic. After it absorbs the basilisk venom that Harry killed in the Chamber of Secrets, the sword absorbs the venom's powerful properties. This sword can only be summoned by a member of Gryffindor's house in time of need and can be drawn from the Sorting Hat.

If possessed by the wrong wizards and witches, this sword will disappear into thin air, as it defies its true purpose. As the sword is extremely powerful, Ragnuk, the king of Goblin who is commissioned by Gryffindor to make the sword, claims that the sword is stolen and Gryffindor is not its true owner. In the end, the sword only works for the wizards and witches that it initially pledged allegiance to, proving the claim to be false.

MORE: Harry Potter: Best Deleted Scenes, Ranked

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What's Next For The Harry Potter Franchise?

Fantastic beasts 4: will it happen franchise future & everything we know, harry potter & fantastic beasts official timeline (including fantastic beasts 3).

• The connections between Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts characters deepen the Wizarding World lore.
• Harry Potter characters like Bathilda Bagshot reveal hidden ties to major Fantastic Beasts figures.
• Credence Barebone could bridge key families like Voldemort, Snape, and Dumbledore in future films.

Even though Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is set nearly sixty years before the events of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , there are still characters in both Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter related to one another. Now that there are eleven films in the Wizarding World saga, the franchise's on-screen timeline is teeming with rich lore, complex characters, and a well-established canon. In many cases, these fully realize both the past, present, and future of the Wizarding World, effectively linking both timelines together.

With the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore , the Fantastic Beasts franchise now has a trilogies-worth of Harry Potter prequel characters. This established a more cohesive Wizarding World packed with new context that helps make the Harry Potter franchise even richer. This includes its ever-growing character base, some of who share surprising connections. Unfortunately, Fantastic Beasts 4 doesn't look like it'll happen, but here are all the characters related to one another in both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.

The Wizarding World seems to be over, but the Harry Potter franchise will most likely continue to expand – but what's next? Here's what could happen.

Bathilda Bagshot & Gellert Grindelwald

The great aunt of the fantastic beasts villain appears in the deathly hallows.

Bathilda Bagshot was a relatively minor Harry Potter character, though she was related to an incredibly important one from Fantastic Beasts. Bagshot is the author of A History Of Magic, one of several key Hogwarts textbooks mentioned in the Harry Potter franchise (another being, of course, Newt Scamander's own book Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them ). She appears in the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Her appearance is a tragic one, however, as she's actually a corpse animated by Voldemort in order to set a trap for Harry.

This is a relatively minor connection, but it shows just how interconnected the characters of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts truly are.

Being part of the Dark Lords plans isn't the only connection Bagshot shares with a dark wizard, however. The Wizarding World is a small one, and many characters that crop up are distant relatives. This is the case with Bathilda Bagshot and the antagonist of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Gellert Grindelwald. Grindelwald, the most feared dark wizard outside Voldemort himself, is Bathilda Bagshot's great nephew. This is a relatively minor connection, but it shows just how interconnected the characters of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts truly are.

Anthony Goldstein & The Goldstein Sisters

Tina and queenie have a distant relative in harry's year at hogwarts.

The Goldstein sisters, Tina and Queenie Goldstein, were two of the best characters introduced to the franchise in the Fantastic Beasts prequels. However, despite being American wizards with seemingly no connection to Hogwarts, at least one of their relatives had already appeared in the Harry Potter books, albeit in a "blink and you'll miss it" capacity.

Anthony Goldstein is Ravenclaw who started Hogwarts the same year as Harry, Ron, and Hermione in 1991. J.K. Rowling confirmed via a tweet that Anthony is indeed a distant relative of Queenie and Tina from Fantastic Beasts. Anthony doesn't appear much in Harry Potter, with his first named appearance in Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix. He later joins Dumbledore's Army.

Aberforth Dumbledore & Aurelius Dumbledore

Dumbledore's nephew is a key fantastic beasts character.

In Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore , it is revealed that Aberforth Dumbledore (Richard Coyle), the younger brother of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) , fathered a son with a woman from Godric's Hallow. This son turns out to be one of the Fantastic Beasts characters, Credence Barebone, born Aurelius Dumbledore, son to Aberforth, and nephew to Albus. While not much is known about Aurelius's mother, Albus tells Newt Scamander that she was " sent away ," assuming she took the infant Aurelius with her.

Since the two brothers were emotionally distant, Aberforth doesn't share that he's fathered a long-lost child with anyone. Albus realizes the relation between Credence and Aberforth when the ashes of Credence's phoenix fall onto his suit coat, all while Aberforth communicates with this son by way of the mirror in the Hog's Head. Aberforth is reunited with his son after the confrontation with Grindelwald. During Fantastic Beasts 3 ' emotional climax, Aurelius asks Aberforth if he's ever thought of his son, to which he replies with the infamous Severus Snape line " Always ."

Bellatrix Lestrange & Leta Lestrange

Bellatrix married into leta's family.

Though it is safe to assume Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter) and Leta (Zoë Kravitz) are related due to their shared surname , the Lestrange family tree is much more convoluted than it initially appears. Though Bellatrix was originally born into the Black family, she eventually married Rodolphus Lestrange, with the pair's potential blood relation throwing a spanner in the works. Rodolphus' ancestor, Radolphus Lestrange, served as Minister for Magic from 1835 to 1841.

In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald , Corvus Lestrange IV (Keith Chanter) is introduced, residing in France during the 1920s and dying shortly after sending his daughter Leta and son Corvus away from the country — which means there's a disconnect in the Lestrange family tree between the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films.

There is another possible version of the Lestrange lineage in the bloodline of Cyrille Lestrange I, with Cyrille and his brother, Corvus I, being Leta Lestrange's great-great-grandfather.

There is another possible version of the Lestrange lineage in the bloodline of Cyrille Lestrange I, with Cyrille and his brother, Corvus I, being Leta Lestrange's great-great-grandfather. Cyrille's lineage ended with Nozéa Lestrange in 1927, who was unmarried and without children. Rodolphus might have descended from this line of Lestrange's, but he isn't shown on the Lestrange family tree seen in The Crimes of Grindewald (even though he served as Minister for Magic during the mid-1800s).

The family tree seen in the sequel film spans the 1700s to the 1900s, so, in theory, Rodolphus should appear, though he may have been removed as a blood traitor given he went on to become Minister of Magic (like Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter ), much like Sirius Black was from his family tree in the original Harry Potter timeline. While there are not yet any canonical relationships between Leta, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus at the time being, Lestrange remains a very familiar surname in the Wizarding World and could yet be explored in the fourth installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore certainly sets up a sequel - but will there be a Fantastic Beasts 4? Here's everything we know so far.

Multiple Harry Potter Characters & Leta Lestrange

The bellatrix connection links leta to several wizarding world characters.

Being related to Bellatrix Lestrange also means that Leta is, albeit distantly, related to multiple other Harry Potter characters too. In fact, it's safe to say that Leta is the most connected to the characters in Harry Potter out of all of those introduced in Fantastic Beasts due to this single connection. Bellatrix is related, either by blood or by merit to her marriage to Rudolphus , to many other Harry Potter characters which means, by extension, Leta Lestrange is too.

While many of these connections are incredibly distant when it comes to Leta Lestrange, it does mean that she'd appear on their family trees. As various moments in the Harry Potter books and movies proved, the wizarding world — especially when it comes to pureblood families — take their family trees incredibly seriously. In marrying Rudolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix ensured that the Fantastic Beasts character would appear somewhere on the family trees of multiple wizarding households, including the Malfoys, Blacks, and Crabbes.

Lord Voldemort & Nagini

Voldemort and nagini share an unexplained connection.

In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald , Nagini (Claudia Kim) is re-introduced as a woman who is kept captive in the Circus Arcanus by its ringmaster, Skender (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson). She eventually leaves this twisted circus to help her friend, Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), find his family. It is subsequently revealed that Nagini is a Maledictus, whose blood curse will permanently transform her into a snake. Nagini isn't in Fantastic Beasts 3 , so her future in the Fantastic Beasts franchise is uncertain. Her portrayal in the films is as a kind, loyal friend who refutes Gellert Grindewald's influence on Credence, imploring him to stay with her instead of joining the dark wizard.

This doesn't necessarily align with her eventual relationship with Lord Voldemort, so warrants further explanation. It's apparent that she eventually succumbs to the curse and joins Voldemort in his quest for power, becoming his loyal servant and eventual Horcrux. However, exactly how Nagini ends up refuting one dark wizard in favor of another is left unexplained by the end of the third Fantastic Beasts entry.

The connection that Voldemort and Nagini share is unbreakable. The two harbor a deeply personal bond. Voldemort possesses her to attack Arthur Weasley at the Ministry of Magic, and it is Nagini's venom that helps keep Voldemort alive. If the two other Fantastic Beasts films are greenlit, Nagini's story could be a pivotal plot point in the future.

Luna Lovegood & Newt Scamander

Luna becomes newt's daughter-in-law.

Before the release of the first film, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them , Newt Scamander was simply known as the author of the book by the same name which was recommended reading for Hogwarts students in their first year of school. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) purchase their copies of Newt's book at Flourish & Blotts, and the character isn't mentioned further.

However, J.K Rowling does bring up the surname Scamander once again after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows after Rowling confirmed what happened to Luna Lovegood after Harry Potter . Rowling states that Luna ends up marrying Rolf Scamander, grandson to both Newt and Porpentina Scamander (née Goldstein). Rolf followed his grandfather's footsteps and became a magizoologist himself, eventually falling in love with Luna. This makes Luna Lovegood the great-daughter-in-law of both Newt and Tina Scamander, further cementing another prestige family lineage in the Harry Potter canon.

Quentin Kowalski & Queenie Goldstein & Jacob Kowalski

An american quidditch player may be related to the fantastic beasts characters.

Quentin Kowalski was an American wizard who played as a Chaser for the 2014 American National Quidditch team, written about by Ginny Potter in an issue of the Daily Prophet. He may share a relationship with Queenie (Alison Sudol) and Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), given the three share the same surname. At the end of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore , Jacob and Queenie get married despite their marriage violating the Rappaport's Law previously established in the first Fantastic Beasts .

While it's not established whether Jacob and Queenie have any children, it's an easy assumption to make, given the two of them share a lot of love for each other and the world around them. While still unconfirmed, Quentin Kowalski may indeed be a part of Queenie's and Jacob's ending after all following their Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore coda.

From Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore to Harry Potter & The Cursed Child, we explore all the main beats in JK Rowling's complex timeline.

One Fantastic Beasts Character Could Link Voldemort, Snape, And Dumbledore's Families

There are several connections that are theorized.

There is one of the Fantastic Beasts characters that could link several prominent wizarding families together: Credence Barebone. Since no one knows anything about Credence's mother, rumors and theories have been flying about who the woman could've been, and who she was related to. Audiences know that the Dumbledores grew up in Godric's Hollow, the same neighborhood that the Potters lived in, and a popular wizarding borough in general.

It's stated in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore that Aberforth met a girl from "the village". This means Credence's Mom also comes from magical stock. Since Rowling is bringing back a lot of Harry Potter surnames to the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Credence could be related to some like Merope Gaunt (mother to Tom Riddle/Voldemort) or Severus Snape, who also share ties to that time/place in the canon.

Since nothing is known about Credence's mother, other than that she was a witch from Godric's Hollow, much of the guesswork regarding his parentage comes down to the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts timelines and narrative links. A lot of parallels, for example, have been made between Snape and Credence since Fantastic Beasts 3 gave him a Snape-like makeover . Snape's surname was taken from his muggle father, Tobias Snape, while his magical lineage comes from his mother's side, Eileen Prince. It's possible that Credence's mother could've been a Prince, given the striking resemblance Snape bore to his mother and Credence has to Severus.

The other major theory floating around is that Credence is related to the Gaunt family, aka Voldemort's magical lineage . Credence's mother would've also been Merope's mother, given that Merope was born 7 years after him. Nothing is really known about her mother, but the unlikely to be made Fantastic Beasts 4 or 5 could be set around the time that Tom Riddle was just entering Hogwarts.

This means that the Voldemort/Dumbledore relationship could be explored in the upcoming movies — if they were to happen. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore luckily avoided breaking canon by making Credence Aberforth's son, but it doesn't mean that J.K. Rowling could be reaching for another connection in the unlikely upcoming installments.

Fantastic Beasts' Harry Potter Connections Hurt The Franchise

Some felt that the connections became too convoluted.

With Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore likely to be the last installment to the overall franchis e, there's no better time to explore exactly where the series went wrong — and that reasoning could lie in its Harry Potter connections. While it's quite a treat to see familiar names and faces pop up from Fantastic Beasts ' predecessor, some of these resulted in breaking Harry Potter canon. For starters, there was Minerva McGonagall . The much younger Transfiguration teacher first appeared in The Crimes of Grindelwald , and given that she already had a clearly defined backstory as written by Rowling, her presence blatantly broke canon.

Dumbledore was also a major thread that connected Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter , and while his presence was necessary if Grindelwald was the villain, his character essentially hijacked the series from Newt, with the third movie's title all but confirming this. Had he been introduced earlier on in the prequels it may not have been as big an issue, but it became one nonetheless.

Finally, Nagini's character was one of the most distracting aspects of The Crimes of Grindelwald . This weird Harry Potter twist of turning Voldemort's most treasured companion into a human woman with a blood curse, and also Credence's friend, seemed like a reach. Other connections like that of the Lestrange family were too confusing in their subplots, making the connective tissue between Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter seem contrived. While these points weren't wholly responsible for tanking Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore , they didn't do the dying franchise any favors.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.

Key Release Dates

Fantastic beasts: the secrets of dumbledore.