Voldemort's Last Stand

"So it all comes down to this, doesn’t it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does … I am the true master of the Elder Wand.”"

- Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort during the final moments of the duel

A duel between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort occured at the end of the Battle of Hogwarts at dawn on 2 May, 1998. It was the climatic and deciding point for the battle and the final confrontation of Harry and Voldemort, and its outcome signified the end of the Second Wizarding War.

Background
In the middle of the battle, after Harry Potter witnessed the death of Severus Snape in the Shrieking Shack, he took a flask of Snape's memories to Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve and viewed them. After seeing memories covering years of the professor's life, Harry realised that Snape was a loyal member of the Order of the Phoenix, and he, Harry, was a Horcrux. He ventured out to the Forbidden Forest alone, knowing that saying "goodbye" to Ron and Hermione would be far too painful. As he was passing the dementors, he opened the Golden Snitch left to him to reveal the Resurrection Stone. Using the stone, he summoned the spirits of his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. They gave him strength as he went to his death. In the Forbidden Forest Acromantula colony, he found Lord Voldemort and allowed himself to be hit with the Killing Curse, destroying the Horcrux that was Harry.

The battle
Believing Harry to be dead, Voldemort brought the Chosen One before the Hogwarts students. Angered, Neville Longbottom ran at Voldemort and decapitated Nagini with Godric Gryffindor's Sword. This began the battle. Voldemort attempted to cast a certain spell at Molly Weasley after she has just defeated one of his last and most loyal followers, Bellatrix Lestrange, but was stopped by Harry's Shield Charm (Protego), at which point Harry then revealed himself.

The duel
"There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me now Voldemort. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good."

- Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort



As soon as Harry revealed himself, he and the Dark Lord began to circle each other. Harry said to Voldemort that one of them was to die in the duel. Voldemort expressed his belief that Harry would die. Harry explained to him that Albus Dumbledore's death was planned between the former Hogwarts headmaster and Severus Snape, that way the Elder Wand's power should have died with him. Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy Disarmed Dumbledore, making him the true master of the Elder Wand. Voldemort said he would just kill Draco Malfoy, but then Harry added that he Disarmed Draco Malfoy, making him the true master of the Elder Wand. At the same time, Harry and Voldemort cast their spells — Harry attempting to Disarm Voldemort, and Voldemort attempting to kill Harry. The Elder Wand refused to kill its master, so it flipped over, and Harry caught it. The rebounding Killing Curse hit Lord Voldemort, and he was finally destroyed once and for all.



Aftermath
After the death of Voldemort, Harry returned the Elder Wand to Dumbledore's tomb, kept the Cloak of Invisibility, and left the Resurrection Stone where he dropped it in the Forbidden Forest. After the war ended, Harry went on to become an Auror, married Ginny Weasley, and started a family. The wizarding world was free again, and the surviving Death Eaters were imprisoned, as well as those who had collaborated with them. The Ministry of Magic radically reformed under Kingsley Shacklebolt, the new Minister for Magic.

Behind the scenes

 * In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the duel between Harry and Voldemort, as explained by David Yates, is extended and they fight at many different places at Hogwarts, with the final confrontation in the Entrance Courtyard. This is repeated into the video game.
 * In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Harry blocks Voldemort's Killing Curse twice. Once on a staircase and again at the Entrance Courtyard.
 * In the battle, Harry Potter and Tom Riddle used the first spell they used one against another. Avada Kedavra and Expelliarmus.

Differences between the book and the film adaptation
In the film version of the duel, Harry reveals himself after he jumps from Hagrid's arms as Voldemort looks on with a surprised and bewildered look. Harry then fires a Blasting Curse at Nagini, but due to her protection, it rebounds on several Death Eaters behind Voldemort. Next, Harry dashes through the Courtyard as Voldemort follows, firing explosions at him. Shocked, Voldemort turns and sees a fraction of his Death Eaters retreating. He then turns and sees Harry dashing into the Entrance Hall as the battle recommences. Harry runs up the Grand Staircase; Voldemort stuns Neville, sending him flying into the Great Hall. Voldemort then grabs Nagini and Disapparates in pursuit.

Harry runs through a dusty sixth floor corridor. When he hears a noise out of his line of sight, he turns and fires an explosion at it. He then runs and hides near the main staircase just as Voldemort Apparates with Nagini in tow. With a Basilisk fang in hand, Harry comes out of his hiding spot and fires a Stunning Spell at Voldemort, which he blocks. The Dark Lord then fires Killing Curses at Harry, which Harry blocks due to the Elder Wand failing Voldemort. After deflecting a barrage of Killing Curses, Voldemort Disapparates behind Harry, and Harry barely blocks a Killing Curse with his Disarming Charm; the two spells meet and clash. Voldemort advancing on Harry, with Nagini ready to attack. Harry throws the tendrils above into the ceiling causing a large explosion and the ceiling to collapse on Voldemort. Harry turns to see Nagini and is ready to stab her with the basilisk fang when Voldemort releases a shockwave of dark energy. Harry narrowly evades it by jumping off the staircase. Voldemort destroys the basilisk fang with a Killing Curse and attempts to fire one at Harry. Harry begins to run as Voldemort Apparates, following.

Harry runs through the Stone Bridge Tower and turns around, expecting Voldemort, but unexpectedly he turns around to see Voldemort firing a blue energy spell at Harry. Though he deflects it, it instead hits the bridge and Harry falls. As he attempts to run, a part of Voldemort's cloak grabs and strangles Harry. As it continues to wrap Harry, Voldemort lifts him up. He then throws Harry into a stone pillar and proceeded to slap Harry and kick him. As Harry attempts to regain his footing, Voldemort strangles him with his wand-free hand and throws him to the floor. He slaps Harry again. Harry tells Voldemort that the Elder Wand will always fail him. Voldemort pushes Harry back with a spell. Pushed to the edge, Voldemort advances, telling Harry he killed Snape. However, Harry informs that the Wand belonged to someone else, and says: "Come on, Tom. Let's finish this the way we started: together!" He grabs Voldemort around the neck and throws himself and Voldemort off the castle and into the pit below.

As the two wizards scream, Voldemort Apparates both of them away from the pit. As they are flying through the air, Harry and Voldemort begin grappling each other and slam into the roof of the school. Eventually they crash-land into the Entrance Courtyard; the impact forces their wands out of their hands.



Injured but still energised, they desperately reach for them. Once attained, Voldemort and Harry's Killing Curse and Disarming Charm respectively clash; neither are damaged. However, Voldemort unwillingly breaks free of the bond, feeling Nagini, his last Horcrux, destroyed. After a pause in the duel, their spells clash once more - although this time, Voldemort realises the Elder Wand is failing him. The connection between the two spells is moving closer to the tip of the Elder Wand; the Elder Wand releases green light from the fissures running along its length to Voldemort's hand, causing his entire arm to blacken and spread. The curse rebounds, and Harry disarms Voldemort. The Elder Wand flies to Harry and "with the unerring skills of a Seeker", Harry catches it. Voldemort gasps in horror and disintegrates into ashes. As the ashes are blown away, the sun rises.

Differences between the book and the video game adaptation
In the video game version of the duel, Harry reveals himself after he jumps from Hagrid's arms. He runs over to Draco Malfoy who gives Harry his wand. Then Voldemort and Harry duel. After three extreme hits by Harry, Voldemort lifts himself up in black smoke and follows Harry. Harry runs through the Grand Staircase and the corridors while he and Voldemort are yelling at each other. Later they find themselves in the Stone Bridge Tower, in which they duel again. In the end Voldemort fires a curse on the bridge Harry is standing on, causing him to fall. But before Harry falls, black smoke from Voldemorts robes grabs Harry. Voldemort them strangles Harry and asks him why he lives. Voldemort then tries to fire a curse at Harry's scar, but is pushed back. Harry then walks towards Voldemort, explaining the Elder Wand's mastery. Harry then throws himself and Voldemort off the tower and Voldemort Apparates them both to the Entrance Courtyard. Voldemort drops the wand and crawls towards it. Harry says it is useless to Voldemort and they begin to duel. Voldemort is then overpowered by Harry and he begins to disappear (like Tom Riddle in the second film). Voldemort then completely disappears.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)