Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and last book in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. It was released at 00:01 local time in English speaking countries.

The title was first released to the public through a hangman game posted by J. K. Rowling on her official website on December 21st, 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 that '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 15 million copies in the first 24 hours.

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."

This dedication is formatted in the shape of Harry's scar. Also it can be noted that it is split into seven, just like Voldemort and his six Horcruxes.

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?

Plot
The final book begins with Voldemort and his Death Eaters at the home of Lucius Malfoy, Malfoy Manor. They are beginning to plan out how to kill Harry Potter during his evacuation from 4 Privet Drive when he will be vulnerable. After "borrowing" Lucius's wand &mdash; Voldemort does so in a way that indicates Lucius has no choice &mdash; Voldemort kills his captive, Hogwarts Muggle Studies Professor Charity Burbage, for teaching the subject and penning an article suggesting that Muggles should be treated as equals to Pure-bloods.

Harry Potter, 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 Albus Dumbledore. One is sympathetic, the other critical. In those obituaries, it is revealed that Dumbledore'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 of 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.

Harry begins having regrets about not having asked Dumbledore more about his past, but this is soon forgotten as he leaves his home that night. He convinces his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and cousin Dudley 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.

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 to protect them while riding on broomsticks or Thestrals, while Harry leaves with Hagrid in a side-car attached to Sirius'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 Hagrid 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, Harry's wand acts of its own accord and shoots a curse at Voldemort that breaks Lucius's 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.

Harry finds Hagrid, who had survived his fall, and meets Tonks' parents, Ted and Andromeda. The couple show the two a Portkey, which transports them straight to the Burrow. There, the casualties are counted: Hedwig was struck by a Killing Curse; George's ear was slashed off by Severus Snape; Mad-Eye Moody was killed by Voldemort himself. Harry later has a vision regarding his escape, as a result of a connection between his and Voldemort's minds, in which Voldemort questions Ollivander, who crafted the wands, about why Harry's wand acted as it did. Ollivander is unable to explain.

During their time at the Burrow, Harry, Hermione, and Ron are kept busy with preparations for Bill and Fleur's wedding, which Harry suspects is an attempt by Mrs. Weasley, Ron's mother, 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.

The day before the wedding, Harry's 17th birthday, Harry 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. He also shares a short romantic embrace with his ex-girlfriend, Ginny Weasley. Knowing that he was about to leave, she 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 the personal effects of Albus Dumbledore, 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; and to Harry, Godric Gryffindor's Sword, and the first Golden Snitch Harry had ever caught in a Hogwarts Quidditch match. The sword was withheld because, Scrimgeour 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 Fleur and Bill's wedding the following day.

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 savory 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. During the wedding celebration, Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus arrives to warn the attendants that Lord Voldemort has taken over the Ministry of Magic and Rufus Scrimgeour has been killed. 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 Severus Snape could get in, with reinforcement Death Eaters, but their fears were soon realised to be untrue as they reached the dilapidated house.

The first morning there, Harry finds the name Regulus Arcturus Black, the deceased younger brother of his also deceased godfather Sirius, and a former Death Eater, on a bedroom door. Harry realises that Regulus was the "R.A.B." from the fake Horcrux locket 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 Fletcher stole the locket, and they send him to find Fletcher.

While waiting for Kreacher, the trio are visited by Order member Remus Lupin. 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 the Ministry is 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 Tonks, 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 Lupin angrily storms off. Later, Kreacher brings Fletcher back to 12 Grimmauld Place, but he has already given away the locket to Dolores Umbridge as a bribe.

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. After being separated, Harry discovers "Mad-Eye" Moody's magical eye has been taken by Umbridge. Thinking it a disgrace to Moody'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 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 Moody's eye missing. Once they reunite with Ron, they encourage the Muggle-borns to flee the country. They make for the exit, and as they escape, their hiding place is discovered, Ron is injured, 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.

After several weeks of travelling in which they accomplish nothing, they overhear a conversation between Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Dean Thomas, and the 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 Severus 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 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 angrily departs claiming that Hermione had chosen Harry over himself when she decides to stay, leaving Harry and Hermione together. 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 Bagshot, who was an old family friend of the Dumbledores. They follow her to her house, where they find a picture of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald. He was Bagshot's relative, and long ago, Dumbledore's childhood friend. However, it is actually a trap; "Bathilda" is actually Nagini, Voldemort’s snake familiar, and after a very violent encounter, Harry and Hermione only narrowly escape from Voldemort. In the chaos, Hermione casts a Blasting Curse that destroys Harry's wand.

Harry was briefly incapacitated following the incident in Godric's Hollow, and he and Hermione spend Harry's few days convalescence in the Forest of Dean where Harry sits down to vindictively read Rita Skeeter's book The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore. He discovers that the boy he saw in Lord Voldemort's mind is none other than Grindelwald and that Dumbledore and Grindelwald 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. The following evening, a Patronus in the shape of a silvery doe appears on the edge of their camp and leads Harry to Godric Gryffindor's Sword, hidden in a frozen forest pool. Harry strips down to his underwear and dives down after the sword, but the locket Horcrux around his neck tries to keep Harry under the water long enough for him to drown.

Ron returns in time to save Harry from drowning and pulls the sword out of the pool, as Harry puts his many layers of clothes back on. Then Harry suggests that it is Ron who must destroy the Horcrux with the sword. Once the Horcrux is opened, they find inside Tom Riddle's eyes. From these eyes distorted versions of Harry and Hermione appear, the pair then speak to Ron with Voldemort's cruel voice, mocking Ron for his insecurities and then passionately kissing. Enraged by this, Ron manages to stab the locket. Afterwards, Harry tells Ron he has absolutely no romantic feelings for Hermione, because he loves her as a sister and that she was very upset when Ron left. The two then return to camp. Ron reveals that he was able to find Harry with the aid of Dumbledore's gift, the Deluminator, which has more powers 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 pouring 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. 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.

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. Hermione's quick thinking comes in handy when she uses a jinx to disfigure Harry's face so he is not immediately recognizable. They all give false aliases, but the Snatchers soon find out their true identities, albeit a little uncertain. Because of their uncertainy, 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 to find how the trio acquired the sword, while Ron and Harry are locked in a cellar with Dean, Griphook, 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. Ron and Harry, helpless to aid him, rush upstairs to save Hermione. They peek through the door to find Hermione passed out on the floor, and Bellatrix questioning Griphook. 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. 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 arrive at Bill and Fleur's home, Shell Cottage. Regaining his senses, Harry realises that Dobby is dying. He digs Dobby's grave by hand as Hermione and Griphook's injuries are tended to in the house. The group holds a little funeral for the brave elf who saved their lives. While digging the grave, Harry did some thinking. He realises that Dumbledore had been right about Dobby and Ron and Pettigrew. He comes to a reaffirmation of faith in his old mentor and loses his burning obsession with the Deathly Hallows. When the assembled group head back into the Cottage, Harry 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.

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 in to the Bank, but he is very careful not to mention when, as Goblins are notoriously known for going back on their word. The trio spend 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.

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, 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.

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 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.

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's 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 abilities. Percival attacked the Muggles in retaliation. The family kept Ariana and her condition secret, to protect her, with Kendra and Aberforth caring for her the most. However, one of Ariana's outbursts killed Kendra. With Aberforth about to return to school, Albus 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. The three wizards got into a duel, in which Ariana was killed. After sharing this sad story and being told 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 D.A. 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. 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. 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 brothers.

With the cup and diadem destroyed, only one Horcrux remains, Voldemort's snake familiar 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. 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. 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. 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. It is revealed that Snape was, in fact, a triple agent for Dumbledore, motivated to protect Harry's life at all costs by his lifelong love of Harry's mother and that had been loyal to Dumbledore ever since Voldemort had decided to go after the Potters. Dumbledore, cursed to die when he placed on the Gaunt family ring, not thinking that the Horcrux would carry a curse, had asked Snape to kill him if the situation demanded it, to spare himself a longer death at the hands of Voldemort's henchmen. It is also shown that Snape had stolen the true Sword of Gryffindor and then passed it on to Harry.

Harry also learns from these memories that Dumbledore believed Harry a Horcrux and that Voldemort cannot be killed until Harry himself is killed by Voldemort. Now 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 no fear as he allows himself to be hit with the Killing Curse. His last thought is of Ginny.

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 separated by the attempted murder and is represented in his vision by a flayed naked child, whimpering in agony and abandoned under a bench, which is Voldemort.

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. Harry is given the choice of moving on or returning to try to stop Voldemort. Harry chooses to return and fight.

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. 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. At the height of the battle, Voldemort fights 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 kills Bellatrix. In his anger, Voldemort tries to smite 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 &mdash; Voldemort possesses the Elder Wand and has murdered who 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, mastery of the wand 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 from defeating him, but that not all went according to plan. Harry also attempts to save Voldemort who he is calling by his given name, Tom Riddle, from himself by telling him to feel some remorse. This shocks Voldemort more than anything Harry has 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 Killing Curse rebounds on Voldemort. Harry's theory has been proven correct &mdash; the Elder Wand refused to kill its true master. Voldemort, bereft of all his Horcruxes, finally dies.

In the wake of the battle, 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 Hallows but chooses to deliberately lose the Resurrection Stone and hopes to deactivate the Elder Wand as well. Dumbledore's portrait applauds his decision.

In the story's epilogue, taking place nineteen years, that is in 2017, after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry and Ginny are married and have three children named James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna Potter. Neville Longbottom has become the Herbology professor at Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione are married and have two children named Rose and Hugo. They all remain close friends. Draco Malfoy is married to a woman who is later disclosed as Astoria Greengrass and has a boy named Scorpius. He has been spared an imprisonment in Azkaban.

They all meet at King's Cross, prepared to send their children to Hogwarts at the beginning of term. Albus secretly 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 the bravest man he ever knew, as well as, reminding him that the Hat will also take into account his personal preference, as it had so many years before when Harry himself was sorted. As he watches the train pull away, Harry absent-mindedly touches the scar on his forehead, noting that it had not pained him in nineteen years. The story closes with the words, "All was well."

Book chapters

 * 1) The Dark Lord Ascending
 * 2) In MemoriamThe_Will_of_Albus_Dumbledore.jpg and Ginny embracing in Ginny's Room on Harry's 17th birthday - The logo of "The Will of Albus Dumbledore" chapter.]]
 * 3) The Dursleys Departing
 * 4) The Seven Potters
 * 5) Fallen Warrior
 * 6) The Ghoul in Pyjamas
 * 7) The Will of Albus Dumbledore
 * 8) The Wedding
 * 9) A Place to Hide
 * 10) Kreacher's Tale
 * 11) The Bribe
 * 12) Magic is Might
 * 13) The Muggle-Born Registration Commission
 * 14) The Thief
 * 15) The Goblin's Revenge
 * 16) Godric's Hollow
 * 17) Bathilda's Secret
 * 18) The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore
 * 19) The Silver Doe
 * 20) Xenophilius Lovegood
 * 21) The Tale of the Three Brothers
 * 22) The Deathly Hallows
 * 23) Malfoy Manor
 * 24) The Wandmaker
 * 25) Shell Cottage
 * 26) Gringotts
 * 27) The Final Hiding Place
 * 28) The Missing Mirror
 * 29) The Lost Diadem
 * 30) The Sacking of Severus Snape
 * 31) The Battle of Hogwarts
 * 32) The Elder Wand
 * 33) The Prince's Tale
 * 34) The Forest Again
 * 35) King's Cross
 * 36) The Flaw in the Plan
 * Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later

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 over Little Whinging. Here is a list of people killed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in order of appearance/death:

Background to the series
The books concern the adventures of Harry Potter at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and his struggle against the evil villain of the books, Lord Voldemort. Harry is aided in this by his school friends, notably Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, and by various adults including the school's headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Harry, by accident of birth and a prophecy foretelling his importance, has become the centre of all attention by both sides in the long running war between Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix and Ministry of Magic on one side, and Voldemort's Death Eaters on the other.

The series of books was originally published as a children's book by UK publishers Bloomsbury, and US publishers Scholastic. However, it rapidly became a phenomenal success both amongst children and amongst adults. The books each chronicle one year at school for the characters concerned and follows a long tradition of children serial books about life in schools. Perhaps unlike some of the traditional series of this format, each book has matured and expanded in complexity and scope compared to the last, approximately developing with the age of the principal characters. Although it is reported that the author had comprehensively plotted the entire series of books before the first was published, and that this plot remains unchanged, she has also stated that it has undergone a number of revisions as it has progressed. This may in part reflect the extraordinary success of the book and a need to direct its content more towards the adult market. The books started as relatively slim volumes of 300 pages, but have grown towards 700 pages as the series progressed.

Choice of title and symbolism


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 Halloween 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 house, 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. These became the four suits in a pack of Tarot cards and took on the representation of the four magical elements, earth, air, fire and water.

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 authorized the alternative title "Harry Potter and the Relics of Death" to translate.

Editions
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.

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.

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.

Film adaptation
It has been confirmed that there is a film adaptation for the seventh book. The movie is into two parts, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and II. Part I was released on November 19th, 2010 and Part II is due out July 15th, 2011. David Yates will be directing both parts, and all the major cast members are slated to return.

Behind the scenes

 * In some American versions of this book, on page 126, the chapter is called Chapter One instead of Chapter Seven.Photo_4.jpg
 * This book is noted for its profanity, as Aberforth Dumbledore called the three Muggle children who attacked his sister "bastards," Hermione Granger calls Ron Weasley an 'arse' and Molly Weasley calling Bellatrix Lestrange a "bitch." Ron Weasley calls Draco Malfoy a "two-faced bastard" when he sees him trying to convince a Death Eater he is on their side. 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 word 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". Other books had used light profanity, but had never delved beyond "damn" or "hell" (although this book uses both with a much higher frequency than the first 6 books). Book six similarly used more swearing, but not as much as this book. For example, Morfin calls Merope a "slut" for marrying a Muggle.
 * It is speculated that Lavender Brown died, but this has not been confirmed. Yet it stated that "Two bodies fell from the balcony overhead as they reached the ground, and a grey blur that Harry took for an animal sped four-legged across the hall to sink its teeth into one of the fallen. "NO!" shrieked Hermione, and with a deafening blast from her wand Fenrir Greyback was thrown backward from the feebly stirring body of Lavender Brown." It said he'd went to one of the fallen, and the next thing it states he flew off the body of Lavender Brown making her the fallen. Fallen could state the two bodies that fell, or dead corpses. And as it stated the feebly stirring body, it is more likely that she was just unconscious.
 * In the end of "The Goblin's Revenge" as soon as Ron starts fighting with Harry, the book had stated that it had started to rain. When Ron left, Hermione chased him and when she came back the book described the area as now pouring with rain. This shows that the rain seemed to get worse with the fight, as several times it mentions the rain getting heavier, although this is not 100% confirmed.
 * In the American edition, when Selwyn and Travers arrive at the Lovegood house and torture Xenophilius Lovegood, one of the pair refers to the Crumple-Horned Snorkack as a Crumple-Headed Snorkack.
 * In the Icelandic version, the book is only dedicated to only six people; Neil, Jessica, David, Kenzie, Di, and one for you, if you have watched Harry from the beginning. Anne is left out.