Ah, here we are. We have finally reached the end, the finale, the conclusion we've all been waiting for (and reading up to over thousands of pages and millions of words). I remember getting this at midnight and having to run to my car so as to avoid the possibility of someone screaming out what happened. I stocked up on cupcakes and energy drinks to stay up and plow through it. It turns out I needed neither as this book was more amazing than I really think anyone had anticipated. Yes, it was going to be amazing, but it was far beyond my expectations.
Snape delivers news to Voldy that Harry is to be moved earlier than expected. He kills the Muggle Studies teacher, a guard shows up at Privet Drive and the "Seven Potters" are on their way. The Death Eaters are in hot pursuit, Harry's wand does some fancy work against Voldy, they end up at the Burrow with Mad-Eye dead, Mundungus gone and George without one ear. The wedding of Bill & Fleur approaches, Scrimgeour relays the last will and testament of Dumby to the trio and BOOM. The ministry falls, the minister lays slain and the Death Eaters attack the wedding. Next thing you know, the trio finds themselves on the run. After a run in with two enemies, they apparate to Number 12 Grimmauld Place and the hunt for the Horcuxes begins. They realize that they threw away one of the horcruxes when cleaning the house and ask Kreacher if he kept it. He recounts the story of Regulus, Voldy and the locket and tell them Mundungus took the locket. He's sent off to find him, he tells them that he sold it to Umbridge and a plan is hatched to attack the ministry. After a disastrous encounter at the ministry, they get the locket and escape, only to have Yaxley see where they were apparating to. They now begin to camp in woods, fields and areas where they can be concealed with more than just the protective charms Hermione uses. When they can't figure out how to destroy the locket, they take turns wearing it which leads to problems and unease among the trio. Conversations repeat themselves and the lack of news and interaction of and with the outside world takes its toll. In a fit of rage, Ron leaves. After a few weeks, Harry and Hermione visit Godric's Hollow where disaster strikes once more. Finally, Ron returns at just the right moment and helps Harry destroy the locket. Soon after, Hermione suggests a trip to see Xenophilius Lovegood. They discover the meaning of Dumby's gift to her and learn of the Deathly Hallows. Harry soon realizes Voldy has set off in search of the Elder Wand. More time passes and without thinking, Harry says Voldy's name and the trio is caught by snatchers. They realize they might have Harry Potter and take them to Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix sees the sword, tortures Hermione and Dobby helps Luna, Dean, Mr.Ollivander, Griphook, Harry, Ron and Hermione escape. Once at Shell Cottage, Harry hatches a plan to break into the Lestrange's vault. The trio and Griphook use the hair found on Hermione's clothes to disguise herself as Bellatrix. The break-in goes awry, but they find another horcrux. They narrowly escape on the half-blind dragon guarding the deepest vaults and Harry sees that Voldy knows they're on the hunt for horcruxes.
It's time to head back to Hogwarts.
They apparate into Hogsmeade, almost get caught by awaiting death eaters and are thankfully saved by Abenforth Dumbledore. They tell him they need to find a way into the school, so Abenforth tells the portrait of a lovely young girl that she knows what to do. She returns, her portrait swings open and a beaten Neville appears. He aids them in returning to the castle and Harry asks if anyone knows of anything of Ravenclaw's that might be of value. Luna takes him to the Ravenclaw common room to see what the diadem looks like, but a Carrow is waiting to press her dark mark to call Voldy to the school. McGonnagal sees Harry, alerts the heads of houses, epically battles Snape and begins to evacuate while simultaneously protecting the school.
The battle begins.
A battle of epic proportions. A wizard battle only JK Rowling could dream up. There's witches, wizards, giants, unnecessarily large spiders, dementors, werewolves and ghosts going hard. Bits of the castle crash and crumble. People are lying dead or cursed left and right. Harry finally finds Ron and Hermione, having just destroyed the cup, and enter the room of requirement in search of the battered bust with the tiara that guards Harry's potions book from the year before. Another Horcrux. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle head them off and one of the idiot goons sets off fiendfyre, almost killing them all. The diadem is vanquished. A bit more fighting, the absolute worst demise (in my book), Snape meets his end and Voldy stops the fight and gives Harry one hour to hand himself over. Harry views Snape's memories, realizes what he is and heads toward the forest.
Personally, the next sequence in the book was the hardest for me to read. I remember reading that chapter and just losing it once he turned the Resurrection Stone. Not because I knew that Harry was going to meet his end. That was a fact that we all more or less knew was bound to happen (he was always a silly little martyr). No, it was how incredibly emotional it was when he turned it thrice in his hands and those four important characters presented themselves to him as his own personal guard. I read that and thought to myself, "Poor Daniel Radcliffe. It was hard enough to read this scene. Imagine having to act that out. That's terrible." Now I wonder whether it was a closed set and if it was, who he talked to or what he did after. If it was open to anyone, who showed up to watch that and how did it make them feel? I know that that's silly, but it is what it is. Okay, back to the story.
He ends up in a sort of limbo after being struck with the killing curse (good lord, this post is getting long!) and decides to go back thus killing the horcrux. He's carried back by Hagrid, Neville proves himself worthy of being placed in Gryffindor and Harry escapes. The battle rages once more and Harry does all he can to further protect those he loves. (Sidenote-did anyone else smile a little when he started listing those he loved off and named Luna? It was just so perfect.) Molly Weasley gives the best line in the entire story, slays Bellatrix and it's now come down to Harry and Voldy. After the shock of his being alive subsides, they circle each other and Harry reigns victorious.
Celebrations. Happiness. 19 Years Later. Harry and Ginny. Ron and Hermione. All their kids. Draco and his little family. It's off to Hogwarts for the new generation of students. His scar didn't hurt and "All was well."
I loved that this book was so incredibly labyrinthine. She was pulling small details that we all overlooked from all of the previous six chapters of the story. The deluminator, the basilisk venom, saving Pettigrew's life, using Harry's blood, the mirror, the tiara guarding his book. It was all important. She didn't just give us a book that tied up loose ends. She gave us a book that was a stand alone, edge of your seat masterpiece. I hardly say things like that, but then again, we hardly find writers as talented as JK Rowling.
I frankly loved the way both parts of this book were adapted. The first one perfectly encapsulated the loneliness they found themselves in and the problems they faced by continually having to move their location. They were always in danger no matter what they did. I also feel that part one was WITHOUT A DOUBT, Emma Watson's finest acting to date. No one could match her in that movie. Granted, everyone was absolutely fantastic, but homegirl owned it and made it hers. What I enjoyed most about the first one was Scabior. They made him a much more important character and I was, in an odd way, extremely attracted to him. I thought that was a fantastic change. For the second movie, I thought they did an amazing job with showing the urgency in finishing the job and the intense panic that was running through everyone. The battle was huge and crazy and amazing. Of all of the movies, my personal favorite change was Neville admitting that he loved Luna. I wanted them to be together and wish she would have written that into the story. I was a little upset at the end when they weren't, but they were in the movie and that's what matters.
There will never be anything like Harry Potter for my generation. It's been with us for over a decade and seen us through elementary school, middle school, high school and into our college years. Kudos to JK Rowling. Good luck to the three young stars turned fine adult actors. Goodbye to the boy wizard.
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