Book #141: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J.K. Rowling

 Released: July 21st, 2007

My 7th book for 2026 was J.K. Rowling’s "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".  

[Blogger's Notes: I'm going to do this series a little bit different than I normally do.  My sister, Megan Perry, is a diehard Harry Potter fan.  Since she also does some blogging, I figured I would incorporate her thoughts on this one as well.  You can check her blog "Between The Pages" at Megan Perry Writes.

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***MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD***

Series concluding spoilers.

You have been WARNED!!!

Bryan Shades: “Severus Snape?”  The weirdest part about Deathly Hallows is how much it mirrors my life.  This book was released the month after I graduated high school, making it the first one I read outside of grade school.  Seeing as how Harry is also out of school following this one is an interesting parallel.  I remember when I was younger, my bathroom was my "office".  I would spend hours in the bathroom, "taking care of business" while knocking out a few chapters reading.  I remember with this book specifically, I would try to knock out a chapter in the bathroom, a chapter before bed, and a chapter where I could find the time.  The material was much darker, and more advanced that what had occurred in the earlier novels.

The only thing I am not in full agreement on is Harry ending up with Ginny Weasley.  Nothing against Ginny, nor the Weasley family, but I am fully on Team Hermione.  Hell, if I were a wizard, I would absolutely fall in love with her.  Harry teams with her extraordinarily well.  I understand why it turned out that way.  Harry officially joins the Weasley family, and Hermione also joins via Ron.  So in the end, the best of friends end up in the same family together in their post-Hogwarts life.  Everyone is happy.  

One of the few things I vividly remember about this one is Moody’s protective charm that greets visitors to Grimmauld Place with “Severus Snape?”  It’s hauntingly memorable.  It just sounds creepy to hear a dead guy’s everlasting voice calling out to someone who is another mysterious figure with a zombie attacker as a hidden threat.

Tonks and Lupin get married and have a child named Teddy.  It’s a shame because they both pass away leaving him an orphan.  That’s the bitter side to strong characters dying in the end.

We learn a lot about Dumbledore’s past and history.  He’s not as infallible as he seems, but remains humble and calm.

Snape redeems himself here, and it's sad because he is brutally taken out.  You essentially come to realize, Snape has lived an accomplished, but utterly difficult life.  The woman he loves married another man, had his child and then was killed.  He swore to protect the child of the woman he loved and her husband.  He was hated by legions of students for his strict discipline.  And ultimately, was put to death over a wand’s lore.

Sometimes it’s crazy to think of Harry with all this power.  Like we started way back in Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone, and he didn’t even know he was a wizard, and now he’s stopped Voldemort with the basic array of spells he has gathered over the last 6 books.  It’s an impressive leap, and more credibility to J.K. Rowling for writing an impressive series that never lets up.

We understand more about Luna, her family, and how she perceives her social relationships.

Bathilda Bagshot (at least the flesh part of her) plays an enormous role in one of the plot points.  We discover other neighbors as well in Godric’s Hollow.  Dumbledore’s, Potters, etc.

The story comes full circle when we learn the one Horcrux (Ravenclaw’s diadem) was in the Albanian Forest that Voldemort took refuge in following the attack on the Potters.  It’s crazy to thing if something literally tying all the way back to the very first book in a significant way.

The Deathly Hallows were a shocking reveal.  Some of the items we have seen used throughout the series end up being quite significant.  Interesting to see how the wand, the cloak, and the stone all play their own part in building powerful wizards.

Potterwatch hosted by Lee Jordan is simply brilliant. It’s not only great to see everyone’s favorite Quidditch announcer continue on as an adult, still hosting things.  Plus, extra commentary from the Weasley Twins is always entertaining and welcome.

Speaking of the Weasley Twins, they get a bit rocked in this one, leaving very few laughing.  George gets his ear sliced off by Snape, and Fred is dead.  Makes you wonder how George carries on with the business and his twin gone.

On the Weasley end, Percy makes his grand reentry to the family.  Apologizing for being a twit and belittling the family.

Neville plays major parts as someone brave enough and willing to fight for what is right.  Typically pictures as a loser-type, Neville really comes into his own here, and concludes as a Hogwarts professor.

The Ginny-Luna-Hermione friendship is good.  They work well together, standup for one another, and are a legitimate support group.

There’s so much to talk about.  I’ll have to come back and add things later, but so much amazingness tying the series together.

Megan Perry:

Here is what I learned.

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• 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.
• “Oh, the torment bred in the race, the grinding scream of death and the stroke that hits the vein, the hemorrhage 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.
• Lucius Malfoy uses an elm wand with dragon heartstrings.
• Tonks has married Remus Lupin.
• Charity Burbage was a Professor at Hogwarts.
• Voldemort kills Burbage before feeding her to his snake.
• Dumbledore’s father was taken to Azkaban for attacking 3 young Muggles.
• Dumbledore had a younger brother named Aberforth.
• In Dumbledore’s time, it was traditional for wizards to do a world tour.
• His mother Kendra Dumbledore died the night before the trip.
• This made Dumbledore the sole head of household for his family.
• His sister Ariana died shortly after that.
• Dumbledore discovered the 12 uses of Dragon’s Blood.
• Dumbledore and Grindelwald engaged in the most famous wizarding duel of all time in 1945.
• Rita Skeeter has written a new book, “The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore”.
• Dudley becomes more friendly to Harry after he saved his life from the Dementors.
• The Dursleys are taken into a Wizard protection program.
• The Order plan to smuggle Harry out by disguising 6 others a Harry Potter.
• The Death Eaters kill Hedwig on the journey.
• Herminone cast an enchantment on her parents where they believe themselves to be Wendell and Monica Wilkins, with a life ambition to move to Australia.  They also have no recollection of having a daughter.
• Fleur’s mother is Apolline Delacour.
• Fleur’s sister is Gabrielle.
• Dragomir Gorgovitch is a Chaser who transferred to the Chudley Cannons for a record fee.
• Gorgovitch holds the record for most Quaffle drops in a season.
• On his 17th birthday, Harry’s Trace is removed.
• He receives a book from Ron “Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches”.
• He receives a gold watch from the Weasley’s.
• It is traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age.
• He receives a new Sneakoscope from Hermione.
• He receives an enchanted razor from Bill & Fleur
• He receives chocolate from the Delacours.
• He receives all the latest merchandise from Fred & George.
• Hermione washes Ron’s laundry.
• Ginny has pictures of the Weird Sisters and Gwenog Jones on her wall.
• Ginny gives Harry a passionate kiss for his birthday.
• Hagrid gives Harry a moleskin sack that holds things that can only be retrieved by the owner.
• Norbert is actually a female dragon.
• Ron’s full name is Ronald Bilius Weasley.
• Dumbledore leaves Ron his Deluminator.
• Dumbledore leaves Hermione his copy of “The Tales of Beedle the Bard”.
• Dumbledore leaves Harry the first Snitch he ever caught.
• Snitches have flesh memories.
• Dumbledore left Harry the sword of Godric Gryffindor.
• “I open at the close”.
• Famous wizarding kids stories within Beedle the Bard are: The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, and Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump.
• Harry meets Luna’s father, Xenophilius.
• The correct name for garden gnomes is “Gernumbli gardensi”.
• Luna gets bit by a gnome, which her father interprets as a blessing.
• Harry pretends to be cousin Barny Weasley.
• Aunt Muriel is 107 years old.
• The late Uncle Bilius was a right laugh at weddings.
• Uncle Bilius died 24 hours after seeing a Grim.
• Uncle Bilius used to get drunk, run to the dance floor, lift his robes, and pull flowers out of his behind.
• Uncle Bilius never married for some reason.
• Viktor Krum has grown a beard.
• Bill’s full name is William Arthur Weasley.
• Fleur’s full name is Fleur Isabelle Delacour.
• Krum wants to duel Xenophilius for wearing the signof Grindlewald.
• Grindlewald attends Durmstrang.
• Grindlewald killed many people including Krum’s grandfather.
• Gregorovitch is a wandmaker.
• Krum bought one of the last Gregorovitch wands.
• Aunt Muriel loves Rita Skeeter.
• Muriel’s cousin Lancelot was a Healer at St Mungo’s.
• Bathilda Bagshot wrote A History of Magic.
• Bagshot lives in Godric’s Hollow.
• The Dumbledores lived in Godric’s Hollow.
• Kingsley sends a Patronus stating the Ministry has fallen, Scrimgeour is dead, and they are coming.
• Rowle was the Death Eater who let Harry get away.
• Sirius got Harry his first broomstick.
• Harry forbids Kreacher from calling anyone “Mudblood” or “Blood Traitor”.
• Elf magic is different from Wizard magic.
• Harry sends Kreacher to capture Mundungus Fletcher.
• Pius Thicknesse is the new Minister of Magic.
• "Ron, as were on the run with Harry Potter, the most wanted person in the country, I don't think it matters. If I was going back to school it would be different.”
• Tonks is pregnant.
• “Parents shouldn’t leave their kids unless…unless they’ve got to.”
• Kreacher delivers Mundungus.
• Mundungus sold the locket to Dolores Umbridge.
• Snape is chosen to become the new Headmaster of Hogwarts.
• “Merlin’s pants” is a Wizarding swear word.
• Everyone from Magical Maintenance wears navy blue robes.
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione infiltrate the Ministry.
• Hermione stuns Mafalda Hopkick at the Ministry for her polyjuice potion.
• Ron is Reg Cattermole for his polyjuice potion.
• Harry is Albert Runcorn.
• Dolores Umbridge is the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and the Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission.
• Umbridge has a poster of Harry as Undesirable Number 1, with a pink sticky note saying “To be punished”.
• Goblin-made blades imbibe only that which strengthens them.
• Ron abandons his friends and goes home.
• Godric’s Hallow was named after Godric Gryffindor.
• Harry muses about the life he never had in Godric’s Hollow.
• There is a statue of Harry and his parents at the Godric’s Hollow cemetery.
• The cemetery has a kissing gate for an entrance.
• “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
• James Potter was born March 27th, 1960, and passed away October 31st, 1981.
• Lily Potter was born January 30th, 1960, and passed away October 31st, 1981.
• Their shared grave reads “The last Emmy that shall be destroyed is death.”
• A sign appears when Harry touches his former home’s gate: “On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives.  Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard ever to have survived the Killing Curse.  This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family.”
• Voldemort hid Nagini inside of Bagshot’s body after he murdered her.
• Bagshot speaks Parseltongue.
• Hermione broke Harry’s wand by using a Blasting Curse on Nagini.
• By age 18, Albus Dumbledore had achieved Head Boy, Prefect, Winner of the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting, British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, and Gold Medal-Winner for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo.
• Grindelwald was Bagshot’s great-nephew.
• Until Voldemort arrived, Grindelwald was considered the most dangerous dark wizard of all time.
• Grindelwald was expelled from Durmstrang.
• Nurmengard was a prison Grindelwald built to hold his opponents.
• The sword of Gryffindor lies at the bottom of a lake in the Forest of Dean.
• Ron pretended to be Stan Shunpike to escape Snatchers.
• Snatchers are gangs who round up Muggle-borns and blood traitors.
• The Deluminator can detect voices and lead people to it.
• Voldemort’s name has been jinxed to track people.
• Kingsley’s Patronus is a Lynx.
• Dumbledore’s Patronus was a phoenix.
• The Lovegoods live in Ottery St Catchpole, in the hills near the Burrow.
• Ron stayed at Bill & Fleur’s new place, Shell Cottage.
• "Listen, I've got a feeling you'd be able to tell who lived there if you looked through the Lovegoods' window. Let's try the next lot of hills."
• The Lovegoods have a circular kitchen.
• Mr. Lovegood has an Erumpent Horn which is a Class B Tradable Material, dangerous to have in a household.
• Mr. Lovegood wears the sign of the Death Hallows.
• The Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone, and Cloak of Invisibility are the Deathly Hallows.
• “I mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist!"
• The possessor of the Elder wand must capture it from its previous owner.
• Luna was taken by the Death Eaters.
• Mr. Lovegood’s spell causes the Erumpent Horn to explode.
• Potterwatch is a wizarding news program that reports the truth.
• Albus is the password to hear Potterwatch.
• Potterwatch is hosted by Lee Jordan.
• Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell were murdered.
• Dean Thomas has gone missing.
• Hagrid has gone on the run.
• Hagrid evaded arrest after hosting a “Support Harry Potter” party in his house.
• The next Potterwatch password is “Mad-Eye”.
• Luna is trapped in the basement of Malfoy Manor.
• Dobby came to the Manor to rescue Harry and the prisoners.
• Wormtail strangles himself with a Silver Hand.
• Dobby dies from a knife attack while saving Harry Potter.
• Dobby is given a proper burial.
• Ollivander was hostage in the Malfoy Manor basement for over a year.
• Bellatrix Lestrange’s wand is walnut and dragon heartstring.
• Draco Malfoy’s wand is Hawthorn and Unicorn hair.
• “In general, where a has been won, its allegiance will change.”
• Peter Pettigrew’s wand is chestnut and dragon heartstring.
• Voldemort’s wand is yew and phoenix feather.
• Dumbledore had been buried with the Elder Wand.
• According to Goblin Lore, Gryffindor’s Sword was stolen by Godric Gryffindor from Ragnuk the First.
• The oldest Wizarding families store their treasures at the deepest level of Gringotts where the vaults are largest and best protected.
• Death Eaters kidnapped Luna on the Hogwarts Express while she was heading home for the Christmas holiday.
• Fred and George are running an owl-order business from Aunt Muriel’s back room.
• Lupin and Tonks have a son named Teddy Remus Lupin after her late father.
• Lupin asks Harry to be Ted’s godfather.
• Lupin’s middle name is John.
• Tonks’ hair started changing color the day she was born.
• If a wizard buys something from a goblin, then it is considered rented.
• Harry cast the Imperius Curse on goblins.
• The Thief’s Downfall is a water waterfall that lifts all charms and enchantments.
• Aberforth did not believe in Dumbledore’s ideas.
• Ariana killed their mother.
• Amycus is the Dark Arts teacher which replaced Defense Against The Dark Arts.
• The Carrows are 2 Death Eaters who punish Hogwarts students.
• Ginny never went back to Hogwarts after Easter.
• Neville’s grandmother is on the run.
• Ginny blocks Cho by insisting that Luna accompany him to the Ravenclaw common room instead.
• To enter the Ravenclaw common room, you must solve a puzzle so that you learn.
• “Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure.”
• Alecto Carrow catches Harry in the Ravenclaw common room.
• Alecto is the first person Luna intentionally stuns.
• Harry defends Professor McGonagall.
• “The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties.”
• Percy makes amends with the Weasley family.
• The Gray Lady is the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower.
• Ravenclaw’s daughter Helena Ravenclaw is the house ghost.
• Rowena Ravenclaw send the Bloody Baron after Helena.
• The Baron stabbed and accidentally killed Helena for not returning the diadem.
• The Baron committed suicide because he felt remorseful for murdering her.
• The diadem was hidden in a remote forest in Albania.
• Ron and Hermione entered the Chamber of Secrets.
• Ron spoke Parseltongue to enter the Chamber of Secrets.
• The 
• Crabbe betrays Malfoy and attempts to kill the others.
• Harry saves Malfoy’s life.
• Crabbe dies in the Room of Requirement.
• Fiendfyre is a cursed fire that can destroy Horcruxes.
• Fred is killed during the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Voldemort is hiding in the Shrieking Shack.
• Harry saves Draco’s life a second time.
• Hermione kills Fenrir Greyback with a crystal ball to the skull.
• The Elder Wand obeys the master who took it from the previous master, making it Snape’s wand instead of Voldemort’s.
• Voldemort has Nagini kill Snape.
• “You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest.... One hour....”
• Remus and Tonks are killed in the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Snape revealed to Lily that she was a witch.
• Snape’s parents fought often.
• Snape grew up in Spinner’s End.
• Lucius Malfoy was once a Slytherin Prefect.
• Snape once called Lily a Mudblood.
• Snape swore to protect Harry due to his love of Lily.
• Harry is a Horcrux.
• Snape accidentally cut off George’s ear.
• Colin Creevey was killed in the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Neville kills Nagini with the Sword of Gryffindor.
• Voldemort was killed by his own rebounding curse.
• Kingsley Shacklebolt is the new Minister of Magic.
• “I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime.”
• The epilogue is 19 years later.
• Harry is married to Ginny.
• They had 3 children, James, Albus, and Lily.
• Ron and Hermione are married and have 2 children, Rose and Hugo.
• “If you’re not in Gryffindor, we’ll disinherit you.  But no pressure.”
• Draco is married and has a son named Scorpius.
• Teddy Lupin is snogging the Potter’s cousin Victoire.
• Harry will let James and Albus be roommates when he wants the house demolished.
• Harry wears Fabian Prewetts’ former watch.
• Neville is now Professor Longbottom, teacher of Herbology at Hogwarts.
• Albus is the only child to inherit Lily’s eyes.
• Albus’s full name is Albus Severus Potter.
• The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.
• Harry’s scar did not hurt for 19 years after the defeat of Voldemort.

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Overall, this is one of the most amazing series finales of all of the history of literature.  The Harry Potter series continues its streak of epically thrilling novels, and Deathly Hallows does not disappoint.  You will be riveted.

Highest Recommendation.

On to Book #142: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

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Need to catch up?  See previous blog post: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.