Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry, Ron, and Hermione appear in Hogsmeade, and their arrival sets off an alarm. Death Eaters rush out of the Three Broomsticks and begin to search for him. Suddenly, a door opens on a side street, and a voice calls him inside and orders him to “keep the Cloak on” and “keep quiet” (557). Their rescuer, the barman of the Hog’s Head Inn, confronts the Death Eaters and yells at them until they back off. Inside the Hog’s Head, the barman, Albus Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth, encourages them to “get right out of Hogsmeade” (360). Harry explains that they are on a mission from Dumbledore, but Aberforth retorts that “people had a habit of getting hurt while [Albus] was carrying out his grand plans” (561). Aberforth explains that their sister, Ariana, was attacked by Muggle boys who saw her doing magic. Their father retaliated and went to Azkaban for it, and Ariana became so fearful of doing magic again that it built up inside of her and became uncontrollable. The Dumbledores had to keep Ariana “safe and quiet” (564) so she wouldn’t be taken away forever. However, one day Ariana accidentally killed their mother when she couldn’t control her magic. Aberforth says that when Albus met Grindelwald, “looking after Ariana took a backseat” (566). In a big fight between Albus, Aberforth, and Grindelwald, Ariana was accidentally killed. Reluctantly, Aberforth agrees to help them sneak into Hogwarts. The portrait of Ariana on the wall walks out of the frame. She returns with Neville Longbottom, who steps out from behind the portrait, delighted to see Harry.

Neville looks like he has been beaten severely. Harry, Ron, and Hermione follow Neville down the passageway behind the portrait, the only remaining path into Hogwarts. Neville explains that life at Hogwarts has become brutal and frightening: Death Eaters are now teaching some of the classes, and “[the students are] supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on people who’ve earned detentions” (573). Neville brings them into the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts, where they are greeted by a crowd of students hiding away from the Death Eaters. Harry explains that he needs their help to locate an important object that might have belonged to the founder of Ravenclaw. Luna, Dean, Ginny, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan arrive from behind the portrait of Ariana, and Luna suggests “the lost diadem of Ravenclaw” (584), which has been missing for centuries. Harry has a vision that Voldemort is on the move again and realizes they are running out of time. Luna takes Harry to the Ravenclaw common room and shows him the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, so he knows what the diadem looks like. However, they are discovered by a Death Eater named Alecto Carrow, and she “presse[s] a stubby forefinger to the skull and snake branded on her forearm” (588), calling for Lord Voldemort.

Luna stuns Carrow, but it’s too late. Harry senses that Voldemort is coming. Harry and Luna hide under the Invisibility Cloak as the other Carrow, Amycus, arrives with Professor McGonagall. Amycus is furious that someone attacked his sister, and he fears punishment from Voldemort if Harry Potter isn’t found immediately. Harry reveals himself and attacks Amycus. Harry tells McGonagall that he has to find an important object “on Dumbledore’s orders” (595). McGonagall announces that they “shall secure the school” (595) while Harry searches. They make a plan to evacuate the students, but Snape appears. McGonagall and Snape duel, and Snape flees by jumping out a window and taking flight. The other Hogwarts teachers arrive, and they begin to create enchantments around the school to keep it safe and prepare for battle. Back in the Room of Requirement, members of the Order of the Phoenix have started to arrive to join the fight. The entire Weasley family arrives to do battle, and Harry realizes that Ron and Hermione are missing. Ginny says they “said something about a bathroom” (607) and took off. Harry has a vision that Voldemort is standing outside the gates of Hogwarts, “possessed of that cold, cruel sense of purpose that preceded murder” (607).

As the Hogwarts teachers prepare to evacuate the students, many older students request to stay and fight against Voldemort. Suddenly, the voice of Voldemort rings throughout the school, warning the students that “[Their] efforts are futile” and saying that “[he] do[es] not want to spill magical blood” (609). He commands them to “give [him] Harry Potter, and [they] will be rewarded” (610). The Slytherins want to turn Harry over, but they are escorted out along with the other underage students. As the remaining students prepare for battle, McGonagall reminds Harry that he’s “supposed to be looking for something” (611). Harry decides to speak to the Ravenclaw ghost, the Gray Lady. Reluctantly, the Gray Lady admits that she was the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, and she stole the diadem “to make [her]self cleverer, more important than [her] mother” (616). The Gray Lady was murdered in a forest in Albania, and Voldemort found her diadem there years later when he was exiled. Harry suddenly remembers seeing an old tiara in the Room of Requirement last year. Ron and Hermione reappear with basilisk fangs, and they explain that they went to the Chamber of Secrets to “get rid of [the Horcruxes]” (622). They show him the destroyed Horcrux cup and join him on his way to the Room of Requirement. Ron points out that they should get the house-elves to safety, and Hermione throws her arms around Ron and kisses him. As they search the Room of Requirement, they realize that Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle have followed them. A duel breaks out, and Crabbe sets fire to the room. Harry saves Malfoy and Goyle, but Crabbe dies in the inferno. The diadem is destroyed by the unnatural fire, and only one Horcrux remains. In the hallway outside of the Room of Requirement, “the air explode[s],” and Fred Weasley dies with “the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face” (637).