“He must have known I'd want to leave you."
"No, he must have known you would always want to come back.”
Rating: 4.5/5
Trigger Warnings: death, blood…..
Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t read the book, this review will contain spoilers so it’s up to you if you continue…
Turns out I memorised the line of Fred Weasley’s death the first time I read Deathly Hallows. Which, you know, is fun.
I never saw it coming, but Deathly Hallows might have become my favourite? Being the most upsetting, I didn’t think that would happen, but there’s something so real about the final book that I can’t help but love. It might be undeniably tragic, but watching characters you grow with become (almost) adults and complete the task they’ve been working towards for years is satisfying. There’s closure in Deathly Hallows which none of the other books contain - none of the other’s can contain closure because there’s always more to be done. Letting the characters rest here was needed (one of many reasons Cursed Child is so annoying).
First up, the Battle of the Seven Potters. Genius. Just great fun - even in book form. What a tactic, and what a way to show how serious the situation has got. No messing around anymore, we’re going to see injury and death from the off. The action throughout is actually really well written, with a good balance between action and emotion.
Deathly Hallows was also good at handling the changing moods and relationships of characters. It’s inevitable that being cramped together, alone, for so long, would lead to tension and Rowling’s exploration of the effect on Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s friendship was a nice touch. Likewise, the development of the ‘Silver Trio’ - Neville, Ginny, and Luna - was solidified in Hallows. Luna has two moments that particularly stand out to me: the first is the touching painting in her bedroom of her friends, and the second is when she helps Harry leave the mass of people in the Great Hall after the battle so that he can have some time alone. I think she’s a beautiful, strange character.
Gotta say it though: still dislike Snape. His sob story is somehow even less convincing in the book than the film. I’ve felt sorry for him in the past, when we witness James and Sirius bullying him for example, but if his love of Lily was all that brought him back to Dumbledore then I really don't care for him. He still signed up to Voldemort’s side so can’t be that good of a guy. I think the twist of him being a Deatheater and killing Dumbledore was pulled off better than this final ‘double’ twist of him having been a good guy.
There’s a couple of moments I really like in the Battle of Hogwarts. To go in chronological order, Harry’s conversation with his parents, Sirius, and Lupin via the resurrection stone is really touching. Harry is an incredibly brave person, and I love that we see where it comes from. He’s not fearless, and having the comfort of his parents close by was necessary for him. I also really appreciate the explanation of wand-lore that takes place between Harry and Voldemort as they circle each other. A lot of the theory of wand loyalty is explained in this penultimate chapter, and the information only now becomes relevant - or at least, hiding it until this point maintains a necessary sense of mystery around the subject - so it’s a really good place to reveal this information. Interestingly, this aligns us more with Voldemort in this section than Harry as, for once, Harry is the one explaining the magic to somebody. The final reason I enjoy the Battle of Hogwarts so much is because, unlike the film, Voldemort’s death is so human. His body collapses to the floor, physical evidence that this time he is gone for good. This, as well as the event being witnessed by everyone present at the battle, make this moment so important. Voldemort was not some mythical being despite the dark magic he performed, he was human and like humans could be beaten. I’m really passionate about the way Rowling wrote this scene, as opposed to how it played out in the film.
The final chapter, ‘19 Years Later’ is great. I have nothing more to say on that chapter. It’s wonderful. The discussion on the Sorting and Scorpius Malfoy is a really nice look at the attempt to soften rivalries, Teddy is a great mention, and obviously there’s no discussion to be had on the fact that Neville being the herbology professor is the perfect ending for him. My only problem is Albus Severus’ name, but it is otherwise a beautiful, hopeful ending to a phenomenal series.
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