Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Rants, raves and spoilers

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
~ J.K. Rowling

This is my erm…. third time reading this? I know, I know… it’s just crazy but a nice kind of crazy don’t you think, getting swept up in Potter mania? This is a proper summary of the latest and last *sniff-sniff* Potter book.

Dumbly wrote out a will addressing 3 items that will help Harry, Ron and Hermione in their quest to destroy all the Horcruxes.

Ronald Bilius Weasley received the Deluminator or the Put-Outter. We saw Dumbly use this in The Philosopher’s Stone where he extinguished all the lights wit one click. It incidentally also has othe rmagical properties that aided Ron in finding Harry and Hermione again when he left the team in a huff of a temper.

Hermione Jean Granger got a Runes book titled Tales of Beedle the Bard. This book captures the details of the history of the deathly Hallows and helped all 3 to understand their significance.

Harry James Potter received a the first snitch which he caught in his first ever Quidditch game. Inside, Dumbly has placed the Resurrection Stone. The snitch would only open for Harry when he was about to die and he can use the stone.

Such a grim heading but seriously… I was fast losing track of whose dead by whose hand even before I’ve gotten through the first quarter of the book. Yeah, I know… I’m lousy that way. I’ll just document the main characters ya?

Charity Burbank – Hogwarts Muggle Studies professor, killed at the Malfoy’s mansion by Voldy (yes, I luuuurve Peeves and his way with words!) himself.

Hedwig – Harry’s snowy owl, killed during Harry’s escape from No. 4 Privet Drive. *sniff-sniff* Mrs D is so depressed over this.

Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody – Fame Auror and mentor of Tonks, killed during Harry’s escape from No. 4 Privet Drive. His body was never recovered.

Rufus Scrimgeour – Minister of Magic, killed by Voldy and his minions.

Bathilda Bagshot – Historian of Magic, was dead for sometime in Godric’s Hollow. Dead by Voldy’s hand too?

Ted Tonks – Father to Nymphadora Tonks, killed by Death Eaters.

Peter ‘Wormtail’ Pettigrew – killed by his own silver hand. About time for comeuppance and good riddance, I say! Pui! Traitor!!!!!! Scumbag!!!!!

Dobby – House elf, killed by Bellatrix Lestrange during his rescue of Harry, Ron, Hermione from the Malfoy Mansion. E texted me saying she cried bukets here. I myself wasn’t that emotional yet, that will come later. Heh…

Vincent Crabbe – Follower of Draco before turning into a Death Eater himself. Died by his own doing by casting the spell for cursed fire, Fiendfyre, which he couldn’t outrun. Dumb ass.

Fred Weasley – Twin to George Weasley. Died at the final Battle of Hogwarts. Now, I turned on the taps for Fred. How can Rowling finish off one twin? How!??? I couldn’t stem the flow of tears!!! Fred, the handsome one. Fred, the joker, Fred, my love!!!!!!!! Argh~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remus ‘Moony’ Lupin – A full-fledged werewolf and husband to Dora Tonks. Killed at the final Battle of Hogwarts.

Nymphadora Tonks – Wife of Remus Lupin. Died together with him at the final Battle of Hogwarts. *sniff-sniff*

Severus Snape – Hogwarts Potion Porfessor, informer to both Dumbly (term courtesy of Peeves again…) and Voldy. He was killed by Nagini, under Voldy’s orders. But before he expelled his last breath, he managed to extract his memories and handed them to Harry.

Those memories showed another side of Snape – the human side, as the insecure teenager who found comfort and companionship in none other than Lily Evans. Lily was his confidant and friend, whom he eventually fell in love with, not that she knows it of course. It was Snape who offered his allegiance and services as Voldy’s informant to Dumbly in exchange for protection for Lily. Even after Lily died, he continued to protect Harry. The reason? Oh drats… even I found it dumb. Oh well. Anyway…. He continued to protect Harry from Voldy because of his love for Lily and that Harry had Lily’s eyes.

Which is why before he died, he requested that Harry look into his eyes. He died looking at “Lily” in a way. Heartwarming or tacky? You decide.

Drats… Now I can’t hate him properly as the turncoat.

Bellatrix Lestrange – One of the most loyal Death Eater and cousin to Narcissa Black, killed by an enraged Molly Weasley.

Nagini - (Pet) Snake of Voldy. Neville, the unlikely super hero, loped off the reptile’s head with the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Albus Percival Wilfric Brian Dumbledore aka Dumbly – I know he died in the Order of the Phoenix but do you know how and why? Don’t give me the smart ass answer of “Avada Kedavra” arh! It was pre-planned between Snape and Dumbly that if he should die, it should be by Snape’s hand because it would determine the ownership of a particularly powerful magical object…

Harry Potter/ piece of Voldermort’s soul - Yes, yes… He dies – sort of. Voldy took a shot at him and his aim was true. But Voldy’s couldn’t kill Harry because of their blood magical linkage (Voldy used Harry’s blood for resurrection remember?). So when Voldy is alive, the magical linkage is alive and therefore Harry cannot die. Instead, the Killing curse meant for Harry destroyed the piece of Voldy’s soul that was left inside Harry. This sounds so convulated.

Voldemort – Died by his own doing when his wand did not obey him and the Killing Curse rebounded on him a second time in his life. Orh-bi-good. But seriously, what an anticlimatic way for the greatest-Dark-Wizard-of-all-time to die. 

George Weasley – But missing one ear, which was blasted off by Snape with a well-placed ‘Sectumsempra’.

Aberforth Dumbledore – Brother of Dumbly and he is actually the proprietor of The Hog’s Head!!!!

Percy Weasley – Finally came to his senses and was welcomed back into the fold and participated in the Battle at Hogwarts.

Molly Weasley – Wife of Aurther Weasley. The personification of my now-favourite phrase of “YOU BITCH!” while she blasts Bellatrix Lestrange to nothingness. *standing-ovation*

Neville Longbottom – Not only did Neville lead the rebellion from inside Hogwarts in the final leg of the battle, he also participate in the Battle at Horgwarts, aided by his very formidable grandmother! Do say hello to Professor Longbottom at the end of the book, when he takes on the appointment of Herbology professor!

Harry, Ron and Hermione – As I’ve mentioned to a few people, it is a children’s book. A phenomenal, widely acclaimed children’s book. You can’t kill off the leads! If not, Rowling will have to deal with many lawsuits involving serverly traumatised children (and some adults too I should think!)

A horcrux is an item that a Dark wizard uses to store parts of his soul for the sole purpose of attaining immortality. It is made in the presence of a murder together with a spell to trap a part of a ripped soul inside the object. Horcruxes can only be destroyed by another more powerful magical object to the point where it cannot be magically repaired.

The first Horcrux is Tom Riddle’s diary, which was left in Lucius Malfoy’s care. He passed this on to Ginny Weasley in The Chamber of Secrets, where it used Ginny to open the Chamber to release the Basilisk. It was destroyed when Harry plunged a Basilisk fang into the pages and burnt a hole through the pages.

The second Horcrux is Marvolo Gaunt’s ring aka The Resurrection Stone. It was hidden in the Gaunt’s house where Dumbly found it and destroyed it with the Gryffindor sword.

The third Horcrux is Slytherin’s locket, which was hidden in a cave by the sea. This was the horcrux that was to be Dumbly’s downfall, as in the attempt to retrieve it, Dumbly drank the potion surrounding the locket, which made him delusional and weak. He was unable to battle and was killed by Snape. The destruction of this horcrux was left to Harry.

The fourth Horcrux is Hufflepuff’s cup. This was place in Gringotts and guarded zealously by Bellatrix Lestrange’s magic spells. Harry, Ron and Hermione broke into Gringotts to retrieve the cup. Hermione and Ron then entered the Chamber of Secrets, took a Basilisk fang and destroyed the cup. As to how they got in, it was written that Ron imitated Harry’s hissing and the door opened. Rubbish if you ask me – Parseltongue is so easily picked up?

The fifth Horcrux is Ravenclaw’s Diadem. It was hidden in the Room of Requirement when Voldy returned to Hogwarts to request for a position from Dumbly. It was destroyed in the fire curse, Fiendfyre, which was set by Crabbe.

The sixth Horcrux is Nagini the snake, which was chosen for her symbolic animalistic link to Slytherin. It was killed by Neville Longbottom with the Gryffindor sword.

The seventh Horcrux is none other than Harry himself. When Voldy’s Killing curse rebounded, he was weakened so much that a piece of his soul attached itself to the only living thing left in the wreckage, Harry – sommething which I doubt Voldy meant to do. It is this piece of Voldy’s soul inside Harry that allowed him to see into Voldy’s mind and speak Parseltongue. This was destroyed by Voldy’s himself when he thought he had killed Harry with a Killing Curse – only to destroy the last piece of his soul.

So essentially, there are 6 “official” Horcrux, 1 unintented Horcrux and 1 Voldy = soul that is ripped into 8 pieces. Not the magically powerful number of 7 but it auspicious in the Chinese context! Too bad Voldy didn’t 发.

The deathly hallows are objects created when the Peverell brothers manage to thwart Death. It is believed that anyone that holds all 3 objects would become the Master of Death.

The first Deathly Hallow is the Elder Wand, a powerfully magical wand that rendered the owner nearly undeafeatable. The ownship of this wand is a mightily sticky issue so go read for yourself. It is a pain to summarize.

The second Deathly Hallow is the Resurrection Stone, which was placed in the Gaunt ring and bequested to Harry by Dumbly inside a snitch. The user of the stone can communicate with the dead. Harry only managed to open the snitch and use the stone when he was about to die in tha hands of Voldy. He summoned his dead parents, Sirius and Lupin for comfort.

The third Deathly Hallow is none other than Harry’s Invisibility Cloak which he inherited from his father.

Harry returned the Elder Wand to Dumbly’s tomb after the Battle of Hogwarts, while the Resurrection Stone was lost in the Forbidden Forest and never found. The Invisibility Cloak is the only Hallow that Harry kept.

William ‘Bill’ Weasley and Fleur ‘Phlegm’ Delacour – They have a daughter Victoire Weasley.

Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks – They have a son Ted Lupin, which Tonks gave birth to just before they perished at Battle of Hogwarts.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger – This one is a long time coming I should think. They have 2 children, Rose and Hugo Weasley.

Harry Potter and Ginerva ‘Ginny’ Weasley – Don’t tell me you didn’t expect this. They have 3 kids, Albus Severus (poor kid… He has a lot to live up to. Imagine the burden of trying to live up to the names of the great Headmasters of Hogwarts.), James and Lily Potter.

Draco Malfoy and me – Yes, I married Draco Malfoy. Since I couldn’t have Fred, I’ll take the second most handsome one which is Draco. We have a son and named him Scorpius Malfoy.

With an ending providing a glimpse into the future after Voldy’s death, is there anyone out there who, like me, thinks that Rowling is setting herself up for a sequel? What do you think of “Albus Severus Potter and the Rise of a New Evil”?? It was a nice and happy closure but I guess I would have preferred if she had just ended it with the defeat of Voldemort.

You can see check out the Black family tree if you are a super Harry Potter fan. The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione are in there too!

It is so weird to know that there will be no more Harry Potter books to look forward to yearly anymore. Nevertheless, for the Potterheads out there…

P/S: Finally finished writing!

PP/S: Whatever happened to Umbridge?