Well, it took me all day but I managed it. I had to get some sleep before writing this but here I am letting you know what I think.
Story
The story was unusual - it was very different to the first 6 in that Hogwarts, and a lot of the characters, were only mentioned briefly. In fact it was all a bit of a mystery as Harry, Ron and Hermione all rush around trying to solve the mystery of the Horcruxes and the titular Deathly Hallows.
It all starts off at a terrifying pace, there's an evil meeting, and then Harry leaves the Dursleys for the final time. There are a number of deaths in the first few chapters, at least a couple of which will surprise (they surprised me at least). After the third chapter things slow down for a while as we are reintroduced to some of the characters and given some extra details that will be required later.
Speeding through the book, the trio visit places that we had only heard of before and meet a number of people that have only been mentioned in passing.
Throughout the book, and with the help of Rita Skeeter, we find out a large amount of back story for Dumbledore, and it's not necessarily the sort of back story you would imagine. However, as with the rest of the book, it fills in the details nicely - and leaves a more complete ending for Dumbledore than I had expected.
It all ends with the finale we have been waiting for, good versus evil, Harry against Voldemort, but who wins... I'm not going to give anything away.
The book ends with an epilogue which wraps things up nicely... and clearly shows that there will be no future Harry Potter books - sorry to all the people hoping for a book 8. JK has said all along that this would be the end, and it is. I doubt very much that she will change her mind.
Theories
I'm pleased to say that a lot of the theories that have been expressed on Binary Moon have come true. Hoorah!
It will be no surprise to the majority of you, that the theory that made my site popular (RAB = Regulus Black) is correct, but there were a number of others that also turned out to be true. I'm not going to say which ones they were as that may spoil things, but I am quite pleased with myself and impressed with the thoughts of the people who comment here 
You should all give yourselves a pat on the back.
Conclusions
The book was really very good and finished the series nicely. There were a few things I wasn't sure about though - Pettigrew didn't get the end I expected, and a couple of people died who didn't deserve to, but overall it was fantastic - a wonderful end to a wonderful series.
Where next?
It all feels a little funny now the books are over. I feel strangely like a part of me has been removed. Over the last 4 or 5 years Harry Potter has become quite a large part of me, with the books, my website, and the community that has grown around a shared passion. I've loved seeing the comments on my theories growing and growing, and I hope that the you will all stick around here - maybe we can find another series we are all so passionate about?
Comments
I know that it's tempting but I'll ask that you keep spoilers out of the comments. I want to keep the site spoiler free for at least a week or so, so that people can catch up with us speedy readers. That said I'd love to know what you think so please do speak up.
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203 Responses to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Review” Leave a reply ›
ok Janella good point just a bit unsettled about the thought of LV being a bit of a demon, but you sure prove he is when he can possess people at will!
So readers... what do you all think of the new brave longbottom??
Bazza 152, I've always had a soft spot for Neville so I was thrilled when he turned into a young hero and killed Nagini. I also liked his rebellion at Hogwarts. It was great to see someone other than Harry be the hero for a change. Actually everyone had their moment in the final book. Loved Mrs Weasley's battle with Bellatrix too.
does anyone know whether or not dumbledore intended harry to go after the hallows or whether he gave hermione the book of the three brothers and harry the snitch with the ring for then to find out about the elder wand? lastly if he had just wanted them to find out about the hallows and not hunt them down, then why does dubledore give harry the ring? Im very confused
thanks
#154 dumbledore intended harry to go for the horcruxes, but sent the ring and hermione the book to raise awareness of what voldemort is going to do
I think LV is an animagus. His wand of yew is good for transfiguration and when he's flying into Nuremgard he forces himself to enter Grindelwald's cell through a hole.
#156, Just curious- If LV is an animagus, why would he possess Nagini in order to gain entrance to Ministry of Magic. He possessed Nagini in order to disguise hisself to gain entrance. I'm not sure he would have needed to do that if he was an animagus.
I personally do not think LV wasted his time on becoming an animagus when he was much more interested in horcruxes and figuring those out.
The end was just a bit too quick for me. I expected LV and Harry to have a spectacular duel, like the one in Goblet of Fire but instead it was over with two curses.
thought the book was good but dragged at times. what was the point in ron going missing? why did it have to stretch out for a year? they seemed to spend weeks talking or thinking what was the point? why cram in most of the horcruxes at the end when it could have been a series of mini adventures tying up loose ends and bringing a decent conclusion to carachters rather than just saying, tonks and lupin were dead? how long were harry and voldomort talking for during the final duel? she rushed the ending with the epilogue which was disappointing. like i said good but also painfully bad
i agree a little #158 but i thought it was clever on JKRs part for having their typical curses that they use throughout the books to end one of their lives.
i have to disagree witth ur negative points #159!
see #95 for my response to your 1st Q! what do u think?
epilogue was pointless should have finished with the immediate aftermath of the events on what the plans are for rebuilding, leave it to the reader to imagine where harry will be when he is 40.
not being negative just seemed as though jkr missed the boat at times
i disagree with you #162, imaginatiion of an ending is not pssible especially in the harry potter series when people right now still wan't answers on harry's future. I think JK's ending was superb with a happy ending
I believe this book was very much repeating things that have happened in previous books, however in saying that I do think it is the best in the series.
just think J K had ran out of some ideas and bridged it from previous stories.
She had to have bits from previous seires. Otherwise how could we have had our questions answered?
I always thought all the marauders would die ever since Sirius went away. It was obvious Pettigrew would die and repay the debt but why Lupin as well?
On July 25 2007 J.K. Rowling announced that she intended to write a sort of Harry Potter Encyclopedia, where many things from the seven books would be explained in greater detail, and the lives of many minor characters fleshed out. She specifically mentioned that Dean Thomas had a far more interesting story than the books had implied. She has stated in previous interviews that the discovery of Dean’s half-blood past was an original subplot for The Chamber of Secrets, but was scrapped due to time constraints and because she felt it didn’t fit with the rest of the book.
P.s. sorry Osama Just thought everyone else would ike to know.
There's a mystery about Kreacher's tale. After Regulus drinks the potion and switches the lockets, who refills the basin? Regulus obviously wasn't up to it as he was dying. Voldemort can't have revisited the cave otherwise he'd have known the locket had been taken. So the next people to go there were Dumbledore and Harry... and the basin was mysteriously full of the potion again.
Perplexed, my guess is that when Regulus ordered Kreacher to switch the locket that Regulus also had Kreacher put the potion in. Regulus would have realized that the potion needed refilling by the story Kreacher told him. Regulus would have arived with the fake locket and the new potion (otherwize all the effort put into switching the locket's would have been futile).
I agree Janella.
It's a good point Perplexed - something I would never have noticed!
You know that 'thing' in Kings cross, did you realise it was LV straight away?
Georgie, I missed some things about Deathly Hallows on the first read, like why Snape was staring in Harry's eyes. But, I did get the "thing" was LV right away.
I agree that Perplexed had a good point, had to think about it for a bit.
The potion Voldemort made might refill itself once someone's has drank it. Kreacher would'nt have had the brains to make it, neither would Regulus.
I agree with Anonymous! I haven't checked yet but in HBP didn't the potion refill itself magically after Dumbledore drank it?
I have checked the HBP but it doesn't actually say that the basin refilled after Dumbledore scooped out the locket, but I still think it must magically refill or LV would have discovered the theft of the fake locket earlier if the basin was left empty!
Sue, whats HBP, sorry?
half-blood prince the sixth book
I just read the article in the Observer now about Dumbledore! its funny how authors portray their characters!
I deleted the comments about Dumbledore being gay because I assumed they were people trying to cause trouble but now I see a post on the Morley Observer saying it is so. I don't know how true this is, or what sort of credentials the site has but it's potentially worth discussing (apologies anyone who's comment disappeared)
I do however think it's a bit strange for JK/ the newspaper to post these things so long after the series has ended when it has no real relevance to anything.
I agree with Ben. The series has ended and it has no relevance. What is the point in changing our perception/understanding of a character when there will be no further books. Better left alone!
I posted the info about Dumbledore and was quoting J K Rowling's own comments that she made when addressing fans about the last book. I certainly would not make up such a thing (though I realize Ben wouldn't know that), and would only quote this from the author herself. She is the only person with the creds to say this about her own character!
In my opinion I don't see the need to say this about the character either, fans like to make up their own minds and it seems a strange thing to add after the completion of the series. Not sure how or why it needed to be said, but I am curious about what other fans think. I believe the revelation met with shock and then applause.
Sue - I realise that now - I've had so many people posting stupid/ abusive stuff that I just delete things that seem a bit iffy. Sorry for removing the comment.
I know it is strange how that opinion has never come to light before.
What do you all think of it? I'm not sure though I do see how it could be her true feeling after the references to Grindelwald in book 7.
I agree Georgie! All references to Grindelwald in Book 7 seemed to be very negative! Although I caught that Dumbledore admired him for his views, that seemed all there was to it. As Grindelwald is not a main character in the series, I don't see the relevance! If Dumbledore had secret feelings for Minerva or another Professor (even Snape), I would see that as interesting and relevant but not a minor player in the series. I also think for it to be relevant there should be clues through the series.
I agree there should have been clues in past books. Mind you we didn't know of the character until the last book. I wonder if it was just a throw-away comment JK's part or not?
I used to just watch the films But when the OOTP Came out i 4t i Might as Well read it And Since then i have Been Gripped ... Ive read Evri Book Since then.
The last book For me Was amazing With All the unanswered Questions Answered, I was in Total Shock when Tonks And Lupin Died! i Would of liked to known more about their death... like did she die trying to save him etc... And i do feel the Last chapter was a bit rushed but i loved the fact harry had one over on Vouldy!
The Thing that was a right shocker was the relationship between snape and dumbledore... i have never suspected that! I always thought of dumbledore being a kind wise old man but now theres summin dark about him that i just cant put my finger on, the fact that he raised harry knowing that he 1 day will have to surrender to vouldy and die anyway... he is just not the man i thought he would be... the same about snape .. i would of never suspected that he loved lily and be actually kind..i feel sorry for his childhood..
I like the epilogue in the book , however i would of liked to known more about wat happened after... so then we can imagine their fate... having that epilogue just stops us hoping that their is going to be another potter book and that make's it sad
But i do believe that we are not fully going to accept that this the end of harry potter until the last movie comes out in the cinema, i just hope they dont make this movie as bad as The OOTP ... tht was my fav book but the film wasnt as good as i would of liked it to be....
Chantelle x
Brilliant book but HERMIONE AND RON SHOULD OF GOT 2 GETHA EARLIER!!!l!!!!! JK should totally make another book about their kids!!! that would be wicked !!!
I would like to ask you a question.
What job does harry get in the last book?
Why did Lord Voldermort kill Lilly & James Potter
olly, hes an aurora n lv kills to get harry p cos theyre protecting him. hope tht helps
Hey,
Anyone read the fake book? I read that (ebook) before the Deathly Hallows was released. I actually thought that eas the original. Then I read the original. The plots for both the books are matching to a large extent. There is a comparison somewhere on the Net. In fact, I liked some of the scenes in the fake book than in the original.
hey RK
who wrote the fake book? where is it online?
x
I think it would be cool if J.K. Rowling could make a book that envolves the kids and what adventures would lie ahead for them.
i agree! hope she does!
do you lot think she will in the end? x
georgie,
I read that the fake book was written by one of HP fans. I forgot her name. You will get it if you google for it.
RK
Thanks RK I will try that!
x
I am up to page 348 and i am reallly confused!
Bella, can i help with explaining anything?
why r u reading this if youve not read it yet?!
xx
i think that most of the pepole that died didnt have to
my mom says she wants me to read my brother sam id dead but i want to finish harry potter and the deathly hallows. what should i8 do
Hey ppl ...I'm an Indian, HP is a craze in this part of the world too...i think the last book was thrillin...luved how the centaurs , thestrals and house elves came to battle it out, it was adrenaline pumping ...by the way ...I checked out jkrowling.com where there is this page where u just have a locked door ...i managed to open it and found a complete family tree of the main characters In JKR's handwriting...
1. Harry and Ginny have two sons - James Sirius Potter & Albus Severus Potter & a daughter- Lily Luna Potter...i think it must have been Ginny who named her daughter Luna...coz she always liked Luna..
2. George married Angelina and had two kids- Fred & Roxane.
3. Percy married some girl named Audrey and had two daughters - Molly & Lucy...so he really did luv his mother a lot i guess...
4. Malfoy married someone called Asteria Greengrass...i seem to remember reading Greengrass somewhere...but can't recall....
5. Bill & Fleur had two other kids- Dominique & Laris...apart from Victoire (yeah...Victoire is Bill & Fleur's Daughter...something not many of you seem to have guessed)
6. Charlie never seem to have married...maybe no one liked his blistery body...just kidding...maybe he just luved dragons and nuthin else...
Can anyone tell me why Harry is looking so weird in the front page cover of the Deathly Hallows ( the gringotts one)...he luks like a 30 year old...
Also the epilogue was so vague...and didn't JKR said the series wud end with word 'scar'...but it ended with 'All was Well'...i guess she changed her mind.
Also...she said long ago on her site that a secret dies with its secret keeper's death...but it didn't turn out that way in the Deathly Hallows.
Also, I wud have liked to see Umbridge getting sum punishment...that #@$$###$@%#@...she should have been fed to a box of Blast Ended Skrewts ...as Ron said in HP & the GoF...
Just fabulous!Rowling saved harry potter and killed voldemort in such a way that we are all suprised.I mean can anyone think of harry dieing and having a chance of living again thanks 2 no other but voldemort.What a slap 2 his green flat nosed face.And i got a chance 2 meet dumbledore as the description is so good it feels as if u r in harry's shoes.Her book is a piece of total origanality,great description and it is certaintly not a drag. The book is so great we cannot keep it down.an excellent work by jk rowling again.