Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

At Privet Drive, Harry Potter is just a few days shy of his 17th birthday. As he goes through his old school things from Hogwarts and prepares to leave Privet Drive forever, he looks over two news articles about his recently-deceased headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. In the first article, “Albus Dumbledore Remembered,” Dumbledore’s childhood friend Elphias Doge recalls how they met “on [their] first day at Hogwarts” (16) and how they “both felt [them]selves to be outsiders” (16). Although Albus was “the most brilliant student ever seen at the school” (17), his family history was complicated: his father was “convicted of a savage and well-publicized attack upon three young Muggles” (16). Shortly after Albus graduated from Hogwarts, tragedy struck when Albus’s mother and sister died a year apart, and Doge found Albus “more reserved than before, and much less light-hearted” (19) in the aftermath of this loss. Doge recalls some of Albus’s impressive accomplishments, including his legendary duel with the Dark wizard Grindelwald. Doge remembers Albus’s kindness and goodness. However, famed gossip writer Rita Skeeter has written a book titled “The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore” (24), which promises to shock readers with juicy gossip about Albus and the Dumbledore family. She claims that “Albus Dumbledore has an extremely murky past” with a “very fishy family” (25). Harry realizes how little he knew about his old headmaster and isn’t sure what to believe.

Harry’s Muggle relatives, the Dursleys, are being escorted from Privet Drive and will be protected by members of the Order of the Phoenix, but Uncle Vernon is determined to stay. Harry explains that the Dursleys must leave because “once [Harry’s] seventeen, the protective charm that keeps [him] safe will break, and that exposes [the Dursleys] as well as [Harry]” (33). Harry then explains that if the Dursleys stay at Privet Drive, they might be hunted down by Voldemort’s followers seeking to find Harry. As Order members arrive to escort the Dursleys to safety, Harry’s cousin Dudley is surprised that Harry isn’t coming with them. Dudley remembers that “[Harry] saved [his] life” (40) two summers ago when dementors attacked the boys. Dudley seems genuinely grateful, and Harry is surprised. The Dursleys leave, and Harry is alone.

The Order of the Phoenix members arrive, and Mad-eye Moody explains that the plan to smuggle Harry out of the house has changed. To keep him safe, “There will be seven Harry Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house” (48). Harry realizes that his friends and the Order members will be putting their lives at risk to get him to safety. Moody passes the Polyjuice Potion around, and Ron, Hermione, Fleur, Mundungus, Fred, and George transform into Harry lookalikes. The real Harry is paired with Hagrid, and they leave in Hagrid’s motorbike for the home of Tonks’s parents. When the pair leave the house, however, they are surrounded by “at least thirty hooded figures” (55), and the Order members are attacked. Hedwig is killed in the fight, and when Voldemort shows up and tries to kill Harry, Harry’s wand “act[s] of its own accord” (61) and protects him from Voldemort’s attack. Hagrid’s motorbike, damaged in the fight, begins to drop out of the sky. All of a sudden, “Voldemort vanishe[s]” (62), and Harry and Hagrid crash into a muddy pond.

Harry and Hagrid crash-land at the home of Ted and Andromeda Tonks. Harry realizes that Voldemort and his followers were kept out by the protection spells set by the Order and that Voldemort is probably “a hundred yards above them [...] looking for a way to penetrate what Harry visualized as a great transparent bubble” (65). Hagrid and Harry explain that Voldemort and his Death Eaters ambushed them. Harry and Hagrid are transported to the Weasley’s home, the Burrow. Lupin and George return, and “one of George’s ears [is] missing” (69). Lupin says that they’ve been betrayed because “the only people who could have told [Voldemort] were directly involved in the plan” (69). Gradually, the other groups make their way to the Burrow, except for Mundungus and Moody. Bill reports that “Mad-Eye’s dead” and that Mundungus disapparated and “Voldemort’s curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face” (78). As the surviving members of the Order mourn the loss of Moody, they discuss who might have leaked the information to Voldemort. Harry becomes angry, thinking of the countless people who have put their lives in danger for him. Suddenly, his scar begins to hurt, and he sees a vision of Voldemort torturing an old man: the wandmaker, Mr. Ollivander. Voldemort screams that “[Ollivander] told [Voldemort] the problem would be solved by using another’s wand!” (84). Ron and Hermione join Harry outside, and Hermione reminds Harry that he shouldn’t “let [Voldemort] inside [his] head” (85).