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{{MagicAwakenedSpoiler}}
{{Cleanup}}
 
 
{{FA}}
 
{{FA}}
 
{{Battle infobox
 
{{Battle infobox
|conflict=The Battle of Hogwarts
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|conflict = Battle of Hogwarts
  +
|image = Battle of Hogwarts - DHF2.jpg
|image=[[File:Screen_Shot_2012-09-06_at_4.16.01_PM.png|260px]]
 
|partof=the [[Second Wizarding War]]
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|partof = the [[Second Wizarding War]]
|date=[[2 May]], [[1998]]<ref name=JKRV>[http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1414 Video clip of J.K. Rowling from the documentary ''J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life'']</ref>
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|date = [[2 May]] [[1998]]<ref name="JKRV">[http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1414 Video clip of J. K. Rowling from the documentary ''J. K. Rowling: A Year in the Life'']</ref>
|location=[[Hogwarts Castle]], [[Scotland]], [[Great Britain]]
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|location = [[Hogwarts Castle]] and grounds, [[Highlands]], [[Scotland]], [[Great Britain]]<ref name="DH31"/>
  +
|cause = [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s army laid siege to [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] in order to capture and kill [[Harry Potter]]<ref name="DH31"/>
|result=Decisive victory for the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army. End of the [[Second Wizarding War]]
 
  +
|result = Decisive victory for the [[Order of the Phoenix]] and [[Dumbledore's Army]]<ref name="DH36"/>
Dissolution of the Death Eaters and the collapse of Voldemort's control over Ministry of Magic.
 
  +
*End of the [[Second Wizarding War]]<ref name="DH36"/>
Final defeat of [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]
 
  +
*Dissolution of the [[Death Eaters]]<ref name="DH36"/>
|commander1=*[[Harry Potter]]
 
  +
*Collapse of Voldemort's [[Fall of the British Ministry of Magic|control]] over the [[British Ministry of Magic]]
*[[Ronald Weasley]]
 
  +
*Final defeat and [[death]] of Voldemort<ref name="DH36"/>
  +
|commander1 = *[[Harry Potter]]<ref name="DH31"/>
  +
*[[Minerva McGonagall]]<ref name="DH30"/><ref name="DH31"/>
  +
*[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]<ref name="DH31"/>
  +
*[[Aberforth Dumbledore]]
  +
*[[Remus Lupin]] †
  +
*[[Kreacher]]
  +
|commander2 = *[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] †<ref name="DH31"/>
  +
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] †
  +
*[[Fenrir Greyback]]
  +
*[[Lucius Malfoy]] (defected)
  +
*[[Pius Thicknesse]] ([[Imperius Curse|Imperiused]])
  +
|combatants1 = *[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
 
*[[Hermione Granger]]
 
*[[Hermione Granger]]
 
*[[Neville Longbottom]]
 
*[[Neville Longbottom]]
*[[Severus Snape]] †
 
*[[Minerva McGonagall]]
 
 
*[[Horace Slughorn]]
 
*[[Horace Slughorn]]
 
*[[Nymphadora Tonks]] †
 
*[[Nymphadora Tonks]] †
 
*[[Remus Lupin]] †
 
*[[Remus Lupin]] †
 
*[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
 
*[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
*[[Kreacher]]
 
 
*[[Weasley family]]
 
*[[Weasley family]]
*[[Grawp]]
 
 
*[[Filius Flitwick]]
 
*[[Filius Flitwick]]
 
*[[Sybill Trelawney]]
 
*[[Sybill Trelawney]]
  +
*[[Rubeus Hagrid]]
 
*[[Pomona Sprout]]
 
*[[Pomona Sprout]]
  +
*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] [[Hogwartian|staff and students]]
*[[Unidentified female Hogwarts teacher]] †
 
*[[Aberforth Dumbledore]]
 
*[[Bane]]
 
|commander2=*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] †
 
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] †
 
*[[Pius Thicknesse]] ([[Imperius Curse|Imperiused]])†
 
*[[Scabior]] †
 
*[[Fenrir Greyback]]
 
*[[Yaxley]]
 
*[[Walden Macnair]]
 
*[[Augustus Rookwood]]
 
*[[Travers]]
 
*[[Selwyn]]
 
*[[Unidentified Giant in the Battle of Hogwarts (I)]]†
 
|combatants1=*[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] staff and students
 
 
*[[Hogsmeade]] residents
 
*[[Hogsmeade]] residents
 
*[[Dumbledore's Army]]
 
*[[Dumbledore's Army]]
 
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
 
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
*Various other wizards and witches
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*Various other [[Wizardkind|wizards and witches]]
*100+ bewitched [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] and statues
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*[[Animation Charm|Bewitched]] [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] and statues (100+)
*100+ [[House-elf|house-elves]]
+
*[[House-elf|House-elves]] (100+)
  +
*[[Forbidden Forest centaur colony|Centaurs]] (50+)
*1 [[Grawp|giant]]
 
  +
*[[Grawp]]
*50+ [[Forbidden Forest Centaur Colony|Centaur]]s
 
*1 [[Peeves|poltergeist]]
+
*[[Peeves]]
*1 [[Buckbeak|Hippogriff]]
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*[[Buckbeak]]
 
*Several [[Thestral]]s
 
*Several [[Thestral]]s
  +
*Several [[ghost]]s
*1 [[Remus Lupin|werewolf]]
 
  +
*[[Portrait]]s of Hogwarts
*Several ghosts (including the [[Headless Hunt]])
 
  +
*[[Forbidden Forest Acromantula colony|Acromantulas]] (100+)
|combatants2=*More than a hundred [[Death Eaters]] and [[Snatchers]]
 
  +
|combatants2 = *[[Scabior]] †
*Dozens of Imperiused wizards
 
  +
*[[Corban Yaxley]]
*Dozens of Ministry officials
 
  +
*[[Walden Macnair]]
*Some [[Slytherin]] students
 
*1 [[Nagini|snake]]
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*[[Augustus Rookwood]]
  +
*[[Antonin Dolohov]]
*1 [[Fenrir Greyback|werewolf]]
 
  +
*[[Thorfinn Rowle]]
*Several [[Werewolf Army|Werewolves]]
 
*100+ [[Dementor]]s
+
*[[Travers]]
  +
*[[Selwyn]]
  +
*[[Death Eaters]]
  +
*[[Snatchers]]
  +
*[[Nagini]] †
  +
*[[Werewolf army|Werewolves]]
  +
*[[Dementor]]s (100+)
 
*Group of [[giant]]s
 
*Group of [[giant]]s
*100+ [[Forbidden Forest Acromantula colony|Acromantula]]
+
*[[Forbidden Forest Acromantula colony|Acromantulas]] (100+)
|casualties1=*[[Severus Snape]]
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|casualties1 = *[[Severus Snape]]
 
*[[Fred Weasley]]
 
*[[Fred Weasley]]
 
*[[Remus Lupin]]
 
*[[Remus Lupin]]
Line 70: Line 72:
 
*[[Colin Creevey]]
 
*[[Colin Creevey]]
 
*[[Lavender Brown]]
 
*[[Lavender Brown]]
*[[Unidentified wizard killed at the Quad battlements|1 man]]
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*[[Unidentified wizard killed at the Quad battlements]]
*[[Unknown fallen fifty of the Battle of Hogwarts|50 others]]
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*[[Fallen Fifty|Fifty others]]
  +
*Unknown number of [[Acromantula]]s {{C|presumably}}
|casualties2=*[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
  +
|casualties2 = *[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
 
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
 
*[[Nagini]]
 
*[[Nagini]]
 
*[[Vincent Crabbe]]
 
*[[Vincent Crabbe]]
 
*[[Scabior]]
 
*[[Scabior]]
*[[Giant|Several Giants]]
 
 
*[[Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts|3+ Snatchers]]
 
*[[Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts|3+ Snatchers]]
  +
*Several [[giant]]s
*Unknown number of Death Eaters killed or captured.
 
  +
*[[Unidentified male Death Eater killed by a grey-haired wizard]]
|latest=
 
  +
*[[Unidentified male Death Eater killed on the seventh floor]]
|last=
 
  +
*[[Unidentified male Snatcher at Diagon Alley]]
  +
*Unknown number of [[Death Eaters]] and [[Snatchers]]
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]'s ultimatum, leading to the Battle of Hogwarts.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
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{{Quote|I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]'s ultimatum|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
The '''Battle of Hogwarts''' was the final conflict of the [[Second Wizarding War]]. It took place in the early hours of [[2 May]] [[1998]], within the [[Hogwarts Castle|castle]] and on the grounds of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] in the mountainous region of Scotland.<ref name="DH31">{{DH|B|31}}</ref>
   
The '''Battle of Hogwarts''', also known as the '''Final Battle of Hogwarts'''<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)]]'' game manual</ref>, was a conflict that signified the end of the [[Second Wizarding War]]. It took place within the [[Hogwarts Castle|castle]] and on the grounds of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]. When [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] learned that [[Harry Potter]] was in the castle to locate and destroy one of his [[Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem|final]] [[Horcrux]]es, he ordered every [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] and creature that had pledged loyalty to him to attack the school. [[Dumbledore's Army]] communicated the need to fight to the [[Order of the Phoenix]] and their other allies, leading to a large-scale battle.
+
When the [[Dark wizard]] [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] learned that his archenemy [[Harry Potter]] had secretly ventured into the castle to locate and destroy one of his final [[Horcrux|Horcruxes]], [[Ravenclaw's Diadem]], he ordered every single [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] and dark creature that had ever pledged loyalty to him to launch a massive attack on the school.
   
  +
[[Dumbledore's Army]] then communicated the need to fight to the [[Order of the Phoenix]] and their other allies within the [[British Ministry of Magic]], leading to a large-scale battle. Voldemort led his forces from the [[Shrieking Shack]] in [[Hogsmeade]]; while Harry Potter, [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] and [[Minerva McGonagall]] led the defenders of Hogwarts. Voldemort also announced that he wanted Harry Potter to surrender himself by midnight.<ref name="DH30">{{DH|B|30}}</ref>
Lord Voldemort led his forces from the [[Shrieking Shack]] while [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] and [[Minerva McGonagall]] led the defenders of Hogwarts. The battle ended with a decisive victory for the Order and the D.A., with many Death Eaters and Voldemort himself dead. It was the most devastating battle of the war, with casualties including Lord Voldemort and [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], but also [[Remus Lupin]], [[Nymphadora Tonks]], [[Severus Snape]], [[Fred Weasley]], [[Colin Creevey]], [[Lavender Brown]] and at least fifty more who fought against Voldemort and his [[Death Eaters]].<ref name=DH>''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref> It is also assumed to be the final conflict in which the [[Elder Wand]] took part.
 
   
  +
The battle ended with a decisive victory for the Order and the D.A., with many Death Eaters killed or captured and Voldemort himself dead. It was the most devastating battle of the war, with casualties including: [[Remus Lupin]], [[Nymphadora Tonks]], [[Severus Snape]], [[Fred Weasley]], [[Colin Creevey]], [[Lavender Brown]], and at least [[Fallen Fifty|fifty more]] who fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.<ref name="DH32">{{DH|B|32}}</ref>
==Background information==
 
===Snape's reign at Hogwarts===
 
{{Quote|Well, it's not really like Hogwarts any more.|Neville about the situation in to Harry|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
It is also assumed to be the final conflict in which the [[Elder Wand]] took part, due to it being resealed in [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s [[White Tomb|tomb]] after the battle.<ref name="DH36" />
[[File:AlectoSnapeAmycus.jpg|thumb|left|250px| Headmaster Snape with [[Alecto Carrow]] and [[Amycus Carrow]]]]
 
On [[August]] 1, [[1997]], [[Minister for Magic]] [[Rufus Scrimgeour]], and the Head of the Auror Office was captured by [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] and interrogated for the whereabouts of [[Harry Potter]]. However, in one last brave act for Harry, [[Rufus Scrimgeour]] told Voldemort nothing, and was killed. This placed the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] under the control of Voldemort and his [[Death Eaters]]. [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] also fell under Voldemort's influence, and he appointed [[Severus Snape]] as new headmaster (interestingly, Snape had killed the previous headmaster, [[Albus Dumbledore]], just a month before). The [[Carrow family|Carrow]] siblings were also appointed as teachers.<ref name=DH />
 
   
  +
==History==
Many school subjects were revised at Voldemort's will; [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] was more or less taught as [[Dark Arts]], and [[Muggle Studies]] became a compulsory class for indoctrinating hatred against [[Muggle]]s and [[Muggle-born]]s. Snape and the Carrows enforced Voldemort's agenda brutally at Hogwarts. Students given detention were subjected to the [[Cruciatus Curse]] - sometimes by other students. As a result of this, a band of students began to fight back very early on in the [[1997–1998 school year]], led by seventh year [[Neville Longbottom]] and sixth years [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]] and [[Luna Lovegood]]. This group stood as the successor to the original [[Dumbledore's Army]], founded by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in [[1995]].<ref name=DH />
 
  +
===Background information===
  +
====Snape's reign at Hogwarts====
  +
{{Quote|Well, it's not really like Hogwarts any more.|[[Neville Longbottom]] about the situation at Hogwarts to [[Harry Potter]] under Snape's reign|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
[[File:Snape Great Hall Headmaster.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Headmaster Snape]]
  +
On [[1 August]] [[1997]], [[Minister for Magic]] [[Rufus Scrimgeour]] was secretly captured by [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] and interrogated for the whereabouts of [[Harry Potter]]. However, in one last brave act for Harry, Scrimgeour told Voldemort nothing, and was murdered by the Dark Lord as a result. This easily placed the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] under the secret influential control of Voldemort and his [[Death Eaters]], who quickly replaced Scrimgeour with Pius Thicknesse, a corrupt politician under the [[Imperius Curse]] and a puppet of Voldemort.
   
  +
[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] also quickly fell under Voldemort's influence, and he appointed [[Severus Snape]] as the new Headmaster (interestingly, Snape had killed the previous headmaster, [[Albus Dumbledore]], just a month before).<ref name="DH8">{{DH|B|8}}</ref> The [[Carrow family|Carrow]] siblings, Amycus and Alecto, were also appointed as Deputy Headmaster-Deputy Headmistress, and also became teachers. Amycus Carrow became Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts and Alecto Carrow became Professor of Muggle Studies.<ref name="DH11">{{DH|B|11}}</ref>
===Search for Horcruxes===
 
[[File:Article-0-0B08D358000005DC-888_634x423.jpg|thumb|250px|Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the [[Horcrux hunt]]]]
 
{{Main|Horcrux hunt}}
 
At the climax of the [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]] the [[1997|previous year]], [[Albus Dumbledore]] was killed by then-[[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] teacher, [[Severus Snape| Snape]].<ref name=HBP>''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref> [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]], however, had left [[Harry Potter]] with a final task: to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes that [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] created at different points in his life. Over several months, Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to locate the Horcruxes; their efforts included [[Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic|infiltrating the Ministry]] to acquire [[Salazar Slytherin's locket]] (which was later destroyed by [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] in December of [[1997]]).
 
   
  +
Two school subjects were revised at Voldemort's will; [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] was more or less taught simply as [[Dark Arts (class)|Dark Arts]], and [[Muggle Studies]] became a compulsory class for indoctrinating hatred against [[Non-magic people|Muggle]]s and [[Muggle-born]]s, rather than opt for peace with them. Snape and the Carrows enforced Voldemort's agenda brutally at Hogwarts. Students given detention for any wrongdoing were subjected to the [[Cruciatus Curse]] by either of the Carrows— as well as by other students on the Carrows' orders; particularly [[Slytherin]] students.
Furthermore, the day before the battle, the trio succeeded in [[Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank (1998)|breaking into]] the [[Lestrange Vault|vault]] belonging to [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] within Gringotts to obtain [[Helga Hufflepuff's cup| Hufflepuff's Cup]], another Horcrux.<ref name=DH />Two other Horcruxes had also been destroyed prior to Dumbledore's death: [[Tom Riddle's diary|Voldemort's old diary]] from his school years at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] was destroyed in [[1993]] by Harry Potter,<ref name=COS>''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''</ref> and a [[Marvolo Gaunt's ring|ring]] which had belonged to Voldemort's grandfather, [[Marvolo Gaunt]], was destroyed by Dumbledore sometime in July,[[1996]].<ref name=HBP /> Harry returned to [[Hogwarts Castle]] to search for another of Voldemort's Horcruxes, an object he believed had something to do with [[Gryffindor]] or [[Ravenclaw]], both of the Hogwarts Houses.
 
   
  +
As a result of this, a band of students began to fight back very early on in the [[1997–1998 school year]], led by seventh year [[Neville Longbottom]] and sixth years [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], and [[Luna Lovegood]]. This group stood as the successor to the original [[Dumbledore's Army]], founded by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in [[1995]].<ref name="DH29">{{DH|B|29}}</ref>
==Arrival in Hogsmeade==
 
[[File:Hogsmeade.jpeg|thumb|250px|The Trio arrives in Hogsmeade.]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b|Hermione Granger|But how are we going to get in?|Harry Potter|We'll go to [[Hogsmeade]], and try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school's like.|The trio planning to get into Hogwarts|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
====Search for Horcruxes====
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all wearing Harry's [[Cloak of Invisibility]], [[Apparition|apparated]] into the main street of [[Hogsmeade]]. However, they immediately triggered a [[Caterwauling Charm]], and a dozen cloaked and hooded [[Death Eaters]] dashed into the street from the [[Three Broomsticks]]. One of the Death Eaters tried to [[Summoning Charm|Summon]] the Cloak, but the Summoning Charm did not work on it because it was the Cloak of Legend, one of the fabled [[Deathly Hallows]].
 
  +
{{Main|Horcrux hunt}}
  +
[[File:Article-0-0B08D358000005DC-888 634x423.jpg|250px|thumb|The [[Trio]] beginning their hunt for [[Horcrux]]es]]
  +
At the climax of the [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]] the [[1997|previous year]], [[Albus Dumbledore]] was killed by then-[[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] teacher, Professor [[Severus Snape|Snape]].<ref name="HBP27">{{HBP|B|27}}</ref> [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]], however, had secretly planned his death with Snape; and unknown to anyone; his spirit continued to aid Harry by giving Snape special orders through Dumbledore's portrait in the Headmaster's Office.
   
  +
Dumbledore then left [[Harry Potter]] with a final task; to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes that [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]] created at different points in his life to ensure his immortality. Over several months, Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to locate the Horcruxes; their efforts included [[Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic|infiltrating the Ministry]] to acquire [[Slytherin's Locket|Salazar Slytherin's locket]]<ref name="DH13">{{DH|B|13}}</ref> (which was later destroyed by [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] on [[28 December]] [[1997]]).<ref name="DH19">{{DH|B|19}}</ref>
Harry, Ron, and Hermione backed quickly down the nearest side street. Harry informed the others that the Death Eaters must have set up the Caterwauling Charm to alert them to the trio's presence, and they likely had done something to trap them there. At that moment, one Death Eater suggested releasing the [[Dementor]]s, pointing out that the dementors wouldn't kill Harry. Voldemort wanted Harry's life, not his soul, and he would be easier to kill if he had been subjected to the [[Dementor's Kiss]] first.
 
   
  +
Furthermore, the day before the battle, the trio succeeded in [[Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank (1998)|breaking into]] the [[Lestrange Vault|vault]] belonging to [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] within Gringotts in Diagon Alley to obtain Helga [[Hufflepuff's Cup]], another Horcrux.<ref name="DH26">{{DH|B|26}}</ref> Two other Horcruxes had also been destroyed prior to Dumbledore's death: [[T. M. Riddle's Diary|Voldemort's old diary]] from his school years at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] was destroyed in [[1993]] by Harry Potter,<ref name="COS17">{{COS|B|17}}</ref> and a [[Marvolo Gaunt's ring|ring]] which had belonged to Voldemort's grandfather, [[Marvolo Gaunt]], was destroyed by Dumbledore sometime in [[July]] [[1996]].<ref name="HBP23">{{HBP|B|23}}</ref> Harry then returned to [[Hogwarts Castle|Hogwarts]] to search for another of Voldemort's Horcruxes, an object he believed had something to do with [[Gryffindor]] or [[Ravenclaw]], both of which are Hogwarts Houses.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
[[File:Hogsmeade_1998.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Hogsmeade village shortly before the Battle of Hogwarts]]
 
Hermione suggested that they [[Apparition|Disapparate]], but as they tried, the air through which they needed to move seemed to become solid. They could not Disapparate due to an [[Anti-Disapparation Jinx]] placed by the Death Eaters. Ten or more Dementors closed in on them, and Harry raised his wand to cast a Patronus, causing the silver [[Deer|stag]] to burst from his wand and charge: The dementors scattered and there was a triumphant yell from the Death Eaters.
 
   
  +
===Arrival in Hogsmeade===
{{Dialogue a-b-c|First Death Eater|I still say I saw a stag Patronus!|Aberforth Dumbledore (not known at time)|Stag? It's a ''goat'', idiot!|Second Death Eater|All right, we made a mistake. Break curfew again and we won't be so lenient!|The barman of the Hog's Head covering for Harry's Patronus.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
  +
{{Dialogue a-b|Hermione Granger|But how are we going to get in?|Harry Potter|We'll go to [[Hogsmeade]], and try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school's like.|The trio planning to get into Hogwarts|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
[[File:Hogsmeade.jpeg|250px|thumb|left|The trio arriving in Hogsmeade]]
  +
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all wearing Harry's [[Cloak of Invisibility]], [[Apparition|apparated]] into the main street of [[Hogsmeade]]. However, they immediately triggered a [[Caterwauling Charm]], and a dozen cloaked and hooded [[Death Eaters]] dashed into the street from the [[Three Broomsticks Inn|Three Broomsticks]]. One of the Death Eaters tried to [[Summoning Charm|summon]] the Cloak, but the Summoning Charm did not work on it because it was secretly the cloak of legend, one of the fabled [[Deathly Hallows]].<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
   
  +
Harry, Ron, and Hermione backed quickly down the nearest side street. Harry informed the others that the Death Eaters must have set up the Caterwauling Charm to alert them to the trio's presence, and they likely had done something to trap them there. At that moment, one Death Eater suggested releasing the [[Dementor]]s, pointing out that the Dementors wouldn't kill Harry. Voldemort wanted Harry's life, not his soul, and he would be easier to kill if he had been subjected by the [[Dementor's Kiss]] first.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
Suddenly, a door near the trio opened and the three of them were hustled inside the [[Hog's Head Inn]]. They ran up the stairs into a room with single large oil painting of a blonde girl. Outside, the inn's proprietor pulled out his wand and cast a goat Patronus; he insisted that the Death Eaters had mistaken his Patronus for a stag and that he had set off the alarm when he let out his cat. Reluctantly convinced, the Death Eaters strode back toward the High Street. Hermione came out from under the Cloak, and sat down on a chair. Harry drew the curtains shut, then pulled the Cloak off himself and Ron. They could hear the barman down below, rebolting the door of the bar, then climbing the stairs.
 
   
  +
[[File:Death Eaters searching Hogsmeade.jpg|250px|thumb|Death Eaters searching Hogsmeade for Harry Potter]]
===The Hog's Head Inn===
 
  +
Hermione suggested that they [[Apparition|disapparate]], but as they tried, the air through which they needed to move seemed to become solid. They could not Disapparate due to an [[Anti-Disapparition Jinx|Anti-Disapparation Jinx]] placed by the Death Eaters. Ten or more Dementors closed in on them, and Harry raised his wand to cast a Patronus, causing the silver [[Deer|stag]] to burst from his wand and charge. The Dementors scattered and there was a triumphant yell from the Death Eaters.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
[[File:AberforthInfobox.jpg|thumb|[[Aberforth Dumbledore]] talking to the trio]]
 
Harry's attention was caught by [[Sirius Black]]'s half of his [[two-way mirror]] on the mantelpiece. He realised it was the barman's eye he had been seeing in the mirror, and that this must meant that the barman had sent [[Dobby]] to rescue them during the [[Skirmish at Malfoy Manor]]. From his resemblance to his late brother, Harry deduced that the man was Aberforth Dumbledore.
 
   
  +
Suddenly, a door near the trio opened and the three of them were hustled inside the [[Hog's Head Inn]]. They ran up the stairs into a room with a single large oil painting of a blonde girl. Outside, the inn's proprietor pulled out his wand and cast a [[goat]] [[Patronus Charm|Patronus]]; he insisted that the Death Eaters had mistaken his Patronus for a stag and that he had set off the alarm when he let out his cat. Reluctantly convinced, the Death Eaters strode back toward the High Street. Hermione came out from under the Cloak and sat down on a chair. Harry drew the curtains shut, then pulled the Cloak off himself and Ron. They could hear the man down below, rebolting the door of the bar, then climbing the stairs.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
Realising that the trio were hungry, Aberforth went out of the room and reappeared with a bread, cheese, and a pewter jug of mead. Aberforth told them to wait for daybreak, when the curfew would lift; then they could get out of Hogsmeade, up into the mountains, and Disapparate. Harry argued that they needed to get into Hogwarts to complete the task Albus Dumbledore set them. Aberforth said that people had a habit of getting hurt when he was carrying out his grand plans.
 
   
  +
====The Hog's Head Inn====
[[File:Arianas_portrait.png|thumb|left|250px|Harry talking to Aberforth]]
 
{{Quote|I knew my brother, Potter. He learned secrecy at [[Kendra Dumbledore|our mother]]'s knee. Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus...he was a natural.|Aberforth describing his brother|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}Aberforth told the young wizards to get away from the school, out of the country if they could; forget Dumbledore and his clever schemes. Harry pointed out that Aberforth was fighting as well, he was part of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], but Aberforth retorted that the Order of the Phoenix was finished. Aberforth then said that Dumbledore was a natural at secrets and lies, a trait he learned from [[Kendra Dumbledore|their mother]]. Hermione timidly asked if the picture on the mantelpiece was of his sister, [[Ariana Dumbledore|Ariana]], and Aberforth confirmed this.
+
{{Quote|I knew my brother, Potter. He learned secrecy at [[Kendra Dumbledore|our mother]]'s knee. Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus...he was a natural.|Aberforth describing his brother|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
[[File:Two-way mirror 2.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The two-way mirror in Aberforth's possession]]
  +
Harry's attention was caught by [[Sirius Black]]'s half of his [[two-way mirror]] on the mantelpiece. He realised it was the man's eye he had been seeing in the mirror, and that this must mean that the man had sent [[Dobby]] to rescue them during the [[Skirmish at Malfoy Manor]]. From his resemblance to his late brother, Harry deduced that the man was Aberforth Dumbledore: the younger brother of the late [[Albus Dumbledore]].<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
   
  +
Realising that the trio was hungry, Aberforth went out of the room and reappeared with bread, cheese, and a pewter jug of mead. Aberforth told them to wait for daybreak when the curfew would lift. Then they could get out of Hogsmeade, up into the mountains, and disapparate. Harry, however, refused and claimed that they needed to get into Hogwarts to complete the task Albus Dumbledore set them. Aberforth said that people had a habit of getting hurt when Albus was carrying out his grand plans.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
[[File:ArianaDumbledorePortrait.jpg|thumb|The portrait of [[Ariana Dumbledore]]]]
 
{{Quote|When my sister was six years old, she was attacked, set upon, by three Muggle boys. They'd seen her doing magic, spying through the back garden hedge: She was a kid, she couldn't control it, no witch or wizard can at that age. What they saw scared them, I expect. They forced their way through the hedge, and when she couldn't show them the trick, they got a bit carried away trying to stop the little freak doing it.|Aberforth explaining the reason behind Ariana's condition.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}Hermione said that Professor Dumbledore cared about Harry, very much, but Aberforth said that many of the people his brother cared about very much ended up in a worse state than if he had left them alone. When Hermione asked if Aberforth was talking about his sister, he burst into speech. He told them that when Ariana was six years old, she was attacked by three [[Muggle]] boys, and that afterwards her magic turned inward and drove her mad, exploding out of her because she couldn't control it. Aberforth revealed that his father, [[Percival Dumbledore]], went after the boys that harmed his daughter and was locked up in [[Azkaban]] for it.
 
   
  +
[[File:Arianas portrait13.png|250px|thumb|Harry talking to Aberforth about his mission left to him by Dumbledore]]
The rest of the family moved house, and because Albus was often too busy for Ariana, she liked Aberforth best. Aberforth could get her to eat when she refused, and he could calm her down when she was in one of her rages. Then, when Ariana was fourteen, she accidentally killed her mother. Kendra's death resulted in Albus having to put aside his dreams and settle down as head of the family.
 
  +
Aberforth told the young wizards to get away from the school, out of the country if they could; forget Dumbledore and his clever schemes. Harry pointed out that Aberforth was fighting as well, as he was part of the [[Order of the Phoenix]], but Aberforth retorted that the Order was finished, that Voldemort had won, and that those still left serving in the Order fought a lost cause. Aberforth then said that Dumbledore was a natural at secrets and lies, a trait he learned from their father, Percival Dumbledore. Hermione timidly asked if the picture on the mantelpiece was of his sister, [[Ariana Dumbledore]], and Aberforth confirmed this.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
   
  +
Hermione said that Professor Dumbledore cared about Harry, very much, but Aberforth said that many of the people his brother genuinely cared about very much ended up in a worse state than if he had left them alone. When Hermione asked if Aberforth was talking about his sister, he burst into speech. He told them that when Ariana was six years old, the Dumbledore Family lived in Godric's Hollow; she was attacked by three [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] teenage boys.
[[File:GellertGrindelwaldHarryPotterPagetoScreen.JPG|thumb|left|[[Gellert Grindelwald]]]]
 
{{Quote|I'd have looked after her, I told him so, I didn't care about school, I'd have stayed home and done it. He told me I had to finish my education and ''he'd ''take over from my mother. Bit of a comedown for Mr. Brilliant, there's no prizes for looking after your half-mad sister, stopping her blowing up the house every other day. But he did all right for a few weeks...till he came. Grindelwald ''[...]'' And look after Ariana took a backset then, while they were hatching all their plans for a new Wizarding order, and looking for ''Hallows'', and whatever else it was they were so interested in. Grand plans for the benefit of all Wizardkind, and if one young girl got neglected, what did that matter, when Albus was working for ''the greater good''?|Aberforth Dumbledore|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}Aberforth said Albus did all right for a few weeks- until [[Gellert Grindelwald]] arrived. Here was someone as bright and talented as Albus was; and so Ariana was neglected as the two of them planned a new wizarding order. After a few weeks of this, Aberforth confronted the two of them about their treatment of his sister, which made Grindelwald angry. There was an argument, and Grindelwald subjected Aberforth to the [[Cruciatus Curse]]. Albus tried to stop Grindelwald, and the three boys began to duel. When the curses stopped, Ariana lay dead by an unknown hand.
 
   
  +
[[File:Aberforth talking to the trio.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Aberforth telling the trio about his brother's past]]
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Aberforth|-- and I think she wanted to help, but she didn't really know what she was doing, and I don't know which of us did it, it could have been any of us -- and she was dead.|Hermione|I'm so...I'm sorry|Gone. Gone forever.|Aberforth telling about the three-way duel that resulted in Ariana's death.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}Aberforth then again told Harry to hide, but Harry knew that in war, sometimes you have to think about the greater good. Harry told Aberforth that Albus had taught him how to finish You-Know-Who, and he was going to keep going until he succeeded, or died. Relenting, Aberforth approached the portait of Ariana and said "You know what to do." She smiled and walked along what seemed to be a long tunnel painted behind her. Aberforth said that there was only one way in to Hogwarts left.
 
  +
After the attack, Ariana's magic turned inward and drove her mad, exploding out of her because she couldn't control it. Aberforth revealed this to his father Percival, who furiously went after the boys that harmed his daughter, attacking them all with the Cruciatus Curse; and was locked up in [[Azkaban]] for it by the Ministry of Magic, when the family's neighbour Bathilda Bagshot witnessed the event and alerted the Ministry.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
   
  +
The rest of the family was moved out by Aberforth's mother, Kendra Dumbledore, and Percival died in Azkaban. Albus was often too busy for Ariana, so she liked Aberforth best. Aberforth could get her to eat when she refused, and he could calm her down when she was in one of her mental rages. Then, when Ariana was fourteen, she accidentally killed her mother. Kendra's death resulted in Albus having to put aside his dreams and settle down as head of the family.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
[[File:Trio_in_hogsmeade.jpg|thumb|250px|The trio and [[Neville Longbottom]] in the [[Hog's Head]].]]
 
{{Quote|There was somebody else with her now, someone taller than she was, who was limping along, looking excited. His hair was longer than Harry had ever seen it: He appeared to have suffered several gashes to his face and his clothes were ripped and torn. Larger and larger the figures grew, until only their heads and shoulders filled the portrait. Then the whole thing swung forward on the wall like a little door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. And out of it, his hair overgrown, his face cut, his robes ripped, clambered the real Neville Longbottom, who gave a roar of delight, leapt down from the mantelpiece, and yelled, "''I knew you'd come! I knew it, Harry!''"|Neville Longbottom greeting the trio|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}A tiny white dot reappeared at the end of the painted tunnel, and now Ariana was walking back toward them, growing bigger and bigger as she came, with somebody else limping along beside her. The two figures grew larger until the painting swung forward on the wall like a door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. Out of the tunnel and onto the mantelpiece came a badly bruised and beaten [[Neville Longbottom]], who gave a roar of enthusiasm upon seeing Harry.
 
   
  +
Aberforth said Albus did all right for a few weeks ''—'' until [[Gellert Grindelwald]], Bathilda Bagshot's nephew, arrived. Here was someone almost as bright and talented as Albus was; and so Albus and Gellert instantly became best friends; in particular, due to their shared obsession for magical equality concerning wizards and muggles. Ariana was neglected as the two of them planned a new secret wizarding order, wanting to end the International Statute Of Wizarding Secrecy and create a global monarchy where both worlds' lived together in permanent harmony. After a few weeks of this, Aberforth confronted the two of them about their treatment of his sister, which made Grindelwald angry. There was an argument, and Grindelwald subjected Aberforth to the [[Cruciatus Curse]]. Albus tried to stop Grindelwald, and the three boys began to duel fiercely. When the curses stopped, Ariana lay dead by an unknown hand.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
===Entering the castle===
 
[[File:Hogheadpassage.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Harry going through the passage]]
 
Neville led Harry, Hermione and Ron around a corner and up a steep flight of stairs that led to a door. As Harry followed, he heard Neville call out to unseen people, announcing Harry's arrival, and he, Ron, and Hermione were soon engulfed, hugged, pounded on the back, by what seemed to be more than twenty people.
 
   
  +
[[File:Ariana leaving her portrait.jpg|250px|thumb|Ariana leaving her portrait]]
Neville told everyone to calm down, and Harry saw that they were in an enormous room with many multicoloured hammocks strung from the ceiling. The walls were covered with bright tapestry hangings; the gold [[Gryffindor]] lion, emblazoned on scarlet; the black badger of [[Hufflepuff]], set against yellow; and the bronze eagle of [[Ravenclaw]], on blue. There were bulging bookcases, a few broomsticks propped against the walls, and in the corner, a large wooden-cased wireless.
 
  +
Aberforth then again told Harry to hide, but Harry knew that in war, sometimes you have to think about the greater good. Harry told Aberforth that Albus had taught him how to finish You-Know-Who, and he was going to keep going until he succeeded, or died. He also told Aberforth that no matter what Albus had done or been in the past, he wasn't that during the time Harry knew him.
[[File:Screen_shot_2011-11-27_at_7.18.45_PM.png|thumb|250px|Harry and Dumbledore's Army preparing to fight.]]Neville revealed that they were in the [[Room of Requirement]], which had expanded as more of [[Dumbledore's Army]] arrived. [[Seamus Finnigan]] told the trio that the DA had been hiding out there for nearly two weeks, as neither Headmaster Snape nor the Carrows could get in. The passage to the pub had appeared as the students got hungry, as food was one of the few things the room could not provide.
 
   
  +
Harry said he wasn't interested in what happened between Albus and Aberforth, that he loved Albus with all his heart and spirit, and he also berated Aberforth for abandoning hope when it was most needed. Rejuvenated and inspired by Harry's bravery, Aberforth approached the portrait of Ariana and said "''You know what to do''." She smiled and walked along what seemed to be a long tunnel painted behind her. Aberforth said that there was only one safe way into Hogwarts left that was unknown to the Death Eaters.<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
The room just kept making more hammocks as they were needed. Harry recognised [[Lavender Brown]], both [[Parvati and Padma Patil|Patil twins]], [[Terry Boot]], [[Ernest Macmillan|Ernie Macmillan]], [[Anthony Goldstein]], and [[Michael Corner]].
 
Neville, who had become the leader of the group, said that he had used the [[Galleon]]s that Hermione had [[Protean Charm|bewitched]] in their fifth year to recall all of the DA, and sure enough, past DA members such as the Weasley twins started arriving through the tunnel from the Hog's Head.
 
   
[[File:Harryluna.png|thumb|left|250px|Harry and Luna in [[Ravenclaw Tower]]]]
+
[[File:Trio_in_hogsmeade.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The trio and [[Neville Longbottom]] in the [[Hog's Head Inn|Hog's Head]]]]
  +
A tiny white dot suddenly appeared at the end of the painted tunnel, and now Ariana was walking back toward them, growing bigger and bigger as she came, with somebody else limping along beside her. The two figures grew larger until the painting swung forward on the wall like a door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. Out of the tunnel and onto the mantelpiece came a badly bruised and beaten [[Neville Longbottom]], who gave a roar of enthusiasm upon seeing Harry and stated that he knew Harry would come, as it was only a matter of time. Neville proceeded to tell the trio that Hogwarts has changed greatly under the new evil regime.<ref name="DH29">{{DH|B|29}}</ref>
Neville had informed a number of them that it was time to return to [[Hogwarts castle|Hogwarts]] to fight and help Harry find whatever it was that he needed. When Harry realised how loyal they were being to him, he accepted help, telling them that Voldemort was on his way to Hogwarts and that he, Harry, needed to find something in the castle. When he asked about artefacts associated with [[Rowena Ravenclaw]], Harry was told about her lost diadem, and he decided that it was almost certainly what Voldemort would have used for his Horcrux.
 
   
  +
====Entering the castle====
[[Luna Lovegood]] took Harry to the [[Ravenclaw Common Room]] to see a statue of Rowena wearing the diadem so that he would know what to look for. They were caught there by [[Alecto Carrow]], who summoned Voldemort by way of the [[Dark Mark]] on her arm before being [[Stunning Spell|Stunned]] by Luna. [[Amycus Carrow]] and [[Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] then arrived in the room. Amycus decided that he would blame Alecto's (seemingly unnecessary) summoning of Voldemort on the students. McGonagall refused to allow him to put her students in danger, causing him to spit at her in anger. Harry, outraged, used the [[Cruciatus Curse]] on him, revealing himself to McGonagall.
 
  +
{{Quote|<nowiki/>'HARRY!'' It's Potter, it's ''POTTER''!|The Trio entering the [[Room of Requirement]], being greeted by the [[Dumbledore's Army|D.A.]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
Neville then led Harry, Hermione and Ron around a corner and up a steep flight of stairs that led to a door. As Harry followed, he heard Neville call out to unseen people, announcing Harry's arrival, and he, [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]], and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] were soon engulfed, hugged, pounded on the back, by what seemed to be more than twenty people.<ref name="DH29"/>
   
  +
[[File:D.a. in 1998.gif|250px|thumb|D.A. members welcoming Harry back on 1 May 1998]]
===Ousting of Severus Snape===
 
  +
Neville told everyone to calm down, and Harry saw that they were in an enormous room with many multicoloured hammocks strung from the ceiling. The walls were covered with bright tapestry hangings: the gold [[Gryffindor]] lion, emblazoned on scarlet; the black badger of [[Hufflepuff]], set against yellow; and the bronze eagle of [[Ravenclaw]], on blue. There were bulging bookcases, a few broomsticks propped against the walls, and in the corner, large wooden-cased wireless. Neville revealed that they were in the [[Room of Requirement]], which had expanded as more of [[Dumbledore's Army]] arrived.
{{Main|Ousting of Severus Snape}}
 
   
  +
[[Seamus Finnigan]] told the trio that the DA had been hiding out there for nearly two weeks, as neither Headmaster Snape nor the Carrows could get in. The passage to the pub had appeared as the students got hungry, as the food was one of the few things the room could not provide. The room just kept making more hammocks as they were needed. Harry recognised [[Lavender Brown]], both [[Padma and Parvati Patil|Patil twins]], [[Terry Boot]], [[Ernest Macmillan|Ernie Macmillan]], [[Anthony Goldstein]], and [[Michael Corner]].<ref name="DH29">{{DH|B|29}}</ref>
McGonagall sent three cat [[Patronus Charm|Patronus]] messengers to summon the other Heads of House, and started for the [[Great Hall]] with Harry and Luna following closely behind her. As they walked down from [[Ravenclaw Tower]], they encountered Headmaster Snape in the hall. He continually darted his eyes about, perhaps suspecting that Harry was nearby. When asked what she was doing there, McGonagall claimed she heard a disturbance. She was evasive when asked about Harry, then slashed her wand through the air. Snape, faster, deflected her charm. She then waved her wand at a torch on the wall, making it fly off its bracket.
 
   
  +
Neville, who had become the leader of the group, said that he had used the [[Galleon]]s that Hermione had [[Protean Charm|bewitched]] in their fifth year to recall all of the D.A., and sure enough, past D.A. members such as the Weasley twins started arriving through the tunnel from the Hog's Head.<ref name="DH29"/>
[[File:Pomonabattle.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Pomona Sprout|Sprout]], [[Filius Flitwick|Flitwick]], [[Arthur Weasley|Arthur]], [[Molly Weasley|Molly]], [[Ron Weasley|Ron]], [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]], [[Neville Longbottom|Neville]],[[Nymphadora Tonks|Tonks]], [[Remus Lupin|Remus]], [[Kingsley Shacklebolt|Kingsley]], [[Fleur Delacour|Fleur]], [[Bill Weasley|Bill]], [[Fred Weasley|Fred]], [[George Weasley|George]] and [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] arriving for the Battle of Hogwarts.]]
 
   
  +
[[File:Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Lavender.png|250px|thumb|left|Harry and Dumbledore's Army preparing to overthrow the Death Eater regime at Hogwarts]]
The flames became [[Fiery rope|a ring of fire]] that filled the corridor and flew like a lasso at Snape. Snape turned the descending [[Fire to snake spell|flames into a great black snake]] that McGonagall blasted to smoke and [[Smoke to daggers spell|turned into a swarm of daggers]], which she directed towards him. The Headmaster pulled a [[suit of armour]] in front of him, which the daggers sank into with echoing clangs.
 
  +
Neville had informed a number of them that it was time to return to [[Hogwarts Castle|Hogwarts]] to fight and help Harry find whatever it was that he needed. When Harry realised how loyal they were being to him, he accepted help, telling them that Voldemort was on his way to Hogwarts and that he, Harry, needed to find something in the castle. When he asked about artefacts associated with [[Rowena Ravenclaw]], Harry was told about her lost diadem, and he decided that it was almost certainly what Voldemort would have used for his Horcrux.<ref name="DH29"/>
   
  +
[[File:Deathly-hallows-part2-still07.jpg|250px|thumb|Harry and Luna entering [[Ravenclaw Tower]]]]
{{Quote|No! You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!|[[Filius Flitwick]] as he joins the duel|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
  +
[[Luna Lovegood]] took Harry to the [[Ravenclaw Tower|Ravenclaw Common Room]] to see a statue of Rowena wearing the diadem so that he would know what to look for.<ref name="DH29"/> They were caught thereby [[Alecto Carrow]], who summoned Voldemort by way of the [[Dark Mark]] on her arm before being [[Stunning Spell|stunned]] by Luna. [[Amycus Carrow]] and [[Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] then arrived in the room. Amycus decided that he would blame Alecto's (seemingly unnecessary) summoning of Voldemort on the students. McGonagall refused to allow him to put her students in danger, causing him to spit in her face in anger. Harry, outraged, used the [[Cruciatus Curse]] on him, revealing himself to McGonagall.<ref name="DH30"/>
   
  +
====Ousting of Severus Snape====
[[Filius Flitwick]] and [[Pomona Sprout]] came running to McGonagall's aid with a huffing Slughorn lagging behind. Flitwick raised his wand, [[Piertotum Locomotor|bewitching the suit of armour]] to attack Snape by crushing him. Outnumbered, Snape sent the suit of armour flying back against his attackers and dashed into a deserted classroom, where a loud crash was heard. Pursuing, McGonagall screamed, "Coward!" Uncloaked, Harry and Luna rushed inside to find that Snape had fled by leaping out the window in the form of a jet black stream of smoke.
 
  +
{{Main|Ousting of Severus Snape}}
  +
{{Quote|No! You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!|[[Filius Flitwick]] as he joined the duel|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
McGonagall sent three [[Patronus Charm|Patronus]] [[cat]] messengers to summon the other Heads of House and started for the [[Great Hall]] with Harry and Luna following closely behind her. As they walked down from [[Ravenclaw Tower]], they encountered [[Headmaster]] [[Severus Snape|Snape]] in the hall. He continually darted his eyes about, perhaps suspecting that Harry was nearby. When asked what she was doing there, McGonagall claimed she heard a disturbance. She was evasive when asked about Harry, then slashed her wand through the air. Snape, faster, deflected her charm. She then waved her wand at a torch on the wall, making it fly off its bracket.<ref name="DH30">{{DH|B|30}}</ref>
   
  +
The flames became a [[Fire rope|ring of fire]] that filled the corridor and flew like a lasso at Snape. Snape turned the descending [[Fire to snake spell|flames into a great black snake]] that McGonagall blasted to smoke and [[Smoke to daggers spell|turned into a swarm of daggers]], which she directed towards him. The Headmaster pulled a [[suit of armour]] in front of him, which the daggers sank into with echoing clangs.<ref name="DH30"/>
Harry thought that Snape was surely dead, but McGonagall bitterly commented that, unlike [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]], Snape had a wand and had learned a few tricks from [[Tom Riddle|his master]], Voldemort. Harry saw a large, bat-like figure soaring across the school grounds. Harry slid into Voldemort's mind again and saw an [[Horcrux cave|Inferi-filled lake]]. Voldemort leapt from the boat in a murderous rage, headed for Hogwarts.
 
   
  +
[[File:Books chapterart dh 30.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Snape hiding behind a suit of armour]]
===Preparations for battle===
 
  +
[[Filius Flitwick]] and [[Pomona Sprout]] came running to McGonagall's aid with a huffing Slughorn lagging behind. Flitwick raised his wand, [[Piertotum Locomotor|bewitching the suit of armour]] to attack Snape by crushing him. Outnumbered, Snape sent the suit of armour flying back against his attackers and dashed into a deserted classroom, where a loud crash was heard. Pursuing, McGonagall screamed, "Coward!" Uncloaked, Harry and Luna rushed inside to find that Snape had fled by leaping out the window in the form of a jet black stream of smoke.<ref name="DH30"/>
[[File:Battleprepare.png|thumb|250px|Minerva ordering [[Seamus Finnegan]], [[Neville Longbottom]], and [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]] to bring the [[Covered Bridge]] down.]]
 
{{Quote|Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!|[[Minerva McGonagall]] commanding the [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] to protect the school, after [[Piertotum Locomotor|bewitching them to life]].|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Harry thought that Snape was surely dead, but McGonagall bitterly commented that, unlike [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]], Snape had a wand and had learned a few tricks from [[Tom Riddle|his master]], Voldemort. Harry saw a large, [[bat]]-like figure [[Unsupported flight|soaring across]] the school grounds. Harry slid into Voldemort's mind again and saw an [[Inferi]][[The Cave|filled lake]]. Voldemort leapt from the boat in a murderous rage, headed for Hogwarts.<ref name="DH30"/>
McGonagall then ordered the students to be brought to the [[Great Hall]]. The students old enough to fight could stay if they wanted, while younger students would be evacuated by [[Poppy Pomfrey]] and [[Argus Filch]] by way of the passage through the [[Hog's Head Inn]]. The professors set defensive charms and spells around Hogwarts to fend off Voldemort, although they all knew that no matter what protection they gave, Voldemort would eventually penetrate it. As [[Hogwarts Castle]] was being fortified, Harry asked Flitwick about Ravenclaw's diadem, but Flitwick informed him that it had not been seen "in living memory." Meanwhile, McGonagall enchanted the school's statues and [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] to help defend the castle and ordered [[Argus Filch|Filch]] to summon [[Peeves|Peeves the Poltergeist]] to aid in the defence.
 
   
  +
====Preparations for battle====
[[File:Minerva_and_Molly_Battle_og_Hogwart.jpg|thumb|275px|Minerva telling the suits of armour to defend Hogwarts]]
 
  +
{{Quote|Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!|[[Minerva McGonagall]] commanding the suits of armour to protect the school|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
When Harry and Luna returned to the [[Room of Requirement]], they found that even more people had arrived, including [[Remus Lupin|Lupin]], [[Kingsley Shacklebolt|Kingsley]], [[Oliver Wood]], [[Katie Bell]], [[Angelina Johnson]], [[Alicia Spinnet]], [[William Weasley|Bill]] and [[Fleur Weasley|Fleur]], and [[Arthur Weasley|Mr.]] and [[Molly Weasley|Mrs. Weasley]]. [[Fred Weasley|Fred]] had alerted [[Dumbledore's Army]], and they in turn summoned the [[Order of the Phoenix]]. As younger students were being evacuated, an argument broke out about underage [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], who wanted to help fight. Her mother eventually relented to the point of allowing Ginny to stay at Hogwarts if she stayed in the Room of Requirement. The Weasleys' estranged son [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] suddenly arrived, and loudly apologized to his family for not supporting them; the Weasleys immediately forgave him. Looking around, Harry wondered where [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] were. Ginny told him they were attending to something having to do with a bathroom, leaving Harry puzzled.
 
  +
[[File:DH2 Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri, Repello Inimicum.gif|250px|thumb|Powerful protective enchantments being placed around the castle]]
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McGonagall then ordered the students to be brought to the [[Great Hall]]. There, McGonagall and [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] announced that the students old enough to fight (the students aged 17 or older) could stay if they wanted, while younger students (the students under the age of 17) would be evacuated by [[Poppy Pomfrey]] and [[Argus Filch]] by way of the passage through the [[Hog's Head Inn]]. The professors set defensive charms and spell around Hogwarts to fend off [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]], although they all knew that no matter what protection they gave, Voldemort would eventually penetrate it. As [[Hogwarts Castle]] was being fortified, Harry asked Flitwick about Ravenclaw's diadem, but [[Filius Flitwick|Flitwick]] informed him that it had not been seen "in living memory." Meanwhile, McGonagall enchanted the school's statues and suits of armour to help defend the castle and ordered Filch to summon [[Peeves]] the Poltergeist to aid in the defence.<ref name="DH30"/>
   
  +
[[File:DH2 Minerva Molly suits of armour.gif|250px|thumb|left|Minerva telling the suits of armour to defend Hogwarts]]
==Battle==
 
  +
When Harry and Luna returned to the Room of Requirement, they found that even more people had arrived, including: Kingsley Shacklebolt, [[Remus Lupin]], [[Oliver Wood]], [[Katie Bell]], [[Angelina Johnson]], [[Alicia Spinnet]], [[William Weasley|Bill Weasley]], [[Fleur Delacour]], [[Arthur Weasley]], and [[Molly Weasley]]. [[Fred Weasley]] had alerted [[Dumbledore's Army]], and they, in turn, summoned the Order of the Phoenix. As younger students were being evacuated, an argument broke out about underage [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], who wanted to help fight. Her mother eventually relented to the point of allowing Ginny to stay at Hogwarts if she stayed in the [[Room of Requirement]]. The Weasleys' estranged son [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] suddenly arrived, and loudly apologised to his family for not supporting them; the Weasleys immediately forgave him. Looking around, Harry wondered where [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] were. Ginny told him they were attending to something having to do with a bathroom, leaving Harry puzzled.<ref name="DH30"/>
===Voldemort's ultimatum===
 
[[File:Hogwarts_suits_of_armour_and_statues.jpg|thumb|250px|Transfigured [[suit of armour|suits of armour]] during the battle.]]
 
{{Quote|I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]'s ultimatum, leading to the Battle of Hogwarts.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Hogwarts suits of armour and statues.jpg|250px|thumb|Transfigured [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] stationed at the front of the castle]]
Inside the [[Great Hall]], every Hogwarts being, living or dead, listened to [[Minerva McGonagall|Professor McGonagall]] and [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] saying that students would be evacuated before the battle began, though the older students could remain and fight if they wished. The [[Order of the Phoenix]] and the professors have agreed upon a battle plan and begin dividing into groups. As tension mounts over the approaching battle, Harry anxiously searches the room for Ron and Hermione, who were still missing.
 
  +
The [[Order of the Phoenix]] and the professors have agreed upon a battle plan and begin dividing into groups. As tension mounts over the approaching battle, Harry anxiously searches the room for Ron and Hermione, who were still missing.<ref name="DH30"/>
   
  +
===First half of the battle===
[[File:Fusionedshield.png|thumb|left|250px|Magical defences were put around Hogwarts]]
 
  +
====Voldemort's ultimatum====
Suddenly, Voldemort's [[Sonorus|magically amplified]] voice rang through the hall and heard throughout all of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Voldemort informed the school that if they surrendered Harry to him by midnight, nobody in the school would be hurt. [[Pansy Parkinson]], spotting Harry, stood and shrieked for someone to grab him; all of Gryffindor house rose in a mass, pointing wands at the Slytherins, almost immediately followed by all of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall announced that all of Slytherin house would be evacuated, followed by the other Houses, through the passage through the [[Hog's Head Inn]], though those of age in the other three houses were welcome to stay if they wished. Prompted by Professor McGonagall, Harry set out again in search of the Horcrux. Heading down an empty corridor, he began to panic—he has no idea where to search for the [[Horcrux]] or where Ron and Hermione were.
 
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{{Dialogue a-b-a|Kingsley Shacklebolt|We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest Towers — Ravenclaw, Astronomy and Gryffindor — where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, Arthur, and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organise defence of the entrances of the passageways into the school —|Fred Weasley|sounds like a job for us.|All right, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!|[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] commanding the defence of Hogwarts|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
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[[File:Slytherins battle.jpg|250px|thumb|left|[[Pansy Parkinson]] urging students to hand Harry over to Voldemort]]
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Suddenly, Voldemort's [[Amplifying Charm|magically amplified]] voice rang through the hall and heard throughout all of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Voldemort informed the school that if they surrendered Harry to him by midnight, nobody in the school would be hurt. Pansy Parkinson, spotting Harry, stood and shrieked for someone to grab him; all of [[Gryffindor|Gryffindor House]] rose in a mass, almost immediately followed by all of [[Ravenclaw]] and [[Hufflepuff]], and as one drew their wands, indicating their willingness to fight for Harry. Professor McGonagall announced that all of Slytherin house would be evacuated, followed by the other Houses, through the passage through the [[Hog's Head Inn]], though those of age were welcome to stay if they wished. No Slytherins remained, a number of older Ravenclaws, a quarter of Hufflepuff and half of Gryffindor remained to fight.
   
  +
Prompted by Professor McGonagall, Harry set out again in search of the Horcrux. Heading down an empty corridor, he began to panic — he has no idea where to search for the [[Horcrux]] or where Ron and Hermione were. Although all those underaged were to be evacuated, four known students, [[Colin Creevey]], and [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], both of whom aged 16, [[Romilda Vane]], who was either 14 or 15, and [[Nigel Wolpert]], who was either 13 or 14, stayed and fought, due to being members of Dumbledore's Army.<ref name="DH31" />
[[File:Hogwarts'_quidditch_pitch-DH2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Quidditch pitch is [[Burning of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch|destroyed]] by the Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts.]]
 
As the defenders of Hogwarts prepared to hold off Voldemort so that Harry could finish his search for the object of Ravenclaw's, the [[Death Eaters]] launched attacks on the castle but were kept from entering. The Hogwarts defenders were able to fend off the Death Eaters using an array of tactics; Professor Sprout and Neville planned to use dangerous plants from the greenhouses against the Death Eaters, such as lobbing [[mandrake]]s over the walls, as well as the bewitched suits of armour and wand duels. The whole castle shook with the force of the Death Eaters sinister enchantments, and Harry met up with [[Aberforth Dumbledore]] and [[Rubeus Hagrid]], his boarhound Fang, and his giant half-brother, [[Grawp]], as they joined in defending the castle against Death Eaters. During the duels, [[Portraits|portraits]] on the walls, including that of [[Sir Cadogan]], rushed between their canvases screaming news from other parts of the castle or giving encouragments to the fighters.
 
   
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[[File:Hogwarts' quidditch pitch-DH2.jpg|250px|thumb|The Quidditch pitch being [[Burning of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch|destroyed]] by Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
===Skirmishes at the early battle===
 
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As the defenders of Hogwarts prepared to hold off Voldemort so that Harry could finish his search for the object of Ravenclaw's, the [[Death Eaters]] launched attacks on the castle but were kept from entering. The Hogwarts defenders were able to fend off the Death Eaters using an array of tactics: [[Pomona Sprout|Professor Sprout]] and Neville planned to use dangerous plants from the greenhouses against the Death Eaters, such as lobbying [[mandrake]]s over the walls, [[Devil's Snare]], [[Venomous Tentacula]]s and [[Snargaluff]] pods, as well as the bewitched suits of armour and wand duels.
====[[Skirmish at the Covered Bridge]]====
 
{{Quote|Yeah, you and whose army?|[[Neville Longbottom]] taunts the [[Snatchers]] after their way is barred by the magical protections around the Castle.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2}}
 
   
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The whole castle shook with the force of the Death Eaters' sinister enchantments, and Harry met up with [[Aberforth Dumbledore]] and [[Rubeus Hagrid]], his boarhound [[Fang]], and his giant half-brother, [[Grawp]], as they joined in defending the castle against Death Eaters. During the duels, [[portrait]]s on the walls, including that of [[Cadogan|Sir Cadogan]], rushed between their canvases screaming news from other parts of the castle or giving encouragements to the fighters.<ref name="DH31" />
After [[Scabior]] tested if it was safe to cross the now-broken protections, the [[Snatchers]] charged into the [[Covered Bridge]]. As [[Neville Longbottom|Neville]] ran for the [[Clock Tower Courtyard]], he briefly [[duel]]led [[Scabior]] before casting a spell that rebounded into the wooden beams producing a large explosion on the [[Stone Circle]]-side of the [[Covered Bridge]].<ref name="DHpt2"/>
 
   
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====Skirmish at the Wooden Bridge====
[[File:On_the_bridge.jpg|thumb|left|Ginny, Seamus, Padma, Nigel, Ernie and Leanne on the bridge waiting to see if Neville survived the explosion.]]As the [[Snatchers]] fell into the ravine below, Neville threw himself onto the un-exploded part of the bridge, holding to the intact wooden beams, as [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], [[Seamus Finnigan]], [[Cho Chang]], [[Ernest Macmillan|Ernie Macmillan]], [[Leanne]], [[Padma Patil]] and [[Nigel Wolpert]] managed to help him up.<ref name="DHpt2"/>
 
====[[Onslaught at the Viaduct]]====
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{{Main|Skirmish at the Wooden Bridge}}
{{Quote|GET INSIDE! Take cover! TAKE COVER!|[[Minerva McGonagall]] urges the [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] defenders to get into the [[Entrance Hall]] as the magical protections around the Castle are broken.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2}}
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{{Quote|Yeah, you and whose army?|[[Neville Longbottom]] taunting Snatchers|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2}}
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[[File:Da On the bridge.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Ginny and other students under the [[Wooden Bridge]] waiting to see if Neville survived its explosion]]
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After [[Scabior]] tested if it was safe to cross the now-broken protections, the [[Snatchers]] charged onto the Wooden Bridge. As Neville ran for the [[Clock Tower Courtyard]], he briefly duelled Scabior before casting a spell that rebounded into the wooden beams producing a large explosion on the [[Stone Circle|Sundial Garden]]-side of the Wooden Bridge.<ref name="Dhf2">{{DH|F2}}</ref>
   
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As the Snatchers fell into the ravine below, Neville threw himself onto the un-exploded part of the bridge, holding to the intact wooden beams, as [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]], [[Seamus Finnigan]], [[Cho Chang]], [[Ernest Macmillan|Ernie Macmillan]], [[Leanne]], [[Padma Patil]], and [[Nigel Wolpert]] managed to help him up.<ref name="Dhf2"/>
As the [[giant]]s made their way into the [[Viaduct]] the [[File:Battle6.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The [[Viaduct Courtyard]] comes under fire.]][[Viaduct Courtyard]] came under fire of the [[Death Eaters]]' curses, exploding much of the cloister. The [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] struggled against the [[giant]]s on the [[Viaduct]], managing to floor one, but they too came under [[Death Eater]] fire.<ref name="DHpt2"/>
 
   
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====Onslaught at the Viaduct====
Two giants died during this onslaught.
 
  +
{{Main|Onslaught at the Viaduct}}
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{{Quote|<nowiki/>''GET INSIDE''! Take cover! ''TAKE COVER''!|The protection surrounding the castle was broken|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2}}
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[[File:Battle of Hogwarts explosions.gif|250px|thumb|The Viaduct Courtyard coming under fire]]
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As the [[giant]]s made their way into the Viaduct the [[Viaduct Courtyard]] came under fire of the [[Death Eaters]]' curses, exploding much of the cloister. The [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] struggled against the giants on the Viaduct, managing to floor one, but they too came under [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] fire.<ref name="Dhf2" /> This attack had a positive result for the [[Death Eaters]], who managed to advance to just outside the Castle, and destroy much of the school's army of [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]].
   
  +
Two giants died during this onslaught, one throttled by [[Devil's Snare]] vines placed by Professor Sprout and the other felled by the suits of armour.<ref name="Dhf2"/>
====[[Skirmish at the Quad battlements]]====
 
[[File:Arthur_weasley_duel.gif|thumb|left|315px|[[Arthur Weasley]] [[duel]]ling the [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]].]]While the [[giant]]s [[Onslaught at the Viaduct|struggled]] with the [[Piertotum Locomotor|betwitched]] [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] in the [[Viaduct]], the [[Death Eaters]] started casting curses at the [[Viaduct Courtyard]] and at the [[The Quad battlements|battlements]] around [[The Quad]].<ref name="DHpt2">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''</ref>
 
   
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====Skirmish at the Quad battlements====
As part of the battlements shattered, a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] managed to [[Apparition|Apparate]] into the [[Catwalks by the Quad battlements|set of catwalks]] on which [[Order of the Phoenix]] members aimed [[spell]]s. The Death Eater shot a [[Killing Curse]], killing [[Unidentified wizard killed at the Quad battlements|a wizard]], and then started [[duel]]ling with [[Arthur Weasley]]. As another [[ Death Eaters|bald Death Eater]]
 
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{{main|Skirmish at the Quad battlements}}
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[[File:Tumblr n4afunNcf51qg4gkko7 250.gif|250px|thumb|left|[[Arthur Weasley]] and [[Kingsley Shacklebolt|Kingsley]] duelling Death Eaters at the Quad battlements]]
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While the [[giant]]s struggled with the [[Piertotum Locomotor|betwitched]] [[Suit of armour|suits of armour]] in the [[Viaduct]], the [[Death Eaters]] started casting curses at the [[Viaduct Courtyard]] and at the [[The Quad battlements|battlements]] around the Quad.<ref name="Dhf2"/>
   
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As part of the battlements shattered, a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]] managed to [[Apparition|Apparate]] into the set of catwalks on which [[Order of the Phoenix]] members aimed spells. The Death Eater shot a [[Killing Curse]], killing [[Unidentified wizard killed at the Quad battlements|a wizard]], and then fired another at Arthur Weasley, who responded with a red spell of his own which locked the two in battle.<ref name="Dhf2"/>
[[File:Momentum-reversing spell.gif|thumb|right|300px|[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] casts a [[momentum-reversing spell]].]]
 
   
(possibly be [[Jugson]]) tried to [[Apparition|Apparate]] through one of the windows, [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] shot [[Momentum-reversing spell|a spell that made him freeze in mid-air and shot back through the window]].<ref name="DHpt2"/>
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As [[Unidentified Death Eater duelled by Kingsley Shacklebolt|another bald Death Eater]] (possibly being [[Jugson]]) tried to [[Apparition|Apparate]] through one of the windows, he was spotted by Kingsley Shacklebolt, who hit him with a [[momentum-reversing spell]] which stopped him dead then sent him flying right back out to his death.<ref name="Dhf2"/>
   
===Search for the diadem===
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====Search for the diadem====
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{{Quote|I stole the diadem. I sought to make myself cleverer, more important than my mother. I ran away with it. My mother, they say, never admitted that the diadem was gone, but pretended that she had it still. She concealed her loss, my dreadful betrayal, even from the other founders of Hogwarts.|Helena Ravenclaw recounting her past|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
[[File:Helena_Ravenclaw_DH2.jpg|thumb|The Grey Lady, or [[Helena Ravenclaw]], the Ghost of Ravenclaw House]]
 
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[[File:Harry and Helena1.jpg|250px|thumb|The Grey Lady, or [[Helena Ravenclaw]], the ghost of Ravenclaw House with Harry]]
{{Quote|I stole the diadem. I sought to make myself cleverer, more important than my mother. I ran away with it. My mother, they say, never admitted that the diadem was gone, but pretended that she had it still. She concealed her loss, my dreadful betrayal, even from the other founders of Hogwarts.|Helena Ravenclaw|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}} While the battle raged on, Harry thought about possible locations of the Ravenclaw-related Horcrux. All anyone seemed to associate an object of Ravenclaw to was the Lost Diadem, but no one had seen the diadem in living memory. At this thought, Harry decided to ask a ghost, as they have been around much longer than anyone else. Harry found [[Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington|Nearly Headless Nick]], and asked him where he might find the Ravenclaw house ghost. Somewhat miffed that Harry did not want his help, Nick indicates [[Helena Ravenclaw|The Grey Lady]], and Harry eventually chased her down and asked if she knew anything about the diadem. After gaining her trust, she revealed that, during her life, she was Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena, and she stole the diadem from her mother to make herself cleverer.
 
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While the battle raged on, Harry thought about possible locations of the Ravenclaw-related Horcrux. All anyone seemed to associate with [[Ravenclaw]] was the lost diadem, but no one had seen the diadem in living memory. At this thought, Harry decided to ask a ghost, as they had been around much longer than anyone else. Harry found [[Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington|Nearly Headless Nick]], and asked him where he might find the Ravenclaw house ghost. Somewhat miffed that Harry did not want his help, Nick pointed out the [[Helena Ravenclaw|Grey Lady]], and Harry eventually chased her down and asked if she knew anything about the diadem. After gaining her trust, she revealed that, during her life, she was [[Rowena Ravenclaw]]'s daughter, Helena, and she stole the diadem from her mother to make herself cleverer.<ref name="DH31"/>
   
[[File:HPDH2-1543.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Death Eaters]] attack on Hogwarts.]]
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[[File:Shield breaks.gif|250px|thumb|left|Death Eaters attacking on Hogwarts and Voldemort breaking the shield]]
She revealed that she hid the diadem in a hollow tree in a forest in [[Albania]], and she also ashamedly admitted to having told one other student about it, many years before. Harry privately thought that the Grey Lady is only one of the many who had been hoodwinked by [[Tom Riddle]]'s charms. Harry put together that Voldemort found the diadem in Albania, and brought it back to Hogwarts to hide it the night he asked Dumbledore for the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] job. Harry then remembered that Voldemort operated alone and may have been arrogant enough to think that he alone discovered Hogwarts secret of the Room of Requirement. Harry knew immediately that Voldemort had hidden the Lost Diadem there.
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She revealed that she hid the diadem in a hollow tree in a forest in [[Albania]], and she also ashamedly admitted to having told one other student about it, many years before. [[Harry Potter|Harry]] privately thought that the Grey Lady was only one of many who had been hoodwinked by [[Tom Riddle]]'s charms. Harry put together that Voldemort found the diadem in Albania, and brought it back to Hogwarts to hide it the night he asked Dumbledore for the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] job. Harry then remembered that Voldemort operated alone and may have been arrogant enough to think that he alone discovered Hogwarts secret of the [[Room of Requirement]]. Harry knew immediately that Voldemort had hidden the Lost Diadem there.<ref name="DH31"/>
   
[[File:Ronhermionechamber.png|thumb|left|250px|[[Hermione Granger]] and [[Ron Weasley]] in the Chamber of Secrets preparing to destroy [[Helga Hufflepuff's cup]].]]
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[[File:Ronhermionechamber1.jpg|250px|thumb|[[Hermione Granger]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] in the Chamber of Secrets preparing to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's cup]]
Returning to the Room of Requirement, Harry found Ron and Hermione there. They informed him that Ron had opened the [[Chamber of Secrets]] by mimicking the [[Parseltongue]] language Harry had made to open [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|the Locket]] Horcrux, and Hermione had recovered several [[Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk|Basilisk]] fangs, using one of them to destroy [[Helga Hufflepuff's Cup]], one of the Horcruxes and recovering the others to destroy any future Horcruxes that they found. Reunited, the trio went to the Room of Requirement to search for the Horcrux.
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Returning to the Room of Requirement, Harry found Ron and Hermione there. They informed him that Ron had opened the [[Chamber of Secrets]] by mimicking the [[Parseltongue]] language Harry had made to open the [[Slytherin's Locket|Locket]] Horcrux, and Hermione had recovered several [[Serpent of Slytherin|Basilisk]] fangs, using one of them to destroy [[Hufflepuff's Cup|Helga Hufflepuff's Cup]], one of the Horcruxes and recovering the others to destroy any future Horcruxes that they found. Reunited, the trio went to the Room of Requirement to search for the Horcrux.<ref name="DH31"/>
   
[[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]] was inside, along with [[Nymphadora Tonks|Tonks]], and [[Augusta Longbottom|Mrs. Longbottom]] (Neville's grandmother) who had sealed off the tunnel to the Hog's Head inn. The three women soon left to join the battle, on order for the trio to change the setting of the Room of Requirement. When Ron said that he wanted to warn the [[House-elf|House-elves]], an overjoyed Hermione flung herself into Ron's arms, kissing him. He kissed her back, their unspoken feelings finally shared. The trio then entered the Room of Requirement, which Harry had re-opened as the junk storage warehouse where Voldemort had placed the diadem.
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[[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]] was inside, along with [[Nymphadora Tonks|Tonks]], and [[Augusta Longbottom|Mrs Longbottom]] (Neville's grandmother) who had sealed off the tunnel to the Hog's Head Inn. The three women soon left to join the battle, in order for the trio to change the setting of the Room of Requirement. When Ron said that he wanted to warn the [[House-elf|house-elves]], an overjoyed Hermione flung herself into Ron's arms, kissing him. He kissed her back, their unspoken feelings finally shared. The trio then entered the Room of Requirement, which Harry had re-opened as the junk storage warehouse where Voldemort had placed the diadem.<ref name="DH31"/>
   
===Room of Requirement===
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====Skirmish at the Room of Requirement====
 
{{Main|Skirmish at the Room of Requirement}}
 
{{Main|Skirmish at the Room of Requirement}}
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{{Quote|It was not normal fire; Crabbe had used a curse of which [[Harry Potter|Harry]] had no knowledge: As they turned a corner the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent upon killing them. Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: Flaming [[Snake|serpents]], [[chimaera]]s, and [[dragon]]s rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries on which they were feeding was thrown up in the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno.|Description of the Fiendfyre conjured by Vincent Crabbe|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
[[File:Fiendfyregoyle.jpg|thumb|250px|Ron and Hermione running from Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement.]]
 
Harry, Ron, and Hermione split up to search for the diadem within the mounds of hidden objects. As Harry found it, however, he was cornered by [[Draco Malfoy]] and his sidekicks, [[Vincent Crabbe|Crabbe]] and [[Gregory Goyle|Goyle]]. A fierce duel erupted: Crabbe tried to kill Ron and Hermione with [[Killing Curse]]s, while Goyle was Disarmed by Harry and [[Stunning Spell|Stunned]] by Hermione. In the confusion, Malfoy dropped [[Narcissa Malfoy's wand|his borrowed wand]] and Crabbe unleashed [[Fiendfyre]], setting the room ablaze. The flames began to burn the multiple objects in the room.
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Harry, Ron, and Hermione split up to search for the diadem within the mounds of hidden objects. As Harry found it, however, he was cornered by [[Draco Malfoy]] and his sidekicks, [[Vincent Crabbe]] and [[Gregory Goyle]]. A fierce duel erupted; Hermione found Harry and his enemies and fired a Stunning Spell at Crabbe, which would have hit him had Malfoy not pulled him out of the way, and Crabbe responded with a [[Killing Curse]] which Hermione dodged.
   
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Infuriated that Crabbe had actually attempted murder, Harry fired a Stunning Spell at Crabbe, who inadvertently knocked Malfoy's wand out of his hand before firing a second Killing Curse at Ron, who pursued in rage while Goyle was Disarmed by Harry and Stunned by Hermione. Attempting to destroy them, Crabbe unleashed [[Fiendfyre]], setting the room ablaze. The flames began to burn the multiple objects in the room.<ref name="DH31" />
[[File:Fyendfire.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Fiendfyre]] consuming the Room of Requirement]]
 
{{Quote|It was not normal fire; [[Vincent Crabbe|Crabbe]] had used a curse of which [[Harry Potter|Harry]] had no knowledge: As they turned a corner the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent upon killing them. Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: Flaming [[Snake|serpents]], [[chimaera]]s, and [[dragon]]s rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries on which they were feeding was thrown up in the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno.|Description of the Fiendfyre conjured by [[Vincent Crabbe]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Fiend fyre Fleeing GIF.gif|250px|thumb|left|[[Hermione Granger]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] running from the towering flames]]
As the cursed fire consumed the whole room, Crabbe was lost amongst the flames. Harry spotted some old [[broomstick]]s and, in order to escape from the conflagration, mounted them to escape. As they left, though, Harry saw Malfoy and the still unconscious Goyle and rescued them. He then saw the Diadem being thrown about by the Fiendfyre and grabbed it as well, then he made for the door. They narrowly missed being killed by the inferno, and upon getting out of the room they collapsed on the hallway floor. As they flew out into the corridor, the door slammed shut behind them and vanished. Now landed, Harry watched as the diadem emitted a thin shriek and then fell apart in his hand. Hermione then mentioned that Fiendfyre is one of the few things capable enough to destroy Horcruxes.
 
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As the cursed fire consumed the whole room, Crabbe was lost amongst the flames, now looking terrified as he had no control over the flames. Harry spotted some old broomsticks and in order to escape from the conflagration, mounted them to escape. As they left, though, Harry saw Malfoy and the still unconscious Goyle and rescued them. He then saw the diadem being thrown about by the Fiendfyre and grabbed it as well, then he made for the door. They narrowly missed being killed by the inferno, and upon getting out of the room they collapsed on the hallway floor. As they flew out into the corridor, the door slammed shut behind them and vanished. Now landed, Harry watched as the diadem emitted a thin shriek and then fell apart in his hand. Hermione then mentioned that Fiendfyre was one of the few things capable of destroying [[Horcrux]]es.<ref name="DH31"/>
   
[[File:AberforthBattle.jpg|thumb|left|Leanne with Aberforth, Ginny, Padma, Romilda, Seamus, and Katie during the Battle of Hogwarts.]]
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[[File:Aberforth Battle.jpg|250px|thumb|Aberforth with Leanne, Ginny, Padma, Romilda, Seamus, and Katie during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
Harry realised that it was midnight, and Voldemort's forces had penetrated the castle's boundaries. Death Eaters, based in the [[Forbidden Forest]], came streaming out in great numbers. Curses and jinxes flew in every direction, lighting up the sky in green and red. Draco and Goyle disappeared into the battle, and the trio is encountered by multiple duelling witches and wizards.
+
Harry realised that it was midnight, and Voldemort's forces had penetrated the castle's boundaries. Death Eaters, based on the [[Forbidden Forest]], came streaming out in great numbers. [[Curse]]s, [[hex]]es, and [[jinx]]es flew in every direction, lighting up the sky in green and red. Draco and Goyle disappeared into the battle, and the trio encountered multiple duelling witches and wizards.<ref name="DH31"/>
   
  +
The trio was joined by [[Fred Weasley]] and [[Percy Weasley]], each of them duelling a separate Death Eater. The hood of the Death Eater duelled by Percy slipped, revealing the opponent to be [[Pius Thicknesse]], the [[Minister for Magic]] under the [[Imperius Curse]] by the Death Eaters, and Percy hit him with a [[sea urchin jinx]], telling him to consider it his resignation, while Fred's opponent collapsed under three separate [[Stunning Spell]]s.
[[File:Fred dead.JPG|thumb|right|Ron and Molly crying over Fred's dead body.]]
 
{{Quote|The air exploded ''[...]'' Harry felt himself flying through the air ''[...]'' And then the world resolved itself into pain and semidarkness: He was half buried in the wreckage of a corridor that had been subjected to a terrible attack ''[...]'' Then he heard a terrible cry that pulled at his insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause, and he stood up, swaying, more frightened than he had been that day, more frightened, perhaps than he had been in his life.... 'No – no – no!' someone was shouting. 'No! Fred! No!' And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred’s eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.|Description of [[Fred Weasley]]'s death during the battle.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}The trio were joined by [[Fred Weasley]] and [[Percy Weasley]], each of them duelling a separate Death Eater. The hood of the Death Eater duelled by Percy slipped, revealing the opponent to be [[Pius Thicknesse]], the [[Minister for Magic]] under the [[Imperius Curse]] by the Death Eaters, and Percy hit him with a [[sea urchin jinx]], telling him to consider it his resignation, while Fred hit his opponent with a [[Stunning Spell]]. The moment when danger seemed at bay, however, ended when a a massive explosion shattered the wall, blowing apart a side of the castle. As Harry and Hermione struggled through the rubble to see what happened, they realised with horror that Fred was dead. Harry and Percy stuffed his body inside a crevice, and Percy left them into the battle, chasing after the Death Eater [[Augustus Rookwood]].
 
   
  +
The moment when danger seemed at bay, however, ended when a massive explosion shattered the wall, blowing apart a side of the castle. As Harry and Hermione struggled through the rubble to see what happened, they realised with horror that Fred was dead. Seeking to protect Fred's body from further harm or desecration, Harry and Percy stuffed his body inside a crevice, and Percy left them into the battle, chasing after the Death Eater [[Augustus Rookwood]].<ref name="DH32">{{DH|B|32}}</ref>
===Reaching the Shrieking Shack===
 
[[File:Triobattle.jpg|thumb|left|The Trio during this stage in the battle]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Hermione|Listen to me -- ''LISTEN RON!''|Ron|I wanna help -- I wanna kill [[Death Eaters]] --|Ron, we're the only ones who can end it! Please -- Ron -- we need [[Nagini|the snake]], we've got to kill the snake! ''[...]'' We ''will'' fight! We'll have to, to reach the snake! But let's not lose sight now of what we're supposed to be d-doing! We're the only ones who can end it!|[[Hermione Granger]] and [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] during the battle.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}} As the trio and Percy stood in horror at the prospect of Fred being killed, more curses flew in at them from the darkness after a body fell past the hole blown into the side of the school. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to get Percy to stop clutching to his dead brother so they could get out of danger, an [[Acromantula]] (one of [[Aragog]]'s descendents) was trying to climb through the huge hole in the wall, but Ron and Harry blasted it backwards with a combined spell. However, more spiders were climbing the side of the building, driven out of the [[Forbidden Forest]] by the Death Eaters, who decided to use it as a base.
 
   
  +
====Reaching the Shrieking Shack====
Harry looked inside Voldemort's mind on Hermione's instruction to see where he and [[Nagini]] were. Harry subsequently discovered that he was in the [[Shrieking Shack]], not even fighting, and had ordered [[Lucius Malfoy]] to find [[Severus Snape]] and bring him to the shack.
 
  +
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Hermione Granger|Listen to me — ''LISTEN RON!''|Ron Weasley|I wanna help — I wanna kill [[Death Eaters]] —|Ron, we're the only ones who can end it! Please — Ron — we need [[Nagini|the snake]], we've got to kill the snake! ''[...]'' We ''will'' fight! We'll have to, to reach the snake! But let's not lose sight now of what we're supposed to be d-doing! We're the only ones who can end it!|[[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] urging Ron not to forget the trio's mission|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
[[File:Battle of Hogwarts GIF.gif|250px|thumb|left|Acromantulas joining the battle with a flourish]]
  +
As the trio and [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] stood in horror at the prospect of [[Fred Weasley|Fred]] being killed, more [[curse]]s flew in at them from the darkness after a body fell past the hole blown into the side of the school. As [[Harry Potter|Harry]], [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]], and Hermione tried to get Percy to stop clutching to his dead brother so they could get out of danger, an [[Acromantula]] (one of [[Aragog]]'s descendants) was trying to climb through the huge hole in the wall, but Ron and Harry blasted it backwards with a combined spell. However, more spiders were climbing the side of the building, driven out of the [[Forbidden Forest]] by the Death Eaters, who decided to use it as a base.<ref name="DH32"/>
   
  +
Harry looked inside Voldemort's mind on Hermione's instruction to see where he and [[Nagini]] were. Harry subsequently discovered that he was in the [[Shrieking Shack]], not even fighting, and had ordered [[Lucius Malfoy]] to find [[Severus Snape]] and bring him to the shack.<ref name="DH32"/>
[[File:BATTLE_OF_HOGWART_DW2.jpg|thumb|250px|The Battle in the [[Entrance Courtyard]].]]
 
Pulling back out of Voldemort's mind, Harry informed the other two what he saw and the two decided who should go to the Shack to kill Nagini. Before they came to an arrangement, the tapestry on the top of the staircase on which they stood was ripped open by two masked Death Eaters. Hermione shouted [[Glisseo]], causing the stairs to flatten into a chute. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurtled down it, went through the tapestry at the bottom, and hit the opposite wall. As the Death Eaters sped down the slide after them, Hermione cast [[Duro]], causing the tapestry to turn to stone and the Death Eaters crumpled as they hit it. They turned and saw Professor McGonagall leading a group of enchanted desks to gallop past them into the fray. The three of them put on the [[Cloak of Invisibility|Invisibility Cloak]] and ran down the next staircase.
 
   
  +
[[File:The Battle of Hogwarts in action.gif|250px|thumb|Harry, Ron, and Hermione racing down the Marble Staircase]]
[[File:HogwrtsAcromantula.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Acromantulas in Hogwarts]]
 
  +
Pulling back out of Voldemort's mind, Harry informed the other two what he saw and the two decided who should go to the Shack to kill Nagini. Before they came to an arrangement, the tapestry on the top of the staircase on which they stood was ripped open by two masked Death Eaters. Hermione shouted ''[[Glisseo]]'', causing the stairs to flatten into a chute. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurtled down it, went through the tapestry at the bottom, and hit the opposite wall.
The trio, invisible, found themselves in a corridor full of duelers, masked and unmasked Death Eaters fighting students and teachers. [[Dean Thomas]] was face-to-face with [[Antonin Dolohov]], while [[Parvati Patil]] was fighting [[Travers]]. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood braced, ready to help, [[Peeves]] zoomed over them dropping [[Snargaluff]] pods on the Death Eaters, whose heads were engulfed in wriggling green tubers. However, some of the slimy green roots hit the Cloak over Ron's head, and seeing the tubers suspended in midair, a Death Eater informed his fellows that there was an invisible person. Using the temporary distraction, Dean shot a [[Stunning Spell]] at the Death Eater and Dolohov had a [[Body-Bind Curse]] shot at him by Parvati before he could react.
 
   
  +
As the Death Eaters sped down the slide after them, Hermione cast the [[Hardening Charm]], causing the tapestry to turn to stone and the Death Eaters crumpled as they hit it. They turned and saw Professor McGonagall leading a group of enchanted desks to gallop past them into the fray, ordering into battle with a cry of "CHARGE!". The three of them put on the [[Cloak of Invisibility|invisibility cloak]] and ran down the next staircase.<ref name="DH32" />
[[File:Trio_dueling_Battle_og_Hogwarts.jpg|thumb|250px|Harry, Ron, and Hermione racing down the Marble Staircase]]
 
Pelting through the fighters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione viewed Draco Malfoy on the upper landing pleading with a Death Eater that he was on their side. Harry Stunned the Death Eater and Ron punched Draco from under the Cloak, commenting that it was the second time they saved him that evening. There were more duelers all over the stairs and in the [[Entrance Hall|entrance hall]]: [[Yaxley]] was close to the front doors in combat with [[Filius Flitwick]], and a masked Death Eater dueling [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] right beside them. Harry directed a Stunning Spell at the masked Death Eater, but it missed and almost hit [[Neville Longbottom]], who emerged with armfuls of [[Venomous Tentacula]], which reeled in the nearest Death Eater.
 
   
  +
The trio, invisible, found themselves in a corridor full of duelers, masked and unmasked Death Eaters fighting students and teachers. [[Dean Thomas]] was face-to-face with [[Antonin Dolohov]], while [[Parvati Patil]] was fighting [[Travers]]. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood braced, ready to help, [[Peeves]] zoomed over them dropping [[Snargaluff]] pods on the Death Eaters, whose heads were engulfed in wriggling green tubers. However, some of the slimy green roots hit the Cloak over Ron's head, and seeing the tubers suspended in midair, a Death Eater informed his fellows that there was an invisible person. Using the temporary distraction, Dean shot a [[Stunning Spell]] at the Death Eater and Dolohov had a [[Full Body-Bind Curse]] shot at him by Parvati before he could react.<ref name="DH32"/>
[[File:Giant_Battle_of_hogwarts.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A Giant advancing after the running trio]]As Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran down the [[Marble Staircase|marble staircase]], the [[House Point Hourglasses|hourglass]] used to record [[Slytherin]]'s house points was shattered and spilled its emeralds everywhere. At this moment, two bodies fell from the balcony overhead, and [[Fenrir Greyback]] sped toward one of the fallen to sink his teeth in. Hermione threw him backwards from [[Lavender Brown]], and as he struggled to get up he was hit on the head with a [[crystal ball]] thrown by [[Sybill Trelawney|Professor Trelawney]], who threw another through a window with a tennis serve-like movement.
 
   
  +
Pelting through the fighters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione viewed [[Draco Malfoy]] on the upper landing pleading with a Death Eater that he was on their side. Harry Stunned the Death Eater and Ron [[Muggle duelling|punched]] Draco from under the Cloak, commenting that it was the second time they saved him that evening. There were more duelers all over the stairs and in the entrance hall: [[Corban Yaxley|Yaxley]] was close to the front doors in combat with [[Filius Flitwick]], and a masked Death Eater duelling [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]] right beside them. Harry directed a Stunning Spell at the masked Death Eater, but it missed and almost hit [[Neville Longbottom]], who emerged with armfuls of [[Venomous Tentacula]], which happily began to attack the Death Eaters.<ref name="DH32"/>
[[File:Greyback_kills_Lavender.jpg|thumb|250px|Greyback attacking Lavender Brown.]]
 
At that moment, the front doors burst open and the gigantic spiders forced their way in. [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]] went to the spiders shouting for people not to hurt them, and he vanished into their midst as the spiders swarmed away from the onslaught of spells being fired at them. As Harry ran after him, a monumental foot almost crushed Harry. Looking up, he saw it belonged to a twenty-foot high [[giant]], which proceeded to smash a fist through an upper window. [[Grawp]] came lurching around the corner, and the two giants launched themselves at each other savagely. The trio ran away from the giants, and as they were halfway toward the forest, the air froze and swirling creatures of concentrated blackness with hooded faces, drawing rattling breaths, closed in on them: [[Dementor]]s. A hundred of them glided toward them, sucking the happiness from Harry as they advanced;
 
   
  +
[[File:Greyback kills Lavender Brown.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Greyback savaging and killing [[Lavender Brown]]]]
[[File:Dementors_coming_into_Hogwarts.jpg|thumb|left|262px|Dementors attacking Hogwarts.]]Hermione and Ron's [[Patronus Charm|Patronuses]] flickered and died. Filled with despair the last nine months had brought them along with the loss of Fred, Harry almost welcomed an oblivion that would come with a [[Dementor's Kiss]], but a silver hare, a boar, and fox soared past and impeded the dementors' approach: [[Luna Lovegood]], [[Ernest Macmillan|Ernie Macmillan]], and [[Seamus Finnigan]] had cast retrospectively to save them. With the greatest effort it had ever cost him, Harry managed to conjure his stag Patronus, and the dementors scattered in earnest.
 
  +
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran down the [[Marble Staircase]], the hourglass used to record [[Slytherin]]'s house points was shattered and spilt its emeralds everywhere. At this moment, two bodies fell from the balcony overhead, and [[Fenrir Greyback]] sped toward one of the fallen to sink his teeth in. Hermione threw him backwards from Lavender Brown, and as he struggled to get up he was hit on the head with a [[crystal ball]] thrown by [[Sybill Trelawney|Professor Trelawney]], who threw another through a window with a tennis serve-like movement.<ref name="DH32"/>
   
[[File:Battle6.jpg|thumb|250px|Students and teachers fleeing from the Death Eaters]]
+
[[File:DH2 Giant01.jpg|250px|thumb|One of [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s giants joining the courtyard battle]]
  +
At that moment, the front doors burst open and the gigantic spiders forced their way in. Panicking at the sight of the massive arachnids, the duellists broke combat and, temporary allies, fired spells both lethal and non-lethal into the mass of spiders. [[Rubeus Hagrid|Hagrid]] went to the spiders shouting for people not to hurt them, and he vanished into their midst as the spiders swarmed away from the onslaught of spells being fired at them. As Harry ran after him, a monumental foot almost crushed Harry. Looking up, he saw it belonged to a twenty-foot high [[giant]], which proceeded to smash a fist through an upper window. [[Grawp]] came lurching around the corner, and the two giants launched themselves at each other savagely.<ref name="DH32"/>
The trio sprinted to the [[Hogwarts Whomping Willow|Whomping Willow]], the entrance to the Shack, knowing that destroying the snake and defeating Voldemort was the only way to end it. Panting and gasping over their sprint, the trio reached the tree and tried to find the single knot in the back that would paralyze the branches. Ron wondered where Crookshanks was when they could have used his help but Hermione reminded him that he is a wizard. So he used a [[Levitation Charm]] to cause a twig to fly up and jab the place near the roots, stopping the writhing branches instantly. Though Harry had second thoughts about leading Ron and Hermione exactly where Voldemort expected him to go, he realized that the only way forward was to kill the snake, the trio crawled along underground secret passage that led to the Shrieking Shack.
 
   
  +
[[File:Battle of Hogwarts Patronus GIF.gif|250px|thumb|left|[[Dementor]]s attacking and being fought off by the defenders of Hogwarts]]
===Snape's Death===
 
  +
The trio ran away from the giants, and as they were halfway toward the forest, a hundred [[Dementor|Dementors]] glided toward them, sucking the happiness from Harry as they advanced; Hermione and Ron's [[Patronus Charm|Patronuses]] flickered and died. Filled with despair the last nine months had brought them along with the loss of Fred, Harry almost welcomed oblivion that would come with a [[Dementor's Kiss]], but a silver hare, a boar, and fox soared past and impeded the Dementors' approach. [[Luna Lovegood]], [[Ernest Macmillan|Ernie Macmillan]], and [[Seamus Finnigan]] had arrived to save them. With the greatest effort it had ever cost him, Harry managed to conjure his stag Patronus, and the Dementors scattered in earnest.<ref name="DH32"/>
[[File:Voldemortsnape.png|thumb|250px|Voldemort talking with Snape in the Shrieking Shack]]
 
Before reaching the end of the tunnel, Harry put on the [[Cloak of Invisibility|Invisibility Cloak]], and extinguished his lit wand. He then heard voices coming from the room directly ahead of him, muffled by a crate blocking the tunnel. Harry saw through the tiny gap between crate and wall Nagini, swirling and coiling in her protective, floating enchanted sphere, and a long-fingered white hand toying with a wand.
 
   
  +
The trio sprinted to the [[Hogwarts Whomping Willow|Whomping Willow]], the entrance to the Shack, knowing that destroying the snake and defeating Voldemort was the only way to end it. Panting and gasping over their sprint, the trio reached the tree and tried to find the single knot in the back that would paralyse the branches. Ron wondered where Crookshanks was when they could have used his help but Hermione reminded him that he is a wizard. So he used a [[Levitation Charm]] to cause a twig to fly up and jab the place near the roots, stopping the writhing branches instantly. Though Harry had second thoughts about leading Ron and Hermione exactly where Voldemort expected him to go, he realised that the only way forward was to kill the snake, the trio crawled along the underground secret passage that led to the [[Shrieking Shack]].<ref name="DH32"/>
Snape, inches away from where Harry crouched, hidden, told Voldemort that the castle's resistance was crumbling, and Voldemort told Snape that there was no need for Snape to return to the fray. Snape offered to bring Potter to Voldemort in the Shrieking Shack, but Voldemort declined, changing the subject by saying that the Elder Wand has only performed his usual magic, that it had not revealed the legendary and extraordinary powers it was said to possess. Snape then begged Voldemort to let him return to the battle and find Potter, but Voldemort declined again, saying that the boy would come to him, as he would hate watching his friends die for him when handing himself over was the only way to stop it. Voldemort said his instructions to his Death Eaters have been perfectly clear: capture Potter alive; while they could kill as many of his friends as they wanted, they must not kill the boy.
 
   
  +
====Snape's death====
[[File:Dhsnape.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Severus Snape about to be killed.]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a-b-a|Voldemort|You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen.|Snape|My Lord -- |The [[Elder Wand]] cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed [[Albus Dumbledore]]. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine.|My Lord!|It cannot be any other way. I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last.|Voldemort shortly before killing Snape.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}Snape protested, wishing to return and bring Voldemort the boy, but Voldemort angrily declined once again and asked Snape why both wands he used, [[Tom Riddle's wand|his own]] wand and [[Lucius Malfoy's wand]], failed when ordered to kill Harry. Voldemort told Snape that after both of the wands failed he sought the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, Wand of Destiny; he took it from the [[White Tomb|grave of Albus Dumbledore]]. Snape pleaded again to go to the boy, but Voldemort ignored him and told Snape that he had been wondering why the Elder Wand refused to be what it ought to be, and that believed he now had the answer.
+
{{Quote|The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine.|Voldemort shortly before killing [[Severus Snape|Snape]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
   
  +
Before reaching the end of the tunnel, Harry put on the [[Cloak of Invisibility|Invisibility Cloak]] and extinguished his lit wand. He then heard voices coming from the room directly ahead of him, muffled by a crate blocking the tunnel. Harry saw through the tiny gap between the crate and wall Nagini, swirling and coiling in her protective, floating enchanted sphere, and a long-fingered white hand toying with a wand.<ref name="DH32"/>
Voldemort told Snape that he had been a valuable and faithful servant and that he regretted what he had to do. Voldemort told Snape that the Elder Wand could not serve him properly because he was not the wand's true master, that the wand belonged to the wizard who killed its last owner. Believing Snape to have won the wand's allegiance upon killing [[Albus Dumbledore]], Voldemort believed that while Snape lived, the Elder Wand would never truly belong to him. Thus, Voldemort believed that Snape had to die so that Voldemort could become the Elder Wand's true master.
 
  +
[[File:Voldemortsnape.png|thumb|250x250px|Voldemort inside the boat house talking to Snape]]
  +
Snape, inches away from where Harry crouched, hidden, told Voldemort that the castle's resistance was crumbling, and Voldemort told Snape that there was no need for Snape to return to the fray. Snape offered to bring Potter to Voldemort in the Shrieking Shack, but Voldemort declined, changing the subject by saying that the Elder Wand has only performed his usual magic, that it had not revealed the legendary and extraordinary powers it was said to possess. Snape then begged Voldemort to let him return to the battle and find Potter, but Voldemort declined again, saying that the boy would come to him, as he would hate watching his friends die for him when handing himself over was the only way to stop it. Voldemort said his instructions to his Death Eaters had been perfectly clear: capture Potter alive. While they could kill as many of his friends as they wanted, they must not kill the boy.<ref name="DH32"/>
   
  +
Snape protested, wishing to return and bring Voldemort the boy, but Voldemort angrily declined once again and asked Snape why both wands he used, [[Tom Riddle's wand|his own]] wand and [[Lucius Malfoy's wand]], failed when ordered to kill Harry. Voldemort told Snape that after both of the wands failed he sought the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, Wand of Destiny; he took it from the [[White Tomb|grave of Albus Dumbledore]]. Snape pleaded again to go to the boy, but Voldemort ignored him and told Snape that he had been wondering why the Elder Wand refused to be what it ought to be, and that believed he now had the answer.<ref name="DH32"/>
[[File:Nagini_strikes.jpg|thumb|250px|Nagini attacking Snape]]
 
{{Quote|There was a terrible scream. Harry saw Snape's face losing the little colour it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake's fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor.|Description of Snape being killed.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Voldemort told Snape that he had been a valuable and faithful servant and that he regretted what he had to do. Voldemort told Snape that the Elder Wand could not serve him properly because he was not the wand's true master, that the wand belonged to the wizard who killed its last owner. Mistakenly believing Snape to have won the wand's allegiance upon killing [[Albus Dumbledore]], Voldemort surmised that while Snape lived, the Elder Wand would never truly belong to him. Thus, Voldemort believed that Snape had to die so that Voldemort could become the Elder Wand's true master.<ref name="DH32"/>
Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand, and Nagini's cage began to roll through the air. Snape yelled as the [[protection orb|protective sphere]] encased his head and shoulders. With no remorse, Voldemort ordered Nagini to kill Snape in [[Parseltongue]]. Snape screamed while Nagini's fangs pierced his neck. Believing that the wand would now truly do his full bidding, he pointed it at the starry cage holding the snake and caused it to drift upward, off Snape, who fell sideways onto the floor with blood gushing from the wounds in his neck. Without a backward glance, Voldemort swept from the room with the great serpent floating after him in its large protective sphere.
 
   
  +
[[File:B7C32M1 Nagini's attack on Snape.png|250px|thumb|Nagini killing Snape on Voldemort's orders|alt=|left]]
{{Quote|A terrible rasping, gurgling noise issued from Snape's throat. 'Take...it....Take...it....' Something more than blood was leaking from Snape. Silvery blue, neither gas nor liquid, it gushed from his mouth and his ears and his eyes, and Harry knew what it was, but did not know what to do -- A flask, conjured from thin air, was thrust into his shaking hands by Hermione. Harry lifted the silvery substance into it with his wand. When the flask was full to the brim, and Snape looked as though there was no blood left in him, his grip on Harry's robes slackened. 'Look...at...me....' he whispered. The green eyes found the black, but after a second, something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank, and empty. The hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more.|Description of Snape giving Harry his memories before dying.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Snape tried to explain the situation, but Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand before he could finish, and Nagini's cage began to roll through the air. Snape yelled as the [[protection orb|protective sphere]] encased his head and shoulders. With no remorse, Voldemort ordered Nagini to kill Snape in [[Parseltongue]]. Snape screamed while Nagini's fangs pierced his neck. Believing that the wand would now truly do his full bidding, he pointed it at the starry cage holding the snake and caused it to drift upward, off Snape, who fell sideways onto the floor with blood gushing from the wounds in his neck. Without a backward glance, Voldemort swept from the room with the great serpent floating after him in its large protective sphere.<ref name="DH32"/>
[[File:Screen_shot_2011-11-27_at_7.09.40_PM.png|thumb|left|250px|Harry with Snape moments before his death.]]
 
After Voldemort left the shack with Nagini, Harry pointed his wand at the crate blocking his view, making it lift an inch into the air and drift sideways. Harry entered the room, not knowing why he was approaching the dying man, not knowing what to feel as he saw Snape's white face and as Snape tried to staunch the bloody wound at his neck. Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak and looked at the man who he hated, and Snape's black eyes widened upon seeing Harry and tried to speak. As Harry bent over him, Snape seized the front of Harry's robes and pulled him close.
 
   
Snape, barely alive, told Harry to "Take it", and as he did so, silvery-blue wisps, neither gas nor liquid, were gushing from his mouth, ears, and eyes. Hermione conjured a crystal flask out of thin air, and Harry lifted the silvery substance into the flask with his wand. When the flask was full, Snape's grip on Harry's robes slackened and he asked to look into Harry's green eyes. Harry's green eyes looked into Snape's black eyes for a moment, before something in Snape's eyes vanished, the hand holding Harry's robes fell to the floor, and Snape's life ebbed away.
+
After Voldemort left the shack with Nagini, Harry pointed his wand at the crate blocking his view, making it lift an inch into the air and drift sideways. Harry entered the room, not knowing why he was approaching the dying man, not knowing what to feel as he saw Snape's white face and as Snape tried to staunch the bloody wound at his neck. Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak and looked at the man who he hated, and Snape's black eyes widened upon seeing Harry and tried to speak. As Harry bent over him, Snape seized the front of Harry's robes and pulled him close.<ref name="DH32"/>
  +
[[File:Snape's Death...png|thumb|250x250px|Snape giving Harry Potter his memories]]
 
  +
Snape, barely alive, told Harry to "''Take it''", and as he did so, silvery-blue wisps, neither gas nor liquid, were gushing from his mouth, ears, and eyes. Hermione conjured a crystal flask out of thin air, and Harry lifted the silvery substance into the flask with his wand. When the flask was full, Snape's grip on Harry's robes slackened and he asked to look into Harry's green eyes (as the latter had inherited his [[Lily J. Potter|mother]]'s). Harry's looked into Snape's black eyes for a moment, before something in them vanished, the hand holding Harry's robes fell to the floor, and Snape's life ebbed away.<ref name="DH32" />
[[File:Screen_shot_2011-11-27_at_7.13.16_PM.png|thumb|The Weasley family mourning over Fred's body during the one-hour armistice.]]
 
   
 
===One-hour armistice===
 
===One-hour armistice===
  +
{{Quote|You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.|Voldemort calls an armistice|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
[[File:NymphadoraRemusDeaths.png|thumb|[[Remus Lupin|Remus]] and [[Nymphadora Tonks|Tonks]]'s dead bodies lying in the [[Great Hall]].]]
 
  +
[[File:Fred dead.gif|250px|thumb|left|The Weasley family mourning over Fred's body during the one-hour armistice]]
After witnessing Snape's death, Harry heard Lord Voldemort's magically amplified voice, speaking to everyone at Hogwarts, in Hogsmeade village telling everyone to dispose of the dead properly and specifically to Harry, giving him one hour to surrender and threatening to kill everyone if he fails to comply.
 
  +
Shortly after Snape's death, Lord Voldemort's magically amplified voice rang once more throughout the castle, speaking to everyone at Hogwarts, in Hogsmeade village, and specifically to Harry Potter, giving him one hour to surrender and threatened to kill everyone if he failed to comply.
   
[[File:Sybill_Trelawney_Helping_during_battle.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sybill Trelawney]] and [[Padma Patil]] helping bring the dead inside the [[Great Hall]].]]Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts through the tunnel, and Ron and Hermione enter the [[Great Hall]], where the defenders are regrouping and the many wounded and dead lie. Harry sees [[Fred Weasley]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Nymphadora Tonks]] among the deceased. Unable to bear the sight and ashamed at the damage he had caused, Harry runs to the Headmaster's office, where all the portraits stand empty, and finds [[Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve|Dumbledore's Pensieve]].
+
Subsequently, the defenders regrouped and the many wounded and dead lay in the [[Great Hall]];<ref name="DH33" /> Professor Trelawney sobbed over the body of a [[Camelia|deceased colleague]], while Madam [[Poppy Pomfrey]] and Nurse [[Wainscott]] tended to the wounded.<ref name="Dhf2" /> Harry saw [[Fred Weasley]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Nymphadora Tonks]] among the deceased. The Trio arrived on this miserable scene through a tunnel.<ref name="DH33">{{DH|B|33}}</ref>
   
 
====Snape's memories====
 
====Snape's memories====
  +
{{Quote|To escape into someone else's head would be a blessed relief. Nothing that even Snape had left him could be worse than his own thoughts.|Moments before Harry saw flashbacks of Snape's past|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
Harry poured Snape's memories into the Pensieve, and, hoping to briefly escape his own mind, entered the basin. He found himself in a playground. A young, small boy, whom Harry recognised as Snape, was watching two girls, [[Petunia Dursley|Petunia]] and [[Lily Evans]], from behind a small bush. After Lily shows some strange tricks to her older sister, unaware she is performing [[magic]], Snape emerges and informs Lily that she is a [[Wizardkind|witch]] and derides Petunia as a [[Muggle]]. Insulted at being called a witch, Lily follows her indignant sister away, leaving Snape bitterly disappointed. It is apparent he was planning this for a while and it didn't go the way he wanted it to.
 
  +
[[File:Harry Potter DH using Dumbledore's Pensieve.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Harry using Dumbledore's Pensieve to view Snape's memories during the one-hour armistice]]
  +
Unable to bear the sight and ashamed at the damage he had caused, Harry ran to the [[Headmaster's office]], where all the [[portrait]]s stood empty, and found [[Hogwarts Pensieve|Dumbledore's Pensieve]]. Harry poured Snape's memories into the Pensieve, and hoping to briefly escape his own mind, entered the basin. He found himself in a playground. A young, small boy, whom Harry recognised as Snape, was watching two girls, [[Petunia Dursley|Petunia]] and [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]], from behind a small bush.
   
  +
After Lily showed some strange tricks to her older sister, unaware she was performing [[magic]], Snape emerged and informed Lily that she is a [[Wizardkind|witch]] and derided Petunia as a [[Non-magic people|Muggle]]. Insulted at being called a witch, Lily follows her indignant sister away, leaving Snape bitterly disappointed. It was apparent he was planning this for a while and it did not go the way he wanted it to.<ref name="DH33" />
[[File:LilyAndSnape.jpg|thumb|left|Lily and Severus talking by the riverside]]
 
The scene dissolved and reformed into a new one: Snape telling Lily about [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] and magic, including [[Azkaban]] and the [[Dementor]]s. When Lily inquired about Snape's parents, he said that they are still arguing, revealing Snape's unhappy home life. When Petunia appeared and insulted Snape, a tree branch above broke and fell on her. Accusing Snape of breaking the branch, Lily goes away, leaving him miserable and confused.
 
   
  +
[[File:WB F8 Lily Severus looking at each other young flashback HPDH2-07931.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Snape telling Lily about magic and the wizarding world, while they were children]]
The scene reformed again into a different memory. Snape was standing on [[Platform Nine and Three Quarters ]]next to a thin, sour-looking woman whom Harry recognized as Snape's mother. Snape was staring at Lily's family. Petunia and Lily were arguing: Petunia called Lily a freak for being a witch, and Lily retorted that Petunia had not thought so when she wrote to Professor Dumbledore, asking for admission to attend Hogwarts. An embarrassed Petunia, realized that Lily and Snape went through her room and read her letter. She insulted them and they parted on bad terms.
 
  +
The scene dissolved and reformed into a new one: Snape telling Lily about [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] and magic, including [[Azkaban]] and the [[Dementor]]s. When Lily inquired about Snape's parents, he said that they are still arguing, revealing Snape's unhappy home life. When Petunia appeared and insulted Snape, a tree branch above broke and fell on her. Accusing Snape of breaking the branch, Lily goes away, leaving him miserable and confused.
   
  +
The scene reformed again into a different memory. Snape was standing on [[Platform Nine and Three-Quarters]] next to a thin, sour-looking woman whom Harry recognised as Snape's mother. Snape was staring at Lily's family. Petunia and Lily were arguing. Petunia called Lily a freak for being a witch, and Lily retorted that Petunia had not thought so when she wrote to Professor Dumbledore, asking for admission to attend Hogwarts. An embarrassed Petunia realised that Lily and Snape went through her room and read her letter. She proceeded to insult them and they parted on bad terms and stayed on bad terms.<ref name="DH33" />
[[File:Young_Snape_DH2.jpg|thumb|150px|Young Severus Snape]]
 
The scene reformed once more, and inside the [[Hogwarts Express]], Snape finds a compartment with Lily and two boys. She was upset over her sister's hurtful words. Snape began to say that she is only a Muggle but instead grandly announced that they finally were going off to Hogwarts. When he mentions she had better be in [[Slytherin]], one of the boys, the young [[James Potter]], scornfully remarks to his friend, [[Sirius Black]], that he would rather leave than be in Slytherin, and preferred [[Gryffindor]]. Snape engaged in an argument with Sirius and James, until an indignant Lily asked Snape to follow her to a different compartment. The scene dissolved again into the Hogwarts' [[Great Hall]] during the [[Sorting Ceremony|House sorting ceremony]]. Lily was Sorted into Gryffindor, much to Snape's dismay. [[Remus Lupin]], [[Peter Pettigrew]], and [[James Potter]] are also sorted into Gryffindor, joining Sirius Black. Finally, Snape is sorted into Slytherin. At the Slytherin table, he receives a pat on the back from a Prefect, [[Lucius Malfoy]].
 
   
  +
[[File:Harry-potter7-snape-sorting.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Snape watching as Lily was sorted into Gryffindor House]]
[[File:Lily_Sorted.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Lily Evans is Sorted into Gryffindor]]The scene changed to Lily and Snape arguing. Lily said they were still friends, though she detests whom Snape hangs out with, naming [[Avery]] and [[Mulciber]] specifically. Snape counters by mentioning the trouble James Potter and his friends cause and hints that Lupin is a [[Lycanthropy|Werewolf]] too. The fight is resolved when Snape is satisfied when Lily criticizes James as an "arrogant toerag." The scene switches for the sixth time and is the same memory Harry saw before when he peeked into Snape's Pensieve during their [[Occlumency]] [[Harry Potter and Severus Snape's private lessons|lessons]] in his fifth year. Harry keeps his distance somewhat, not caring to witness this memory again. It ends when he hears Snape shouting "[[Mudblood]]" at Lily. The scene changes to night time in front of the [[Gryffindor Tower]]. Snape was remorseful for calling Lily a Mudblood and had threatened to sleep outside the entrance had she not come to see him. Despite his deep, desperate apologies, the angry Lily is fed up with Snape and will not forgive him, and disapproves of him having friends with Death Eater ambitions. She leaves him and the scene dissolves.
 
  +
The scene reformed once more, and inside the [[Hogwarts Express]], Snape found a compartment with Lily and two boys. She was upset over her sister's hurtful words. Snape began to say that she was only a Muggle but instead grandly announced that they finally were going off to Hogwarts. When he mentioned she had better be in [[Slytherin]], one of the boys, the young [[James Potter I|James Potter]], scornfully remarked to his friend, [[Sirius Black]], that he would rather leave than be in Slytherin, and preferred [[Gryffindor]]. Snape engaged in an argument with Sirius and James, until an indignant Lily asked Snape to follow her to a different compartment.
   
  +
The scene dissolved again into the Hogwarts [[Great Hall]] during the [[Sorting Ceremony]]. Lily was sorted into Gryffindor, much to Snape's dismay. [[Remus Lupin]], [[Peter Pettigrew]], and [[James Potter I|James Potter]] were also sorted into Gryffindor, joining Sirius Black. Finally, Snape was sorted into Slytherin. At the Slytherin table, he received a pat on the back from a Prefect, [[Lucius Malfoy]].<ref name="DH33" />
[[File:Dumbledorememory.png|thumb|250px|Dumbledore in his office talking to Snape]]
 
Harry then learns that Snape had revealed [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|the prophecy]] made by [[Sybill Trelawney]] (not knowing, at first, that it was referring to Lily and her family) to Voldemort, prompting the Dark Lord to attack the Potters in an attempt to prevent its fulfilment. Though he asked Voldemort to spare Lily, Snape, still fearing for her safety, went to Dumbledore and begged him to protect the Potters. Dumbledore agreed and ensured that they were placed under the [[Fidelius Charm]]. In return, Snape became a re-doubled agent for the [[Order of the Phoenix]] against Voldemort, using his powers of Occlumency to hide his betrayal from his master. Even with his efforts to protect her, Snape felt responsible for Lily's death when the Potters were betrayed by their [[Secret-Keeper]], [[Peter Pettigrew]].
 
   
  +
The scene changed to Lily and Snape arguing. Lily said they were still friends, though she detested whom Snape hung out with, naming [[Avery (disambiguation)|Avery]] and [[Mulciber (disambiguation)|Mulciber]] specifically. Snape countered by mentioning the trouble James Potter and his friends caused and hinted that Lupin was a [[Lycanthropy|werewolf]] too. The fight was resolved when Snape was satisfied when Lily criticised James as an "''arrogant toerag''". The scene switched for the sixth time and was the same memory Harry saw before when he peeked into Snape's Pensieve during their [[Occlumency]] lessons in his fifth year.
The scene switched to Dumbledore's office. Snape, grief-stricken, was slumped in a chair with a grim-looking Dumbledore standing over him. Snape asked why Dumbledore failed to keep Lily and her family safe, Dumbledore replied that they put their faith in [[Peter Pettigrew|the wrong person]], much like himself when he trusted Voldemort to spare Lily's life. He said that her son, Harry, survived. Snape wished he were dead with Lily, and Dumbledore told him that if he truly loved Lily, he would help protect Harry when Voldemort returned. Snape reluctantly agreed, making Dumbledore promise never to tell anyone that he was protecting James Potter's son, ever.
 
   
  +
Harry kept his distance somewhat, not caring to witness this memory again. It ended when he heard Snape shouting "[[Mudblood]]" at Lily. The scene changed to night time in front of the [[Gryffindor Tower]]. Snape was remorseful for calling Lily a Mudblood and had threatened to sleep outside the entrance had she not come to see him. Despite his deep, desperate apologies, the angry Lily was fed up with Snape and would not forgive him, and disapproved of him having friends with Death Eater ambitions. She left him and the scene dissolved.<ref name="DH33" />
[[File:Snape_&_Lily.gif|thumb|left|250px|Snape holding Lily's dead body]]
 
In Snape's memories, Harry finds that Snape, always loyal to Dumbledore because of a promise he had made out of his unrequited [[love]] for Harry's mother, had been playing a dangerous double game, protecting Harry and feeding Dumbledore information from the Death Eaters while pretending to be Voldemort's most loyal lieutenant all his life by feeding information to Voldemort that Dumbledore instructed him to. Snape demanded of Dumbledore, however, that his deep love for Lily (his reason for switching sides) be kept a secret. Dumbledore agreed and he kept the secret for the rest of his life.
 
   
[[File:Dumbledore-ring.JPG|thumb|250px|Albus Dumbledore shortly before being cursed by [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]].]]
+
[[File:Dumbledorememory.png|250px|thumb|left|Dumbledore in his office talking to Snape]]
  +
Harry then learnt that Snape had revealed [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|the prophecy]] made by [[Sybill Trelawney]] (not knowing, at first, that it was referring to Lily and her family) to Voldemort, prompting the Dark Lord to attack the Potters in an attempt to prevent its fulfilment. Though he asked Voldemort to spare Lily, Snape, still fearing for her safety, went to Dumbledore and begged him to protect the Potters. Dumbledore agreed and ensured that they were placed under the [[Fidelius Charm]]. In return, Snape became a re-doubled agent for the [[Order of the Phoenix]] against Voldemort, using his powers of Occlumency to hide his betrayal from his master. Even with his efforts to protect her, Snape felt responsible for Lily's death when the Potters were betrayed by their [[Secret Keeper|Secret-Keeper]], [[Peter Pettigrew]].<ref name="DH33"/>
Snape's memories then revealed that Dumbledore had been afflicted by a powerful curse cast on [[Marvolo Gaunt's ring]], one of Voldemort's [[Horcrux]]es, prior to the start of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Although Snape's knowledge of the [[Dark Arts]] enabled him to slow the spread of the curse, the curse would have ultimately killed Dumbledore within a year. Dumbledore, aware that Voldemort had ordered Draco to kill him, asked Snape to kill him instead as a way of sparing the boy's soul and of preventing his own otherwise slow, painful death.
 
   
  +
The scene switched to Dumbledore's office. Snape, grief-stricken, was slumped in a chair with a grim-looking Dumbledore standing over him. Snape asked why Dumbledore failed to keep Lily and her family safe, Dumbledore replied that they put their faith in the [[Peter Pettigrew|wrong person]], much like himself when he trusted Voldemort to spare Lily's life. He said that her son, Harry, survived. Snape wished he were dead with Lily, and Dumbledore told him that if he truly loved Lily, he would help protect Harry when Voldemort returned. Snape reluctantly agreed, making Dumbledore promise never to tell anyone that he was protecting James Potter's son, ever.<ref name="DH33"/>
[[File:Snape'sPatronus.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Snape casting his Patronus]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b|Dumbledore|After all this time, Severus?|Snape|Always.|[[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]] and Snape discussing Snape's continued love for [[Lily Evans]] in the memories.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}Although Snape was reluctant, even asking about the impact of such an action on his own soul, Dumbledore implied that this kind of coup de grâce would not damage a human's [[soul]] in the same way murder would. Snape eventually agreed to do as the Headmaster requested. The memory showed Albus Dumbledore telling Snape that, if there is ever a time when Voldemort keeps Nagini magically protected and always in his sight, Snape must then tell Harry that he is a seventh Horcrux, inadvertently created by Voldemort, and that Harry must die in order for Voldemort to be killed. Snape feels tricked, upset that Dumbledore made him protect Lily's son only to have him die. Dumbledore asks if Snape has grown to care for Harry, but Snape spurned that possibility and casts his [[Patronus Charm|Patronus]], a silver-white doe. Dumbledore asks Snape, "After all this time?", to which Snape says, "Always."
 
   
  +
[[File:Snape & Lily.gif|250px|thumb|right|Snape holding Lily's dead body]]
[[File:Severus_Snape.jpg|thumb|[[Severus Snape]], whose memories revealed that he was loyal to Dumbledore ever since Voldemort murdered his one love, [[Lily Evans]].]]
 
  +
In Snape's memories, Harry found that Snape, always loyal to Dumbledore because of a promise he had made out of his unrequited [[love]] for Harry's mother, had been playing a dangerous double game, protecting Harry and feeding Dumbledore information from the Death Eaters while pretending to be Voldemort's most loyal lieutenant all his life by feeding information to Voldemort that Dumbledore instructed him to. Snape demanded of Dumbledore, however, that his deep love for Lily (his reason for switching sides) be kept a secret. Dumbledore agreed and he kept the secret for the rest of his life.<ref name="DH33"/>
Many other details of Snape's behavior were revealed in these memories as well: the scenes also showed Dumbledore's portrait telling Snape that he must give Voldemort the correct date of Harry's departure if Voldemort was to trust Snape. Snape was also to suggest the Potter decoys using [[Polyjuice Potion]] to [[Mundungus Fletcher]] so that Harry is indeed safe. It is then revealed that Snape, face-to-face with Mundungus in a tavern, used a [[Confundus Charm]] on Mundungus so that he would suggest using multiple Potters, and to forget seeing Snape or that he got the idea from him.
 
   
  +
[[File:Albus Dumbledore wearing Marvolo Gaunt's Ring.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Albus Dumbledore shortly before being cursed by [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]]]]
The scene shifted yet again, to Snape gliding on a broomstick at night during the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]]. Up ahead are Lupin and [[George Weasley]], disguised as Harry. Snape casts [[Sectumsempra]] at a Death Eater to prevent him from Cursing Lupin, but the spell missed and hits George instead, severing his ear. The scene shifted again to Sirius's room at [[12 Grimmauld Place]]. Snape wept as he read Lily's letter to Sirius. He took the second page containing Lily's signature, and tore out her image from the picture of her and Harry, then left.
 
  +
Snape's memories then revealed that Dumbledore had been afflicted by a [[Curse on Marvolo Gaunt's ring|powerful curse]] cast on [[Marvolo Gaunt's ring]], one of Voldemort's [[Horcrux]]es, prior to the start of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Although Snape's knowledge of the [[Dark Arts]] enabled him to slow the spread of the curse, the curse would have ultimately killed Dumbledore within a year. Dumbledore, aware that Voldemort had ordered Draco to kill him, asked Snape to kill him instead as a way of sparing the boy's soul and of preventing his own otherwise slow, painful death. Although Snape was reluctant, even asking about the impact of such an action on his own soul, Dumbledore implied that this kind of coup de grâce would not damage a human's [[soul]] in the same way murder would; mercifully ending a life was different. Snape eventually agreed to do as the Headmaster requested and a plan was formed.<ref name="DH33"/>
   
  +
[[File:SnapeExpectoPatronum.gif|250px|thumb|right|"''Lily... after all this time?''"<br/>''"Always."'']]
The scene shifted again and showed Snape in the headmaster's office. [[Phineas Nigellus]]' portrait said Hermione and Harry were in the Forest of Dean, and Dumbledore's portrait, appearing happy, told Snape to plant the sword of Gryffindor there without being seen. Snape said he had a plan, removed the real Sword from behind Dumbledore's portrait, and left. Harry returned to himself from the Pensieve, lying on the carpet in the same room he just saw Snape leaving.
 
  +
The memory showed Albus Dumbledore telling Snape that, if there was ever a time when Voldemort kept Nagini magically protected and always in his sight, Snape must then tell Harry that he was a seventh Horcrux, inadvertently created by Voldemort and that Harry must die in order for Voldemort to be killed. Snape felt tricked, upset that Dumbledore made him protect Lily's son only to have him die. Dumbledore asked if Snape had grown to care for Harry, but Snape spurned that possibility and produced his [[Patronus Charm|Patronus]], a silver-white doe. Dumbledore asked Snape, "''After all this time?''", to which Snape replied, "''Always.''"<ref name="DH33"/>
   
  +
Many other details of Snape's behaviour were revealed in these memories as well: the scenes also showed Dumbledore's portrait telling Snape that he must give Voldemort the correct date of Harry's departure if Voldemort was to trust Snape. Snape was also to suggest the Potter decoys using [[Polyjuice Potion]] to [[Mundungus Fletcher]] so that Harry was indeed safe. It was then revealed that Snape, face-to-face with Mundungus in a tavern, used a [[Confundus Charm]] on Mundungus so that he would suggest using multiple Potters, and to forget seeing Snape or that he got the idea from him.<ref name="DH33"/>
Thus, the memories Harry saw showed that the reason Snape was begging for Voldemort to let him find the boy shortly before his death when he saw Nagini in her protective sphere. While he made it seem to Voldemort that he was offering to bring Harry to him so that Voldemort could kill him. Snape truly wanted to find Harry to tell him the crucial information found in this memory. Voldemort killed Snape, believing that it would make him the true master of the [[Elder Wand]], before Snape could tell Harry the information Dumbledore instructed him to, but luckily Harry witnessed Snape's death in the [[Shrieking Shack]] and Snape was able to deliver the memories and information to Harry as his final act.
 
   
  +
The scene shifted yet again, to Snape gliding on a broomstick at night during the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]]. Up ahead are Lupin and [[George Weasley]], disguised as Harry. Snape cast ''[[Sectumsempra]]'' at a Death Eater to prevent him from cursing Lupin, but the spell missed and hit George instead, severing his ear. The scene shifted again to Sirius's room at [[12 Grimmauld Place]]. Snape wept as he read Lily's letter to Sirius. He took the second page containing Lily's signature, and tore out her image from the picture of her and Harry, then left.<ref name="DH33"/>
===Harry's sacrifice===
 
[[File:Harryafterpensieve.png|thumb|250px|Harry after surfacing from the Pensieve]]
 
{{Quote|Finally, the truth. Lying with his face pressed into the dusty carpet of the office where he had once thought he was learning the secrets of victory, Harry understood at last that he was not supposed to survive. His job was to walk calmly into Death's welcoming arms. Along the way, he was to dispose of [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s remaining [[Horcrux|links to life]], so that when at last he flung himself across Voldemort's path, and did not raise a wand to defend himself, the end would be clean, and the job that out to have been done in [[Godric's Hollow]] would be finished: Neither would live, neither could survive.|Harry coming to terms with the realization that he must die.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
[[File:Patronus doe.gif|250px|thumb|left|Snape's memory leading Harry to the sword with his doe Patronus]]
Harry surfaced from [[Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve|the Pensieve]] and finally knew the truth: he was not meant to survive; his job had been to dispose of Voldemort's Horcruxes and then walk calmly to his death. As he lay on the floor of the [[Headmaster's office]], Harry felt terror and fear at the knowledge that he had to die, and sat up slowly, more aware of his living body than ever before. He understood that Dumbledore had always planned for him to die as one step close to defeating Voldemort. It was clear that Harry's life span had always been determined by how long it took to get rid of the Horcruxes, and that it was an elegant plan not to waste any more lives but to give the tasks to the boy who had already been marked for death, and whose death would not be tragic but simply another blow against Voldemort.
 
  +
The scene shifted again and showed Snape in the headmaster's office. [[Phineas Nigellus Black|Phineas Nigellus]]'s portrait said Hermione and Harry were in the Forest of Dean, and Dumbledore's portrait, appearing happy, told Snape to plant the sword of Gryffindor there without being seen. Snape said he had a plan, removed the real Sword from behind Dumbledore's portrait, and left. Harry returned to himself from the Pensieve, lying on the carpet in the same room he just saw Snape leaving.<ref name="DH33"/>
   
  +
Thus, the memories Harry saw showed that the reason Snape was begging for Voldemort to let him find the boy shortly before his death when he saw Nagini in her protective sphere. While he made it seem to Voldemort that he was offering to bring Harry to him so that Voldemort could kill him. Snape truly wanted to find Harry to tell him the crucial information found in this memory. Voldemort killed Snape, believing that it would make him the true master of the [[Elder Wand]], before Snape could tell Harry the information Dumbledore instructed him to, but luckily Harry witnessed Snape's death in the [[Shrieking Shack]] and Snape was able to deliver the memories and information to Harry as his final act.<ref name="DH33"/>
[[File:Tumblr_luysebVjyV1r5tevgo1_1280.jpg|thumb|left|Harry after viewing Snape's memories]]
 
However, Harry realised that Dumbledore had overestimated him, and that Nagini, the last Horcrux, remained to bind Voldemort to the earth even after Harry had been killed. He knew that Ron and Hermione would have to carry out killing the snake after Harry was killed, and Harry knew that good-byes and explanations, and Ron and Hermione's attempts to stop him, would waste valuable time. Thus, in order not to meet anyone, Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak and went down the floors and saw Neville carrying a body in from the grounds with [[Oliver Wood]], Harry recognised the body as [[Colin Creevey]]--he had sneaked back into the castle to fight despite being underage.
 
   
  +
====Harry's sacrifice====
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Harry Potter|You know [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s snake, Neville? He's got a huge snake... Calls it Nagini... It's got to be killed. [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] know that, but just in case they — Just in case they're — busy — and you get the chance —|Neville Longbottom|Kill the snake?|Kill the snake.|Harry arranges for [[Neville Longbottom]] to kill Nagini, Voldemort's final [[Horcrux]].|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
  +
{{Quote|Finally, the truth. Lying with his face pressed into the dusty carpet of the office where he had once thought he was learning the secrets of victory, Harry understood at last that he was not supposed to survive. His job was to walk calmly into Death's welcoming arms. Along the way, he was to dispose of [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s remaining [[Horcrux|links to life]], so that when at last he flung himself across Voldemort's path and did not raise a wand to defend himself, the end would be clean, and the job that out to have been done in [[Godric's Hollow]] would be finished: Neither would live, neither could survive.|Harry coming to terms with the realisation that he must die|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
Harry surfaced from [[Hogwarts Pensieve|the Pensieve]] and finally knew the truth; he was not meant to survive. His job had been to dispose of Voldemort's Horcruxes and then walk calmly to his death. As he lay on the floor of the [[Headmaster's office]], Harry felt terror and fear at the knowledge that he had to die. He understood that Dumbledore had always planned for him to die, in order to defeat Voldemort.<ref name="DH34">{{DH|B|34}}</ref>
   
  +
[[File:Harryafterpensieve.png|250px|thumb|Harry after surfacing from the [[Pensieve]]]]
Harry took one glance back at the entrance of the Great Hall, where people were kneeling beside the dead and comforting another, but he couldn't see Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the other Weasleys, or Luna. To make absolutely sure that Nagini was killed, he spoke to Neville, saying that just in case Neville got the chance, he must kill the snake. Now, like Dumbledore, Harry made sure that there were backups to carry on when he was dead, and that there would still be three people in on the Horcrux secret: Neville would take Harry's place.
 
  +
However, Harry realised that Dumbledore had overestimated him and that Nagini, the last Horcrux, remained to bind Voldemort to the Earth even after Harry had been killed. He knew that Ron and Hermione would have to carry out killing the snake after Harry was killed. Not wanting to waste time with goodbyes, Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak and went down the floors and saw Neville carrying a body in from the grounds with [[Oliver Wood]], Harry recognised the body as [[Colin Creevey]] — he had sneaked back into the castle to fight despite being underage.<ref name="DH34"/>
   
  +
Harry took one glance back at the entrance of the Great Hall, where people were kneeling beside the dead and comforting another, but he could not see Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the other Weasleys, or Luna. To make absolutely sure that Nagini was killed, he spoke to Neville, saying that just in case Neville got the chance, he must kill the snake. Now, like Dumbledore, Harry made sure that there were backups to carry on when he was dead, and that there would still be three people in on the Horcrux secret. Neville would take Harry's place.<ref name="DH34"/>
Harry swung the Cloak over himself and continued walking, but he stopped when he saw Ginny comforting a girl who was whispering for her mother. Harry wanted to shout out to Ginny, but he passed Ginny kneeling beside the injured girl without speaking. As he saw [[Rubeus Hagrid's cabin|Hagrid's hut]] looming out of the darkness, dark and empty, he emotionally remembered all his trips there, particularly the rock cakes, Ron [[Slug-Vomiting Charm|vomiting slugs]], and [[Norberta|Norbert]]. When he reached the edge of the forest, he felt the chill of a swarm of [[dementor]]s. He had no strength left for a Patronus; he felt like he couldn't go on he knew that he must, the game was over, the [[Golden Snitch|Snitch]] had been caught. At this, he pulled out of the Snitch he had inherited from Dumbledore, the first Snitch he had ever caught, and understanding was coming to him quickly.
 
   
  +
Harry swung the Cloak over himself and continued walking, but he stopped when he saw Ginny comforting a [[Unidentified girl during the Battle of Hogwarts|girl]] who was whispering for her mother. Harry wanted to shout out to Ginny, but he passed Ginny kneeling beside the injured girl without speaking. As he saw [[Hagrid's Hut]] looming out of the darkness, dark and empty, he emotionally remembered all his trips there, particularly the rock cakes, Ron [[Slug-Vomiting Charm|vomiting slugs]], and [[Norberta|Norbert]]. When he reached the edge of the forest, he felt the chill of a swarm of [[dementor]]s. He had no strength left for a Patronus. He felt like he could not go on, but he knew that he must, the game was over, the [[Golden Snitch|Snitch]] had been caught. At this, he pulled out of the Snitch he had inherited from Dumbledore, the first Snitch he had ever caught, and understanding was coming to him quickly.<ref name="DH34"/>
[[File:DH1_Golden_Snitch_'I_Open_at_the_Close'.jpg|thumb|"I open at the close" inscribed on the Snitch]]
 
The inscription on the Snitch, ''I open at the close'', finally made sense to him: this was the close. Harry pressed the golden metal to his lips and whispered, "I am about to die". The metal shell broke open, and Harry lit [[Draco Malfoy's wand|Draco's wand]] beneath the Cloak. He saw the black stone with the jagged crack running down the center sitting in the two halves of the Snitch. The [[Resurrection Stone]] had cracked down the vertical line representing the Elder Wand. Knowing that it wasn't really like bringing them back for he was going to join them, Harry closed his eyes and turned the stone over in his hand three times.
 
   
  +
[[File:Tumblr mqmdbxW40G1qag66no1 250.gif|250px|thumb|left|"''I open at the close''", the stone hidden inside the Snitch]]
{{Dialogue a-b-c-d|Lily|You've been so brave.|James|You're nearly there. Very close. We are...so proud of you.|Harry|Does it hurt?|Sirius|Dying? Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep.|Harry talking to his mother, father, Sirius, and Lupin, summoned by the [[Resurrection Stone]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
  +
Understanding inscription on the Snitch, ''I open at the close'', Harry pressed the golden metal to his lips and whispered, "''I am about to die''". The metal shell broke open, and Harry lit [[Draco Malfoy's wand|Draco's wand]] beneath the Cloak. He saw the black stone with the jagged crack running down the centre sitting in the two halves of the Snitch. The [[Resurrection Stone]] had cracked down the vertical line representing the Elder Wand. Harry closed his eyes and turned the stone over in his hand three times.<ref name="DH34"/>
   
[[File:HPDh_2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Harry brings back his family and friends.]]
+
[[File:Resurrection1.gif|250px|thumb|Harry brings back his family and friends]]
Harry opened his eyes and saw figures less substantial than living bodies but much more than ghosts moving toward him with loving smiles on their faces: the shades of [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Sirius Black]], [[Remus Lupin]], and--with the widest smile of all--[[Lily Evans]]. Lily told Harry how brave he had been, and Sirius told him that dying doesn't hurt at all. Harry, mostly addressing Lupin, told them all that he hadn't wanted any of them to die, especially because Lupin will never know his son, but Lupin said that he hoped his son would understand that he died to have the boy live a happier life. James told Harry that they'd stay with him until the very end, and Sirius informed him that the others wouldn't be able to see them, as they were a part of Harry and invisible to everyone else.
+
Harry opened his eyes and saw the shades of [[James Potter I|James Potter]], [[Sirius Black]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]]. Lily told Harry how brave he had been, and Sirius told him that death does not hurt at all. Harry, mostly addressing Lupin, told them all that he had not wanted any of them to die, especially because Lupin will never know his son, but Lupin said that he hoped his son would understand that he died to have the boy live a happier life. James told Harry that they would stay with him until the very end, and Sirius informed him that the others would not be able to see them, as they were a part of Harry and invisible to everyone else.<ref name="DH34"/>
   
  +
They set off, and the Dementor's chill did not overcome him; his companions acted like [[Patronus Charm|Patronuses]], and Harry continued deeper in the forest to find Voldemort. He heard a thud and a whisper, and [[Corban Yaxley|Yaxley]] and [[Antonin Dolohov|Dolohov]] emerged from behind a nearby tree, with Yaxley saying he heard something and suggested that Harry was under his Invisibility Cloak. Deciding it must have been an animal, the two decided Harry's time to come was over and that they would return to the other Death Eaters to await orders.<ref name="DH34"/>
[[File:Harry_reaching_Lily.JPG|thumb|250px|Harry tries to grab his mother's hand]]
 
They set off, and the dementor's chill did not overcome him; his companions acted like [[Patronus Charm|Patronuses]], and Harry continued deeper in the forest to find Voldemort. The presence of James, Sirius, Lupin, and Lily gave him courage, and his mind and body felt oddly disconnected. Suddenly, he heard a thud and a whisper, and [[Yaxley]] and [[Antonin Dolohov|Dolohov]] emerged from behind a nearby tree, with Yaxley saying he heard something and that suggesting that Harry was under his Invisibility Cloak. Deciding it must have been an animal, the two decided Harry's time to come was over and that they would return to the other Death Eaters to await orders.
 
   
[[File:DH_-_Harry_Potter-Forbidden_Forest.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Harry meeting his fate in the [[Forbidden Forest]].]]
+
[[File:7-2 Stone 1.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A Resurrected Lily and others protecting Harry from [[Dementor]]s]]
Harry followed them, knowing that they would lead him to Voldemort, and his mother smiled and his father smiled in encouragment. In mere minutes, Harry saw Yaxley and Dolohov step into the clearing that once belonged to the monstrous [[Aragog]]. A fire burned in the middle of the clearing, and there was a crowd of watchful, silent Death Eaters around it. Two giants sat on the outskirts of the group, and Harry saw Fenrir chewing his long nails, [[Thorfinn Rowle|Rowle]] dabbing at a bleeding lip, and Lucius Malfoy looking defeated and terrified, while Narcissa had sunken eyes full of apprehension.
+
Harry followed them, knowing that they would lead him to Voldemort, and his mother and his father smiled in encouragement. In mere minutes, Harry saw Yaxley and Dolohov step into the clearing that once belonged to the monstrous [[Aragog]]. A fire burned in the middle of the clearing, and there was a crowd of Death Eaters around it. Two giants sat on the outskirts of the group. Harry noticed Lucius Malfoy looking defeated and terrified, while Narcissa had sunken eyes full of apprehension. Voldemort looked up at Dolohov and Yaxley, and they informed him that there was no sign of the boy. Voldemort told the Death Eaters that he expected Harry to come and that it appeared he was mistaken. Harry contradicted Voldemort as loudly as he could, while the Resurrection Stone slipped between his fingers. His parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanished.
  +
<ref name="DH34"/>
   
  +
Voldemort stood up and observed Harry. Harry did not attempt to attack Nagini, knowing she was too well protected. To the open view of the Death Eaters, Voldemort struck Harry with the [[Killing Curse]], seemingly killing him.<ref name="DH34"/>
[[File:Tomdh.jpg|thumb|Voldemort waiting for Harry in the forest]]
 
Voldemort stood with his head bowed, his white hands folded over the Elder Wand in front of him as if in prayer or counting silently in his mind. Behind his head, Nagini floated in her glittering, enchanted cage. Voldemort looked up at Dolohov and Yaxley's approach, and they informed him that there was no sign of the boy. Voldemort told the Death Eaters that he expected Harry to come, and that it appeared he was mistaken. Harry contradicted Voldemort as loudly as he could, while the Resurrection Stone slipped between his fingers; his parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanished.
 
   
  +
===Limbo===
{{Quote|Harry Potter...The Boy Who Lived...Come to die.|Lord Voldemort about to kill Harry|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2}}
 
  +
{{Dialogue a-b-a-b|Harry Potter|But you're dead.|Albus Dumbledore|Oh yes.|Then... I'm dead too?|Ah. That is the question, isn't it? Oh the whole, dear boy, I think not.|Harry meeting Dumbledore in limbo|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
[[File:Limbo DH2.jpg|250px|thumb|Harry in [[Limbo]], which he saw as [[King's Cross Station]]]]
  +
Harry found himself laying face-down in a strange room. Not knowing the nature of this place, or its physical laws, he realised he was naked. As soon as he was aware of this, clothes appeared to him. Harry was concerned at a strange whimpering noise he could hear.<ref name="DH35">{{DH|B|35}}</ref>
   
  +
Looking more closely at his surroundings, Harry saw a great domed glass roof glittering high above him, and he thought perhaps he was in a palace. Turning slowly on the spot, his surroundings invented themselves before his eyes; a wide-open space Harry recoiled as he spotted the thing making the noises.<ref name="DH35"/>
As he stepped into the clearing, with nothing but the fire between him and Voldemort, the giants roared and the Death Eaters rose together. Voldemort had frozen, and his red eyes stared as Harry moved toward him with nothing but the fire between them. At that moment, a voice yelled "HARRY! NO!", and Harry saw that Hagrid was bound and tied to a nearby tree. As Hagrid shouted, Rowle caused Hagrid to be silent with a flick of his wand. Bellatrix leapt to her feet, looking eagly from Voldemort to Harry, and the only things that moved were the flames and snake, coiling and uncoiling in midair in the glittering cage.
 
   
  +
[[File:Voldemort's mutilated soul.jpg|250px|thumb|left|The whimpering, maimed, agonised creature left unwanted under the chair]]
[[File:Avadakedavra.png|thumb|left|250px|Voldemort hitting Harry with the Killing Curse]]
 
  +
It had the form of a small, naked child curled on the ground, with raw and rough skin, flayed looking and shuddering under a seat where it had been left unwanted, struggling for breath. Harry was afraid of it, feeling both pity and revulsion. At that moment, a voice told Harry he could not help it, and he turned to see [[Albus Dumbledore]] striding towards him in sweeping robes of midnight blue; both his hands were white and undamaged.<ref name="DH35" />
{{Quote|Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear -- He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.|Voldemort casting the [[Killing Curse|Avada Kedavra Curse]] on Harry.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Dumbledore led Harry away to some seats away from the flayed child. The two sat down, and Harry looked at Dumbledore and saw everything he remembered about him. But, knowing Dumbledore was dead, Harry asked if he was dead as well. Dumbledore says this was not the case, and the fact that Harry willingly sacrificed himself would have made all the difference. With Dumbledore prompting him, Harry concluded that, because Harry let himself be killed by Voldemort, the part of Voldemort's soul that was in Harry had now gone. Harry's soul was whole and completely his own.<ref name="DH35"/>
Harry made no attempt to draw his wand, he knew that the snake was too well protected, and even if he managed to point the wand at Nagini, fifty curses would hit him first. Voldemort looked Harry with his head tilted a little to the side, and a mirthless smile curled his lipless mouth. Softy, Voldemort said, "Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived". None of the waiting Death Eaters moved, Hagrid was struggling, Bellatrix was panting, and Harry thought of Ginny, and the feel of her lips on his. Voldemort raised his wand, with his head still tilted to one side, and Harry looked into the red eyes and wanted it to happen quickly, before he displayed any fear; he saw Voldemort's mouth move and the flash of green light of the [[Killing Curse]] before everything was gone.
 
   
  +
[[File:Harry and Dumbledore in limbo.png|250px|thumb|Dumbledore and Harry in [[Limbo]]]]
====Limbo with Albus Dumbledore====
 
  +
Asking Dumbledore what the small, maimed creature trembling under the chair was, Dumbledore replied that it was something beyond either of their help. Harry asked how he could be alive when Voldemort used the [[Killing Curse]] and no one [[Sacrificial protection|died for him]] this time, and Dumbledore explained that it was because Voldemort, in his ignorance, in his greed and his cruelty, used Harry's blood to [[Return of Lord Voldemort|rebuild his living body]] in [[1995]] in the graveyard of [[Little Hangleton]]. Thus, Harry's blood being in Voldemort's veins, Lily's protection was inside both of them, making it so Voldemort tethered Harry to life while he lived.<ref name="DH35" />
[[File:Screen_shot_2011-11-27_at_7.24.45_PM.png|thumb|Harry in Limbo, which he saw as King's Cross Station.]]
 
Harry found himself laying face-down in silence, completely alone. He soon realised that he must exist, because he had a sense of touch, leading him to find out that he was lying on a surface. Soon after this conclusion, he discovered he was naked. He was intrigued at this, but not concerned because he was sure of his solitude. He wondered whether he would be able to see as well as touch, and discovered that he could. He was in a bright mist, but rather than his surroundings being hidden by a cloudly vapor it was the cloudy vapor that had not yet formed into surroundings. The floor on which he lay seemed white and flat, neither warm nor cold. As he sat up, he realised he was not wearing glasses anymore. At that moment, Harry heard a noise: the small soft thumpings of something that was flailing and struggling. The noise was pitiful, but also slightly indecent, and Harry felt he was eavesdropping on something furtive and shameful. He wished he were clothed, and at that moment robes appeared a short distance away.
 
[[File:Screen_shot_2011-11-27_at_7.26.27_PM.png|thumb|250px|The whimpering, maimed, agonized creature left unwanted under the chair.]]
 
   
  +
Explaining further, Dumbledore revealed that Harry was the seventh Horcrux, a Horcrux that Voldemort did not mean to make. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry, his soul broke apart, and Voldemort left more than his body behind: a piece of his soul latched to Harry, his would-be victim. Voldemort remained ignorant of some forms of magic, and he thus took Harry's blood in an attempt to strengthen himself by taking into his body a tiny part of the enchantment that Lily laid upon Harry upon her death. Voldemort's body kept her sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survived, so did Harry and so did Voldemort's one last hope for himself.<ref name="DH35"/>
Looking more closely at his surroundings, Harry saw a great domed glass roof glittering high above him, and he thought perhaps he was in a palace. Turning slowly on the spot, his surroundings invented themselves before his eyes: a wide-open space, a hall much larger than the [[Great Hall]]. Harry recoiled as he spotted the thing making the noises: it had the form of a small, naked child curled on the ground, with raw and rough skin, flayed looking and shuddering under a seat where it had been left unwanted, struggling for breath. Harry was afraid of it, it repulsed him, and did not want to approach it even though it was small, fragile, and wounded. At that moment, a voice told Harry he couldn't help it, and he turned to see [[Albus Dumbledore]] striding towards him in sweeping robes of midnight blue; both his hands were white and undamaged.
 
   
  +
[[File:Priori Incantatem Pottermore.png|250px|thumb|left|''Priori Incantantem'' occurring between [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and [[Harry Potter]] ([[Duel in Little Hangleton]])]]
{{Dialogue a-b-a-b|Harry|But you're dead.|Dumbledore|Oh yes.|Then...I'm dead too?|Ah. That is the question, isn't it? Oh the whole, dear boy, I think not.|Harry meeting Dumbledore.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
  +
Harry then asked why his wand broke the wand that Voldemort borrowed. Dumbledore told him that Voldemort, having doubled the bond between them when he returned to human form ( thinking to strengthen himself, he took part of Harry's mother's sacrifice into himself) proceeded to attack Harry with a wand that shared Harry's wand's core. The cores reacted in ''[[Reverse Spell|Priori Incantatem]]'', something Voldemort, who never knew that his wand and Harry's shared the same core, had never expected. That night, when Harry accepted, even embraced the possibility of death, Harry's wand overpowered Voldemort's, and something happened between the wands that echoed the relationship between their masters. Dumbledore believed that Harry's wand imbibed some of the power and qualities of Voldemort's wand that night, that it contained a little of Voldemort himself.<ref name="DH35"/>
   
  +
[[File:Battle of the Seven Potters.gif|250px|thumb|Harry's wand regurgitating some of Voldemort's own power back at him during the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]]]]
[[File:Vlcsnap-2011-10-26-10h44m46s196.png|thumb|left|Dumbledore and Harry in [[Limbo]].]]
 
  +
During the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]], Harry's wand recognised Voldemort when the Dark Lord pursued Harry, and it [[Golden flame|regurgitated]] some of Voldemort's own magic against him, magic much more powerful than anything [[Lucius Malfoy's wand|Lucius's wand]] had ever performed; Lucius's wand had no chance against the combined power of Harry's enormous courage against Voldemort's own deadly skill. Dumbledore explains that Harry's wand's remarkable effects were directed only at Voldemort, who had tampered with the deepest laws of magic, and otherwise it was a wand like any other and so Hermione was able to break it.<ref name="DH35"/>
Dumbledore led Harry away from where the flayed child lay whimpering to two seats set some distance away. The two sat down, and Harry looked at Dumbledore and saw everything he remembered about him; but, knowing Dumbledore is dead, Harry asks if he is dead as well. Dumbledore says this is not the case, and the fact that Harry willingly sacrificed himself will have made all the difference. With Dumbledore prompting him, Harry puts together that, because Harry let himself be killed by Voldemort, the part of Voldemort's soul that was in Harry has now gone; Harry's soul is whole and completely his own. Asking Dumbledore what the small, maimed creature trembling under the chair was, Dumbledore replied that it was something beyond either of their help. Harry asks how he can be alive when Voldemort used the [[Killing Curse]] and no one [[Sacrificial protection|died for him]] this time, and Dumbledore explains that it was because Voldemort, in his ignorance, in his greed and his cruelty, used Harry's blood to [[Rebirth of Lord Voldemort|rebuild his living body]] in [[1995]] in the graveyard of [[Little Hangleton]]. Thus, Harry's blood being in Voldemort's veins, Lily's protection was inside both of them, making it so Voldemort tethered Harry to life while he lived.
 
   
  +
Dumbledore told Harry that they could agree that Harry was ''not'' dead, and then Harry asked Dumbledore where they were. Dumbledore asked Harry the same question, to which Harry replied that it looked somewhat like [[King's Cross Station]] except cleaner and empty, and without any trains. Dumbledore chuckled at this suggestion, and when Harry asked what Dumbledore thought it looked like, Dumbledore replied with an infuriatingly unhelpful response. Harry then brought up the subject of the [[Deathly Hallows]], which wiped the smile from Dumbledore's face.<ref name="DH35"/>
[[File:Limbo.jpg|thumb|250px|Harry and Dumbledore talk in Limbo]]
 
{{Quote|...His knowledge remained woefully incomplete, Harry! That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend. Of [[House-elf|house-elves]] and children's tales, of [[love]], loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. ''Nothing''. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any [[magic]], is a truth he has never grasped.|Albus Dumbledore|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Dumbledore asked Harry to forgive him for not telling Harry, that Dumbledore feared that Harry would fail as he had failed, and make Dumbledore's mistakes. Dumbledore says that Harry is the better man, and with tears in his eyes he says that the Hallows are a desperate man's dream and lure for fools, and that Dumbledore was one such fool. Dumbledore tells Harry that he, too, sought a way to conquer death, and so he was not better, ultimately, than Voldemort, to which Harry protests, saying that Dumbledore tried to master death using the Hallows, whereas Voldemort tried to conquer death with the use of Horcruxes, by murdering.<ref name="DH35" />
Explaining further, Dumbledore reveals that Harry was the seventh Horcrux, a Horcrux that Voldemort did not mean to make. When Voldemort committed the unspeakable acts of murdering Harry's parents and the attempted murder of the child, his soul broke apart, and Voldemort left more than his body behind: he left part of himself latched to Harry, his would-be victim. But Voldemort remained ignorant of some forms of magic, and he thus took Harry's blood in an attempt to strengthen himself by taking into his body a tiny part of the enchantment that Lily laid upon Harry upon her death. Voldemort's body keeps her sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survives, so did Harry and so did Voldemort's one last hope for himself.
 
   
  +
[[File:Hallows.svg|200px|thumb|left|The Deathly Hallows]]
[[File:Priori_Incantatem.jpg|thumb|250px|Priori Incantantem occuring between [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and [[Harry Potter]].]]
 
  +
Dumbledore told Harry that above all, the Deathly Hallows were the objects that drew him and [[Gellert Grindelwald|Grindelwald]] together; two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession. The Hallows were the reason Grindelwald wanted to come to [[Godric's Hollow]] to explore the place where [[Ignotus Peverell]], the third brother, had died. Dumbledore reveals that the [[Peverell brothers]] were in fact the three brothers of the tale, but that it is more likely that they were simply gifted, dangerous wizards who succeeded in creating the powerful objects rather than them being Death's own Hallows, that this was the sort of legend that would have sprung up around the creations. The [[Cloak of Invisibility]] travelled down through the ages to Ignotus's last living descendant, who was born, like Ignotus, in Godric's Hollow: Harry. Dumbledore revealed that the Cloak was in his possession the night Harry's parents died because James had shown it to him a few days previously, and while Dumbledore had long since given up his dream of uniting the Hallows, he still wished to examine it, as it was a Cloak that matched the description of the tale perfectly.<ref name="DH35"/>
{{Quote|Without meaning to, as you now know, Voldemort doubled the bond between you when he returned to a human form. A part of his soul was still attached to yours, and, thinking to strengthen himself, he took up art of your mother's sacrifice into himself. If he could only have understood the precise and terrible power of that sacrifice, he would not, perhaps have dared to touch your blood....But then, if he had been able to understand, he could not be Lord Voldemort, and might never have murdered at all.|Albus Dumbledore|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Dumbledore told Harry that he gave up on his search for the Hallows because of what happened, and that Harry cannot despise him as much as he despised himself. He told Harry that he resented the responsibility of his sister's poor health, and that his father died in [[Azkaban]] and his mother giving up her own life to care for Ariana. He revealed that he was gifted, brilliant, he wanted to escape, to shine, to have glory, and while he loved his brother and sister and parents, he disliked having the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother; he felt like his talent was trapped and wasted.<ref name="DH35"/>
Harry then asked why his wand broke the wand that Voldemort borrowed, Dumbledore told him that Voldemort, having doubled the bond between them when he returned to human form (a part of his soul was latched to Harry, and then, thinking to strengthen himself, he took part of Harry's mother's sacrifice into himself) proceeded to attack Harry with a wand that shared Harry's wand's core. The cores reacted in [[Priori Incantatem]], something Voldemort, who never knew that his wand and Harry's shared the same core, had never expected. That night, when Harry accepted, even embraced the possibility of death, Harry's wand overpowered Voldemort's, and something happened between the wands that echoed the relationship between their masters. Dumbledore believed that Harry's wand imbibed some of the power and qualities of Voldemort's wand that night, that it contained a little of Voldemort himself.
 
   
  +
[[File:Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Albus Dumbledore]] and [[Gellert Grindelwald]] in [[1899]]]]
[[File:Voldemort_vs_Seven_Potters.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Harry's wand reguritating some of Voldemort's own power back at Voldemort during the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]].]]
 
  +
Then Grindelwald came, with his ideas of [[Non-magic people|Muggle]]s forced into subservience and wizards triumphant, Grindelwald and Dumbledore being the leaders of the revolution. Dumbledore revealed that he had scruples, but he assuaged his conscience with empty words about it being for the greater good and any harm done would be repaid in benefits for wizards. Dumbledore closed his eyes to what Grindewald truly was, because if their plans came to fruition all of Dumbledore's dreams would come true.<ref name="DH35" />
{{Quote|...Your wand recognised him when he pursued you, recognised a man who was both kin and mortal enemy, and it regurgitated some of his own magic against him, magic much more powerful than anything Lucius's wand had ever performed. Your wand now contained the power of your enormous courage and of Voldemort's own deadly skill. What chance did that poor stick of Lucius Malfoy's stand?|Dumbledore on how Harry's wand acted during the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]].|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
At the heart of Dumbledore and Grindewald's schemes were the Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore told Harry how interested they were in the fascinating objects: the [[Elder Wand|unbeatable wand]] that would lead them to power, the [[Resurrection Stone]]—to Grindewald it meant an army of [[Inferius|Inferi]] and to Dumbledore it meant the resurrection of his parents and the lifting of all responsibility from his shoulders. Dumbledore told Harry that he and Grindelwald never discussed the Cloak much. Both of them could conceal themselves perfectly fine without the Cloak, and Dumbledore thought it might be useful in hiding Ariana, but mostly they were interested in the Cloak because it completed the trio, which would make them [[Master of Death]], which they took to mean "invincible".<ref name="DH35"/>
During the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]], Harry's wand recognised Voldemort when the Dark Lord pursued Harry, and it regurgitated some of Voldemort's own magic against him, magic much more powerful than anything [[Lucius Malfoy's wand|Lucius's wand]] had ever performed: Lucius's wand had no chance against the combined power of Harry's enormous courage against Voldemort's own deadly skill. Dumbledore explains that Harry's wand's remarkable effects were directed only at Voldemort, who had tampered with the deepest laws of magic, and otherwise it was a wand like any other and so Hermione was able to break it.
 
   
  +
After the two months of scheming and neglect of the two family members left to him, Dumbledore was forced to face reality with his brother, [[Aberforth Dumbledore|Aberforth]], telling him the truth that he could not seek the Hallows with an unstable sister. The argument became a fight, and Ariana lay dead on the floor. At this, Dumbledore began to cry in earnest, and then said that Grindelwald fled while Dumbledore was left to bury his sister and live with his guilt and grief, the price of his shame.<ref name="DH35" />
{{Dialogue a-b-a-b-a-b|Harry|Where are we, exactly?|Dumbledore|Well, I was going to ask you that. Where would you say that we are?|It looks like [[King's Cross Station|King's Cross station]]. Except a lot cleaner and empty, and there are not trains as far as I can see.|King's Cross station? Good gracious, really?|Well, where do you think we are?|My dear boy, I have no idea. This is, as they say, ''your ''party.|Harry and Dumbledore discussing their location.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Dumbledore then said that he was offered the post of [[Minister for Magic]] while rumours about Grindewald procuring a wand of immense power flew about. Harry told Dumbledore that he would have been a much better Minister than [[Cornelius Fudge|Fudge]] or [[Rufus Scrimgeour|Scrimgeour]], but Dumbledore said that he had learned at a young age that he was not to be trusted with power, that it was his weakness and his temptation, and that those who are best suited to power are perhaps those who have leadership thrust upon them and have never sought it.<ref name="DH35"/>
Dumbledore told Harry that they could agree that Harry was ''not'' dead, and then Harry asked Dumbledore where they were. Dumbledore asked Harry the same question, to which Harry replied that it looked somewhat like [[King's Cross Station]] except cleaner and empty, and without any trains. Dumbledore chuckled at this suggestion, and when Harry asked what Dumbledore thought it looked like, Dumbledore replied with an infuriatingly unhelpful response. Harry then brought up the subject of the [[Deathly Hallows]], which wiped the smile from Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore asked Harry to forgive him for not telling Harry, that Dumbledore feared that Harry would failed as he had failed, and make Dumbledore's mistakes. Dumbledore says that Harry is the better man, and with tears in his eyes he says that the Hallows are a desperate man's dream and lure for fools, and that Dumbledore was one such fool. Dumbledore tells Harry that he, too, sought a way to conquer death, and so he wasn't better ultimately than Voldemort, to which Harry protests, saying that Dumbledore tried to master death using the Hallows, whereas Voldemort tried to conquer death with the use of Horcruxes, by murdering.
 
   
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[[File:Dumbledore watching Tom Riddle.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Dumbledore as the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts]]
[[File:Deathly_Hallows.PNG|thumb|250px|The Deathly Hallows]]
 
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While Dumbledore was at Hogwarts as a teacher, where he believed he was safer, Grindewald was raising an army, and that some said he feared Dumbledore, but not as much as Dumbledore feared him. It was not what Grindelwald could do to him magically (as Dumbledore knew that they were about evenly matched) that Dumbledore feared, rather Dumbledore was afraid of truth; which one of them had cast the curse that killed Ariana during that last horrific fight. Dumbledore dreaded beyond all things the knowledge that it had been him who had brought about Ariana's death, not just through his arrogance and stupidity but that he actually struck the blow that killed her. Dumbledore delayed facing Grindelwald until it became shameful. People were dying, and Dumbledore did what he had to do. He won [[Duel between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald|the duel]] and won the Elder Wand's allegiance.<ref name="DH35"/>
Dumbledore tells Harry that above all, the Deathly Hallows were the objects that drew him and [[Gellert Grindelwald|Grindelwald]] together: two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession. The Hallows were the reason Grindelwald wanted to come to [[Godric's Hollow]] to explore the place where [[Ignotus Peverell]], the third brother, had died. Dumbledore reveals that the [[Peverell brothers]] were in fact the three brothers of the tale, but that it is more likely that they were simply gifted, dangerous wizards who succeeded in creating the powerful objects rather then them being Death's own Hallows, that this was the sort of legend that would have sprung up around the creations. The [[Cloak of Invisibility]] traveled down through the ages to Ignotus's last living descendant, who was born, like Ignotus, in Godric's Hollow: Harry. Dumbledore revealed that the Cloak was in his possession the night Harry's parents died because James had shown it to him a few days previously, and while Dumbledore had long since given up his dream of uniting the Hallows, he still wished to examine it, as it was a Cloak that matched the description of the tale perfectly.
 
   
  +
Harry did not ask whether Dumbledore had ever found out who struck Ariana dead, and at last he knew what Dumbledore would have seen when he look in the [[Mirror of Erised]]. After a long silence, during which the whimperings of the creature behind them barely disturbed Harry anymore, Harry told Dumbledore that Grindelwald had tried to stop Voldemort from going after the wand by lying and pretending he never had it. Dumbledore nodded, and said that Grindelwald was said to have shown remorse in later years, alone in his cell at [[Nurmengard Castle|Nurmengard]], and that perhaps that lie to Voldemort was his attempt to make amends, to stop Voldemort from taking the Hallow, or (as Harry suggested) to stop Voldemort from breaking into [[White Tomb|Dumbledore's tomb]].<ref name="DH35"/>
[[File:Gellert_Grindelwald_and_Albus_Dumbledore.JPG|thumb|left|[[Albus Dumbledore]] and [[Gellert Grindelwald]] in [[1899]].]]
 
{{Quote|You know the secret of [[Ariana Dumbledore|my sister]]'s ill health, what those Muggles did, what she became. You know how [[Percival Dumbledore|my poor father]] sought revenge, and paid the price, died in [[Azkaban]]. You know how [[Kendra Dumbledore|my mother]] gave up her own life to care for Ariana. I resented it, Harry. I was gifted, I was brilliant. I wanted to escape. I wanted to shine. I wanted glory. Do not misunderstand me, I loved them. I loved my parents, I loved my brother and my sister, but I was selfish, Harry, more selfish than you, who are a remarkably selfless person, could possibly imagine.|Dumbledore explaining how he felt about his family to Harry.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Snape and Dumledore curse.jpg|250px|thumb|Snape slowing the curse that was placed on Gaunt's ring as it slowly spread through Dumbledore's body]]
Dumbledore told Harry that he gave up on his search for the Hallows because of what happened, and that Harry can't despise him as much as he despised himself. He told Harry that he resented the responsibility of his sister's poor health, and that his father died in [[Azkaban]] and his mother giving up her own life to care for Ariana. He revaled that he was gifted, brilliant, he wanted to escape, to shine, to have glory, and while he loved his brother and sister and parents, he disliked having the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother; he felt like his talent was trapped and wasted. Then, Grindelwald came, with his ideas of [[Muggle]]s forced into subservience and wizards triumphant, Grindelwald and Dumbledore being the leaders of the revolution. Dumbledore revealed that he had scruples, but he assuaged his conscience with empty words about it being for the greater good and any harm done would be repaid in benefits for wizards. Dumbledore closed his eyes to what Grindewald truly was, because if their plans came to fruition all of Dumbledore's dreams would come true.
 
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After another short pause, Harry brought up that Dumbledore had tried to used the [[Resurrection Stone]], to which Dumbledore nodded. He said that when he discovered it, after all those years buried in the [[Gaunt Shack|abandoned home]] of the [[House of Gaunt|Gaunts]], he lost his head and quite forgot that it was now a Horcrux and that [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|the ring]] was sure to carry a curse. He picked it up, put it on, and for a second Dumbledore imagined that he was able to see Ariana and his parents again, and to apologise, but instead he suffered from the curse placed on the Horcrux ring.<ref name="DH35"/>
   
  +
Dumbledore said that this was final proof that he was unworthy to unite the Hallows, that after all those years he had learned nothing. Harry defended him, saying that it was only natural for him to want to see his family again, but Dumbledore said that he was only fit to possess the Elder Wand, and only to use it to protect others from it. The Cloak, Dumbledore said, he had taken out of a vain curiosity, and so it would never have worked for him like it worked for Harry, its true master. Dumbledore said that he would have used the stone to drag back those who are at peace, rather than to enable his self-sacrifice, as Harry did. At this, Dumbledore said that Harry was the worthy possessor of the Hallows.<ref name="DH35" />
[[File:Ariana_Dumbledore_Hog's_Head.jpg|thumb|[[Ariana Dumbledore]].]]
 
{{Quote|Invincible masters of death, Grindelwald and Dumbledore! Two months of insanity, of cruel dreams, and neglect of the only two members of my family left to me. And then...you know what happened. Reality returned in the form of my rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable [[Aberforth Dumbledore|brother]]. I did not want to hear the truths he shouted at me. I did not want to hear that I could not set forth to seek Hallows with a fragile and unstable sister in tow. The argument became a fight. Grindelwald lost control. That which I had always sensed in him, though I pretended not to, now sprang into terrible being. And Ariana...after all my mother's care and caution...lay dead upon the floor.|Dumbledore discussing with Harry the duel between him, Grindelwald, and Aberforth.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Harry asked Dumbledore why he had to make it all so difficult, and Dumbledore smiled as he admitted he counted on [[Hermione Granger]] to slow Harry up. Dumbledore said he was afraid that Harry's hot head might dominate his good heart, and that Dumbledore feared that, if presented outright with the facts about the tempting objects, Harry might have tried to seize the Hallows like Dumbledore did, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. If Harry laid hands on them, Dumbledore wanted him to possess them safely. Dumbledore said that Harry was the true master of death because the true master does not seek to run away from [[death]], but instead accepts that he must die and understands that there are worse things in the living world than dying.<ref name="DH35"/>
At the heart of Dumbledore and Grindewald's schemes were the Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore told Harry how interested they were in the fascinating objects: the [[Elder Wand|unbeatable wand]] that would leave them to power, the [[Resurrection Stone]] -- to Grindewald it meant an army of [[Inferius|Inferi]] and to Dumbledore it meant the resurrection of his parents and the lifting of all responsibility from his shoulders. Dumbledore told Harry that he and Grindelwald never discussed the Cloak much; both of them could conceal themselves perfectly fine without the Cloak, and Dumbledore thought it might be useful in hiding Ariana, but mostly they were interested in the Cloak because it completed the trio, which would make them [[Master of Death|master of death]], which they took to mean "invincible". After the two months of scheming and neglect of the two family members left to him, Dumbledore was forced to face reality with his brother, [[Aberforth Dumbledore|Aberforth]], telling him the truth that he couldn't seek the Hallows with an unstable sister. The argument became a fight, and Ariana lay dead on the floor. At this, Dumbledore began to cry in earnest, and then said that Grindelwald fled while Dumbledore was left to bury his sister and live with his guilt and grief, the price of his shame.
 
   
  +
When Harry asked if Voldemort ever knew about the existence of the Hallows, Dumbledore said that he did not believe so. He did not recognise the Resurrection Stone he turned into a Horcrux, but even if he had known about them, Dumbledore doubted that Voldemort would have been interested in any except the Elder Wand, as Voldemort would not think he needed the Cloak, and whom would be want to bring back from the dead with the stone, as he fears the dead and does not love. Despite this, Dumbledore did believe that Voldemort would go after the wand ever since Harry's beat Voldemort's own during the [[duel in Little Hangleton]].<ref name="DH35"/>
[[File:Albus_Dumbledore_HBP.jpg|thumb|Albus Dumbledore]]
 
{{Quote|I had proven, as a very young man, that power was my weakness and my temptation. It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.|Albus Dumbledore|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Voldemort tortures Garrick Ollivander.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Voldemort tortures Garrick Ollivander for information on the Elder Wand]]
Dumbledore then said that he was offered the post of [[Minister for Magic]] while rumors about Grindewald procuring a wand of immense power flew about. Harry told Dumbledore that he would have been a much better Minister than [[Cornelius Fudge|Fudge]] or [[Rufus Scrimgeour|Scrimgeour]], but Dumbledore said that he had learned at a young age that he was not to be trusted with power, that it was his weakness and his temptation, and that those who are best suited to power are perhaps those who have leadership thrust upon them and have never sought it.
 
  +
At first, Voldemort was afraid that Harry had conquered him by superior skill. However, after kidnapping [[Garrick Ollivander|Ollivander]], he discovered the existence of the twin cores, and he thought that a borrowed wand would solve the issue. Yet the borrowed wand did no better against Harry's, and so Voldemort went after the Elder Wand, a wand that was said to beat any other. Dumbledore said that he did indeed intend for [[Severus Snape]] to end up with the Elder Wand by planning Snape to kill him, but Harry and Dumbledore both agree that that particular plan did not work out in the end.<ref name="DH35" />
   
  +
Harry and Dumbledore sat without talking for the longest time yet, while the creature behind them jerked and moaned. The realisation of what would happen next gradually settled on Harry, and he asked Dumbledore if he had to go back. Dumbledore replied that Harry had a choice, and that if they were in King's Cross Harry had the decision to go back, or to board a train and go "on". Harry mentioned that Voldemort has the Elder Wand, and while Dumbledore confirmed this, he said that if Harry chose to return there was a strong chance that Voldemort would be finished for good.<ref name="DH35"/>
While Dumbledore was at Hogwarts as a teacher, where he believed he was safer, Grindewald was raising an army, and that some said he feared Dumbledore, but not as much as Dumbledore feared him. It was not what Grindelwald could do to him magically (as Dumbledore knew that they were about evenly matched) that Dumbledore feared, rather Dumbledore was afraid of truth: which one of them had cast the curse that killed Ariana during that last horrific fight. Dumbledore dreaded beyond all things the knowledge that it had been him who had brought about Ariana's death, not just through his arrogance and stupidity but that he actually struck the blow that killed her. Dumbledore delayed facing Grindelwald until it became shameful; people were dying, and Dumbledore did what he had to do: he won [[Duel between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald|the duel]] and won the Elder Wand's allegiance.
 
   
  +
Dumbledore said he could not promise this, but that Harry had less to fear from returning where they were than Voldemort did. Harry glanced at the raw-looking thing that trembled and choked in the shadow beneath the distant chair, but Dumbledore told Harry not to pity the dead, but instead to pity the living, especially those who live without love. He told Harry that by returning, Harry could ensure that fewer souls were injured and fewer families torn apart, as Harry had a strong possibility of being able to defeat Voldemort once and for all.<ref name="DH35"/>
Harry did not ask whether Dumbledore had ever found out who struck Ariana dead, and at last he knew what Dumbledore would have seen when he look in the [[Mirror of Erised]]. After a long silence, during which the whimperings of the creature behind them barely disturbed Harry anymore, Harry told Dumbledore that Grindelwald had tried to stop Voldemort from going after the wand by lying and pretending he never had it. Dumbledore nodded, and said that Grindelwald was said to have shown remorse in later years, alone in his cell at [[Nurmengard]], and that perhaps that lie to Voldemort was his attempt to make amends, to stop Voldemort from taking the Hallow, or (as Harry suggested) to stop Voldemort from breaking into [[White Tomb|Dumbledore's tomb]].
 
   
  +
Dumbledore said that if that seemed like a worthy goal, they would part for the time being. Harry nodded and sighed, knowing that leaving this place would not be as difficult as walking into the forest, but it was warm and light and peaceful and he knew that he would be going back to pain and the fear of more loss. Harry stood up, as did Dumbledore, and they looked at each other. Harry then asked if this was all real, or whether it had simply been happening inside his head. Dumbledore smiled, and as the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure, his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears as he told Harry that it was definitely happening inside Harry's head, but by no means should that mean it was not real.<ref name="DH35"/>
[[File:Marvolo_Gaunt's_Ring.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring]], with the [[Resurrection Stone]].]]
 
{{Quote|Maybe a man in a million could unite the Hallows, Harry. I was fit only to possess the meanest of them, the least extraordinary. I was fit to own the [[Elder Wand]], and not to boast of it, and not to kill with it. I was permitted to tame and to use it, because I took it, not for gain, but to save others from it.|Dumbledore on his possession of the Elder Wand.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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===Second half of the battle===
After another short pause, Harry brought up that Dumbledore had tried to used the [[Resurrection Stone]], to which Dumbledore nodded. He said that when he discovered it, after all those years buried in the [[Gaunt shack|abandoned home]] of the [[House of Gaunt|Gaunts]], he lost his head and quite forgot that it was now a Horcrux and that [[Marvolo Gaunt's Ring|the ring]] was sure to carry a curse. He picked it up, put it on, and for a second Dumbledore imagined that he was able to see Ariana and his parents again, and to apologise, but instead he suffered from the curse placed on the Horcrux ring. Dumbledore said that this was final proof that he was unworthy to unite the Hallows, that after all those years he had learned nothing. Harry defended him, saying that it was only natural for him to want to see his family again, but Dumbledore said that he was only fit to possess the Elder Wand, and only to use it to protect others from it. The Cloak, Dumbledore said, he had taken out of a vain curiosity, and so it would never have worked for him like it worked for Harry, its true master. Dumbledore said that he would have used the stone to drag back those who are at peace, rather than to enable his self-sacrifice, as Harry did. At this, Dumbledore said that Harry was the worthy possessor of the Hallows.
 
   
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====Procession from the forest====
[[File:The_Elder_Wand.JPG|thumb|The [[Elder Wand]].]]
 
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{{Dialogue a-b-c-b|Lord Voldemort|You... Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead.|Narcissa Malfoy|Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?|Harry Potter|Yes.|He is dead!|[[Narcissa Malfoy]] lying to Voldemort about Harry's death|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
Harry asked Dumbledore why he had to make it all so difficult, and Dumbledore smiled as he admitted he counted on [[Hermione Granger|Miss Granger]] to slow Harry up. Dumbledore said he was afraid that Harry's hot head might dominate his good heart, and that Dumbledore feared that, if presented outright with the facts about the tempting objects, Harry might have tried to seize the Hallows like Dumbledore did, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. If Harry laid hands on them, Dumbledore wanted him to possess them safely. Dumbledore said that Harry was the true master of death because the true master does not seek to run away from [[Death]], but instead accepts that he must die and understands that there are worse things in the living world than dying.
 
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[[File:Pottermore Death Eaters Forbidden Forest.png|250px|thumb|Death Eaters and Voldemort anxiously waiting for Harry to arrive]]
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Harry found himself lying face down on the hard ground again, with the smell of the forest in his nostrils and the hinge of his glasses, which were knocked sideways when he fell, cutting into his temple. He was aching, and the place where the [[Killing Curse]] hit him felt like the bruise of a painful punch, but he feigned death by remaining exactly where he had fallen with his left arm bent out at an awkward angle and his mouth open. Harry expected to hear cheers of triumph and jubilation at his death, but instead he heard hurried footsteps, whispers, and solicitous murmurs filling the air.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
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He then heard Bellatrix's voice, speaking as if to a lover as she addressed Voldemort. Harry, not daring to open his eyes, allowed his other senses to explore his situation, and he found that his wand was stowed beneath his robes and due to a slight cushioning effect around his stomach, he knew that the Invisibility Cloak was also there. Bellatrix addressed Voldemort again, but he cut her off. Harry heard more footsteps, and several people backed away from the same spot. Opening his eyes a millimetre, Harry saw that Voldemort seemed to be getting to his feet with various Death Eaters hurrying away from him, with only Bellatrix remaining kneeled beside him.<ref name="DH36"/>
{{Dialogue a-b-a-b|Dumbledore|...Voldemort, instead of asking himself what quality it was in you that made your wand so strong, what gift you possessed that he did not, naturally set out to find the one wand that, they said, would beat any other. For him, the Elder Wand has become an obsession to rival his obsession with you. He believes that the Elder Wand removes his last weakness and makes him truly invincible. Poor [[Severus Snape|Severus]] ...|Harry|If you planned your death with Snape, you meant him to end up with the Elder Wand, didn't you?|I admit that was my intention, but it did not work as I intended, did it?|No. That bit didn't work out.|Harry and Dumbledore discussing Voldemort's obsession with the Elder Wand.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Harry closed his eyes and considered what he saw. The Death Eaters had been huddled around Voldemort, who seemed to have fallen to the ground; perhaps Voldemort had also collapsed when he hit Harry with the Killing Curse. Both of them had fallen briefly unconscious and both of them had now returned. Voldemort declined Bellatrix's offer of assistance coldly, and asked if the boy was dead. There was complete silence in the clearing as no one approached Harry, and with a bang and a small shriek of pain Voldemort ordered someone to examine Harry and then tell him whether the boy was dead.<ref name="DH36">{{DH|B|36}}</ref>
When Harry asked if Voldemort ever knew about the existence of the Hallows, Dumbledore said that he did not believe so; he did not recognise the Resurrection Stone he turned into a Horcrux, but even if he had known about them, Dumbledore doubted that Voldemort would have been interested in any except the Elder Wand, as Voldemort would not think he needed the Cloak, and whom would be want to bring back from the dead with the stone, as he fears the dead and does not love. Despite this, Dumbledore did believe that Voldemort would go after the wand ever since Harry's beat Voldemort's own during the [[Duel in Little Hangleton]]. At first, Voldemort was afraid that Harry had conquered him by superior skill. However, after kidnapping [[Garrick Ollivander|Ollivander]], he discovered the existence of the twin cores, and he thought that a borrowed wand would solve the issue. Yet the borrowed wand did not better against Harry's, and so Voldemort went after the Elder Wand, a wand that was said to beat any other. Dumbledore said that he did indeed intend for [[Severus Snape]] to end up with the Elder Wand by planning Snape to kill him, but Harry and Dumbledore both agree that that particular plan did not work out in the end.
 
   
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[[File:Narcissa checking Harry's body.gif|250px|thumb|left|Narcissa Malfoy checking to see if Harry was dead]]
[[File:Dumbledore_Limbo.jpg|thumb|left|Dumbledore bidding farewell to Harry]]{{Dialogue a-b-a-b-a-b-a|Dumbledore|...We are in King's Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to...let's say...board a train.|Harry|And where would it take me?|On.|Voldemort's got the Elder Wand.|True. Voldemort has the Elder Wand.|But you want me to go back?|I think that if you choose to return, there is a chance that he may be finished for good ''[...]'' Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love. By returning, you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for the present.|Harry and Dumbledore discuss Harry's choice to return.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
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Voldemort himself was wary of approaching him, as he suspected not everything had gone according to plan. Harry felt a woman's hands touch his face, pull back an eyelid, creep beneath his shirt, down to his chest, and feel his heart.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
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Harry's fear intensified, knowing that she could feel the steady pounding of his heartbeat against his ribs. In a barely audible whisper, with her lips an inch from Harry's ear and her long hair shielding his face from the onlookers, the woman asked if Draco was alive and in the castle. Harry breathed back a "''yes''". Getting to her feet, [[Narcissa Malfoy]] falsely announced to the watchers that the boy was indeed dead.<ref name="DH36"/>
Harry and Dumbledore sat without talking for the longest time yet, while the creature behind them jerked and moaned. The realisation of what would happen next gradually settled on Harry, and he asked Dumbledore if he had to go back. Dumbledore replied that Harry had a choice, and that if they were in King's Cross Harry had the decision to go back, or to board a train and go "on". Harry mentioned that Voldemort has the Elder Wand, and while Dumbledore confirmed this, he said that if Harry chose to return there was a strong chance that Voldemort would be finished for good.
 
   
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Now the Death Eaters shouted, yelling in triumph and stamping their feet, and Harry saw through his eyelids bursts of red and silver light shoot into the air in celebration. Still feigning death on the ground, Harry understood that Narcissa no longer cared whether Voldemort won, and so she lied to the Dark Lord knowing that the only way she would be permitted to enter Hogwarts, and find her son, was as part of the conquering army. Screeching over the tumult, Voldemort announced that now, with Harry Potter dead by his hand, no man could ever threaten him.
Dumbledore said he cannot promise this, but that Harry had less to fear from returning where they were than Voldemort did. Harry glanced at the raw-looking thing that trembled and choked in the shadow beneath the distant chair, but Dumbledore told Harry not to pity the dead, but instead to pity the living, especially those who live without love. He told Harry that by returning, Harry could ensure that fewer souls were injured and fewer families torn apart, as Harry had a strong possibility of being able to defeat Voldemort once and for all.
 
   
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Voldemort then cast the [[Cruciatus Curse]] on Harry's body, believing that his body must not be allowed to remain unsullied upon the floor but must be subjected to humiliation to prove Voldemort's victory. Harry was lifted into the air, and he tried as hard as he could to remain limp, yet the pain he expected from the Torture Curse did not come. He was thrown three times into the air, and his glasses fell off while his wand slid a little beneath his robes, and he kept himself floppy and lifeless. When he fell to the ground for the last time, the clearing was still echoing with jeers and shrieks of laughter.<ref name="DH36" />
{{Dialogue a-b|Harry|Tell me one last thing. Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?|Dumbledore|Of course its happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?|Dumbledore's parting words before Harry returns to try to defeat Voldemort.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Voldemort then announced that they would go to the castle to display the defenders of Hogwarts what had become of Harry. Voldemort decided that Hagrid should carry Harry's body, as the boy would be nice and visible in Hagrid's arms, and Harry felt his glasses slammed onto his face with deliberate force when Voldemort ordered that he wear the glasses to be recognisable. The enormous hands that lifted Harry up were exceedingly gentle, and Harry could feel Hagrid's arms trembling with the force of his sobs; great tears splashed down upon him as Hagrid cradled Harry in his arms, but Harry did not dare to tell Hagrid that all was not, yet, lost.
Dumbledore said that if that seemed like a worthy goal, they would part for the time being. Harry nodded and sighed, knowing that leaving this place would not be as difficult as walking into the forest, but it was warm and light and peaceful and he knew that he would be going back to pain and the fear of more loss. Harry stood up, as did Dumbledore, and they looked at each other. Harry then asked if this was all real, or whether it had simply been happening inside his head. Dumbledore smiled, and as the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure, his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears as he told Harry that it was definitely happening inside Harry's head, but by no means should that mean it wasn't real.
 
   
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[[File:Tumblr mq00lsWsTd1stru2ro8 r1 250.gif|250px|thumb|Hagrid carrying Harry's seemingly "lifeless" body]]
===Procession from the forest===
 
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Voldemort commanded Hagrid to move, and Hagrid stumbled forward as he forced his way through the close-growing trees back through the forest. Branches caught at Harry's hair and robes, but he continued to feign death with his mouth lolling open and his eyes shut and in the darkness, with the Death Eaters crowing all around them and Hagrid still sobbing, no one looked to see if a pulse beat in Harry's exposed neck.<ref name="DH36" />
[[File:DH2_Death_Eaters_with_Voldemort_during_the_battle.jpg|thumb|250px|Death Eaters and Voldemort anxiously wait to see if Harry is dead.]]
 
{{Quote|He was lying facedown on the ground again. The smell of the forest filled his nostrils. He could feel the cold hard ground beneath his cheek, and the hinge of his glasses, which had been knocked sideways by the fall, cutting into his temple. Every inch of him ached, and the place where the Killing Curse had hit him felt like the bruise of an iron-clad punch. He did not stir, but remained exactly where he had fallen, with his left arm bent out at an awkward angle and his mouth gaping.|Harry returning to the forest after being unconscious.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Two [[giant]]s crashed along behind the Death Eaters, and Harry could hear trees creaking and falling as they passed. The giants made so much noise that the [[bird]]s rose shrieking into the sky, and even the jeers of the Death Eaters were drowned. The victorious procession continued to march on toward the open ground, and Harry could tell, after a while, by the lightening of the darkness through his closed eyelids, that the trees were beginning to thin. Then, Hagrid unexpectedly bellowed at [[Bane]] and the other [[centaur]]s for not fighting, asking them if they were happy that Harry was dead, but he broke down in fresh tears and couldn't finish.
Harry found himself lying facedown on the hard ground again, with the smell of the forest in his nostrils and the hinge of his glasses, which were knocked sideways when he fell, cutting into his temple. He was aching, and the place where the [[Killing Curse]] hit him felt like the bruise of a painful punch, but he feigned death by remaining exactly where he had fallen with his left arm bent out at an awkward angle and his mouth open. Harry expected to hear cheers of triumph and jubilation at his death, but instead he heard hurried footsteps, whispers, and solicitous murmurs filling the air.
 
   
  +
Harry could not tell how many centaurs watched their procession pass, and he heard of some Death Eaters calling insults at the centaurs as they left them behind. A little later, Harry sensed, by a freshening of the air, that they had reached the edge of the forest, and Voldemort commanded Hagrid to stop and due to Hagrid's lurch, Harry suspected that the gamekeeper had been forced to obey. A chill began to settle over them, and Harry heard the rasping breath of [[dementor]]s that patrolled the outer trees. However, the fact of his own survival burned inside of him, acting like a Patronus in his heart.<ref name="DH36" />
He then heard Bellatrix's voice, speaking as if to a lover as she addressed Voldemort. Harry, not daring to open his eyes, allowed his other senses to explore his situation, and he found that his wand was stowed beneath his robes and, due to a slight cushioning effect around his stomach, he knew that the Invisibility Cloak was also there. Bellatrix addressed Voldemort again, but he cut her off. Harry heard more footsteps, and several people backed away from the same spot. Opening his eyes a millimetre, Harry saw that Voldemort seemed to be getting to his feet with various Death Eaters hurrying away from him, with only Bellatrix remaining kneeled beside him.
 
   
  +
====Announcing Harry Potter's alleged death====
Harry closed his eyes and considered what he saw: the Death Eaters had been huddled around Voldemort, who seemed to have fallen to the ground; perhaps Voldemort had also collapsed when he hit Harry with the Killing Curse. Both of them had fallen briefly unconscious and both of them had now returned. Voldemort declined Bellatrix's offer of assistance coldly, and asked if the boy was dead. There was complete silence in the clearing as no one approached Harry, and with a bang and a small shriek of pain Voldemort ordered someone to examine Harry and then tell him whether the boy was dead.
 
  +
{{Quote|Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as well every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before him, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.|Voldemort announcing Harry's supposed death to the inhabitants of Hogwarts|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
Voldemort, his voice magically magnified, announced that Harry was dead and that he was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself. He told the defenders of Hogwarts that his [[Death Eaters]] outnumbered them and the Boy Who Lived was finished. Calling for no more war, Voldemort threatened that anyone who continued to resist would be killed, but that those who came out and knelt before him would be forgiven and spared. He then claimed that there must be no more conflict, offering the survivors the chance to join the Death Eaters and help the Dark Lord build a New World Order together.
   
  +
Voldemort strode in front of the procession, followed by a weeping Hagrid carrying Harry's supposed dead body, and wearing Nagini, now free of her enchanted cage, around his shoulders. Hagrid continued to sob, and Harry strained his ears to distinguish above the gleeful voice of the Death Eaters and their footsteps any sign of life from those within the castle.<ref name="DH36" />
[[File:Narcissa_2.png|thumb|Narcissa Malfoy checks to see if Harry is dead.]]
 
  +
The Death Eaters came to a halt, and Harry could see through his closed lids light streaming upon him from the [[Entrance Hall]]. Harry waited for the moment when the people for whom he had tried to die would see him, lying apparently dead, in Hagrid's arms. The first of the resistance to see Harry was Professor McGonagall, whose scream of anger, despair, and denial was all the more terrible to Harry's ears because he had never imagined her capable of such a noise. The mocking laughter of another woman nearby was heard, and he knew it was Bellatrix glorying in McGonagall's despair. Harry squinted again for a single second and saw the open doorway filling with people, as the survivors of the battle came out onto the front steps to face the Death Eaters and see the truth of Harry's death for himself.<ref name="DH36"/>
{{Dialogue a-b|Narcissa|Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?|Harry|Yes.|Narcissa asking Harry if her son is safe.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
[[File:Defenders of Hogwarts in mourning.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Hogwarts defenders seeing Harry Potter's supposedly dead body]]
Not knowing who had been sent to verify, Harry lay with his heart thumping inside his chest waiting to be examined, but at the same time noted that Voldemort was wary of approaching him, that Voldemort suspected not everything had gone according to plan. Harry felt hands, softer than he expected, touch his face, pull back an eyelid, creep beneath his shirt, down to his chest, and feel his heart.
 
  +
Harry saw Voldemort standing a little in front of him, stroking Nagini's head with a single white finger. He then heard Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's shouts of horror, even worse than McGonagall's, but Harry forced himself to remain lying silent. Their cries acted like a trigger, and the rest of the survivors began screaming and yelling abuse at the Death Eaters until Voldemort cried for [[Silencing Charm|silence]] and with a bang and flash of bright light, silence was forced upon them all.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
  +
Voldemort ordered Harry to be lowered down and set at his feet, and he proclaimed to the survivors that Harry Potter was nothing but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him. Ron then yelled and cursed at Voldemort, claiming that Harry was always better than him, and the charm broke and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until another bang extinguished their voices once more. Voldemort lied once more that Harry was killed when trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, but he was interrupted by a scuffle and a shout, then a bang, a flash of light, and a grunt of pain. Opening his eyes slightly, Harry saw that someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort, but hit the ground, disarmed, and Voldemort laughed as he threw the challenger's wand aside.<ref name="DH36"/>
[[File:Narcissa_Malfoy_dh_part2.jpg|thumb|left|Narcissa Malfoy announcing to the other Death Eaters that Harry was "dead".]]
 
Harry could hear the woman's fast breathing, and her long hair tickled his face and he knew that she could feel the steady pounding of his heartbeat against his ribs. In a barely audible whisper, with her lips an inch from Harry's ear and her long hair shielding his face from the onlookers, the woman asked if Draco was alive and in the castle. Harry breathed back a "yes", and he felt the hand on his chest contract, her nails piercing him, and then felt it withdrawn. She had sat up, and [[Narcissa Malfoy]] announced to the watchers that the boy was indeed dead.
 
   
  +
[[File:Neville during the Battle of Hogwarts.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Neville standing up to Voldemort and his army during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
Now the Death Eaters shouted, yelling in triumph and stamping their feet, and Harry saw through his eyelids bursts of red and silver light shoot into the air in celebration. Still feigning death on the ground, Harry understood that Narcissa no longer cared whether Voldemort won, and so she lied to the Dark Lord knowing that the only way she would be permitted to enter Hogwarts, and find her son, was as part of the conquering army. Screeching over the tumult, Voldemort announced that now, with Harry Potter dead by his hand, no man could ever threaten him. Voldemort then cast the [[Cruciatus Curse]] on Harry's body, which Harry expected: he knew that his body would not be allowed to remain unsullied upon the floor but must be subjected to humiliation to prove Voldemort's victory. Harry was lifted into the air, and he tried as hard as he could to remain limp, yet the pain he expected from the Torture Curse did not come. He was thrown three times into the air, and his glasses fell off while his wand slid a little beneath his robes, and he kept himself floppy and lifeless. When he fell to the ground for the last time, the clearing was still echoing with jeers and shrieks of laughter.
 
  +
Voldemort asked the crowd who had stepped forth to show what happened to people who continued to fight when the battle was lost. Laughing delightedly, Bellatrix answered that it was [[Neville Longbottom]], the student in particular who had been giving [[Alecto and Amycus Carrow|the Carrows]] so much trouble, and son of the [[Auror]]s, [[Alice and Frank Longbottom|Frank and Alice Longbottom]]. Voldemort turned back to a defenceless Neville, who was standing between the survivors and Death Eaters. Impressed by Neville's bravery, Voldemort claimed that Neville would be a very valuable Death Eater; but the latter instantly refused and showed his full allegiance to [[Dumbledore's Army]], and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's wand bangs seemed unable to hold. Voldemort answered in a dangerous, silky voice that, if that was Neville's choice, they would revert to the original plan.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
  +
Still watching through his lashes, Harry saw Voldemort wave his wand, and out of one of the castle's windows came the ragged [[Sorting Hat]]. Voldemort announced that there would be no more Sorting at Hogwarts; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw would be no more. In his mind, the colours of [[Salazar Slytherin]] would suffice for everyone. He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still as Voldemort cast a [[Full Body-Bind Curse]] on him, then Voldemort forced the hat onto Neville's head. There were movements from the watching crowd, but the Death Eaters raised their wands as one and held the fighters of Hogwarts at bay. With a flick of his wand, Voldemort [[Fire-Making Spell|caused]] the Sorting Hat on Neville's head to burst into [[Fire|flames]].<ref name="DH36"/>
{{Quote|Now, we go to the castle, and show them what has become of their hero. Who shall drag the body? No -- Wait -- You carry him. He will be nice and visible in your arms, will he not? Pick up your little friend, Hagrid. And the glasses -- put on the glasses -- he must be recognisable --|Voldemort ordering Hagrid to carry Harry to the castle.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
====Inside the Great Hall====
Voldemort then announced that they would go to the castle to display the defenders of Hogwarts what had become of Harry. Voldemort decided that Hagrid should carry Harry's body, as the boy would be nice and visible in Hagrid's arms, and Harry felt his glasses slammed onto his face with deliberate force when Voldemort ordered that he wear the glasses to be recognisable. The enormous hands that lifted Harry up were exceedingly gentle, and Harry could feel Hagrid's arms trembling with the force of his sobs; great tears splashed down upon him as Hagrid cradled Harry in his arms, but Harry did not dare to tell Hagrid that all was not, yet, lost. Voldemort commanded Hagrid to move, and Hagrid stumbled forward as he forced his way through the close-growing trees back through the forest. Branches caught at Harry's hair and robes, but he continued to feign death with his mouth lolling open and his eyes shut and in the darkness, with the Death Eaters crowing all around them and Hagrid still sobbing, no one looked to see if a pulse beat in Harry's exposed neck.
 
  +
{{Main|Skirmish at the Great Hall}}
  +
{{Quote|The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth as open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet —|Neville beheading Nagini|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  +
[[File:Hogwarts Big Battle at Hogwarts Moment Pottermore.jpg|250px|thumb|The battle recommencing. On the upper left corner, the oncoming reinforcements from [[Hogsmeade]], and on the upper right corner, the [[centaur]]s]]
  +
There was screaming as Neville, aflame, stood rooted to the spot and unable to move, and just as Harry planned to act, several things happened simultaneously. There was an uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle with loud war cries. At the same time, [[Grawp]] came around the side of the castle, and when he saw that his brother Hagrid was captured; he furiously yelled ''"HAGGER!''", and Voldemort's giants roared in return and ran at Grawp like bull elephants, making the ground tremble beneath them. Grawp, showing no fear despite actually being a young giant himself; flung himself at the oncoming giants and began to pummel and floor them. There was then the sound of hooves and the twangs of bows as the [[centaur]]s, ending their neutrality, joined the fray. Arrows began falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks shouting in surprise.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
  +
[[File:Neville kills Nagini.gif|250px|thumb|left|Neville killing Nagini using the Sword of Gryffindor]]
Two [[giant]]s crashed along behind the Death Eaters, and Harry could hear trees creaking and falling as they passed. The giants made so much noise that the birds rose shrieking into the sky, and even the jeers of the Death Eaters were drowned. The victorious procession continued to march on toward the open grand, and Harry could tell, after a while, by the lightening of the darkness through his closed eyelids, that the trees were beginning to thin. Then, Hagrid unexpectedly bellowed at [[Bane]] and the other [[centaur]]s for not fighting, asking them if they were happy that Harry was dead, but he broke down in fresh tears and couldn't finish. Harry could not tell how many centaurs watched their procession pass, and he heard of some Death Eaters calling insults at the centaurs as they left them behind. A little later, Harry sensed, by a freshening of the air, that they had reached the edge of the forest, and Voldemort commanded Hagrid to stop and, due to Hagrid's lurch, Harry suspected that the gamekeeper had been forced to obey. A chill began to settle over them, and Harry heard the rasping breath of [[dementor]]s that patrolled the outer trees. However, the fact of his own survival burned inside of him, acting like a Patronus in his heart.
 
  +
Harry pulled the [[Cloak of Invisibility|Invisibility Cloak]] from inside his robes, swung it over himself, and sprang to his feet while Neville moved at the same time. In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind curse placed upon him, and the flaming hat fell from his head and he drew from inside it something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle: the [[Sword of Gryffindor|Sword of Godric Gryffindor]], once more brought into the fray to assist the good. The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over sounds of battle; the clashing giants and the stampeding centaurs, though it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off [[Nagini]]'s head, which flew spinning into the air and as Voldemort let out of a scream of fury that no one could hear, the snake's body thudded to the ground.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
  +
[[File:Great Hall battle.jpg|250px|thumb|Battle recommencing]]
===Announcing Harry's "death"===
 
  +
Still hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry cast a [[Shield Charm]] between Neville and Voldemort before the latter could try to attack the boy. Then, over the screams and the roars and the thunderous stamps of the battling giants, Hagrid yelled for Harry, asking where Harry was. There was chaos as the charging centaurs scattered the Death Eaters and everyone fled from the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements. Harry saw great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort's giants, [[thestral]]s and [[Buckbeak]] the [[hippogriff]] scratching at their eyes while Grawp punched and pummelled them.
{{Quote|Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as well every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before him, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together.|Voldemort announcing Harry's death to the inhabitants of Hogwarts.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
  +
Both defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters were being forced back into the castle, and Harry was shooting [[jinx]]es, [[hex]]es and [[curse]]s at any Death Eater he could see, and they crumped without knowing who or what had hit them, while their bodies were trampled by the retreating crowd. Hidden beneath the Cloak, Harry was buffeted into the entrance hall. He saw Voldemort across the room firing spells from his wand as he backed into the Great Hall while screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses everywhere, while Harry cast more Shield Charms while Voldemort's would-be victims, [[Seamus Finnigan]] and [[Hannah Abbott]], ran past him into the Great Hall and joined the fight inside.<ref name="DH36" />
[[File:DeathEaterArrives.jpg|thumb|250px|Voldemort and Death Eater confronting the defenders of Hogwarts.]]
 
Voldemort, his voice magically magnified, announced that Harry was dead and that he was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself. He told the defenders of Hogwarts that his [[Death Eaters]] outnumbered them and the Boy Who Lived was finished. Calling for no more war, Voldemort threatened that anyone who continued to resist would be killed, but that those who came out and knelt before him would be spared. Voldemort strode in front of the procession, followed by a weeping Hagrid carrying Harry's supposed dead body, and wearing Nagini, now free of her enchanted cage, around his shoulders. Hagrid continued to sob, and Harry strained his ears to distinguish above the gleeful voice of the Death Eaters and their footsteps any sign of life from those within the castle.
 
 
[[File:Mcgonagall2.jpg|thumb|left|McGonagall seeing Harry "dead".]]
 
The Death Eaters came to a halt, and Harry could see through his closed lids light streaming upon him from the [[Entrance Hall]]. Harry waited for the moment when the people for whom he had tried to die would see him, lying apparently dead, in Hagrid's arms. Professor McGonagall screamed, another woman laughing nearby, and he knew it was Bellatrix glorying in McGongall's despair. Harry squinted again for a single second and saw the open doorway filling with people, as the survivors of the battle came out onto the front steps to face the Death Eaters and see the truth of Harry's death for himself.
 
 
Harry saw Voldemort standing a little in front of him, stroking Nagini's head with a single white finger. He then heard Ron, Hermione and Ginny's shouts of horror, even worse than McGonagall's, but Harry forced himself to remain lying silent. Their cries acted like a trigger, and the rest of the survivors began screaming and yelling abuse at the Death Eaters until Voldemort cried for silence and, with a bang and flash of bright light, silence was forced upon them all.
 
 
[[File:Tumblr_lwfbtiNIta1r5tevgo1_500.jpg|thumb|250px|Neville standing up to Voldemort and his army during the Battle of Hogwarts.]]
 
Voldemort ordered Harry to be lowered down and set at his feet, and he proclaimed to the survivors that Harry Potter was nothing but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him. Ron yelled at Voldemort, and the charm broke and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until another bang extinguished their voices once more. Voldemort lied once more that Harry was killed when trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, but he was interrupted by a scuffle and a shout, then a bang, a flash of light, and a grunt of pain. Opening his eyes slightly, Harry saw that someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort, but hit the ground, disarmed, and Voldemort laughed as he threw the challenger's wand aside.
 
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a-c-a-c|Voldemort|And who is this? Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?|Bellatrix|It is [[Neville Longbottom]], my Lord! The boy who has been giving [[Alecto and Amycus Carrow|the Carrows]] so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?|Ah, yes, I remember. But you are [[pure-blood|pureblood]], aren't you, my brave boy?|Neville|So what if I am?|You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.|I'll join you when hell freezes over. [[Dumbledore's Army]]!|Neville confronts Voldemort.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
 
[[File:Neville_confronts_Voldemort.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Neville Longbottom]], holding the [[Sorting Hat]], confronts the Dark Lord after Harry's death.]]
 
Voldemort asked the crowd who had stepped forth to show what happened to people who continued to fight when the battle was lost. Laughing delightedly, Bellatrix answered that it was [[Neville Longbottom]], the boy who had been giving [[Alecto and Amycus Carrow|the Carrows]] so much trouble, and son of the [[Auror]]s, [[Frank and Alice Longbottom]]. Voldemort turned back to Neville, who was disarmed and unprotected and standing between the survivors and Death Eaters. When Voldemort offered Neville, who was pure-blood and showed courage, a place in the ranks of the Death Eaters, Neville bravely refused and showed his allegiance to [[Dumbledore's Army]], and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's [[Silencing Charm]]s seemed unable to hold. Voldemort answered in a dangerous, silky voice that, if that was Neville's choice, they would revert to the original plan.
 
 
Still watching through his lashes, Harry saw Voldemort wave his wand, and out of one of the castle's windows came the ragged [[Sorting Hat]]. Voldemort announced that there would be no more Sorting at Hogwarts, no more Houses, and that colours of [[Salazar Slytherin]] would suffice for everyone. He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still as Voldemort cast a [[Full Body-Bind Curse|Full Body-Bind Curse on him]], then Voldemort forced the hat onto Neville's head. There were movements from the watching crowd, but the Death Eaters raised their wands as one and held the fighters of Hogwarts at bay. With a flick of his wand, Voldemort caused the Sorting Hat on Neville's head to burst into flames.
 
[[File:Normal_mURI_temp_cba11769.jpg|thumb|Battle recommences.]]
 
 
===Battle recommences===
 
There was screaming as Neville, aflame, stood rooted to the spot and unable to move, and just as Harry planned to act, several things happened simultaneously. There was an uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle with loud war cries. At the same time, [[Grawp]] came around the side of the castle yelling "HAGGER!", and Voldemort's giants roared in return and ran at Grawp like bull elephants, making the ground tremble. There was then the sound of hooves and the twangs of bows as the [[centaur]]s, ending their neutrality, joined the fray. Arrows began falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks shouting in surprise.
 
 
[[File:Ty56y56546.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Neville about to kill Nagini cutting her head off using the Sword of Gryffindor.]]
 
{{Quote|The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth as open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet--|Neville beheading Nagini.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
[[File:MalfoyFamilyIsLeaving.jpg|thumb|200px|The Malfoy family is leaving the battle]]
 
 
{{Main|Skirmish at the Great Hall}}
 
Harry pulled the [[Cloak of Invisibility|Invisibility Cloak]] from inside his robes, swung it over himself, and sprang to his feet while Neville moved at the same time. In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind curse placed upon him, and the flaming hat fell from his head and he drew from inside it something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle: the [[Godric Gryffindor's sword|Sword of Godric Gryffindor]]. The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over sounds of battle; the clashing giants and the stampeding centaurs, though it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off [[Nagini]]'s head, which flew spinning into the air and, as Voldemort let out of a scream of fury that no one could hear, the snake's body thudded to the ground.
 
   
  +
[[File:Voldemort furious.jpeg|250px|thumb|left|Voldemort attacking the defenders of Hogwarts]]
Still hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry cast a [[Shield Charm]] between Neville and Voldemort before the latter could try an attack the boy. Then, over the screams and the roars and the thunderous stamps of the battling giants, Hagrid was yelling for Harry, asking where Harry was. There was chaos as the charging centaurs scattered the Death Eaters and everyone fled from the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and neared thundered the reinforcements: Harry saw great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort's giants, [[thestral]]s and [[Buckbeak]] the [[hippogriff]] scratching at their eyes while Grawp punched and pummeled them. Both defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters were being forced back into the castle, and Harry was shooting jinxes and curses at any Death Eater he could see, and they crumped without knowing who or what had hit them, while their bodies were trampled by the retreating crowd. Hidden beneath the Cloak, Harry was buffeted into the entrance hall; he saw Voldemort across the room firing spells from his wand as he backed into the Great Hall while screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses everywhere, while Harry cast more Shield Charms while Voldemort's would-be victims, [[Seamus Finnigan]] and [[Hannah Abbott]], ran past him into the Great Hall and joined the fight inside.
 
  +
There were even more people storming up the front steps, and Harry saw [[Charles Weasley|Charlie Weasley]] overtaking [[Horace Slughorn]], who was still wearing his emerald pyjamas, leading what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and homeowners of [[Hogsmeade]]. The centaurs [[Bane]], [[Ronan]], and [[Magorian]] burst into the hall with clattering hooves, as behind Harry the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges.
   
  +
The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers. At their head, with [[Regulus Black's locket|locket of Regulus Black]] bouncing on his chest, was [[Kreacher]], yelling at his compatriots to fight the Dark Lord in the name of Harry Potter and Regulus' [[Skirmish at the Cave (1979)|sacrifice]]. The house-elves were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters with their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Harry looked the Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempted to escape but swallowed by the charging army.<ref name="DH36" />
[[File:Liquid_Tooth.jpeg|thumb|left|250px|Voldemort attacking the defenders of Hogwarts]]
 
There were even more people storming up the front steps, and Harry saw [[Charles Weasley|Charlie Weasley]] overtaking [[Horace Slughorn]], who was still wearing his emerald pajamas, leading what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and homewoners of [[Hogsmeade]]. The centaurs [[Bane]], [[Ronan]], and [[Magorian]] burst into the hall with clattering hooves, as behind Harry the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges: the house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers. At their head, with [[Regulus Black's locket|locket of Regulus Black]] bouncing on his chest, was [[Kreacher]], urging the house-elves to fight the Dark Lord in the name of brave Regulus, his Master, defender of house-elves. The house-elves hacked and stabbed at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters with their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Harry looked the Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempted to escape but swallowed by the charging army.
 
   
  +
====The death of Bellatrix Lestrange====
 
{{Main|Duel between Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange}}
 
{{Main|Duel between Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange}}
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{{Dialogue a-b|Bellatrix Lestrange|What will happen to your children when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?|Molly Weasley|You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!|Bellatrix to Molly before Molly killed her|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
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[[File:GreatHall BattleofHogwarts.jpg|200px|thumb|Fighting ensuing in the [[Great Hall]]]]
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Harry sped between duellists, past struggling prisoners, and into the Great Hall, where he saw Voldemort in the centre of the battle striking and smiting all within reach. Harry could not get a clear shot of him, but he fought his way closer, still invisible, and the Great Hall became more and more crowded as everyone who could walk forced their way inside. Harry watched as the Death Eaters, outnumbered by the defenders and allies of Hogwarts, were taken down one by one: [[Corban Yaxley|Yaxley]] was slammed to the floor by [[George Weasley]] and [[Lee Jordan]], and, screaming in pain, [[Antonin Dolohov|Dolohov]] fell to the floor at Flitwick's hands.
   
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Having recognised him from Buckbeak's trial, Hagrid threw [[Walden Macnair]] across the room. He hit the wall and slid unconscious to the ground. Ron and Neville brought down [[Fenrir Greyback]], [[Aberforth Dumbledore|Aberforth]] hit [[Augustus Rookwood|Rookwood]] with a [[Stunning Spell]], and [[Arthur Weasley|Arthur]] and [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] floored [[Pius Thicknesse|Thicknesse]]. During the chaos, [[Lucius Malfoy|Lucius]] and Narcissa Malfoy ran through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for [[Draco Malfoy|their son]] Draco Malfoy.<ref name="DH36" />
{{Template:Dialogue a-b-a|Molly Weasley: |Not my daughter you bitch! Get back, Get back, she's mine! |Bellatrix:: |what will happen to your children when I've killed you, when mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?|You - will - never - touch - our - children - again|Mrs. Weasley just about to kill Bellatrix because she almost killed her daughter|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Eventually, all the Death Eaters were either killed or defeated with only Voldemort and Bellatrix left standing. Voldemort was now duelling [[Minerva McGonagall|McGonagall]], [[Horace Slughorn|Slughorn]], and [[Kingsley Shacklebolt|Kingsley]] simultaneously, and there was cold hatred in his face as they wove and ducked around him, putting up a good fight but unable to finish him. Bellatrix was still fighting as well, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she duelled three at once: [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]], [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]], and [[Luna Lovegood|Luna]], each of the three girls battling their hardest but Bellatrix, battling fiercely, was equal in power to the three of them.
Harry sped between duellers, past struggling prisoners, and into the Great Hall, where he saw Voldemort in the centre of the battle striking and smiting all within reach. Harry could not get a clear shot of him, but he fought his way closer, still invisibile, and the Great Hall became more and more crowded as everyone who could walk forced their way inside. Harry watched as the Death Eaters, outnumbered by the defenders and allies of Hogwarts, were taken down one by one: Harry saw [[Yaxley]] slammed to the floor by [[George Weasley]] and [[Lee Jordan]], [[Antonin Dolohov|Dolohov]] fall with a scream at Flitwick's hands, [[Walden Macnair]] thrown across the room by Hagrid, hit the stone wall oppposite, and slide unconscious to the ground. He saw Ron and Neville bringing down [[Fenrir Greyback]], [[Aberforth Dumbledore|Aberforth]] hitting [[Augustus Rookwood|Rookwood]] with a [[Stunning Spell]], [[Arthur Weasley|Arthur]] and [[Percy Weasley|Percy]] flooring [[Pius Thicknesse|Thicknesse]], and [[Lucius Malfoy|Lucius]] and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for [[Draco Malfoy|their son]].
 
   
[[File:Molly_battleoh1.png|thumb|250px|Molly Weasley duelling Bellatrix Lestrange.]]
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[[File:DH2 Ginny blocking Bellatrix.gif|250px|thumb|left|Ginny was spared death at the hands of [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] by mere inches]]
Voldemort was now duelling [[Minerva McGonagall|McGonagall]], [[Horace Slughorn|Slughorn]], and [[Kingsley Shacklebolt|Kingsley]] simultaneously, and there was cold hatred in his face as they wove and ducked around him, unable to finish him. Bellatrix was still fighting as well, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she duelled three at once: [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]], [[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny]], and [[Luna Lovegood|Luna]], each of the three girls' battling their hardest but Bellatrix, battling fiercly, was equal in power to the three of them. Harry's attention was diverted as a [[Killing Curse]] shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch, and he changed course, running after Bellatrix rather than Voldemort. Before he had gone a few steps, he was knocked sideways as an enraged [[Molly Weasley]], throwing off her cloak to free her arms, ran at Bellatrix, furious at the Death Eater's attempted murder of her daughter.
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Almost to Voldemort, Harry's attention was diverted as Bellatrix fired a [[Killing Curse]] that shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch, and he changed course, running after Bellatrix rather than Voldemort. Before he had gone a few steps, he was knocked sideways as an enraged [[Molly Weasley]], throwing off her cloak to free her arms, ran at Bellatrix, furious at the Death Eater's attempted murder of her daughter.<ref name="DH36" />
   
[[File:Bellatrix.png|thumb|left|250px|Bellatrix locked in combat with Molly, shortly before her death]]
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[[File:Molly facing Bellatrix.jpg|250px|thumb|Molly Weasley duelling Bellatrix Lestrange]]
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Bellatrix roared with laughter at the sight of her new challenger, and Molly ordered the girls to step aside. With a swipe of her wand she began to duel. Harry watched as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around their feet became hot and cracked, both witches were fighting to kill. As a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid, Mrs Weasley shouted for them to get back and leave Bellatrix to her. Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights: Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, while Harry stood invisible, torn between both, wanting to attack and yet to protect, unable to be sure that he would not hit the innocent.<ref name="DH36"/>
{{Dialogue a-b|Bellatrix|What will happen to your children when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as [[Fred Weasley|Freddie]]?|Molly|You -- will -- never -- touch -- our -- children -- again!|Molly and Bellatrix dueling during the battle.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Molly cursing Bellatrix.gif|250px|thumb|left|Bellatrix locked in combat with Molly, shortly before her death]]
Bellatrix roared with laughter at the sight of her new challenger, and Molly ordered the girls to step aside; with a swipe of her wand she began to duel. Harry watched as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around their feet became hot and cracked, both witches were fighting to kill. As a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid, Mrs. Weasley shouted for them to get back and leave Bellatrix to her. Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights: Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, while Harry stood invisible, torn between both, wanting to attack and yet to protect, unable to be sure that he would not hit the innocent.
 
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As Bellatrix, as mad as her master, taunted Molly about the death of Fred Weasley even as Molly's curses came within inches of her, Molly screamed that Bellatrix would never touch her children again. Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh that her cousin [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] had given as he toppled backward through the [[veil]], and Harry suddenly knew what was going to happen before it did. Molly's well-aimed [[Molly Weasley's curse|curse]] soared beneath Bellatrix's outscretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge; for a split second she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
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Harry felt as though he turned in slow motion. He saw McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley, but Harry roared ''[[Shield Charm|Protego]]'' and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.<ref name="DH36"/>
As Bellatrix, as mad as her master, taunted Molly about the death of Fred Weasley, Molly screamed that Bellatrix would never touch her children again. Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh that her cousin [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] had given as he toppled backward through the [[veil]], and Harry suddenly knew what was going to happen before it did. Molly's well-aimed curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outscretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: for a split second she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.
 
   
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====Endgame====
Harry felt as though he turned in slow motion; he saw McGoangall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley, but Harry roared [[Shield Charm|Protego]] and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.
 
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{{Main|Voldemort's Last Stand}}
   
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{{Dialogue a-b-a|Harry Potter|I don't want anyone else to try to help. It's got to be like this. It's got to be me.|Lord Voldemort|Potter doesn't mean that. That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?|Nobody. There are no more [[Horcrux]]es. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good ''[...]'' |Harry talking to Voldemort before their final duel|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
===Final duel between Harry and Voldemort===
 
[[File:Harry_and_VOldemort_BTLEOFHGWRTS.JPG|thumb|250px|Harry confronting Voldemort]]
 
{{Main|Voldemort's Last Stand}}
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Harry|I don't want anyone else to try to help. It's got to be like this. It's got to be me.|Voldemort|Potter doesn't mean that. That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?|Nobody. There are no more [[Horcrux]]es. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good...|Harry talking to Voldemort before their final duel.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Harry facing Voldemort DHF2.JPG|250px|thumb|Harry confronting Voldemort|alt=]]
The yells of shock, cheers, and screams of delight at Harry's appearance were stifled, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry stared at each other and began to circle each other. Harry called to the crowd that he didn't want anyone else to help, that it had to just be him and Voldemort, though Voldemort hissed that Harry truly wanted someone to use a shield, to sacrifice themselves for him. Harry replied that there were no more [[Horcrux]]es, that it was just him and Voldemort; neither could live while the other survived, and one of them was going to leave for good. Voldemort jeered at the proposal that Harry would survive, the boy who survived by accident and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings.
 
   
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The yells of shock, cheers, and screams of delight at Harry's appearance were stifled, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry stared at each other and began to circle each other, like prowling lions sizing each other up. Harry called to the crowd that he didn't want anyone else to help, that it had to just be him and Voldemort, though Voldemort hissed that Harry truly wanted someone to use a shield, to sacrifice themselves for him. Harry replied that there were no more [[Horcrux]]es, that it was just him and Voldemort: neither could live while the other survived, and one of them was going to leave for good. Voldemort jeered at the proposal that Harry would survive, the boy who survived by accident and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings.<ref name="DH36"/>
[[File:Voldemort_angry.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Voldemort pointing his wand]]
 
Harry then asked if it was accident when his mother died to save him, accident when he decided to fight in the graveyard, if it was an accident when he didn't defend himself that night, still survived, and returned to fight again. Voldemort screamed that these were accidents, but he still did not strike, will the hundreds watching in the Hall were frozen as if Petrified. Voldemort proclaimed that it was accident and chance, and that Harry crouched and snivelled behind the skirts of greater men and women and permitted Voldemort to kill them for Harry to save himself. Harry replied that Voldemort wouldn't be killing anyone else, as they stared into each other's eyes, green into red. Harry said that Voldemort wouldn't be able to kill any of them ever again, because Harry was ready to die to stop him from hurting them, and that thus he did what his mother did to him. He gave the defenders of Hogwarts [[sacrificial protection]], and which was why none of the spells Voldemort put on them were binding; Voldemort couldn't torture them, or touch them, and Harry ended by calling Voldemort "Riddle" and telling him he never learnt from his mistakes.
 
   
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Harry then asked if it was accident when his mother died to save him, accident when he decided to fight in the graveyard, if it was an accident when he didn't defend himself that night, still survived, and returned to fight again. Voldemort screamed that these were accidents, but he still did not strike, will the hundreds watching in the Hall were frozen as if Petrified. Voldemort proclaimed that it was accident and chance, and that Harry crouched and snivelled behind the skirts of greater men and women and permitted Voldemort to kill them for Harry to save himself.
{{Dialogue a-b-a-b|Harry|...You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle.|Voldemort| ''You dare'' -- |Yes, I dare. I know things you don't, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?|Is it [[love]] again? Dumbledore's favourite solution, ''love'', which he claimed conquered death, though love did not conquer death, though love did not stop him falling of the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? ''Love'', which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter -- and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?|Harry and Voldemort.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Harry replied that Voldemort wouldn't be killing anyone else, as they stared into each other's eyes, green into red. Harry said that Voldemort wouldn't be able to kill any of them ever again, because Harry was ready to die to stop him from hurting them, and that thus he did what his mother did to him. He gave the defenders of Hogwarts [[sacrificial protection]], and which was why none of the spells Voldemort put on them were binding: Voldemort couldn't torture them, or touch them, and Harry ended by calling Voldemort "''Tom''" and telling him he never learnt from his mistakes.<ref name="DH36" />
Harry told Voldemort that he knew lots of important things that 'Riddle' didn't, and offered to tell him some of them before he made another big mistake. Voldemort did not speak but continued prowling in a circle, and Harry knew that he had kept him temporarily at bay and mesmerised, held back by the possibility that Harry might indeed know a final secret. His snake's face jeering, Voldemort suggested that the secret was [[love]], Dumbledore's favourite solution that he claimed conquered death, but Voldemort said that love did not stop him from killing Harry's mother, or Dumbledore falling from the top of the [[Astronomy Tower]], and that nobody seemed to love Harry enough to run forward and take Voldemort's curse. Voldemort then asked, if nobody sacrificed themself for Harry, what would stop Harry from dying when he struck.
 
   
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Harry told Voldemort that he knew lots of important things that 'Riddle' didn't, and offered to tell him some of them before he made another big mistake. Voldemort did not speak but continued prowling in a circle, and Harry knew that he had kept him temporarily at bay and mesmerised, held back by the possibility that Harry might indeed know a final secret. His snake's face jeering, Voldemort suggested that the secret was [[love]], Dumbledore's favourite solution that he claimed conquered death, but Voldemort said that love did not stop him from killing Harry's mother, or Dumbledore falling from the top of the [[Astronomy Tower]], and that nobody seemed to love Harry enough to run forward and take Voldemort's curse. Voldemort then asked, if nobody sacrificed themself for Harry, what would stop Harry from dying when he struck.<ref name="DH36"/>
As they circled each other, wrapped in each other, held apart by nothing but the last secret, Voldemort suggested that, if it wasn't love that would save Harry, Harry must believe he possessed magic that Voldemort didn't, or a weapon more powerful than Voldemort's. When Harry said he believed both, shock flitted across the snakelike face, but it was instantly dispelled as Voldemort began to laugh at the possibility that Harry knew more magic than he did, than Lord Voldemort, the wizard who performed magic [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore himselfnever]] dreamed of. The laugh was humourless and insane, a sound more frightening than his screams, which echoed around the silent Hall. Harry contradicted this, saying that Dumbledore did indeed dream of it, but that he knew more than Voldemort, he knew enough not to do what Voldemort had done. Voldemort screamed that this meant Dumbledore was weak, too weak to dare, to weak to take what might have been his, and what would soon be Voldemort's. Harry again disagreed, saying that Dumbledore was cleverer than Voldemort; a better wizard and a better man.
 
Voldemort said that he brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore, but Harry told Voldemort that he was wrong. At this, for the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one. Voldemort hurled the words that Dumbledore was dead at Harry as though they would cause him unendurable pain, and added that his body was decaying in the marble tomb on the Hogwarts grounds, never to return. Harry calmy agreed that Dumbledore was dead, but that Voldemort didn't have him killed. Harry told him that Dumbledore chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, that he arranged the whole thing with the man Voldemort thought was his servant. Voldemort said that this was a childish dream, but he still did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harry's.
 
   
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As they circled each other, wrapped in each other, held apart by nothing but the last secret, Voldemort suggested that, if it wasn't love that would save Harry, Harry must believe he possessed magic that Voldemort didn't, or a weapon more powerful than Voldemort's. When Harry said he believed both, shock flitted across the snakelike face, but it was instantly dispelled as Voldemort began to laugh at the possibility that Harry knew more magic than he did, than Lord Voldemort, the wizard who performed magic [[Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]] himself never dreamed of. Harry contradicted this, saying that Dumbledore did indeed dream of it, but that he knew more than Voldemort, he knew enough not to do what Voldemort had done. Voldemort screamed that this meant Dumbledore was weak, too weak to dare, to weak to take what might have been his, and what would soon be Voldemort's. Harry again disagreed, saying that Dumbledore was cleverer than Voldemort; a better wizard and a better man.<ref name="DH36"/>
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Harry|Severus Snape wasn't yours. Snape was Dumbledore's, Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother. And you never realised it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle? Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realised, he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?|Voldemort|He desired her, that was all. But when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him --|Of course he told you that, but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!|Harry and Voldemort discussing Snape's allegience during the final duel.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Voldemort said that he brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore, but Harry told Voldemort that he was wrong. At this, for the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one. Voldemort hurled the words that Dumbledore was dead at Harry as though they would cause him unendurable pain, and added that his body was decaying in the marble tomb on the Hogwarts grounds, never to return. Harry calmly agreed that Dumbledore was dead, but that Voldemort didn't have him killed. Harry told him that Dumbledore chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, that he arranged the whole thing with the man Voldemort thought was his servant. Voldemort said that this was a childish dream, but he still did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harry's.<ref name="DH36"/>
Harry said that [[Severus Snape]] was never Voldemort's, that he was Dumbledore's from the moment Voldemort had started hunting down [[Lily Evans]]. Harry added that Voldemort never realised this because of the thing he can't understand. Harry asked Voldemort if he had ever seen Snape cast a Patronus, and Voldemort did not answer as they continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart. Harry revealed that Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as Lily's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. When Harry asked Voldemort if Snape asked him to spare Lily's life, Voldemort sneered that Snape had only desired her, and that when she had gone he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him. Harry said that of course Snape would have told Voldemort that, but that in reality Snape was Dumbledore's spy from the moment Lily was threatened, he had been working against Voldemort ever since, and that Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him.
 
   
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Harry said that [[Severus Snape]] was never Voldemort's, that he was Dumbledore's from the moment Voldemort had started hunting down [[Lily J. Potter|Lily Evans]]. Harry added that Voldemort never realised this because of the thing he can't understand. Harry asked Voldemort if he had ever seen Snape cast a Patronus, and Voldemort did not answer as they continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart. Harry revealed that Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as Lily's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. When Harry asked Voldemort if Snape asked him to spare Lily's life, Voldemort sneered that Snape had only desired her, and that when she had gone he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him. Harry said that of course Snape would have told Voldemort that, but that in reality Snape was Dumbledore's spy from the moment Lily was threatened, he had been working against Voldemort ever since, and that Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him.<ref name="DH36"/>
Voldemort had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter as he said that none of this mattered. It didn't matter whether Snape was his or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they had tired to put in his path. Voldemort said that he crushed them, crushed them as he had crushed Harry's mother, Snape's supposed great love. Voldemort then said that it all made sense, in ways that Harry didn't understand. Voldemort then mentioned that Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from him, that Dumbledore had intended for Snape to be the true master of the wand. Voldemort then said that he had gotten there ahead of Harry, that he had reached the wand before Harry could get his hands on it, understood the truth before Harry had caught up. Voldemort then said that he had killed Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny, was truly his.
 
   
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Voldemort had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter as he said that none of this mattered. It didn't matter whether Snape was his or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they had tired to put in his path. Voldemort said that he crushed them, crushed them as he had crushed Harry's mother, Snape's supposed great love. Voldemort then said that it all made sense, in ways that Harry didn't understand. Voldemort then mentioned that Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from him, that Dumbledore had intended for Snape to be the true master of the wand. Voldemort then said that he had gotten there ahead of Harry, that he had reached the wand before Harry could get his hands on it, understood the truth before Harry had caught up. Voldemort then said that he had killed Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny, was truly his.<ref name="DH36"/>
[[File:Final-duel-29.png|thumb|250px|Harry and Voldemort locked in combat]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Harry Potter|Yeah it did, you're right. But before you try and kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done.... Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle....|Voldemort|What is this?|It's your one last chance, it's all you've got left.... I've seen what you'll be otherwise.... Be a man.... try.... Try for some remorse....|Harry Potter explaining how Dumbledore's plan had backfired.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
Voldemort said that Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, which Harry agreed with, but he advised Voldemort to think about what Voldemort had done. Harry told him to try for some remorse, and of all the things Harry had said to him, beyond any revelation or taunt, nothing had shocked Voldemort more than this. Voldemort's pupils contracted to thin slits, and the skin around his eyes whitened. Harry said that trying for remorse was Voldemort's last chance, that he had seen what Voldemort would be otherwise, that trying to feel remorse was all Voldemort had left. Voldemort was furious at this, and Harry revealed that Dumbledore's last plan hadn't backfired on him at all, that it had backfired on Voldemort, whose hand was trembling on the Elder Wand. Harry gripped Draco's wand very tightly, knowing the moment was seconds away. Harry told Voldemort that the wand was still not working properly for Voldemort because Voldemort murdered the wrong person: Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand, that he had never defeated Dumbledore.
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Voldemort said that Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, which Harry agreed with, but he advised Voldemort to think about what Voldemort had done. Harry told him to try for some remorse, and of all the things Harry had said to him, beyond any revelation or taunt, nothing had shocked Voldemort more than this. Voldemort's pupils contracted to thin slits, and the skin around his eyes whitened. Harry said that trying for remorse was Voldemort's last chance, that he had seen what Voldemort would be otherwise, that trying to feel remorse was all Voldemort had left. Voldemort was furious at this, and Harry revealed that Dumbledore's last plan hadn't backfired on him at all, that it had backfired on Voldemort, whose hand was trembling on the Elder Wand. Harry gripped Draco's wand very tightly, knowing the moment was seconds away. Harry told Voldemort that the wand was still not working properly for Voldemort because Voldemort murdered the wrong person; Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand, that he had never defeated Dumbledore.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
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Voldemort began to disagree, but Harry once again said that Snape didn't defeat Dumbledore because their death was planned between them. Dumbledore had intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master, and that if all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him. Voldemort said that this meant Dumbledore as good as gave him the wand, because Voldemort stole it from its last master's tomb, removed it against its last master's wishes, and that the wand's power was his.
[[File:Avada_Kedavra.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Voldemort's last stand]]
 
{{Dialogue a-b-a|Harry Potter| ...Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because he never had it won from him!|Lord Voldemort|But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand! I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!|...Didn't you listen to [[Garrick Ollivander|Ollivander]]? The wand chooses the wizard...The Elder Wand recognised a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance...The true master of the Elder Wand was [[Draco Malfoy]].|Harry revealing the true master of the Elder Wand to Voldemort during their final confrontation.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
Voldemort began to disagree, but Harry once again said that Snape didn't defeat Dumbledore because their death was planned between them. Dumbledore had intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master, and that if all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him. Voldemort said that this meant Dumbledore as good as gave him the wand, because Voldemort stole it from its last master's tomb, removed it against its last master's wishes, and that the wand's power was his. Harry contradicted this, saying that Riddle still didn't understand that possesing the wand wasn't enough, that holding and using it didn't really make it yours. Harry revealed that the Elder Wand recognised a new master before Dumbledore had died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that he had attained the allegience of the world's most dangerous wand. Voldemort chest rose and fell rapidly, and Harry could feel the curse coming, building inside the wand Voldemort had in his wand.
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Harry contradicted this, saying that Riddle still didn't understand that possessing the wand wasn't enough, that holding and using it didn't really make it yours. Harry revealed that the Elder Wand recognised a new master before Dumbledore had died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that he had attained the allegiance of the world's most dangerous wand. Voldemort chest rose and fell rapidly, and Harry could feel the curse coming, building inside the wand Voldemort had in his hand.<ref name="DH36" />
   
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Harry then said that the true master of the Elder Wand was, in fact, [[Draco Malfoy]], who had [[Disarming Charm|Disarmed]] Dumbledore and won the wand's allegiance shortly before Snape killed him. Utter shock showed on Voldemort's face for a moment at this news, but then it was gone as Voldemort said that this didn't matter, that even if Harry was right it made no different to them. Harry no longer had the phoenix wand, and so they would duel on skill alone, and Voldemort said that after he had killed Harry he would attend to Draco Malfoy. Harry then said that Voldemort was too late, that he had missed his chance, because Harry had overpowered Draco weeks ago and took the hawthorn wand from him. Harry twitched this wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it. Harry then whispered that it all came down to this, whether or not the Elder Wand knew its last master was Disarmed, because if it did, then that meant that Harry was the Elder Wand's true master.<ref name="DH36"/>
[[File:DH_-_Voldemort_VS._Harry_Final_Duel_02.jpg|thumb|250px|Final duel with Voldemort.]]
 
{{Quote|So it all comes down to this, doesn't it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does...I am the true master of the Elder Wand.|Harry Potter instants before he and Voldemort cast their spells.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:B7C36M2 Voldemort vanquished.png|250px|thumb|The final duel between Harry and Voldemort|alt=|left]]
Harry then said that the true master of the Elder Wand was, in fact, [[Draco Malfoy]], who had [[Disarming Charm|Disarmed]] Dumbledore and won the wand's allegience shortly before Snape killed him. Black showed on Voldemort's face for a moment at this news, but then it was gone as Voldemort said that this didn't matter, that even if Harry was right it made no different to them. Harry no longer had the phoenix wand, and so they would duel on skill alone, and Voldemort said that after he had killed Harry he would attend to Draco Malfoy. Harry then said that Voldemort was too late, that he had missed his chance, because Harry had overpowered Draco weeks ago and took the hawthorn wand from him. Harry twitched this wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it. Harry then whispered that it all came down to this, whether or not the Elder Wand knew its last master was Disarmed, because if it did, then that meant that Harry was the Elder Wand's true master.
 
   
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A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above as the sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window, and the light hit both of their faces at the same time so that Voldemort's was a flaming blur; nature itself indicating that the time had come. Harry heard the high voice shriek "[[Killing Curse|''Avada Kedavra'']]" as he simultaneously yelled "[[Disarming Charm|''Expelliarmus'']]", as he pointed Draco's wand. There was a bang like a cannon blast, and golden flames erupted between them at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marking the point where the spells collided.
[[File:DH_-_Voldemort_VS._Harry_Final_Duel_03.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Harry and Voldemort's final duel.]]
 
{{Quote|The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided. Harry saw Voldemort's green jet meet his own spell, saw the [[Elder Wand]] fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. And Harry, with the unerring skill of the [[Seeker]], caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit puils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hand's empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.|The death of Lord Voldemort.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Voldemort's green jet of light met Harry's spell, and the Elder Wand wrenched itself from Voldemort's hand and began spinning across the ceiling toward the master it refused to kill. Harry caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed and the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Voldemort hit the ground, his body feeble and shrunken, his snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead by his own rebounding curse, and Harry looked down at his enemy's shell with the two wands in his hand.<ref name="DH36" />
A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above as the sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window, and the light hit both of their faces at the same time so that Voldemort's was a flaming blur. Harry heard the high voice shriek "[[Killing Curse|Avada Kedavra]]" as he simultaneously yelled "[[Disarming Charm|Expelliarmus]]", as he pointed Draco's wand. There was a bang like a cannon blast, and golden flames erupted between them at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marking the point where the spells collided.
 
   
  +
===Aftermath===
Voldemort's green jet of light met Harry's spell, and Harry saw the Elder Wand wrenched from Voldemort's hand and fly high, spinning across the ceiling like Nagini's head toward the master it refused to kill. Harry, with the skill of a [[Seeker]], caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed and the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Voldemort hit the ground, his body feeble and shrunken, his white hands empty and his snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead by his own rebounding curse, and Harry looked down at his enemy's shell with the two wands in his hand.
 
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{{Quote|We did it! We bashed them, wee Potter's the one! And Voldy's gone mouldy, so now let's have fun!|[[Peeves]] the Poltergeist sings a victory song after the battle is over|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
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[[File:Hogwarts Castle in the Daethly Hallows.png|250px|thumb|[[Hogwarts Castle]] after the battle]]
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After Voldemort's defeat, everyone cheered and lauded Harry, and rushed towards him wanting to touch him in gratitude.<ref name="DH36"/>
   
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[[File:Padma Leanne Katie Cho.jpg|250px|thumb|left|[[Cho Chang]], [[Katie Bell]], [[Leanne]], and [[Padma Patil]] after the battle]]
==Aftermath==
 
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People who were [[Imperius Curse|Imperiused]] had returned to normal, the [[Death Eaters]] fled or were captured, innocents in [[Azkaban]] were released, and Kingsley Shacklebolt was named temporary [[Minister for Magic]]. Voldemort's body was moved to a chamber off the Hall. McGonagall replaced the House tables, but nobody sat according to House. [[Draco Malfoy]], [[Lucius Malfoy]], and [[Narcissa Malfoy]] were huddled together as if they were not sure they were supposed to be there.<ref name="DH36" />
{{Quote|We did it! We bashed them, wee Potter's the one! And Voldy's gone moldy, so now let's have fun!|[[Peeves]] the Poltergeist sings a victory song after the battle is over.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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[[File:Trio after battle.jpg|250px|thumb|"I've had enough trouble for a lifetime"]]
There was one shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended, and then tumult broke around the Great Hall as the screams and cheers and roars of the watchers rent the air. The fierce new sun dazzled the windows as they thundered toward Harry, and the first to reach him were Ron and Hermione, whose arms wrapped around him, their incomprehensible shouts that deafened him. Ginny, Neville, Luna soon came to him, as they were followed by the Weasleys, Hagrid, Kingsley, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout, and Harry could not hear a word that anyone was shouting nor tell whose hands were seizing and pulling him, trying to hug some part of him. Hundreds of people pressed in on him, all of them determined to touch the Boy Who Lived, the reason it was over at last.
 
  +
Harry, exhausted, sat on a bench next to Luna, who distracted everyone to enable Harry to escape underneath the Cloak. He, Ron, and Hermione left the Great Hall for the Headmaster's Office (whose gargoyle let them in without the password), where Harry sought Dumbledore's portrait's opinions on his (Harry's) plans for the Resurrection Stone, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Elder Wand. Harry returned the Elder Wand to the [[White Tomb]] (believing it to be more trouble than it was worth, and hoping its power would be diminished if he were to die naturally), left the Resurrection Stone in the [[Forbidden Forest]], and kept the Cloak of Invisibility. He used the Elder wand to repair his own.<ref name="DH36" />
   
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====Impact of the Battle====
[[File:Hagrid_hugs_Harry.jpg|thumb|left|Hagrid hugs Harry after the Battle]]
 
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{{Quote|They stood up at once, and together he, Ron, and Hermione left the [[Great Hall]]. Great chunks were missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade gone, and rubble and bloodstains occurred every few steps as they climbed.|The damage inflicted on the castle from the Battle of Hogwarts|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
As the sun rose over Hogwarts, the Great Hall blazed with life and light, and Harry was an indispensable part of the grief and celebration. Everyone wanted him there with them, their leader and their symbol. He must speak to the bereaved and witness their sadness, and hear the news that the [[Imperius Curse|Imperiused]] all over the nation had come back to normal, the [[Death Eaters]] were fleeing or else captured, the innocent in [[Azkaban]] were being released, and Kingsley Shacklebolt had been named temporary Minister of Magic.
 
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[[File:Tumblr lwd9ngY1Ns1r5tevgo1 500.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Harry Potter, the most affected by the Second Wizarding War]]
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The death of Voldemort and many of his followers brought the [[Second Wizarding War]] to an end. Wizarding Britain, which had been living in fear for the previous two years, suddenly found itself again free from the grasp of the Death Eaters and their leader, Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter, without a doubt one of the people most affected by the war, having lost parents, godfather, mentor, and many friends, now finds himself free of the burden that was placed on him before his birth, when [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|the prophecy]] named him as the only one that could defeat the Dark Lord.
   
  +
This also gave him freedom to pursue what he has always wished: a family of his own, which he hoped to find next to Ginny Weasley. In addition, Ron's suddenly thinking about the welfare of the [[House-elf|house-elves]] in the [[Hogwarts kitchens|kitchens]], and telling Hermione that they ought to warn them, is a turning point in their relationship. Hermione recognised it as a sign of maturity, that Ron was now thinking of others, and it deepened her [[love]] for him.
[[File:Weasleys_after_battle.jpg|thumb|The [[Weasley family]] after the battle.]]
 
Voldemort's body was laid in a chamber off the Hall, away from the bodies of Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey, and [[Unidentified fallen fifty of the Battle of Hogwarts|fifty others]] who had died fighting him. McGonagall had replaced the House tables, though nobody was sitting according to House anymore, as everyone was jumbled together: teachers and pupils, ghosts and parents, centaurs and house-elves, [[Firenze]] lay recovering in the corner, and [[Grawp]] peered in through a smashed window while people threw food into his laughing mouth.
 
   
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====Fatalities====
[[File:Neville_Luna_post_battle.jpg|thumb|left|Neville and Luna after the Battle]]
 
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{{Quote| ''[...]'' Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey and fifty others who had died fighting him.|After the battle|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
Exhausted and drained, Harry found himself sitting on a bench next to Luna, who distracted everyone by calling their attention to a [[Blibbering Humdinger]] so Harry could escape underneath the Cloak. Now invisible, he spotted Ginny two tables away with her head on her mother's shoulders, and he knew that there would be maybe years in which to talk to her. He saw Neville with the sword of Gryffindor lying beside his plate as he ate, surrounded by fervent admirers, and he also spotted the three Malfoys, huddled together as though unsure whether or not they were supposed to be there, but nobody paid them any attention. Everywhere he looked he saw families reunited, and then he found the two whose company he craved most: Ron and Hermione. The three of them left the Great Hall to see great chunks missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade gone, and rubble and bloodstains every few steps. In the distance they could her [[Peeves]] singing a victory song of his own composition, the irreverent lyrics of which, Ron said, really gave a feeling for the scope and tragedy of the event.
 
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[[File:Scabior.png|250px|thumb|Scabior and some [[Snatchers]] falling to their death]]
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The first casualties were [[Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts|three Snatchers]] who inadvertently crossed the protective enchantments around the Castle moments before midnight on [[1 May]]. Arguably, these deaths may not be considered battle casualties ''per se'', although it is known that the first deaths were indeed those of [[Scabior]] and some of his [[Snatchers|Snatcher gang]], who fell to their deaths when the [[Wooden Bridge]] collapsed.<ref name="Dhf2" />
   
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[[File:Tonks and Lupin dead (user image).PNG|250px|thumb|left|Remus and Tonks dead in the Great Hall]]
[[File:Seamus_Dean_Aberforth.jpg|thumb|[[Dean Thomas|Dean]], [[Seamus Finnigan|Seamus]] and [[Aberforth Dumbledore|Aberforth]] after the battle.]]
 
  +
[[Vincent Crabbe]] tried to use the [[Fiendfyre]] curse on Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, only to have it backfire and kill him.<ref name="DH31" /> [[Fred Weasley]] was killed in an explosion caused by an unknown spell.<ref name="DH32" /> [[Remus Lupin]] and [[Nymphadora Tonks]] were murdered by [[Antonin Dolohov]] and [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], respectively during the first half of the battle.<ref name="Leaky">[http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/30/j-k-rowling-web-chat-transcript "A transcript of a web chat with J.K. Rowling"] from [http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/ The Leaky Cauldron]</ref>
[[File:Padma_Leanne_Katie_Cho.jpg|thumb|left|[[Padma Patil|Padma]], [[Leanne]], [[Katie Bell|Katie]] and [[Cho Chang|Cho]] after the battle.]]Harry was exhausted, the pain of losing Fred and Lupin and Tonks pierced him like a physical wound every few steps, and most of all he felt stupdendous relief and a longing for sleep. He knew he owed an explanation to Ron and Hermione, who had stuck with him for so long, and who deserved the truth. Painstakingly he recounted what he had seen in the [[Pensieve]] and what had happened in the forest, and they had not even begun to express all their shock and amazement when at last they arrived at the place to which they had been walking, though none of them had mentioned their destination: the [[Headmaster's office|headmaster's office]]. Since they had last seen it, the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the study had been knocked aside, it stood lopsided looking a little punch drunk, and Harry didn't know if it would be able to distinguish passwords anymore. When they asked it if they could go up, the gargoyle groaned in assent.
 
   
[[File:Flitwick_Sprout_Slughorn.jpg|thumb|left|Sprout, Flitwick and Slughorn after the battle.]]
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[[File:Mplayerc 2011-07-14 23-47-28-90.PNG|250px|thumb|Lavender savaged and killed]]
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[[Colin Creevey]] was found dead during a lull in the fighting by [[Neville Longbottom]] and [[Oliver Wood]], though it is unknown how he died or who killed him. [[Lavender Brown]] was savaged by the werewolf [[Fenrir Greyback]] after falling from a balcony, and later died of [[blood]] loss from her injuries soon afterwards. [[Severus Snape]] was killed by [[Nagini]] on Voldemort's command.<ref name="DH33" />
They walked over him and onto the spiral stone staircase that moved slowly upward like an escalator, and Harry pushed open the door at the top. Harry had one brief glimpse of the stone Pensieve on the desk where he had left it, and then there was an earsplitting noise that made him cry out, thinking of curses and returning Death Eaters and the rebirth of Lord Voldemort, but it was applause from the headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts in their portraits, giving him a standing ovation. They waved their hats and in some cases their wigs, they reached through their frames to grip each other's hands; they danced up and down on the chairs in which they had been painted; [[Dilys Derwent]] sobbed unashamedly; [[Dexter Fortescue]] was waving his ear-trumpet; and [[Phineas Nigellus]] called that [[Slytherin|Slytherin House]]'s contribution to the battle should not be forgetten.
 
   
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[[File:Bellatrix dead.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A dead Bellatrix Lestrange at Molly's feet]]
[[File:Albus_Dumbledore's_portrait.JPG|thumb|[[Albus Dumbledore's portrait]].]]
 
  +
When the battle erupted into its final stage, more people died on Voldemort's side, since Harry's sacrifice protected everybody who was protecting Hogwarts. [[Neville Longbottom]] beheaded Nagini with [[Sword of Gryffindor|Godric Gryffindor's Sword]]. Bellatrix Lestrange died at the hands of [[Molly Weasley]] after just missing Ginny with a Killing Curse. The final duel saw Harry battle with [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and kill him. There were at least fifty lives mentioned to have been lost on both sides.<ref name="DH36" />
Harry, however, only had eyes for the man who stood in the largest portrait directly behind the headmaster's chair. Tears were sliding down from behind Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles into his long silver beard, and the pride and the gratitude emanating from him filled Harry with the same balm as [[Phoenix Lament|phoenix song]]. At last, Harry held up his hands, and the portraits fell respectfully silent, beaming and mopping their eyes and waiting for him to speak. He directed his words at Dumbledore and chose them with enormous care. Exhausted and bleary-eyed though he was, Harry decided to make one last effort and ask for one last piece of advice. Harry told Dumbledore that he had dropped the "[[Resurrection Stone|thing that was hidden in the Snitch]]" in the forest, and that he didn't know exactly where, or that he was going to go looking for it again. Dumbledore told him that he agreed with this decision, while his fellow pictures looked confused and curious, and was satisfied when Harry said that no one else knew where it fell. Harry told Dumbledore that he was going to keep [[Cloak of Invisibility|Ignotus's present]], and Dumbledore said that it was Harry's forever until he passed it on.
 
   
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===Alternate timeline===
[[File:Harry_Elder_Wand.jpg|thumb|left|Harry with the [[Elder Wand]].]]
 
  +
When [[Albus Potter]] and [[Scorpius Malfoy]] attempted to use a "true" [[Time-Turner]] to save [[Cedric Diggory]] from death at [[Return of Lord Voldemort|Voldemort's rebirth]], they inadvertently created an [[alternate reality]] where Cedric was so humiliated that he joined the Death Eaters in spite. Cedric killed Neville during the final stages of the Battle of Hogwarts, thus preventing him from killing Nagini. As a result, Voldemort remain protected from death, and succeeded in killing Harry.<ref name="CC">{{CC}}</ref>
Harry then held up the Elder Wand, and Ron and Hermione looked at it with a reverence that, even in his sleep-deprived and befuddled state, he did not like to see. Harry said that he didn't want it, and despite Ron's protests, he said he was happier with his old wand. Harry rummaged in the pouch hung around his neck, and pulled out the two halves of [[holly]] still just connected by the finest thread of [[Phoenix feather|phoenix feather]]. Hermione had said that the damage was too severe and the wand could not be repaired, and so Harry knew that if this didn't work, nothing would. Harry laid the broken wand upon the headmaster's desk, touched it with the very tip of the Elder Wand, and said "[[Reparo]]". His wand resealed itself, and as it did so, red sparks flew out of its end. Harry picked up the holly and phoenix wand and felt a sudden warmth in his fingers, as though wand and hand were rejoicing at their reunion.
 
   
  +
As a result of killing Harry, Voldemort completely conquered the wizarding world, where [[Dolores Umbridge]] became the permanent Headmistress of Hogwarts, Draco becoming the head of the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]] and the Order of the Phoenix and their allies became no more than a flickering pocket of resistance. In a twist, Voldemort did not kill Snape, who continued to live up to his role as a triple agent, lamenting on his failure to protect Harry. Because Harry died during the war, Albus Potter became [[un-born]].<ref name="CC"/>
[[File:Trio_after_battle.jpg|thumb|250px|"I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."]]
 
Harry told Dumbledore, who was watching him with enormous affection and admiration, that he was putting the Elder Wand back where it came from, in the [[White Tomb]], and that it could stay there. Harry asked if he died a natural death like Ignotus, its power would be broken, that its previous master will never have been defeated and it will be the end of it. Dumbledore nodded, and the two of them smiled at each other. Ron asked if Harry was sure of this decision, with the faintest trace of longing in his voice as he looked at the Elder Wand, but Hermione quietly agreed with Harry's choice. Harry said that the wand was more trouble than it was worth, and as he turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four-poster bed lying waiting for him in [[Gryffindor Tower]], and wondering whether [[Kreacher]] might bring him a sandwich there, Harry mentioned that he had honestly had enough trouble for a lifetime."
 
   
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The Scorpius of this timeline was alleged to be cruel and mean, such as forcing [[Craig Bowker Junior|Craig Bowker Jnr]] to do his homework. However, because Scorpius was involved in using the Time-Turner to change the past, he maintained his original personality and memory of his friend Albus. He was able to persuade Snape of everything that happened and to help him in repairing the damage, thus restoring the timeline in which Voldemort was defeated.<ref name="CC"/>
==Impact of the Battle==
 
[[File:Tumblr_lwd9ngY1Ns1r5tevgo1_500.jpg|thumb|Harry just after defeating Lord Voldemort. The most affected victim of the Second Wizarding War.]]
 
{{Quote|They stood up at once, and together he, Ron, and Hermione left the [[Great Hall]]. Great chunks were missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade gone, and rubble and bloodstains occurred every few steps as they climbed.|The damage inflicted on the castle from the Battle of Hogwarts.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
   
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Upon returning to their true time, Albus and Scorpius were greatly reprimanded by Professor McGonagall and their parents for plunging the world back into the dark age where Voldemort ruled, and would have been expelled were it not for McGonagall's understanding of the students' parents. Nevertheless, she punished them with a multitude of detentions and cancellation of their holidays.<ref name="CC"/>
The death of Voldemort and many of his followers brought the [[Second Wizarding War]] to an end. Wizarding Britain, which had been living in fear for the previous two years, suddenly found itself again free from the grasp of the Death Eaters and their leader, Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter, without a doubt one of the people most affected by the war, having lost parents, godfather, mentor, and many friends, now finds himself free of the burden that was placed on him before his birth, when [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|the Prophecy]] named him as the only one that could defeat the Dark Lord. This will also give him freedom to pursue what he has always wished: a family of his own, which he hopes to find next to Ginny Weasley. In addition, Ron's suddenly thinking about the welfare of the [[House-elf|House-elves]] in the [[Hogwarts Kitchens|kitchens]], and telling Hermione that they ought to warn them, is a turning point in their relationship. Hermione recognized it as a sign of maturity, that Ron was now thinking of others, and it deepens her love for him.
 
 
===Fatalities===
 
{{Quote|...Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey and fifty others who had died fighting him.|After the battle.|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
 
[[File:Covered bridge.png|thumb|left|The Covered Bridge collapsing.]]
 
[[File:Death during battle of hogwarts.JPG|thumb|right|[[Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts|Three Snatchers]] die after crossing the magical barrier around the Castle.]]The first casualties were [[Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts|three Snatchers]] who inadvertently crossed the protective enchantments around the Castle moments before midnight on [[1 May]]. Arguably, these deaths may not be considered battle casualties ''per se'', although it is known that the first deaths were indeed those of [[Scabior]] and some of his [[Snatchers|Snatcher gang]], who fell to their deaths when the [[Covered Bridge]] collapsed.
 
 
[[File:Scabior.png|thumb|right|[[Scabior]] and some [[Snatchers]] fall to their death.]][[File:HPDH_Fred_and_George.jpg|thumb|left|Fred and George together before Fred's death]]
 
[[File:Mplayerc_2011-07-14_23-47-28-90.PNG|thumb|right|250px|Lavender wounded]]
 
[[Lavender Brown]] was killed by [[Fenrir Greyback]] when he savaged her. [[Vincent Crabbe]] tried to use the [[Fiendfyre]] curse on Harry Potter, only to have it backfire and kill him. [[Fred Weasley]] was killed in an explosion caused by an unknown spell. [[Remus Lupin]] and [[Nymphadora Tonks]] were killed by [[Antonin Dolohov]] and [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], respectively.<ref name="Leaky">[http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/30/j-k-rowling-web-chat-transcript "A transcript of a web chat with J.K. Rowling"] from [http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/ The Leaky Cauldron]</ref> [[Colin Creevey]] was found dead during a lull in the fighting by [[Neville Longbottom]] and [[Oliver Wood]], though it is unknown how he died or who killed him. [[Severus Snape]] was killed by [[Nagini]] on Voldemort's command.
 
 
[[File:Lupintonks.png|thumb|Remus and Tonks before their deaths during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
 
[[File:Bellatrix_dead.jpg|thumb|left|A dead Bellatrix Lestrange at Molly's feet.]]
 
When the battle erupted into its final stage, more people died on Voldemort's side, since Harry's sacrifice protected everybody who was protecting Hogwarts. [[Neville Longbottom]] beheaded Nagini with [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword]]. Bellatrix Lestrange died at the hands of [[Molly Weasley]] after Bellatrix nearly killed Ginny. The final duel saw Harry battle with [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] and kill him. There were at least fifty lives mentioned to have been lost on both sides.
 
   
 
==List of known deaths==
 
==List of known deaths==
===Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's army casualties===
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===Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's army===
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+
! align="center" width="30%" |Person
!width="30%" align="center"|Killed by
+
! align="center" width="30%" |Killed by
!width="40%" align="center"|Cause of death
+
! align="center" width="40%" |Cause of death
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified man killed in the courtyard explosion]]
 
|[[Unidentified man killed in the courtyard explosion]]
Line 641: Line 630:
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified wizard killed at the Quad battlements]]
 
|[[Unidentified wizard killed at the Quad battlements]]
|[[Unidentified Death Eater that duelled with Arthur Weasley]]
+
|[[Unidentified Death Eater who engaged Arthur Weasley|Unidentified Death Eater that duelled with Arthur Weasley]]
 
|[[Killing Curse]]
 
|[[Killing Curse]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Fred Weasley]]
 
|[[Fred Weasley]]
 
|Unknown<!--DO NOT put Bellatrix Lestrange or Augustus Rookwood. These are fan-theories and have not been officially verified.-->
 
|Unknown<!--DO NOT put Bellatrix Lestrange or Augustus Rookwood. These are fan-theories and have not been officially verified.-->
|Explosion caused by unknown spell (possibly [[Expulso]] or [[Blasting Curse|Confringo]])
+
|Explosion caused by unknown spell.<ref name="DH32"/>
|-
 
|[[Unidentified female Hogwarts teacher|Hogwarts Professor]]
 
|Unknown, possibly a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]]
 
|Unknown, possibly a [[Killing Curse]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Remus Lupin]]
 
|[[Remus Lupin]]
  +
|[[Antonin Dolohov]]<ref name="Leaky" />
|[[Antonin Dolohov]]<ref name="TLC">[http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/30/j-k-rowling-web-chat-transcript "A transcript of a web chat with J.K. Rowling"] from [http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/ The Leaky Cauldron]</ref>
 
|[[Duel]]
+
| rowspan="2" |[[Duelling|Duel]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Nymphadora Tonks]]
 
|[[Nymphadora Tonks]]
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]<ref name="TLC" />
+
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]<ref name="Leaky" />
  +
|-
|[[Duel]]
 
  +
|[[Severus Snape]]
  +
|[[Nagini]] (ordered by [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]])<ref name="DH32"/>
  +
|[[Nagini's venom]]/[[Snake]] bite
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Lavender Brown]]
 
|[[Lavender Brown]]
 
|[[Fenrir Greyback]]
 
|[[Fenrir Greyback]]
  +
|Savaged
|Savaged, later died to extent of injuries
 
|-
 
|[[Severus Snape]]
 
|[[Nagini]] (ordered by [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]])
 
|Snakebite
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Colin Creevey]]
 
|[[Colin Creevey]]
|Death Eaters
+
| rowspan="4" |Random [[Death Eaters]] and other combatants
|Unknown
+
| rowspan="2" |Unknown
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified Hogwarts students killed on the Seventh Floor]]
 
|[[Unidentified Hogwarts students killed on the Seventh Floor]]
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Camelia]]<ref>https://www.mandy.com/uk/actor/sangeeta-reding</ref>
|[[Unknown fallen fifty of the Battle of Hogwarts|Fifty others]]
 
  +
|[[Killing Curse]] (most likely)<ref name="Dhf2"/>
|Random [[Death Eaters]] and other combatants
 
  +
|-
  +
|[[Fallen Fifty|Fifty others]]
 
|Various
 
|Various
 
|}
 
|}
   
===Death Eater casualties===
+
===Death Eaters===
{|width="100%" border="1" class="wikitable"
+
{| class="wikitable" border="1" width="100%"
|-bgcolor="#cccccc"
+
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
!width="30%" align="center"|Person
+
! align="center" width="30%" |Person
!width="30%" align="center"|Killed by
+
! align="center" width="30%" |Killed by
!width="40%" align="center"|Cause of death
+
! align="center" width="40%" |Cause of death
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
 
|[[Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
 
|Themselves (inadvertently)
 
|Themselves (inadvertently)
|Crossing the protective enchantments, dying in the process.
+
|Crossing the protective enchantments, dying in the process
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Many [[Snatchers]], including [[Scabior]]
 
|Many [[Snatchers]], including [[Scabior]]
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
|Collapse of the [[Covered Bridge]]
+
|Collapse of the [[Wooden Bridge]]
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified Giant in the Battle of Hogwarts (II)]]
+
|[[Unidentified giant at the Battle of Hogwarts (II)]]
|[[Pomona Sprout]], Neville or whoever else helped the attack with plants.
+
|[[Pomona Sprout]], Neville or whoever else helped the attack with plants
 
|[[Devil's Snare]]
 
|[[Devil's Snare]]
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified Giant in the Battle of Hogwarts (III)]]
+
|[[Unidentified giant at the Battle of Hogwarts (III)]]
 
|[[Minerva McGonagall]]
 
|[[Minerva McGonagall]]
|[[Suit of armour|Enchanted suits of armor]]
+
|[[Suit of armour|Enchanted suits of armour]]
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified Death Eater killed by Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
+
|[[Unidentified Death Eater duelled by Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
 
|[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
 
|[[Kingsley Shacklebolt]]
 
|[[Momentum-reversing spell]]
 
|[[Momentum-reversing spell]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Vincent Crabbe]]<!-- DO NOT put Gregory Goyle. -->
 
|[[Vincent Crabbe]]<!-- DO NOT put Gregory Goyle. -->
|Himself (by accident)
+
|Himself (by accident), in the [[Skirmish at the Room of Requirement]]<ref name="DH31"/>
 
|[[Fiendfyre]]
 
|[[Fiendfyre]]
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified Death Eater (III)]]
+
|[[Unidentified male Death Eater (X)]]
|Unknown
+
| rowspan="2" |Unknown
|Unknown
+
| rowspan="3" |Unknown
|-
 
|[[Unidentified Male Death Eater (X)]]
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified female Death Eater at Malfoy Manor (I)]]
 
|[[Unidentified female Death Eater at Malfoy Manor (I)]]
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified Death Eater who fought in a First Floor Corridor (II)]]
+
|[[First-floor fighter|Unidentified Death Eater who fought in a first-floor corridor]]
  +
|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
|[[Incarcerous]]
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified Death Eater who fought in a First Floor Corridor]]
 
|[[Ronald Weasley]]
 
|Unknown
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Nagini]]
 
|[[Nagini]]
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
  +
|Beheading with the [[Sword of Gryffindor]].<ref name="DH36"/>
|[[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|Beheading]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified Black Death Eater at the Battle of Hogwarts]]
+
|[[Unidentified black Death Eater at the Battle of Hogwarts (II)]]
  +
| rowspan="2" |Unknown
|[[Harry Potter]] (by accident)
 
  +
| rowspan="2" |Unknown
|[[Blasting Curse]]
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified Black Death Eater at the Battle of Hogwarts (II)]]
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified male Death Eater during the Battle of Hogwarts (IV)]]
 
|[[Unidentified male Death Eater during the Battle of Hogwarts (IV)]]
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Unidentified male Death Eater killed by a grey haired wizard]]
 
|[[Unidentified male Death Eater killed by a grey haired wizard]]
|[[Unidentified grey haired man during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
+
|[[Unidentified grey-haired man during the Battle of Hogwarts]]
|[[Duel]]
+
|[[Duelling|Duel]]
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified Death Eater during Battle of Hogwarts that was set on fire]] (possibly)
+
|[[Fiery Death Eater|Unidentified Death Eater during Battle of Hogwarts that was set on fire]] (possibly)
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|Unknown, possibly [[Fire-Making Spell|Incendio]]
+
|Unknown, possibly ''[[Fire-Making Spell|Incendio]]'' or similar [[fire]]-based [[spell]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
 
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
 
|[[Molly Weasley]]
 
|[[Molly Weasley]]
|[[Duel]]
+
| rowspan="2" |[[Duelling|Duel]]
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Unidentified male Death Eater killed on the Hogwarts Seventh Floor]]
+
|[[Unidentified male Death Eater killed on the seventh floor]]
 
|Unknown
 
|Unknown
|[[Duel]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
|The [[Elder Wand]] which backfired upon recognising it true master ([[Harry Potter]])
+
|The [[Elder Wand]] which backfired upon recognising its true master ([[Harry Potter]])
|Harry's mastery of the [[Elder Wand]], the destruction of Voldemort's Horcruxes, [[Expelliarmus]], and his own rebounding [[Killing Curse]].
+
|Harry's mastery of the [[Elder Wand]], the destruction of Voldemort's Horcruxes, [[Disarming Charm|Expelliarmus]], and his own rebounding [[Killing Curse]]<ref name="DH36"/>
 
|}
 
|}
   
  +
==Media==
==Behind the scenes==
 
  +
<gallery width="200" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
[[File:20110827-js-hpdhp2-voldemorts-death.gif|frame|Voldemort finally dies after being defeated by Harry.]]
 
  +
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 - ''Boom'' and Piertotum Locomotor scene (HD)|Hogwarts is Threatened
[[File:Goyle_Falls_to_his_Death.jpg|thumb|200px|Goyle's death in ''Deathly Hallows: Part 2'']]
 
  +
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 - Courtyard battle part 1|Courtyard Apocalypse (part 1)
[[File:Voldemort kills Pius T.|thumb|250px|right|Voldemort kills Pius Thicknesse.]]
 
  +
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 - Courtyard battle part 2|Courtyard Apocalypse (part 2)
*In the [[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2|second film adaption]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'', there are several differences between novel and film. One of the more major differences is the fact that [[Gregory Goyle]] died in the [[Room of Requirement]] instead of [[Vincent Crabbe]]. Unlike the novel in which he either survived or his fate was left ambiguous, [[Pius Thicknesse]] died before the battle in the film. The book makes no references to the death of [[Scabior]]. [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]'s death is also changed, with her being blasted apart by Molly's curse.
 
  +
Voldemort kills Pius T.|Voldemort kills Pius Thicknesse
*In the film, the final battle between Harry and Voldemort rages all over the school, with their final duel being in the [[Entrance Courtyard]] rather than the [[Great Hall]]. Nagini is also killed by Neville much later, after an extended sequence where Ron and Hermione fail to kill her first. When Voldemort finally dies, his body turns to ash and scatters into the air; in the book, his body is moved from the Great Hall and placed in an antechamber.
 
  +
File:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (3 5) Movie CLIP - Snape's Memories (2011) HD|Snape's Memories
*The Battle of Hogwarts was nominated for the ''Fight Scene' of the Year'' Award at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Scream_Awards ''2011 Scream Awards''] The Room of Requirement fight was also nominated for the ''Holy Sh!t Scene of the Year ''Award.
 
  +
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Resurrection Stone Scene HD|Resurrected
  +
Harry Potter Is Dead - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2|Harry Potter is Dead
  +
Molly Weasley vs Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix's Final Duel
  +
Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2 Voldemort vs Harry Potter Final Battle Full Scene|Harry Defeats the Dark Lord
  +
</gallery>
   
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
Line 782: Line 753:
 
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
 
*[[Order of the Phoenix]]
 
*[[Dumbledore's Army]]
 
*[[Dumbledore's Army]]
  +
  +
==Behind the scenes==
  +
[[File:Voldemorts Death.gif|thumb|Voldemort's death as shown in {{DH|F2}}]]
  +
[[File:Goyle Falls to his Death.jpg|200px|thumb|Goyle's death in {{DH|F2}}]]
  +
*In {{DH|F2}}, there are several differences between novel and film. One of the more major differences is the fact that [[Gregory Goyle]] died in the [[Room of Requirement]] instead of [[Vincent Crabbe]]. Unlike the novel in which they either survived or their fate was left ambiguous, [[Pius Thicknesse]] died before the battle in the film and [[Lavender Brown]] was already dead before Greyback's attack. The book also makes no references to the death of [[Scabior]]. [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]'s death is also changed, with her being blasted apart by Molly's curse, instead of being struck by a similar spell and her corpse toppling over. In the book, her death is also witnessed by Voldemort.
  +
*Both book and film state that there were werewolf participants of the battle. However, the 2nd May 1998 wasn't a full moon, so this attack would have been futile seen as both Lupin and Greyback were in human form, rendering an army of werewolves void.
  +
*In the film, the final battle between Harry and Voldemort rages all over the school, with their final duel being in the [[Viaduct Courtyard|Entrance Courtyard]] rather than the [[Great Hall]]. Nagini is also killed by Neville much later, after an extended sequence where Ron and Hermione fail to kill her first. When Voldemort finally dies, his body turns to ash and scatters into the air; in the book, his body is moved from the Great Hall and placed in an antechamber.
  +
*The Battle of Hogwarts was nominated for the ''Fight Scene' of the Year'' Award at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Scream_Awards ''2011 Scream Awards''] The Room of Requirement fight was also nominated for the ''Holy Sh!t Scene of the Year ''Award.
  +
*In the book, Grawp, Buckbeak, thestrals, and centaurs are among the defenders of Hogwarts in the battle; whereas in the film, they were all omitted.
  +
*In the book, Severus Snape is merely bitten through the neck for his death scene, after being knocked over by a spell from Voldemort. Whereas in the film, Voldemort uses a non-verbal ''[[Sectumsempra]]'' curse to do away with the latter, and on his command Nagini does away with Snape by performing numerous body slams and bites, smashing him against a wall, and he dies the same way.
  +
*It is found in {{CC}} that in an alternative universe which was created by [[Albus Potter]] and [[Scorpius Malfoy]] in [[2020]], there was a different outtake of the battle's events and aftermath. Neville Longbottom was killed by Cedric Diggory and thus preventing Neville from killing the last Horcrux, Nagini, and these actions allowed Voldemort to finally defeat and kill Harry Potter during the battle. However, these events were discarded after Scorpius corrected the events during the Triwizard Tournament which had been divergence by himself and Albus Potter through a Time-Turner.
  +
*It is cited in {{CC}} that those who died in the battle were called the Fallen Fifty and were memorialised in the aftermath of the war.
  +
*Beginning in 2015, Rowling has taken to Twitter on May 2nd each year to apologise for one of the significant character deaths in the Battle. It is unknown if she will do this for all of the Fallen Fifty, or just the named ones. So far:
  +
**2015 - [[Fred Weasley]] (the worst for her personally)
  +
**2016 - [[Remus Lupin]] (a sacrifice to save [[Arthur Weasley]], as the Weasleys had already lost Fred)
  +
**2017 - [[Severus Snape]]
  +
**2018 - [[Dobby]] (while he didn't die during the battle, he "laid down his life to save the people who'd win it")
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
  +
{{Imagecat|Images of the Battle of Hogwarts}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' {{1st}}
 
  +
*{{DH}} {{1st}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|F2}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|G2}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World]]''
 
  +
*{{CC}} {{AR}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]''
 
  +
*{{CC|P}} {{AR}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter|Harry Potter LEGO Sets]]''
 
  +
*{{PM}}
  +
*{{WW}}
  +
*{{LEGO|C}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y2}}
  +
*{{LEGO}}
  +
*{{HPV|CH}}
  +
*{{HPV|CR}}
  +
*{{HPK}}
  +
*{{WU}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{MA}} {{Flashback}}
  +
*{{HPWA}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==
Line 802: Line 801:
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{End box}}
 
{{End box}}
  +
[[pt-br:Batalha de Hogwarts]]
 
 
[[de:Schlacht von Hogwarts]]
 
[[de:Schlacht von Hogwarts]]
[[es:Batalla de Hogwarts]]
+
[[de2:Schlacht von Hogwarts]]
  +
[[es:Batalla de Hogwarts]]
  +
[[pl:Bitwa o Hogwart]]
 
[[fr:Bataille de Poudlard]]
 
[[fr:Bataille de Poudlard]]
 
[[it:Battaglia di Hogwarts]]
 
[[it:Battaglia di Hogwarts]]
Line 810: Line 811:
 
[[fi:Tylypahkan taistelu]]
 
[[fi:Tylypahkan taistelu]]
 
[[nl:Slag om Zweinstein]]
 
[[nl:Slag om Zweinstein]]
  +
[[sv:Striden om Hogwarts]]
  +
[[Category:Acromantula attacks]]
 
[[Category:Battle of Hogwarts]]
 
[[Category:Battle of Hogwarts]]
  +
[[Category:Dementor attacks]]
  +
[[Category:Giant attacks]]
  +
[[Category:Plots to kill Harry Potter]]
  +
[[Category:Werewolf attacks]]

Latest revision as of 12:07, 22 February 2024

"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
Lord Voldemort's ultimatum[src]

The Battle of Hogwarts was the final conflict of the Second Wizarding War. It took place in the early hours of 2 May 1998, within the castle and on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the mountainous region of Scotland.[2]

When the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort learned that his archenemy Harry Potter had secretly ventured into the castle to locate and destroy one of his final Horcruxes, Ravenclaw's Diadem, he ordered every single Death Eater and dark creature that had ever pledged loyalty to him to launch a massive attack on the school.

Dumbledore's Army then communicated the need to fight to the Order of the Phoenix and their other allies within the British Ministry of Magic, leading to a large-scale battle. Voldemort led his forces from the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade; while Harry Potter, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva McGonagall led the defenders of Hogwarts. Voldemort also announced that he wanted Harry Potter to surrender himself by midnight.[4]

The battle ended with a decisive victory for the Order and the D.A., with many Death Eaters killed or captured and Voldemort himself dead. It was the most devastating battle of the war, with casualties including: Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape, Fred Weasley, Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, and at least fifty more who fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.[5]

It is also assumed to be the final conflict in which the Elder Wand took part, due to it being resealed in Albus Dumbledore's tomb after the battle.[3]

History

Background information

Snape's reign at Hogwarts

"Well, it's not really like Hogwarts any more."
Neville Longbottom about the situation at Hogwarts to Harry Potter under Snape's reign[src]
Snape Great Hall Headmaster

Headmaster Snape

On 1 August 1997, Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour was secretly captured by Voldemort and interrogated for the whereabouts of Harry Potter. However, in one last brave act for Harry, Scrimgeour told Voldemort nothing, and was murdered by the Dark Lord as a result. This easily placed the Ministry of Magic under the secret influential control of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, who quickly replaced Scrimgeour with Pius Thicknesse, a corrupt politician under the Imperius Curse and a puppet of Voldemort.

Hogwarts also quickly fell under Voldemort's influence, and he appointed Severus Snape as the new Headmaster (interestingly, Snape had killed the previous headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, just a month before).[6] The Carrow siblings, Amycus and Alecto, were also appointed as Deputy Headmaster-Deputy Headmistress, and also became teachers. Amycus Carrow became Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts and Alecto Carrow became Professor of Muggle Studies.[7]

Two school subjects were revised at Voldemort's will; Defence Against the Dark Arts was more or less taught simply as Dark Arts, and Muggle Studies became a compulsory class for indoctrinating hatred against Muggles and Muggle-borns, rather than opt for peace with them. Snape and the Carrows enforced Voldemort's agenda brutally at Hogwarts. Students given detention for any wrongdoing were subjected to the Cruciatus Curse by either of the Carrows— as well as by other students on the Carrows' orders; particularly Slytherin students.

As a result of this, a band of students began to fight back very early on in the 1997–1998 school year, led by seventh year Neville Longbottom and sixth years Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood. This group stood as the successor to the original Dumbledore's Army, founded by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger in 1995.[8]

Search for Horcruxes

Main article: Horcrux hunt
Article-0-0B08D358000005DC-888 634x423

The Trio beginning their hunt for Horcruxes

At the climax of the Battle of the Astronomy Tower the previous year, Albus Dumbledore was killed by then-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Snape.[9] Dumbledore, however, had secretly planned his death with Snape; and unknown to anyone; his spirit continued to aid Harry by giving Snape special orders through Dumbledore's portrait in the Headmaster's Office.

Dumbledore then left Harry Potter with a final task; to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes that Voldemort created at different points in his life to ensure his immortality. Over several months, Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to locate the Horcruxes; their efforts included infiltrating the Ministry to acquire Salazar Slytherin's locket[10] (which was later destroyed by Ron Weasley on 28 December 1997).[11]

Furthermore, the day before the battle, the trio succeeded in breaking into the vault belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange within Gringotts in Diagon Alley to obtain Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, another Horcrux.[12] Two other Horcruxes had also been destroyed prior to Dumbledore's death: Voldemort's old diary from his school years at Hogwarts was destroyed in 1993 by Harry Potter,[13] and a ring which had belonged to Voldemort's grandfather, Marvolo Gaunt, was destroyed by Dumbledore sometime in July 1996.[14] Harry then returned to Hogwarts to search for another of Voldemort's Horcruxes, an object he believed had something to do with Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, both of which are Hogwarts Houses.[15]

Arrival in Hogsmeade

Hermione Granger: "But how are we going to get in?"
Harry Potter: "We'll go to Hogsmeade, and try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school's like."
— The trio planning to get into Hogwarts[src]
Hogsmeade

The trio arriving in Hogsmeade

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all wearing Harry's Cloak of Invisibility, apparated into the main street of Hogsmeade. However, they immediately triggered a Caterwauling Charm, and a dozen cloaked and hooded Death Eaters dashed into the street from the Three Broomsticks. One of the Death Eaters tried to summon the Cloak, but the Summoning Charm did not work on it because it was secretly the cloak of legend, one of the fabled Deathly Hallows.[15]

Harry, Ron, and Hermione backed quickly down the nearest side street. Harry informed the others that the Death Eaters must have set up the Caterwauling Charm to alert them to the trio's presence, and they likely had done something to trap them there. At that moment, one Death Eater suggested releasing the Dementors, pointing out that the Dementors wouldn't kill Harry. Voldemort wanted Harry's life, not his soul, and he would be easier to kill if he had been subjected by the Dementor's Kiss first.[15]

Death Eaters searching Hogsmeade

Death Eaters searching Hogsmeade for Harry Potter

Hermione suggested that they disapparate, but as they tried, the air through which they needed to move seemed to become solid. They could not Disapparate due to an Anti-Disapparation Jinx placed by the Death Eaters. Ten or more Dementors closed in on them, and Harry raised his wand to cast a Patronus, causing the silver stag to burst from his wand and charge. The Dementors scattered and there was a triumphant yell from the Death Eaters.[15]

Suddenly, a door near the trio opened and the three of them were hustled inside the Hog's Head Inn. They ran up the stairs into a room with a single large oil painting of a blonde girl. Outside, the inn's proprietor pulled out his wand and cast a goat Patronus; he insisted that the Death Eaters had mistaken his Patronus for a stag and that he had set off the alarm when he let out his cat. Reluctantly convinced, the Death Eaters strode back toward the High Street. Hermione came out from under the Cloak and sat down on a chair. Harry drew the curtains shut, then pulled the Cloak off himself and Ron. They could hear the man down below, rebolting the door of the bar, then climbing the stairs.[15]

The Hog's Head Inn

"I knew my brother, Potter. He learned secrecy at our mother's knee. Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus...he was a natural."
— Aberforth describing his brother[src]
Two-way mirror 2

The two-way mirror in Aberforth's possession

Harry's attention was caught by Sirius Black's half of his two-way mirror on the mantelpiece. He realised it was the man's eye he had been seeing in the mirror, and that this must mean that the man had sent Dobby to rescue them during the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor. From his resemblance to his late brother, Harry deduced that the man was Aberforth Dumbledore: the younger brother of the late Albus Dumbledore.[15]

Realising that the trio was hungry, Aberforth went out of the room and reappeared with bread, cheese, and a pewter jug of mead. Aberforth told them to wait for daybreak when the curfew would lift. Then they could get out of Hogsmeade, up into the mountains, and disapparate. Harry, however, refused and claimed that they needed to get into Hogwarts to complete the task Albus Dumbledore set them. Aberforth said that people had a habit of getting hurt when Albus was carrying out his grand plans.[15]

Arianas portrait13

Harry talking to Aberforth about his mission left to him by Dumbledore

Aberforth told the young wizards to get away from the school, out of the country if they could; forget Dumbledore and his clever schemes. Harry pointed out that Aberforth was fighting as well, as he was part of the Order of the Phoenix, but Aberforth retorted that the Order was finished, that Voldemort had won, and that those still left serving in the Order fought a lost cause. Aberforth then said that Dumbledore was a natural at secrets and lies, a trait he learned from their father, Percival Dumbledore. Hermione timidly asked if the picture on the mantelpiece was of his sister, Ariana Dumbledore, and Aberforth confirmed this.[15]

Hermione said that Professor Dumbledore cared about Harry, very much, but Aberforth said that many of the people his brother genuinely cared about very much ended up in a worse state than if he had left them alone. When Hermione asked if Aberforth was talking about his sister, he burst into speech. He told them that when Ariana was six years old, the Dumbledore Family lived in Godric's Hollow; she was attacked by three Muggle teenage boys.

Aberforth talking to the trio

Aberforth telling the trio about his brother's past

After the attack, Ariana's magic turned inward and drove her mad, exploding out of her because she couldn't control it. Aberforth revealed this to his father Percival, who furiously went after the boys that harmed his daughter, attacking them all with the Cruciatus Curse; and was locked up in Azkaban for it by the Ministry of Magic, when the family's neighbour Bathilda Bagshot witnessed the event and alerted the Ministry.[15]

The rest of the family was moved out by Aberforth's mother, Kendra Dumbledore, and Percival died in Azkaban. Albus was often too busy for Ariana, so she liked Aberforth best. Aberforth could get her to eat when she refused, and he could calm her down when she was in one of her mental rages. Then, when Ariana was fourteen, she accidentally killed her mother. Kendra's death resulted in Albus having to put aside his dreams and settle down as head of the family.[15]

Aberforth said Albus did all right for a few weeks until Gellert Grindelwald, Bathilda Bagshot's nephew, arrived. Here was someone almost as bright and talented as Albus was; and so Albus and Gellert instantly became best friends; in particular, due to their shared obsession for magical equality concerning wizards and muggles. Ariana was neglected as the two of them planned a new secret wizarding order, wanting to end the International Statute Of Wizarding Secrecy and create a global monarchy where both worlds' lived together in permanent harmony. After a few weeks of this, Aberforth confronted the two of them about their treatment of his sister, which made Grindelwald angry. There was an argument, and Grindelwald subjected Aberforth to the Cruciatus Curse. Albus tried to stop Grindelwald, and the three boys began to duel fiercely. When the curses stopped, Ariana lay dead by an unknown hand.[15]

Ariana leaving her portrait

Ariana leaving her portrait

Aberforth then again told Harry to hide, but Harry knew that in war, sometimes you have to think about the greater good. Harry told Aberforth that Albus had taught him how to finish You-Know-Who, and he was going to keep going until he succeeded, or died. He also told Aberforth that no matter what Albus had done or been in the past, he wasn't that during the time Harry knew him.

Harry said he wasn't interested in what happened between Albus and Aberforth, that he loved Albus with all his heart and spirit, and he also berated Aberforth for abandoning hope when it was most needed. Rejuvenated and inspired by Harry's bravery, Aberforth approached the portrait of Ariana and said "You know what to do." She smiled and walked along what seemed to be a long tunnel painted behind her. Aberforth said that there was only one safe way into Hogwarts left that was unknown to the Death Eaters.[15]

Trio in hogsmeade

The trio and Neville Longbottom in the Hog's Head

A tiny white dot suddenly appeared at the end of the painted tunnel, and now Ariana was walking back toward them, growing bigger and bigger as she came, with somebody else limping along beside her. The two figures grew larger until the painting swung forward on the wall like a door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. Out of the tunnel and onto the mantelpiece came a badly bruised and beaten Neville Longbottom, who gave a roar of enthusiasm upon seeing Harry and stated that he knew Harry would come, as it was only a matter of time. Neville proceeded to tell the trio that Hogwarts has changed greatly under the new evil regime.[8]

Entering the castle

"'HARRY! It's Potter, it's POTTER!"
— The Trio entering the Room of Requirement, being greeted by the D.A.[src]

Neville then led Harry, Hermione and Ron around a corner and up a steep flight of stairs that led to a door. As Harry followed, he heard Neville call out to unseen people, announcing Harry's arrival, and he, Ron, and Hermione were soon engulfed, hugged, pounded on the back, by what seemed to be more than twenty people.[8]

D.a

D.A. members welcoming Harry back on 1 May 1998

Neville told everyone to calm down, and Harry saw that they were in an enormous room with many multicoloured hammocks strung from the ceiling. The walls were covered with bright tapestry hangings: the gold Gryffindor lion, emblazoned on scarlet; the black badger of Hufflepuff, set against yellow; and the bronze eagle of Ravenclaw, on blue. There were bulging bookcases, a few broomsticks propped against the walls, and in the corner, large wooden-cased wireless. Neville revealed that they were in the Room of Requirement, which had expanded as more of Dumbledore's Army arrived.

Seamus Finnigan told the trio that the DA had been hiding out there for nearly two weeks, as neither Headmaster Snape nor the Carrows could get in. The passage to the pub had appeared as the students got hungry, as the food was one of the few things the room could not provide. The room just kept making more hammocks as they were needed. Harry recognised Lavender Brown, both Patil twins, Terry Boot, Ernie Macmillan, Anthony Goldstein, and Michael Corner.[8]

Neville, who had become the leader of the group, said that he had used the Galleons that Hermione had bewitched in their fifth year to recall all of the D.A., and sure enough, past D.A. members such as the Weasley twins started arriving through the tunnel from the Hog's Head.[8]

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Lavender

Harry and Dumbledore's Army preparing to overthrow the Death Eater regime at Hogwarts

Neville had informed a number of them that it was time to return to Hogwarts to fight and help Harry find whatever it was that he needed. When Harry realised how loyal they were being to him, he accepted help, telling them that Voldemort was on his way to Hogwarts and that he, Harry, needed to find something in the castle. When he asked about artefacts associated with Rowena Ravenclaw, Harry was told about her lost diadem, and he decided that it was almost certainly what Voldemort would have used for his Horcrux.[8]

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Harry and Luna entering Ravenclaw Tower

Luna Lovegood took Harry to the Ravenclaw Common Room to see a statue of Rowena wearing the diadem so that he would know what to look for.[8] They were caught thereby Alecto Carrow, who summoned Voldemort by way of the Dark Mark on her arm before being stunned by Luna. Amycus Carrow and Professor McGonagall then arrived in the room. Amycus decided that he would blame Alecto's (seemingly unnecessary) summoning of Voldemort on the students. McGonagall refused to allow him to put her students in danger, causing him to spit in her face in anger. Harry, outraged, used the Cruciatus Curse on him, revealing himself to McGonagall.[4]

Ousting of Severus Snape

"No! You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"
Filius Flitwick as he joined the duel[src]

McGonagall sent three Patronus cat messengers to summon the other Heads of House and started for the Great Hall with Harry and Luna following closely behind her. As they walked down from Ravenclaw Tower, they encountered Headmaster Snape in the hall. He continually darted his eyes about, perhaps suspecting that Harry was nearby. When asked what she was doing there, McGonagall claimed she heard a disturbance. She was evasive when asked about Harry, then slashed her wand through the air. Snape, faster, deflected her charm. She then waved her wand at a torch on the wall, making it fly off its bracket.[4]

The flames became a ring of fire that filled the corridor and flew like a lasso at Snape. Snape turned the descending flames into a great black snake that McGonagall blasted to smoke and turned into a swarm of daggers, which she directed towards him. The Headmaster pulled a suit of armour in front of him, which the daggers sank into with echoing clangs.[4]

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Snape hiding behind a suit of armour

Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout came running to McGonagall's aid with a huffing Slughorn lagging behind. Flitwick raised his wand, bewitching the suit of armour to attack Snape by crushing him. Outnumbered, Snape sent the suit of armour flying back against his attackers and dashed into a deserted classroom, where a loud crash was heard. Pursuing, McGonagall screamed, "Coward!" Uncloaked, Harry and Luna rushed inside to find that Snape had fled by leaping out the window in the form of a jet black stream of smoke.[4]

Harry thought that Snape was surely dead, but McGonagall bitterly commented that, unlike Dumbledore, Snape had a wand and had learned a few tricks from his master, Voldemort. Harry saw a large, bat-like figure soaring across the school grounds. Harry slid into Voldemort's mind again and saw an Inferifilled lake. Voldemort leapt from the boat in a murderous rage, headed for Hogwarts.[4]

Preparations for battle

"Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!"
Minerva McGonagall commanding the suits of armour to protect the school[src]
DH2 Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri, Repello Inimicum

Powerful protective enchantments being placed around the castle

McGonagall then ordered the students to be brought to the Great Hall. There, McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt announced that the students old enough to fight (the students aged 17 or older) could stay if they wanted, while younger students (the students under the age of 17) would be evacuated by Poppy Pomfrey and Argus Filch by way of the passage through the Hog's Head Inn. The professors set defensive charms and spell around Hogwarts to fend off Voldemort, although they all knew that no matter what protection they gave, Voldemort would eventually penetrate it. As Hogwarts Castle was being fortified, Harry asked Flitwick about Ravenclaw's diadem, but Flitwick informed him that it had not been seen "in living memory." Meanwhile, McGonagall enchanted the school's statues and suits of armour to help defend the castle and ordered Filch to summon Peeves the Poltergeist to aid in the defence.[4]

DH2 Minerva Molly suits of armour

Minerva telling the suits of armour to defend Hogwarts

When Harry and Luna returned to the Room of Requirement, they found that even more people had arrived, including: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Arthur Weasley, and Molly Weasley. Fred Weasley had alerted Dumbledore's Army, and they, in turn, summoned the Order of the Phoenix. As younger students were being evacuated, an argument broke out about underage Ginny Weasley, who wanted to help fight. Her mother eventually relented to the point of allowing Ginny to stay at Hogwarts if she stayed in the Room of Requirement. The Weasleys' estranged son Percy suddenly arrived, and loudly apologised to his family for not supporting them; the Weasleys immediately forgave him. Looking around, Harry wondered where Ron and Hermione were. Ginny told him they were attending to something having to do with a bathroom, leaving Harry puzzled.[4]

Hogwarts suits of armour and statues

Transfigured suits of armour stationed at the front of the castle

The Order of the Phoenix and the professors have agreed upon a battle plan and begin dividing into groups. As tension mounts over the approaching battle, Harry anxiously searches the room for Ron and Hermione, who were still missing.[4]

First half of the battle

Voldemort's ultimatum

Kingsley Shacklebolt: "We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest Towers — Ravenclaw, Astronomy and Gryffindor — where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, Arthur, and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organise defence of the entrances of the passageways into the school —"
Fred Weasley: "sounds like a job for us."
Kingsley Shacklebolt: "All right, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!"
Kingsley Shacklebolt commanding the defence of Hogwarts[src]
Slytherins battle

Pansy Parkinson urging students to hand Harry over to Voldemort

Suddenly, Voldemort's magically amplified voice rang through the hall and heard throughout all of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Voldemort informed the school that if they surrendered Harry to him by midnight, nobody in the school would be hurt. Pansy Parkinson, spotting Harry, stood and shrieked for someone to grab him; all of Gryffindor House rose in a mass, almost immediately followed by all of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and as one drew their wands, indicating their willingness to fight for Harry. Professor McGonagall announced that all of Slytherin house would be evacuated, followed by the other Houses, through the passage through the Hog's Head Inn, though those of age were welcome to stay if they wished. No Slytherins remained, a number of older Ravenclaws, a quarter of Hufflepuff and half of Gryffindor remained to fight.

Prompted by Professor McGonagall, Harry set out again in search of the Horcrux. Heading down an empty corridor, he began to panic — he has no idea where to search for the Horcrux or where Ron and Hermione were. Although all those underaged were to be evacuated, four known students, Colin Creevey, and Ginny Weasley, both of whom aged 16, Romilda Vane, who was either 14 or 15, and Nigel Wolpert, who was either 13 or 14, stayed and fought, due to being members of Dumbledore's Army.[2]

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The Quidditch pitch being destroyed by Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts

As the defenders of Hogwarts prepared to hold off Voldemort so that Harry could finish his search for the object of Ravenclaw's, the Death Eaters launched attacks on the castle but were kept from entering. The Hogwarts defenders were able to fend off the Death Eaters using an array of tactics: Professor Sprout and Neville planned to use dangerous plants from the greenhouses against the Death Eaters, such as lobbying mandrakes over the walls, Devil's Snare, Venomous Tentaculas and Snargaluff pods, as well as the bewitched suits of armour and wand duels.

The whole castle shook with the force of the Death Eaters' sinister enchantments, and Harry met up with Aberforth Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid, his boarhound Fang, and his giant half-brother, Grawp, as they joined in defending the castle against Death Eaters. During the duels, portraits on the walls, including that of Sir Cadogan, rushed between their canvases screaming news from other parts of the castle or giving encouragements to the fighters.[2]

Skirmish at the Wooden Bridge

"Yeah, you and whose army?"
Neville Longbottom taunting Snatchers[src]
Da On the bridge

Ginny and other students under the Wooden Bridge waiting to see if Neville survived its explosion

After Scabior tested if it was safe to cross the now-broken protections, the Snatchers charged onto the Wooden Bridge. As Neville ran for the Clock Tower Courtyard, he briefly duelled Scabior before casting a spell that rebounded into the wooden beams producing a large explosion on the Sundial Garden-side of the Wooden Bridge.[16]

As the Snatchers fell into the ravine below, Neville threw himself onto the un-exploded part of the bridge, holding to the intact wooden beams, as Ginny Weasley, Seamus Finnigan, Cho Chang, Ernie Macmillan, Leanne, Padma Patil, and Nigel Wolpert managed to help him up.[16]

Onslaught at the Viaduct

"GET INSIDE! Take cover! TAKE COVER!"
— The protection surrounding the castle was broken[src]
Battle of Hogwarts explosions

The Viaduct Courtyard coming under fire

As the giants made their way into the Viaduct the Viaduct Courtyard came under fire of the Death Eaters' curses, exploding much of the cloister. The suits of armour struggled against the giants on the Viaduct, managing to floor one, but they too came under Death Eater fire.[16] This attack had a positive result for the Death Eaters, who managed to advance to just outside the Castle, and destroy much of the school's army of suits of armour.

Two giants died during this onslaught, one throttled by Devil's Snare vines placed by Professor Sprout and the other felled by the suits of armour.[16]

Skirmish at the Quad battlements

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Arthur Weasley and Kingsley duelling Death Eaters at the Quad battlements

While the giants struggled with the betwitched suits of armour in the Viaduct, the Death Eaters started casting curses at the Viaduct Courtyard and at the battlements around the Quad.[16]

As part of the battlements shattered, a Death Eater managed to Apparate into the set of catwalks on which Order of the Phoenix members aimed spells. The Death Eater shot a Killing Curse, killing a wizard, and then fired another at Arthur Weasley, who responded with a red spell of his own which locked the two in battle.[16]

As another bald Death Eater (possibly being Jugson) tried to Apparate through one of the windows, he was spotted by Kingsley Shacklebolt, who hit him with a momentum-reversing spell which stopped him dead then sent him flying right back out to his death.[16]

Search for the diadem

"I stole the diadem. I sought to make myself cleverer, more important than my mother. I ran away with it. My mother, they say, never admitted that the diadem was gone, but pretended that she had it still. She concealed her loss, my dreadful betrayal, even from the other founders of Hogwarts."
— Helena Ravenclaw recounting her past[src]
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The Grey Lady, or Helena Ravenclaw, the ghost of Ravenclaw House with Harry

While the battle raged on, Harry thought about possible locations of the Ravenclaw-related Horcrux. All anyone seemed to associate with Ravenclaw was the lost diadem, but no one had seen the diadem in living memory. At this thought, Harry decided to ask a ghost, as they had been around much longer than anyone else. Harry found Nearly Headless Nick, and asked him where he might find the Ravenclaw house ghost. Somewhat miffed that Harry did not want his help, Nick pointed out the Grey Lady, and Harry eventually chased her down and asked if she knew anything about the diadem. After gaining her trust, she revealed that, during her life, she was Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena, and she stole the diadem from her mother to make herself cleverer.[2]

Shield breaks

Death Eaters attacking on Hogwarts and Voldemort breaking the shield

She revealed that she hid the diadem in a hollow tree in a forest in Albania, and she also ashamedly admitted to having told one other student about it, many years before. Harry privately thought that the Grey Lady was only one of many who had been hoodwinked by Tom Riddle's charms. Harry put together that Voldemort found the diadem in Albania, and brought it back to Hogwarts to hide it the night he asked Dumbledore for the Defence Against the Dark Arts job. Harry then remembered that Voldemort operated alone and may have been arrogant enough to think that he alone discovered Hogwarts secret of the Room of Requirement. Harry knew immediately that Voldemort had hidden the Lost Diadem there.[2]

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Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets preparing to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's cup

Returning to the Room of Requirement, Harry found Ron and Hermione there. They informed him that Ron had opened the Chamber of Secrets by mimicking the Parseltongue language Harry had made to open the Locket Horcrux, and Hermione had recovered several Basilisk fangs, using one of them to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, one of the Horcruxes and recovering the others to destroy any future Horcruxes that they found. Reunited, the trio went to the Room of Requirement to search for the Horcrux.[2]

Ginny was inside, along with Tonks, and Mrs Longbottom (Neville's grandmother) who had sealed off the tunnel to the Hog's Head Inn. The three women soon left to join the battle, in order for the trio to change the setting of the Room of Requirement. When Ron said that he wanted to warn the house-elves, an overjoyed Hermione flung herself into Ron's arms, kissing him. He kissed her back, their unspoken feelings finally shared. The trio then entered the Room of Requirement, which Harry had re-opened as the junk storage warehouse where Voldemort had placed the diadem.[2]

Skirmish at the Room of Requirement

"It was not normal fire; Crabbe had used a curse of which Harry had no knowledge: As they turned a corner the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent upon killing them. Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: Flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries on which they were feeding was thrown up in the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno."
— Description of the Fiendfyre conjured by Vincent Crabbe[src]

Harry, Ron, and Hermione split up to search for the diadem within the mounds of hidden objects. As Harry found it, however, he was cornered by Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. A fierce duel erupted; Hermione found Harry and his enemies and fired a Stunning Spell at Crabbe, which would have hit him had Malfoy not pulled him out of the way, and Crabbe responded with a Killing Curse which Hermione dodged.

Infuriated that Crabbe had actually attempted murder, Harry fired a Stunning Spell at Crabbe, who inadvertently knocked Malfoy's wand out of his hand before firing a second Killing Curse at Ron, who pursued in rage while Goyle was Disarmed by Harry and Stunned by Hermione. Attempting to destroy them, Crabbe unleashed Fiendfyre, setting the room ablaze. The flames began to burn the multiple objects in the room.[2]

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Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley running from the towering flames

As the cursed fire consumed the whole room, Crabbe was lost amongst the flames, now looking terrified as he had no control over the flames. Harry spotted some old broomsticks and in order to escape from the conflagration, mounted them to escape. As they left, though, Harry saw Malfoy and the still unconscious Goyle and rescued them. He then saw the diadem being thrown about by the Fiendfyre and grabbed it as well, then he made for the door. They narrowly missed being killed by the inferno, and upon getting out of the room they collapsed on the hallway floor. As they flew out into the corridor, the door slammed shut behind them and vanished. Now landed, Harry watched as the diadem emitted a thin shriek and then fell apart in his hand. Hermione then mentioned that Fiendfyre was one of the few things capable of destroying Horcruxes.[2]

Aberforth Battle

Aberforth with Leanne, Ginny, Padma, Romilda, Seamus, and Katie during the Battle of Hogwarts

Harry realised that it was midnight, and Voldemort's forces had penetrated the castle's boundaries. Death Eaters, based on the Forbidden Forest, came streaming out in great numbers. Curses, hexes, and jinxes flew in every direction, lighting up the sky in green and red. Draco and Goyle disappeared into the battle, and the trio encountered multiple duelling witches and wizards.[2]

The trio was joined by Fred Weasley and Percy Weasley, each of them duelling a separate Death Eater. The hood of the Death Eater duelled by Percy slipped, revealing the opponent to be Pius Thicknesse, the Minister for Magic under the Imperius Curse by the Death Eaters, and Percy hit him with a sea urchin jinx, telling him to consider it his resignation, while Fred's opponent collapsed under three separate Stunning Spells.

The moment when danger seemed at bay, however, ended when a massive explosion shattered the wall, blowing apart a side of the castle. As Harry and Hermione struggled through the rubble to see what happened, they realised with horror that Fred was dead. Seeking to protect Fred's body from further harm or desecration, Harry and Percy stuffed his body inside a crevice, and Percy left them into the battle, chasing after the Death Eater Augustus Rookwood.[5]

Reaching the Shrieking Shack

Hermione Granger: "Listen to me — LISTEN RON!'"
Ron Weasley: "I wanna help — I wanna kill Death Eaters"
Hermione Granger: "Ron, we're the only ones who can end it! Please — Ron — we need the snake, we've got to kill the snake! [...] We will fight! We'll have to, to reach the snake! But let's not lose sight now of what we're supposed to be d-doing! We're the only ones who can end it!"
Hermione urging Ron not to forget the trio's mission[src]
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Acromantulas joining the battle with a flourish

As the trio and Percy stood in horror at the prospect of Fred being killed, more curses flew in at them from the darkness after a body fell past the hole blown into the side of the school. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to get Percy to stop clutching to his dead brother so they could get out of danger, an Acromantula (one of Aragog's descendants) was trying to climb through the huge hole in the wall, but Ron and Harry blasted it backwards with a combined spell. However, more spiders were climbing the side of the building, driven out of the Forbidden Forest by the Death Eaters, who decided to use it as a base.[5]

Harry looked inside Voldemort's mind on Hermione's instruction to see where he and Nagini were. Harry subsequently discovered that he was in the Shrieking Shack, not even fighting, and had ordered Lucius Malfoy to find Severus Snape and bring him to the shack.[5]

The Battle of Hogwarts in action

Harry, Ron, and Hermione racing down the Marble Staircase

Pulling back out of Voldemort's mind, Harry informed the other two what he saw and the two decided who should go to the Shack to kill Nagini. Before they came to an arrangement, the tapestry on the top of the staircase on which they stood was ripped open by two masked Death Eaters. Hermione shouted Glisseo, causing the stairs to flatten into a chute. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurtled down it, went through the tapestry at the bottom, and hit the opposite wall.

As the Death Eaters sped down the slide after them, Hermione cast the Hardening Charm, causing the tapestry to turn to stone and the Death Eaters crumpled as they hit it. They turned and saw Professor McGonagall leading a group of enchanted desks to gallop past them into the fray, ordering into battle with a cry of "CHARGE!". The three of them put on the invisibility cloak and ran down the next staircase.[5]

The trio, invisible, found themselves in a corridor full of duelers, masked and unmasked Death Eaters fighting students and teachers. Dean Thomas was face-to-face with Antonin Dolohov, while Parvati Patil was fighting Travers. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood braced, ready to help, Peeves zoomed over them dropping Snargaluff pods on the Death Eaters, whose heads were engulfed in wriggling green tubers. However, some of the slimy green roots hit the Cloak over Ron's head, and seeing the tubers suspended in midair, a Death Eater informed his fellows that there was an invisible person. Using the temporary distraction, Dean shot a Stunning Spell at the Death Eater and Dolohov had a Full Body-Bind Curse shot at him by Parvati before he could react.[5]

Pelting through the fighters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione viewed Draco Malfoy on the upper landing pleading with a Death Eater that he was on their side. Harry Stunned the Death Eater and Ron punched Draco from under the Cloak, commenting that it was the second time they saved him that evening. There were more duelers all over the stairs and in the entrance hall: Yaxley was close to the front doors in combat with Filius Flitwick, and a masked Death Eater duelling Kingsley Shacklebolt right beside them. Harry directed a Stunning Spell at the masked Death Eater, but it missed and almost hit Neville Longbottom, who emerged with armfuls of Venomous Tentacula, which happily began to attack the Death Eaters.[5]

Greyback kills Lavender Brown

Greyback savaging and killing Lavender Brown

As Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran down the Marble Staircase, the hourglass used to record Slytherin's house points was shattered and spilt its emeralds everywhere. At this moment, two bodies fell from the balcony overhead, and Fenrir Greyback sped toward one of the fallen to sink his teeth in. Hermione threw him backwards from Lavender Brown, and as he struggled to get up he was hit on the head with a crystal ball thrown by Professor Trelawney, who threw another through a window with a tennis serve-like movement.[5]

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One of Voldemort's giants joining the courtyard battle

At that moment, the front doors burst open and the gigantic spiders forced their way in. Panicking at the sight of the massive arachnids, the duellists broke combat and, temporary allies, fired spells both lethal and non-lethal into the mass of spiders. Hagrid went to the spiders shouting for people not to hurt them, and he vanished into their midst as the spiders swarmed away from the onslaught of spells being fired at them. As Harry ran after him, a monumental foot almost crushed Harry. Looking up, he saw it belonged to a twenty-foot high giant, which proceeded to smash a fist through an upper window. Grawp came lurching around the corner, and the two giants launched themselves at each other savagely.[5]

Battle of Hogwarts Patronus GIF

Dementors attacking and being fought off by the defenders of Hogwarts

The trio ran away from the giants, and as they were halfway toward the forest, a hundred Dementors glided toward them, sucking the happiness from Harry as they advanced; Hermione and Ron's Patronuses flickered and died. Filled with despair the last nine months had brought them along with the loss of Fred, Harry almost welcomed oblivion that would come with a Dementor's Kiss, but a silver hare, a boar, and fox soared past and impeded the Dementors' approach. Luna Lovegood, Ernie Macmillan, and Seamus Finnigan had arrived to save them. With the greatest effort it had ever cost him, Harry managed to conjure his stag Patronus, and the Dementors scattered in earnest.[5]

The trio sprinted to the Whomping Willow, the entrance to the Shack, knowing that destroying the snake and defeating Voldemort was the only way to end it. Panting and gasping over their sprint, the trio reached the tree and tried to find the single knot in the back that would paralyse the branches. Ron wondered where Crookshanks was when they could have used his help but Hermione reminded him that he is a wizard. So he used a Levitation Charm to cause a twig to fly up and jab the place near the roots, stopping the writhing branches instantly. Though Harry had second thoughts about leading Ron and Hermione exactly where Voldemort expected him to go, he realised that the only way forward was to kill the snake, the trio crawled along the underground secret passage that led to the Shrieking Shack.[5]

Snape's death

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine."
— Voldemort shortly before killing Snape[src]

Before reaching the end of the tunnel, Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak and extinguished his lit wand. He then heard voices coming from the room directly ahead of him, muffled by a crate blocking the tunnel. Harry saw through the tiny gap between the crate and wall Nagini, swirling and coiling in her protective, floating enchanted sphere, and a long-fingered white hand toying with a wand.[5]

Voldemortsnape

Voldemort inside the boat house talking to Snape

Snape, inches away from where Harry crouched, hidden, told Voldemort that the castle's resistance was crumbling, and Voldemort told Snape that there was no need for Snape to return to the fray. Snape offered to bring Potter to Voldemort in the Shrieking Shack, but Voldemort declined, changing the subject by saying that the Elder Wand has only performed his usual magic, that it had not revealed the legendary and extraordinary powers it was said to possess. Snape then begged Voldemort to let him return to the battle and find Potter, but Voldemort declined again, saying that the boy would come to him, as he would hate watching his friends die for him when handing himself over was the only way to stop it. Voldemort said his instructions to his Death Eaters had been perfectly clear: capture Potter alive. While they could kill as many of his friends as they wanted, they must not kill the boy.[5]

Snape protested, wishing to return and bring Voldemort the boy, but Voldemort angrily declined once again and asked Snape why both wands he used, his own wand and Lucius Malfoy's wand, failed when ordered to kill Harry. Voldemort told Snape that after both of the wands failed he sought the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, Wand of Destiny; he took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore. Snape pleaded again to go to the boy, but Voldemort ignored him and told Snape that he had been wondering why the Elder Wand refused to be what it ought to be, and that believed he now had the answer.[5]

Voldemort told Snape that he had been a valuable and faithful servant and that he regretted what he had to do. Voldemort told Snape that the Elder Wand could not serve him properly because he was not the wand's true master, that the wand belonged to the wizard who killed its last owner. Mistakenly believing Snape to have won the wand's allegiance upon killing Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort surmised that while Snape lived, the Elder Wand would never truly belong to him. Thus, Voldemort believed that Snape had to die so that Voldemort could become the Elder Wand's true master.[5]

B7C32M1 Nagini's attack on Snape

Nagini killing Snape on Voldemort's orders

Snape tried to explain the situation, but Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand before he could finish, and Nagini's cage began to roll through the air. Snape yelled as the protective sphere encased his head and shoulders. With no remorse, Voldemort ordered Nagini to kill Snape in Parseltongue. Snape screamed while Nagini's fangs pierced his neck. Believing that the wand would now truly do his full bidding, he pointed it at the starry cage holding the snake and caused it to drift upward, off Snape, who fell sideways onto the floor with blood gushing from the wounds in his neck. Without a backward glance, Voldemort swept from the room with the great serpent floating after him in its large protective sphere.[5]

After Voldemort left the shack with Nagini, Harry pointed his wand at the crate blocking his view, making it lift an inch into the air and drift sideways. Harry entered the room, not knowing why he was approaching the dying man, not knowing what to feel as he saw Snape's white face and as Snape tried to staunch the bloody wound at his neck. Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak and looked at the man who he hated, and Snape's black eyes widened upon seeing Harry and tried to speak. As Harry bent over him, Snape seized the front of Harry's robes and pulled him close.[5]

Snape's Death..

Snape giving Harry Potter his memories

Snape, barely alive, told Harry to "Take it", and as he did so, silvery-blue wisps, neither gas nor liquid, were gushing from his mouth, ears, and eyes. Hermione conjured a crystal flask out of thin air, and Harry lifted the silvery substance into the flask with his wand. When the flask was full, Snape's grip on Harry's robes slackened and he asked to look into Harry's green eyes (as the latter had inherited his mother's). Harry's looked into Snape's black eyes for a moment, before something in them vanished, the hand holding Harry's robes fell to the floor, and Snape's life ebbed away.[5]

One-hour armistice

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."
— Voldemort calls an armistice[src]
Fred dead

The Weasley family mourning over Fred's body during the one-hour armistice

Shortly after Snape's death, Lord Voldemort's magically amplified voice rang once more throughout the castle, speaking to everyone at Hogwarts, in Hogsmeade village, and specifically to Harry Potter, giving him one hour to surrender and threatened to kill everyone if he failed to comply.

Subsequently, the defenders regrouped and the many wounded and dead lay in the Great Hall;[17] Professor Trelawney sobbed over the body of a deceased colleague, while Madam Poppy Pomfrey and Nurse Wainscott tended to the wounded.[16] Harry saw Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks among the deceased. The Trio arrived on this miserable scene through a tunnel.[17]

Snape's memories

"To escape into someone else's head would be a blessed relief. Nothing that even Snape had left him could be worse than his own thoughts."
— Moments before Harry saw flashbacks of Snape's past[src]
Harry Potter DH using Dumbledore's Pensieve

Harry using Dumbledore's Pensieve to view Snape's memories during the one-hour armistice

Unable to bear the sight and ashamed at the damage he had caused, Harry ran to the Headmaster's office, where all the portraits stood empty, and found Dumbledore's Pensieve. Harry poured Snape's memories into the Pensieve, and hoping to briefly escape his own mind, entered the basin. He found himself in a playground. A young, small boy, whom Harry recognised as Snape, was watching two girls, Petunia and Lily Evans, from behind a small bush.

After Lily showed some strange tricks to her older sister, unaware she was performing magic, Snape emerged and informed Lily that she is a witch and derided Petunia as a Muggle. Insulted at being called a witch, Lily follows her indignant sister away, leaving Snape bitterly disappointed. It was apparent he was planning this for a while and it did not go the way he wanted it to.[17]

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Snape telling Lily about magic and the wizarding world, while they were children

The scene dissolved and reformed into a new one: Snape telling Lily about Hogwarts and magic, including Azkaban and the Dementors. When Lily inquired about Snape's parents, he said that they are still arguing, revealing Snape's unhappy home life. When Petunia appeared and insulted Snape, a tree branch above broke and fell on her. Accusing Snape of breaking the branch, Lily goes away, leaving him miserable and confused.

The scene reformed again into a different memory. Snape was standing on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters next to a thin, sour-looking woman whom Harry recognised as Snape's mother. Snape was staring at Lily's family. Petunia and Lily were arguing. Petunia called Lily a freak for being a witch, and Lily retorted that Petunia had not thought so when she wrote to Professor Dumbledore, asking for admission to attend Hogwarts. An embarrassed Petunia realised that Lily and Snape went through her room and read her letter. She proceeded to insult them and they parted on bad terms and stayed on bad terms.[17]

Harry-potter7-snape-sorting

Snape watching as Lily was sorted into Gryffindor House

The scene reformed once more, and inside the Hogwarts Express, Snape found a compartment with Lily and two boys. She was upset over her sister's hurtful words. Snape began to say that she was only a Muggle but instead grandly announced that they finally were going off to Hogwarts. When he mentioned she had better be in Slytherin, one of the boys, the young James Potter, scornfully remarked to his friend, Sirius Black, that he would rather leave than be in Slytherin, and preferred Gryffindor. Snape engaged in an argument with Sirius and James, until an indignant Lily asked Snape to follow her to a different compartment.

The scene dissolved again into the Hogwarts Great Hall during the Sorting Ceremony. Lily was sorted into Gryffindor, much to Snape's dismay. Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter were also sorted into Gryffindor, joining Sirius Black. Finally, Snape was sorted into Slytherin. At the Slytherin table, he received a pat on the back from a Prefect, Lucius Malfoy.[17]

The scene changed to Lily and Snape arguing. Lily said they were still friends, though she detested whom Snape hung out with, naming Avery and Mulciber specifically. Snape countered by mentioning the trouble James Potter and his friends caused and hinted that Lupin was a werewolf too. The fight was resolved when Snape was satisfied when Lily criticised James as an "arrogant toerag". The scene switched for the sixth time and was the same memory Harry saw before when he peeked into Snape's Pensieve during their Occlumency lessons in his fifth year.

Harry kept his distance somewhat, not caring to witness this memory again. It ended when he heard Snape shouting "Mudblood" at Lily. The scene changed to night time in front of the Gryffindor Tower. Snape was remorseful for calling Lily a Mudblood and had threatened to sleep outside the entrance had she not come to see him. Despite his deep, desperate apologies, the angry Lily was fed up with Snape and would not forgive him, and disapproved of him having friends with Death Eater ambitions. She left him and the scene dissolved.[17]

Dumbledorememory

Dumbledore in his office talking to Snape

Harry then learnt that Snape had revealed the prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney (not knowing, at first, that it was referring to Lily and her family) to Voldemort, prompting the Dark Lord to attack the Potters in an attempt to prevent its fulfilment. Though he asked Voldemort to spare Lily, Snape, still fearing for her safety, went to Dumbledore and begged him to protect the Potters. Dumbledore agreed and ensured that they were placed under the Fidelius Charm. In return, Snape became a re-doubled agent for the Order of the Phoenix against Voldemort, using his powers of Occlumency to hide his betrayal from his master. Even with his efforts to protect her, Snape felt responsible for Lily's death when the Potters were betrayed by their Secret-Keeper, Peter Pettigrew.[17]

The scene switched to Dumbledore's office. Snape, grief-stricken, was slumped in a chair with a grim-looking Dumbledore standing over him. Snape asked why Dumbledore failed to keep Lily and her family safe, Dumbledore replied that they put their faith in the wrong person, much like himself when he trusted Voldemort to spare Lily's life. He said that her son, Harry, survived. Snape wished he were dead with Lily, and Dumbledore told him that if he truly loved Lily, he would help protect Harry when Voldemort returned. Snape reluctantly agreed, making Dumbledore promise never to tell anyone that he was protecting James Potter's son, ever.[17]

Snape & Lily

Snape holding Lily's dead body

In Snape's memories, Harry found that Snape, always loyal to Dumbledore because of a promise he had made out of his unrequited love for Harry's mother, had been playing a dangerous double game, protecting Harry and feeding Dumbledore information from the Death Eaters while pretending to be Voldemort's most loyal lieutenant all his life by feeding information to Voldemort that Dumbledore instructed him to. Snape demanded of Dumbledore, however, that his deep love for Lily (his reason for switching sides) be kept a secret. Dumbledore agreed and he kept the secret for the rest of his life.[17]

Albus Dumbledore wearing Marvolo Gaunt's Ring

Albus Dumbledore shortly before being cursed by Marvolo Gaunt's Ring

Snape's memories then revealed that Dumbledore had been afflicted by a powerful curse cast on Marvolo Gaunt's ring, one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, prior to the start of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. Although Snape's knowledge of the Dark Arts enabled him to slow the spread of the curse, the curse would have ultimately killed Dumbledore within a year. Dumbledore, aware that Voldemort had ordered Draco to kill him, asked Snape to kill him instead as a way of sparing the boy's soul and of preventing his own otherwise slow, painful death. Although Snape was reluctant, even asking about the impact of such an action on his own soul, Dumbledore implied that this kind of coup de grâce would not damage a human's soul in the same way murder would; mercifully ending a life was different. Snape eventually agreed to do as the Headmaster requested and a plan was formed.[17]

SnapeExpectoPatronum

"Lily... after all this time?"
"Always."

The memory showed Albus Dumbledore telling Snape that, if there was ever a time when Voldemort kept Nagini magically protected and always in his sight, Snape must then tell Harry that he was a seventh Horcrux, inadvertently created by Voldemort and that Harry must die in order for Voldemort to be killed. Snape felt tricked, upset that Dumbledore made him protect Lily's son only to have him die. Dumbledore asked if Snape had grown to care for Harry, but Snape spurned that possibility and produced his Patronus, a silver-white doe. Dumbledore asked Snape, "After all this time?", to which Snape replied, "Always."[17]

Many other details of Snape's behaviour were revealed in these memories as well: the scenes also showed Dumbledore's portrait telling Snape that he must give Voldemort the correct date of Harry's departure if Voldemort was to trust Snape. Snape was also to suggest the Potter decoys using Polyjuice Potion to Mundungus Fletcher so that Harry was indeed safe. It was then revealed that Snape, face-to-face with Mundungus in a tavern, used a Confundus Charm on Mundungus so that he would suggest using multiple Potters, and to forget seeing Snape or that he got the idea from him.[17]

The scene shifted yet again, to Snape gliding on a broomstick at night during the Battle of the Seven Potters. Up ahead are Lupin and George Weasley, disguised as Harry. Snape cast Sectumsempra at a Death Eater to prevent him from cursing Lupin, but the spell missed and hit George instead, severing his ear. The scene shifted again to Sirius's room at 12 Grimmauld Place. Snape wept as he read Lily's letter to Sirius. He took the second page containing Lily's signature, and tore out her image from the picture of her and Harry, then left.[17]

Patronus doe

Snape's memory leading Harry to the sword with his doe Patronus

The scene shifted again and showed Snape in the headmaster's office. Phineas Nigellus's portrait said Hermione and Harry were in the Forest of Dean, and Dumbledore's portrait, appearing happy, told Snape to plant the sword of Gryffindor there without being seen. Snape said he had a plan, removed the real Sword from behind Dumbledore's portrait, and left. Harry returned to himself from the Pensieve, lying on the carpet in the same room he just saw Snape leaving.[17]

Thus, the memories Harry saw showed that the reason Snape was begging for Voldemort to let him find the boy shortly before his death when he saw Nagini in her protective sphere. While he made it seem to Voldemort that he was offering to bring Harry to him so that Voldemort could kill him. Snape truly wanted to find Harry to tell him the crucial information found in this memory. Voldemort killed Snape, believing that it would make him the true master of the Elder Wand, before Snape could tell Harry the information Dumbledore instructed him to, but luckily Harry witnessed Snape's death in the Shrieking Shack and Snape was able to deliver the memories and information to Harry as his final act.[17]

Harry's sacrifice

"Finally, the truth. Lying with his face pressed into the dusty carpet of the office where he had once thought he was learning the secrets of victory, Harry understood at last that he was not supposed to survive. His job was to walk calmly into Death's welcoming arms. Along the way, he was to dispose of Voldemort's remaining links to life, so that when at last he flung himself across Voldemort's path and did not raise a wand to defend himself, the end would be clean, and the job that out to have been done in Godric's Hollow would be finished: Neither would live, neither could survive."
— Harry coming to terms with the realisation that he must die[src]

Harry surfaced from the Pensieve and finally knew the truth; he was not meant to survive. His job had been to dispose of Voldemort's Horcruxes and then walk calmly to his death. As he lay on the floor of the Headmaster's office, Harry felt terror and fear at the knowledge that he had to die. He understood that Dumbledore had always planned for him to die, in order to defeat Voldemort.[18]

Harryafterpensieve

Harry after surfacing from the Pensieve

However, Harry realised that Dumbledore had overestimated him and that Nagini, the last Horcrux, remained to bind Voldemort to the Earth even after Harry had been killed. He knew that Ron and Hermione would have to carry out killing the snake after Harry was killed. Not wanting to waste time with goodbyes, Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak and went down the floors and saw Neville carrying a body in from the grounds with Oliver Wood, Harry recognised the body as Colin Creevey — he had sneaked back into the castle to fight despite being underage.[18]

Harry took one glance back at the entrance of the Great Hall, where people were kneeling beside the dead and comforting another, but he could not see Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the other Weasleys, or Luna. To make absolutely sure that Nagini was killed, he spoke to Neville, saying that just in case Neville got the chance, he must kill the snake. Now, like Dumbledore, Harry made sure that there were backups to carry on when he was dead, and that there would still be three people in on the Horcrux secret. Neville would take Harry's place.[18]

Harry swung the Cloak over himself and continued walking, but he stopped when he saw Ginny comforting a girl who was whispering for her mother. Harry wanted to shout out to Ginny, but he passed Ginny kneeling beside the injured girl without speaking. As he saw Hagrid's Hut looming out of the darkness, dark and empty, he emotionally remembered all his trips there, particularly the rock cakes, Ron vomiting slugs, and Norbert. When he reached the edge of the forest, he felt the chill of a swarm of dementors. He had no strength left for a Patronus. He felt like he could not go on, but he knew that he must, the game was over, the Snitch had been caught. At this, he pulled out of the Snitch he had inherited from Dumbledore, the first Snitch he had ever caught, and understanding was coming to him quickly.[18]

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"I open at the close", the stone hidden inside the Snitch

Understanding inscription on the Snitch, I open at the close, Harry pressed the golden metal to his lips and whispered, "I am about to die". The metal shell broke open, and Harry lit Draco's wand beneath the Cloak. He saw the black stone with the jagged crack running down the centre sitting in the two halves of the Snitch. The Resurrection Stone had cracked down the vertical line representing the Elder Wand. Harry closed his eyes and turned the stone over in his hand three times.[18]

Resurrection1

Harry brings back his family and friends

Harry opened his eyes and saw the shades of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Lily Evans. Lily told Harry how brave he had been, and Sirius told him that death does not hurt at all. Harry, mostly addressing Lupin, told them all that he had not wanted any of them to die, especially because Lupin will never know his son, but Lupin said that he hoped his son would understand that he died to have the boy live a happier life. James told Harry that they would stay with him until the very end, and Sirius informed him that the others would not be able to see them, as they were a part of Harry and invisible to everyone else.[18]

They set off, and the Dementor's chill did not overcome him; his companions acted like Patronuses, and Harry continued deeper in the forest to find Voldemort. He heard a thud and a whisper, and Yaxley and Dolohov emerged from behind a nearby tree, with Yaxley saying he heard something and suggested that Harry was under his Invisibility Cloak. Deciding it must have been an animal, the two decided Harry's time to come was over and that they would return to the other Death Eaters to await orders.[18]

7-2 Stone 1

A Resurrected Lily and others protecting Harry from Dementors

Harry followed them, knowing that they would lead him to Voldemort, and his mother and his father smiled in encouragement. In mere minutes, Harry saw Yaxley and Dolohov step into the clearing that once belonged to the monstrous Aragog. A fire burned in the middle of the clearing, and there was a crowd of Death Eaters around it. Two giants sat on the outskirts of the group. Harry noticed Lucius Malfoy looking defeated and terrified, while Narcissa had sunken eyes full of apprehension. Voldemort looked up at Dolohov and Yaxley, and they informed him that there was no sign of the boy. Voldemort told the Death Eaters that he expected Harry to come and that it appeared he was mistaken. Harry contradicted Voldemort as loudly as he could, while the Resurrection Stone slipped between his fingers. His parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanished. [18]

Voldemort stood up and observed Harry. Harry did not attempt to attack Nagini, knowing she was too well protected. To the open view of the Death Eaters, Voldemort struck Harry with the Killing Curse, seemingly killing him.[18]

Limbo

Harry Potter: "But you're dead."
Albus Dumbledore: "Oh yes."
Harry Potter: "Then... I'm dead too?"
Albus Dumbledore: "Ah. That is the question, isn't it? Oh the whole, dear boy, I think not."
— Harry meeting Dumbledore in limbo[src]
Limbo DH2

Harry in Limbo, which he saw as King's Cross Station

Harry found himself laying face-down in a strange room. Not knowing the nature of this place, or its physical laws, he realised he was naked. As soon as he was aware of this, clothes appeared to him. Harry was concerned at a strange whimpering noise he could hear.[19]

Looking more closely at his surroundings, Harry saw a great domed glass roof glittering high above him, and he thought perhaps he was in a palace. Turning slowly on the spot, his surroundings invented themselves before his eyes; a wide-open space Harry recoiled as he spotted the thing making the noises.[19]

Voldemort's mutilated soul

The whimpering, maimed, agonised creature left unwanted under the chair

It had the form of a small, naked child curled on the ground, with raw and rough skin, flayed looking and shuddering under a seat where it had been left unwanted, struggling for breath. Harry was afraid of it, feeling both pity and revulsion. At that moment, a voice told Harry he could not help it, and he turned to see Albus Dumbledore striding towards him in sweeping robes of midnight blue; both his hands were white and undamaged.[19]

Dumbledore led Harry away to some seats away from the flayed child. The two sat down, and Harry looked at Dumbledore and saw everything he remembered about him. But, knowing Dumbledore was dead, Harry asked if he was dead as well. Dumbledore says this was not the case, and the fact that Harry willingly sacrificed himself would have made all the difference. With Dumbledore prompting him, Harry concluded that, because Harry let himself be killed by Voldemort, the part of Voldemort's soul that was in Harry had now gone. Harry's soul was whole and completely his own.[19]

Harry and Dumbledore in limbo

Dumbledore and Harry in Limbo

Asking Dumbledore what the small, maimed creature trembling under the chair was, Dumbledore replied that it was something beyond either of their help. Harry asked how he could be alive when Voldemort used the Killing Curse and no one died for him this time, and Dumbledore explained that it was because Voldemort, in his ignorance, in his greed and his cruelty, used Harry's blood to rebuild his living body in 1995 in the graveyard of Little Hangleton. Thus, Harry's blood being in Voldemort's veins, Lily's protection was inside both of them, making it so Voldemort tethered Harry to life while he lived.[19]

Explaining further, Dumbledore revealed that Harry was the seventh Horcrux, a Horcrux that Voldemort did not mean to make. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry, his soul broke apart, and Voldemort left more than his body behind: a piece of his soul latched to Harry, his would-be victim. Voldemort remained ignorant of some forms of magic, and he thus took Harry's blood in an attempt to strengthen himself by taking into his body a tiny part of the enchantment that Lily laid upon Harry upon her death. Voldemort's body kept her sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survived, so did Harry and so did Voldemort's one last hope for himself.[19]

Priori Incantatem Pottermore

Priori Incantantem occurring between Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter (Duel in Little Hangleton)

Harry then asked why his wand broke the wand that Voldemort borrowed. Dumbledore told him that Voldemort, having doubled the bond between them when he returned to human form ( thinking to strengthen himself, he took part of Harry's mother's sacrifice into himself) proceeded to attack Harry with a wand that shared Harry's wand's core. The cores reacted in Priori Incantatem, something Voldemort, who never knew that his wand and Harry's shared the same core, had never expected. That night, when Harry accepted, even embraced the possibility of death, Harry's wand overpowered Voldemort's, and something happened between the wands that echoed the relationship between their masters. Dumbledore believed that Harry's wand imbibed some of the power and qualities of Voldemort's wand that night, that it contained a little of Voldemort himself.[19]

Battle of the Seven Potters

Harry's wand regurgitating some of Voldemort's own power back at him during the Battle of the Seven Potters

During the Battle of the Seven Potters, Harry's wand recognised Voldemort when the Dark Lord pursued Harry, and it regurgitated some of Voldemort's own magic against him, magic much more powerful than anything Lucius's wand had ever performed; Lucius's wand had no chance against the combined power of Harry's enormous courage against Voldemort's own deadly skill. Dumbledore explains that Harry's wand's remarkable effects were directed only at Voldemort, who had tampered with the deepest laws of magic, and otherwise it was a wand like any other and so Hermione was able to break it.[19]

Dumbledore told Harry that they could agree that Harry was not dead, and then Harry asked Dumbledore where they were. Dumbledore asked Harry the same question, to which Harry replied that it looked somewhat like King's Cross Station except cleaner and empty, and without any trains. Dumbledore chuckled at this suggestion, and when Harry asked what Dumbledore thought it looked like, Dumbledore replied with an infuriatingly unhelpful response. Harry then brought up the subject of the Deathly Hallows, which wiped the smile from Dumbledore's face.[19]

Dumbledore asked Harry to forgive him for not telling Harry, that Dumbledore feared that Harry would fail as he had failed, and make Dumbledore's mistakes. Dumbledore says that Harry is the better man, and with tears in his eyes he says that the Hallows are a desperate man's dream and lure for fools, and that Dumbledore was one such fool. Dumbledore tells Harry that he, too, sought a way to conquer death, and so he was not better, ultimately, than Voldemort, to which Harry protests, saying that Dumbledore tried to master death using the Hallows, whereas Voldemort tried to conquer death with the use of Horcruxes, by murdering.[19]

Hallows

The Deathly Hallows

Dumbledore told Harry that above all, the Deathly Hallows were the objects that drew him and Grindelwald together; two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession. The Hallows were the reason Grindelwald wanted to come to Godric's Hollow to explore the place where Ignotus Peverell, the third brother, had died. Dumbledore reveals that the Peverell brothers were in fact the three brothers of the tale, but that it is more likely that they were simply gifted, dangerous wizards who succeeded in creating the powerful objects rather than them being Death's own Hallows, that this was the sort of legend that would have sprung up around the creations. The Cloak of Invisibility travelled down through the ages to Ignotus's last living descendant, who was born, like Ignotus, in Godric's Hollow: Harry. Dumbledore revealed that the Cloak was in his possession the night Harry's parents died because James had shown it to him a few days previously, and while Dumbledore had long since given up his dream of uniting the Hallows, he still wished to examine it, as it was a Cloak that matched the description of the tale perfectly.[19]

Dumbledore told Harry that he gave up on his search for the Hallows because of what happened, and that Harry cannot despise him as much as he despised himself. He told Harry that he resented the responsibility of his sister's poor health, and that his father died in Azkaban and his mother giving up her own life to care for Ariana. He revealed that he was gifted, brilliant, he wanted to escape, to shine, to have glory, and while he loved his brother and sister and parents, he disliked having the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother; he felt like his talent was trapped and wasted.[19]

Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald

Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald in 1899

Then Grindelwald came, with his ideas of Muggles forced into subservience and wizards triumphant, Grindelwald and Dumbledore being the leaders of the revolution. Dumbledore revealed that he had scruples, but he assuaged his conscience with empty words about it being for the greater good and any harm done would be repaid in benefits for wizards. Dumbledore closed his eyes to what Grindewald truly was, because if their plans came to fruition all of Dumbledore's dreams would come true.[19]

At the heart of Dumbledore and Grindewald's schemes were the Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore told Harry how interested they were in the fascinating objects: the unbeatable wand that would lead them to power, the Resurrection Stone—to Grindewald it meant an army of Inferi and to Dumbledore it meant the resurrection of his parents and the lifting of all responsibility from his shoulders. Dumbledore told Harry that he and Grindelwald never discussed the Cloak much. Both of them could conceal themselves perfectly fine without the Cloak, and Dumbledore thought it might be useful in hiding Ariana, but mostly they were interested in the Cloak because it completed the trio, which would make them Master of Death, which they took to mean "invincible".[19]

After the two months of scheming and neglect of the two family members left to him, Dumbledore was forced to face reality with his brother, Aberforth, telling him the truth that he could not seek the Hallows with an unstable sister. The argument became a fight, and Ariana lay dead on the floor. At this, Dumbledore began to cry in earnest, and then said that Grindelwald fled while Dumbledore was left to bury his sister and live with his guilt and grief, the price of his shame.[19]

Dumbledore then said that he was offered the post of Minister for Magic while rumours about Grindewald procuring a wand of immense power flew about. Harry told Dumbledore that he would have been a much better Minister than Fudge or Scrimgeour, but Dumbledore said that he had learned at a young age that he was not to be trusted with power, that it was his weakness and his temptation, and that those who are best suited to power are perhaps those who have leadership thrust upon them and have never sought it.[19]

Dumbledore watching Tom Riddle

Dumbledore as the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts

While Dumbledore was at Hogwarts as a teacher, where he believed he was safer, Grindewald was raising an army, and that some said he feared Dumbledore, but not as much as Dumbledore feared him. It was not what Grindelwald could do to him magically (as Dumbledore knew that they were about evenly matched) that Dumbledore feared, rather Dumbledore was afraid of truth; which one of them had cast the curse that killed Ariana during that last horrific fight. Dumbledore dreaded beyond all things the knowledge that it had been him who had brought about Ariana's death, not just through his arrogance and stupidity but that he actually struck the blow that killed her. Dumbledore delayed facing Grindelwald until it became shameful. People were dying, and Dumbledore did what he had to do. He won the duel and won the Elder Wand's allegiance.[19]

Harry did not ask whether Dumbledore had ever found out who struck Ariana dead, and at last he knew what Dumbledore would have seen when he look in the Mirror of Erised. After a long silence, during which the whimperings of the creature behind them barely disturbed Harry anymore, Harry told Dumbledore that Grindelwald had tried to stop Voldemort from going after the wand by lying and pretending he never had it. Dumbledore nodded, and said that Grindelwald was said to have shown remorse in later years, alone in his cell at Nurmengard, and that perhaps that lie to Voldemort was his attempt to make amends, to stop Voldemort from taking the Hallow, or (as Harry suggested) to stop Voldemort from breaking into Dumbledore's tomb.[19]

Snape and Dumledore curse

Snape slowing the curse that was placed on Gaunt's ring as it slowly spread through Dumbledore's body

After another short pause, Harry brought up that Dumbledore had tried to used the Resurrection Stone, to which Dumbledore nodded. He said that when he discovered it, after all those years buried in the abandoned home of the Gaunts, he lost his head and quite forgot that it was now a Horcrux and that the ring was sure to carry a curse. He picked it up, put it on, and for a second Dumbledore imagined that he was able to see Ariana and his parents again, and to apologise, but instead he suffered from the curse placed on the Horcrux ring.[19]

Dumbledore said that this was final proof that he was unworthy to unite the Hallows, that after all those years he had learned nothing. Harry defended him, saying that it was only natural for him to want to see his family again, but Dumbledore said that he was only fit to possess the Elder Wand, and only to use it to protect others from it. The Cloak, Dumbledore said, he had taken out of a vain curiosity, and so it would never have worked for him like it worked for Harry, its true master. Dumbledore said that he would have used the stone to drag back those who are at peace, rather than to enable his self-sacrifice, as Harry did. At this, Dumbledore said that Harry was the worthy possessor of the Hallows.[19]

Harry asked Dumbledore why he had to make it all so difficult, and Dumbledore smiled as he admitted he counted on Hermione Granger to slow Harry up. Dumbledore said he was afraid that Harry's hot head might dominate his good heart, and that Dumbledore feared that, if presented outright with the facts about the tempting objects, Harry might have tried to seize the Hallows like Dumbledore did, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. If Harry laid hands on them, Dumbledore wanted him to possess them safely. Dumbledore said that Harry was the true master of death because the true master does not seek to run away from death, but instead accepts that he must die and understands that there are worse things in the living world than dying.[19]

When Harry asked if Voldemort ever knew about the existence of the Hallows, Dumbledore said that he did not believe so. He did not recognise the Resurrection Stone he turned into a Horcrux, but even if he had known about them, Dumbledore doubted that Voldemort would have been interested in any except the Elder Wand, as Voldemort would not think he needed the Cloak, and whom would be want to bring back from the dead with the stone, as he fears the dead and does not love. Despite this, Dumbledore did believe that Voldemort would go after the wand ever since Harry's beat Voldemort's own during the duel in Little Hangleton.[19]

Voldemort tortures Garrick Ollivander

Voldemort tortures Garrick Ollivander for information on the Elder Wand

At first, Voldemort was afraid that Harry had conquered him by superior skill. However, after kidnapping Ollivander, he discovered the existence of the twin cores, and he thought that a borrowed wand would solve the issue. Yet the borrowed wand did no better against Harry's, and so Voldemort went after the Elder Wand, a wand that was said to beat any other. Dumbledore said that he did indeed intend for Severus Snape to end up with the Elder Wand by planning Snape to kill him, but Harry and Dumbledore both agree that that particular plan did not work out in the end.[19]

Harry and Dumbledore sat without talking for the longest time yet, while the creature behind them jerked and moaned. The realisation of what would happen next gradually settled on Harry, and he asked Dumbledore if he had to go back. Dumbledore replied that Harry had a choice, and that if they were in King's Cross Harry had the decision to go back, or to board a train and go "on". Harry mentioned that Voldemort has the Elder Wand, and while Dumbledore confirmed this, he said that if Harry chose to return there was a strong chance that Voldemort would be finished for good.[19]

Dumbledore said he could not promise this, but that Harry had less to fear from returning where they were than Voldemort did. Harry glanced at the raw-looking thing that trembled and choked in the shadow beneath the distant chair, but Dumbledore told Harry not to pity the dead, but instead to pity the living, especially those who live without love. He told Harry that by returning, Harry could ensure that fewer souls were injured and fewer families torn apart, as Harry had a strong possibility of being able to defeat Voldemort once and for all.[19]

Dumbledore said that if that seemed like a worthy goal, they would part for the time being. Harry nodded and sighed, knowing that leaving this place would not be as difficult as walking into the forest, but it was warm and light and peaceful and he knew that he would be going back to pain and the fear of more loss. Harry stood up, as did Dumbledore, and they looked at each other. Harry then asked if this was all real, or whether it had simply been happening inside his head. Dumbledore smiled, and as the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure, his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears as he told Harry that it was definitely happening inside Harry's head, but by no means should that mean it was not real.[19]

Second half of the battle

Procession from the forest

Lord Voldemort: "You... Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead."
Narcissa Malfoy: "Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?"
Harry Potter: "Yes."
Narcissa Malfoy: "He is dead!"
Narcissa Malfoy lying to Voldemort about Harry's death[src]
Pottermore Death Eaters Forbidden Forest

Death Eaters and Voldemort anxiously waiting for Harry to arrive

Harry found himself lying face down on the hard ground again, with the smell of the forest in his nostrils and the hinge of his glasses, which were knocked sideways when he fell, cutting into his temple. He was aching, and the place where the Killing Curse hit him felt like the bruise of a painful punch, but he feigned death by remaining exactly where he had fallen with his left arm bent out at an awkward angle and his mouth open. Harry expected to hear cheers of triumph and jubilation at his death, but instead he heard hurried footsteps, whispers, and solicitous murmurs filling the air.[3]

He then heard Bellatrix's voice, speaking as if to a lover as she addressed Voldemort. Harry, not daring to open his eyes, allowed his other senses to explore his situation, and he found that his wand was stowed beneath his robes and due to a slight cushioning effect around his stomach, he knew that the Invisibility Cloak was also there. Bellatrix addressed Voldemort again, but he cut her off. Harry heard more footsteps, and several people backed away from the same spot. Opening his eyes a millimetre, Harry saw that Voldemort seemed to be getting to his feet with various Death Eaters hurrying away from him, with only Bellatrix remaining kneeled beside him.[3]

Harry closed his eyes and considered what he saw. The Death Eaters had been huddled around Voldemort, who seemed to have fallen to the ground; perhaps Voldemort had also collapsed when he hit Harry with the Killing Curse. Both of them had fallen briefly unconscious and both of them had now returned. Voldemort declined Bellatrix's offer of assistance coldly, and asked if the boy was dead. There was complete silence in the clearing as no one approached Harry, and with a bang and a small shriek of pain Voldemort ordered someone to examine Harry and then tell him whether the boy was dead.[3]

Narcissa checking Harry's body

Narcissa Malfoy checking to see if Harry was dead

Voldemort himself was wary of approaching him, as he suspected not everything had gone according to plan. Harry felt a woman's hands touch his face, pull back an eyelid, creep beneath his shirt, down to his chest, and feel his heart.[3]

Harry's fear intensified, knowing that she could feel the steady pounding of his heartbeat against his ribs. In a barely audible whisper, with her lips an inch from Harry's ear and her long hair shielding his face from the onlookers, the woman asked if Draco was alive and in the castle. Harry breathed back a "yes". Getting to her feet, Narcissa Malfoy falsely announced to the watchers that the boy was indeed dead.[3]

Now the Death Eaters shouted, yelling in triumph and stamping their feet, and Harry saw through his eyelids bursts of red and silver light shoot into the air in celebration. Still feigning death on the ground, Harry understood that Narcissa no longer cared whether Voldemort won, and so she lied to the Dark Lord knowing that the only way she would be permitted to enter Hogwarts, and find her son, was as part of the conquering army. Screeching over the tumult, Voldemort announced that now, with Harry Potter dead by his hand, no man could ever threaten him.

Voldemort then cast the Cruciatus Curse on Harry's body, believing that his body must not be allowed to remain unsullied upon the floor but must be subjected to humiliation to prove Voldemort's victory. Harry was lifted into the air, and he tried as hard as he could to remain limp, yet the pain he expected from the Torture Curse did not come. He was thrown three times into the air, and his glasses fell off while his wand slid a little beneath his robes, and he kept himself floppy and lifeless. When he fell to the ground for the last time, the clearing was still echoing with jeers and shrieks of laughter.[3]

Voldemort then announced that they would go to the castle to display the defenders of Hogwarts what had become of Harry. Voldemort decided that Hagrid should carry Harry's body, as the boy would be nice and visible in Hagrid's arms, and Harry felt his glasses slammed onto his face with deliberate force when Voldemort ordered that he wear the glasses to be recognisable. The enormous hands that lifted Harry up were exceedingly gentle, and Harry could feel Hagrid's arms trembling with the force of his sobs; great tears splashed down upon him as Hagrid cradled Harry in his arms, but Harry did not dare to tell Hagrid that all was not, yet, lost.

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Hagrid carrying Harry's seemingly "lifeless" body

Voldemort commanded Hagrid to move, and Hagrid stumbled forward as he forced his way through the close-growing trees back through the forest. Branches caught at Harry's hair and robes, but he continued to feign death with his mouth lolling open and his eyes shut and in the darkness, with the Death Eaters crowing all around them and Hagrid still sobbing, no one looked to see if a pulse beat in Harry's exposed neck.[3]

Two giants crashed along behind the Death Eaters, and Harry could hear trees creaking and falling as they passed. The giants made so much noise that the birds rose shrieking into the sky, and even the jeers of the Death Eaters were drowned. The victorious procession continued to march on toward the open ground, and Harry could tell, after a while, by the lightening of the darkness through his closed eyelids, that the trees were beginning to thin. Then, Hagrid unexpectedly bellowed at Bane and the other centaurs for not fighting, asking them if they were happy that Harry was dead, but he broke down in fresh tears and couldn't finish.

Harry could not tell how many centaurs watched their procession pass, and he heard of some Death Eaters calling insults at the centaurs as they left them behind. A little later, Harry sensed, by a freshening of the air, that they had reached the edge of the forest, and Voldemort commanded Hagrid to stop and due to Hagrid's lurch, Harry suspected that the gamekeeper had been forced to obey. A chill began to settle over them, and Harry heard the rasping breath of dementors that patrolled the outer trees. However, the fact of his own survival burned inside of him, acting like a Patronus in his heart.[3]

Announcing Harry Potter's alleged death

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as well every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before him, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."
— Voldemort announcing Harry's supposed death to the inhabitants of Hogwarts[src]

Voldemort, his voice magically magnified, announced that Harry was dead and that he was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself. He told the defenders of Hogwarts that his Death Eaters outnumbered them and the Boy Who Lived was finished. Calling for no more war, Voldemort threatened that anyone who continued to resist would be killed, but that those who came out and knelt before him would be forgiven and spared. He then claimed that there must be no more conflict, offering the survivors the chance to join the Death Eaters and help the Dark Lord build a New World Order together.

Voldemort strode in front of the procession, followed by a weeping Hagrid carrying Harry's supposed dead body, and wearing Nagini, now free of her enchanted cage, around his shoulders. Hagrid continued to sob, and Harry strained his ears to distinguish above the gleeful voice of the Death Eaters and their footsteps any sign of life from those within the castle.[3] The Death Eaters came to a halt, and Harry could see through his closed lids light streaming upon him from the Entrance Hall. Harry waited for the moment when the people for whom he had tried to die would see him, lying apparently dead, in Hagrid's arms. The first of the resistance to see Harry was Professor McGonagall, whose scream of anger, despair, and denial was all the more terrible to Harry's ears because he had never imagined her capable of such a noise. The mocking laughter of another woman nearby was heard, and he knew it was Bellatrix glorying in McGonagall's despair. Harry squinted again for a single second and saw the open doorway filling with people, as the survivors of the battle came out onto the front steps to face the Death Eaters and see the truth of Harry's death for himself.[3]

Defenders of Hogwarts in mourning

Hogwarts defenders seeing Harry Potter's supposedly dead body

Harry saw Voldemort standing a little in front of him, stroking Nagini's head with a single white finger. He then heard Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's shouts of horror, even worse than McGonagall's, but Harry forced himself to remain lying silent. Their cries acted like a trigger, and the rest of the survivors began screaming and yelling abuse at the Death Eaters until Voldemort cried for silence and with a bang and flash of bright light, silence was forced upon them all.[3]

Voldemort ordered Harry to be lowered down and set at his feet, and he proclaimed to the survivors that Harry Potter was nothing but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him. Ron then yelled and cursed at Voldemort, claiming that Harry was always better than him, and the charm broke and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until another bang extinguished their voices once more. Voldemort lied once more that Harry was killed when trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, but he was interrupted by a scuffle and a shout, then a bang, a flash of light, and a grunt of pain. Opening his eyes slightly, Harry saw that someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort, but hit the ground, disarmed, and Voldemort laughed as he threw the challenger's wand aside.[3]

Neville during the Battle of Hogwarts

Neville standing up to Voldemort and his army during the Battle of Hogwarts

Voldemort asked the crowd who had stepped forth to show what happened to people who continued to fight when the battle was lost. Laughing delightedly, Bellatrix answered that it was Neville Longbottom, the student in particular who had been giving the Carrows so much trouble, and son of the Aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom. Voldemort turned back to a defenceless Neville, who was standing between the survivors and Death Eaters. Impressed by Neville's bravery, Voldemort claimed that Neville would be a very valuable Death Eater; but the latter instantly refused and showed his full allegiance to Dumbledore's Army, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's wand bangs seemed unable to hold. Voldemort answered in a dangerous, silky voice that, if that was Neville's choice, they would revert to the original plan.[3]

Still watching through his lashes, Harry saw Voldemort wave his wand, and out of one of the castle's windows came the ragged Sorting Hat. Voldemort announced that there would be no more Sorting at Hogwarts; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw would be no more. In his mind, the colours of Salazar Slytherin would suffice for everyone. He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still as Voldemort cast a Full Body-Bind Curse on him, then Voldemort forced the hat onto Neville's head. There were movements from the watching crowd, but the Death Eaters raised their wands as one and held the fighters of Hogwarts at bay. With a flick of his wand, Voldemort caused the Sorting Hat on Neville's head to burst into flames.[3]

Inside the Great Hall

"The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth as open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet —"
— Neville beheading Nagini[src]
Hogwarts Big Battle at Hogwarts Moment Pottermore

The battle recommencing. On the upper left corner, the oncoming reinforcements from Hogsmeade, and on the upper right corner, the centaurs

There was screaming as Neville, aflame, stood rooted to the spot and unable to move, and just as Harry planned to act, several things happened simultaneously. There was an uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle with loud war cries. At the same time, Grawp came around the side of the castle, and when he saw that his brother Hagrid was captured; he furiously yelled "HAGGER!", and Voldemort's giants roared in return and ran at Grawp like bull elephants, making the ground tremble beneath them. Grawp, showing no fear despite actually being a young giant himself; flung himself at the oncoming giants and began to pummel and floor them. There was then the sound of hooves and the twangs of bows as the centaurs, ending their neutrality, joined the fray. Arrows began falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks shouting in surprise.[3]

Neville kills Nagini

Neville killing Nagini using the Sword of Gryffindor

Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak from inside his robes, swung it over himself, and sprang to his feet while Neville moved at the same time. In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind curse placed upon him, and the flaming hat fell from his head and he drew from inside it something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle: the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, once more brought into the fray to assist the good. The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over sounds of battle; the clashing giants and the stampeding centaurs, though it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off Nagini's head, which flew spinning into the air and as Voldemort let out of a scream of fury that no one could hear, the snake's body thudded to the ground.[3]

Great Hall battle

Battle recommencing

Still hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry cast a Shield Charm between Neville and Voldemort before the latter could try to attack the boy. Then, over the screams and the roars and the thunderous stamps of the battling giants, Hagrid yelled for Harry, asking where Harry was. There was chaos as the charging centaurs scattered the Death Eaters and everyone fled from the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements. Harry saw great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort's giants, thestrals and Buckbeak the hippogriff scratching at their eyes while Grawp punched and pummelled them.

Both defenders of Hogwarts and Death Eaters were being forced back into the castle, and Harry was shooting jinxes, hexes and curses at any Death Eater he could see, and they crumped without knowing who or what had hit them, while their bodies were trampled by the retreating crowd. Hidden beneath the Cloak, Harry was buffeted into the entrance hall. He saw Voldemort across the room firing spells from his wand as he backed into the Great Hall while screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses everywhere, while Harry cast more Shield Charms while Voldemort's would-be victims, Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott, ran past him into the Great Hall and joined the fight inside.[3]

Voldemort furious

Voldemort attacking the defenders of Hogwarts

There were even more people storming up the front steps, and Harry saw Charlie Weasley overtaking Horace Slughorn, who was still wearing his emerald pyjamas, leading what looked like the families and friends of every Hogwarts student who remained to fight, along with the shopkeepers and homeowners of Hogsmeade. The centaurs Bane, Ronan, and Magorian burst into the hall with clattering hooves, as behind Harry the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges.

The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers. At their head, with locket of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, yelling at his compatriots to fight the Dark Lord in the name of Harry Potter and Regulus' sacrifice. The house-elves were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters with their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Harry looked the Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempted to escape but swallowed by the charging army.[3]

The death of Bellatrix Lestrange

Bellatrix Lestrange: "What will happen to your children when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"
Molly Weasley: "You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!"
— Bellatrix to Molly before Molly killed her[src]
GreatHall BattleofHogwarts

Fighting ensuing in the Great Hall

Harry sped between duellists, past struggling prisoners, and into the Great Hall, where he saw Voldemort in the centre of the battle striking and smiting all within reach. Harry could not get a clear shot of him, but he fought his way closer, still invisible, and the Great Hall became more and more crowded as everyone who could walk forced their way inside. Harry watched as the Death Eaters, outnumbered by the defenders and allies of Hogwarts, were taken down one by one: Yaxley was slammed to the floor by George Weasley and Lee Jordan, and, screaming in pain, Dolohov fell to the floor at Flitwick's hands.

Having recognised him from Buckbeak's trial, Hagrid threw Walden Macnair across the room. He hit the wall and slid unconscious to the ground. Ron and Neville brought down Fenrir Greyback, Aberforth hit Rookwood with a Stunning Spell, and Arthur and Percy floored Thicknesse. During the chaos, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy ran through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son Draco Malfoy.[3]

Eventually, all the Death Eaters were either killed or defeated with only Voldemort and Bellatrix left standing. Voldemort was now duelling McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley simultaneously, and there was cold hatred in his face as they wove and ducked around him, putting up a good fight but unable to finish him. Bellatrix was still fighting as well, fifty yards away from Voldemort, and like her master she duelled three at once: Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, each of the three girls battling their hardest but Bellatrix, battling fiercely, was equal in power to the three of them.

DH2 Ginny blocking Bellatrix

Ginny was spared death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange by mere inches

Almost to Voldemort, Harry's attention was diverted as Bellatrix fired a Killing Curse that shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch, and he changed course, running after Bellatrix rather than Voldemort. Before he had gone a few steps, he was knocked sideways as an enraged Molly Weasley, throwing off her cloak to free her arms, ran at Bellatrix, furious at the Death Eater's attempted murder of her daughter.[3]

Molly facing Bellatrix

Molly Weasley duelling Bellatrix Lestrange

Bellatrix roared with laughter at the sight of her new challenger, and Molly ordered the girls to step aside. With a swipe of her wand she began to duel. Harry watched as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bellatrix Lestrange's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around their feet became hot and cracked, both witches were fighting to kill. As a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid, Mrs Weasley shouted for them to get back and leave Bellatrix to her. Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights: Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, while Harry stood invisible, torn between both, wanting to attack and yet to protect, unable to be sure that he would not hit the innocent.[3]

Molly cursing Bellatrix

Bellatrix locked in combat with Molly, shortly before her death

As Bellatrix, as mad as her master, taunted Molly about the death of Fred Weasley even as Molly's curses came within inches of her, Molly screamed that Bellatrix would never touch her children again. Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh that her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and Harry suddenly knew what was going to happen before it did. Molly's well-aimed curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outscretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge; for a split second she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.[3]

Harry felt as though he turned in slow motion. He saw McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best lieutenant exploded with the force of a bomb. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley, but Harry roared Protego and the Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the Hall, and Voldemort stared around for the source as Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak at last.[3]

Endgame

Harry Potter: "I don't want anyone else to try to help. It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."
Lord Voldemort: "Potter doesn't mean that. That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"
Harry Potter: "Nobody. There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good [...] "
— Harry talking to Voldemort before their final duel[src]
Harry facing Voldemort DHF2

Harry confronting Voldemort

The yells of shock, cheers, and screams of delight at Harry's appearance were stifled, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry stared at each other and began to circle each other, like prowling lions sizing each other up. Harry called to the crowd that he didn't want anyone else to help, that it had to just be him and Voldemort, though Voldemort hissed that Harry truly wanted someone to use a shield, to sacrifice themselves for him. Harry replied that there were no more Horcruxes, that it was just him and Voldemort: neither could live while the other survived, and one of them was going to leave for good. Voldemort jeered at the proposal that Harry would survive, the boy who survived by accident and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings.[3]

Harry then asked if it was accident when his mother died to save him, accident when he decided to fight in the graveyard, if it was an accident when he didn't defend himself that night, still survived, and returned to fight again. Voldemort screamed that these were accidents, but he still did not strike, will the hundreds watching in the Hall were frozen as if Petrified. Voldemort proclaimed that it was accident and chance, and that Harry crouched and snivelled behind the skirts of greater men and women and permitted Voldemort to kill them for Harry to save himself.

Harry replied that Voldemort wouldn't be killing anyone else, as they stared into each other's eyes, green into red. Harry said that Voldemort wouldn't be able to kill any of them ever again, because Harry was ready to die to stop him from hurting them, and that thus he did what his mother did to him. He gave the defenders of Hogwarts sacrificial protection, and which was why none of the spells Voldemort put on them were binding: Voldemort couldn't torture them, or touch them, and Harry ended by calling Voldemort "Tom" and telling him he never learnt from his mistakes.[3]

Harry told Voldemort that he knew lots of important things that 'Riddle' didn't, and offered to tell him some of them before he made another big mistake. Voldemort did not speak but continued prowling in a circle, and Harry knew that he had kept him temporarily at bay and mesmerised, held back by the possibility that Harry might indeed know a final secret. His snake's face jeering, Voldemort suggested that the secret was love, Dumbledore's favourite solution that he claimed conquered death, but Voldemort said that love did not stop him from killing Harry's mother, or Dumbledore falling from the top of the Astronomy Tower, and that nobody seemed to love Harry enough to run forward and take Voldemort's curse. Voldemort then asked, if nobody sacrificed themself for Harry, what would stop Harry from dying when he struck.[3]

As they circled each other, wrapped in each other, held apart by nothing but the last secret, Voldemort suggested that, if it wasn't love that would save Harry, Harry must believe he possessed magic that Voldemort didn't, or a weapon more powerful than Voldemort's. When Harry said he believed both, shock flitted across the snakelike face, but it was instantly dispelled as Voldemort began to laugh at the possibility that Harry knew more magic than he did, than Lord Voldemort, the wizard who performed magic Dumbledore himself never dreamed of. Harry contradicted this, saying that Dumbledore did indeed dream of it, but that he knew more than Voldemort, he knew enough not to do what Voldemort had done. Voldemort screamed that this meant Dumbledore was weak, too weak to dare, to weak to take what might have been his, and what would soon be Voldemort's. Harry again disagreed, saying that Dumbledore was cleverer than Voldemort; a better wizard and a better man.[3]

Voldemort said that he brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore, but Harry told Voldemort that he was wrong. At this, for the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one. Voldemort hurled the words that Dumbledore was dead at Harry as though they would cause him unendurable pain, and added that his body was decaying in the marble tomb on the Hogwarts grounds, never to return. Harry calmly agreed that Dumbledore was dead, but that Voldemort didn't have him killed. Harry told him that Dumbledore chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, that he arranged the whole thing with the man Voldemort thought was his servant. Voldemort said that this was a childish dream, but he still did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harry's.[3]

Harry said that Severus Snape was never Voldemort's, that he was Dumbledore's from the moment Voldemort had started hunting down Lily Evans. Harry added that Voldemort never realised this because of the thing he can't understand. Harry asked Voldemort if he had ever seen Snape cast a Patronus, and Voldemort did not answer as they continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart. Harry revealed that Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as Lily's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. When Harry asked Voldemort if Snape asked him to spare Lily's life, Voldemort sneered that Snape had only desired her, and that when she had gone he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him. Harry said that of course Snape would have told Voldemort that, but that in reality Snape was Dumbledore's spy from the moment Lily was threatened, he had been working against Voldemort ever since, and that Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him.[3]

Voldemort had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter as he said that none of this mattered. It didn't matter whether Snape was his or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they had tired to put in his path. Voldemort said that he crushed them, crushed them as he had crushed Harry's mother, Snape's supposed great love. Voldemort then said that it all made sense, in ways that Harry didn't understand. Voldemort then mentioned that Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from him, that Dumbledore had intended for Snape to be the true master of the wand. Voldemort then said that he had gotten there ahead of Harry, that he had reached the wand before Harry could get his hands on it, understood the truth before Harry had caught up. Voldemort then said that he had killed Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny, was truly his.[3]

Voldemort said that Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, which Harry agreed with, but he advised Voldemort to think about what Voldemort had done. Harry told him to try for some remorse, and of all the things Harry had said to him, beyond any revelation or taunt, nothing had shocked Voldemort more than this. Voldemort's pupils contracted to thin slits, and the skin around his eyes whitened. Harry said that trying for remorse was Voldemort's last chance, that he had seen what Voldemort would be otherwise, that trying to feel remorse was all Voldemort had left. Voldemort was furious at this, and Harry revealed that Dumbledore's last plan hadn't backfired on him at all, that it had backfired on Voldemort, whose hand was trembling on the Elder Wand. Harry gripped Draco's wand very tightly, knowing the moment was seconds away. Harry told Voldemort that the wand was still not working properly for Voldemort because Voldemort murdered the wrong person; Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand, that he had never defeated Dumbledore.[3]

Voldemort began to disagree, but Harry once again said that Snape didn't defeat Dumbledore because their death was planned between them. Dumbledore had intended to die undefeated, the wand's last true master, and that if all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him. Voldemort said that this meant Dumbledore as good as gave him the wand, because Voldemort stole it from its last master's tomb, removed it against its last master's wishes, and that the wand's power was his.

Harry contradicted this, saying that Riddle still didn't understand that possessing the wand wasn't enough, that holding and using it didn't really make it yours. Harry revealed that the Elder Wand recognised a new master before Dumbledore had died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realising exactly what he had done, or that he had attained the allegiance of the world's most dangerous wand. Voldemort chest rose and fell rapidly, and Harry could feel the curse coming, building inside the wand Voldemort had in his hand.[3]

Harry then said that the true master of the Elder Wand was, in fact, Draco Malfoy, who had Disarmed Dumbledore and won the wand's allegiance shortly before Snape killed him. Utter shock showed on Voldemort's face for a moment at this news, but then it was gone as Voldemort said that this didn't matter, that even if Harry was right it made no different to them. Harry no longer had the phoenix wand, and so they would duel on skill alone, and Voldemort said that after he had killed Harry he would attend to Draco Malfoy. Harry then said that Voldemort was too late, that he had missed his chance, because Harry had overpowered Draco weeks ago and took the hawthorn wand from him. Harry twitched this wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it. Harry then whispered that it all came down to this, whether or not the Elder Wand knew its last master was Disarmed, because if it did, then that meant that Harry was the Elder Wand's true master.[3]

B7C36M2 Voldemort vanquished

The final duel between Harry and Voldemort

A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above as the sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window, and the light hit both of their faces at the same time so that Voldemort's was a flaming blur; nature itself indicating that the time had come. Harry heard the high voice shriek "Avada Kedavra" as he simultaneously yelled "Expelliarmus", as he pointed Draco's wand. There was a bang like a cannon blast, and golden flames erupted between them at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marking the point where the spells collided.

Voldemort's green jet of light met Harry's spell, and the Elder Wand wrenched itself from Voldemort's hand and began spinning across the ceiling toward the master it refused to kill. Harry caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed and the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Voldemort hit the ground, his body feeble and shrunken, his snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead by his own rebounding curse, and Harry looked down at his enemy's shell with the two wands in his hand.[3]

Aftermath

"We did it! We bashed them, wee Potter's the one! And Voldy's gone mouldy, so now let's have fun!"
Peeves the Poltergeist sings a victory song after the battle is over[src]
Hogwarts Castle in the Daethly Hallows

Hogwarts Castle after the battle

After Voldemort's defeat, everyone cheered and lauded Harry, and rushed towards him wanting to touch him in gratitude.[3]

Padma Leanne Katie Cho

Cho Chang, Katie Bell, Leanne, and Padma Patil after the battle

People who were Imperiused had returned to normal, the Death Eaters fled or were captured, innocents in Azkaban were released, and Kingsley Shacklebolt was named temporary Minister for Magic. Voldemort's body was moved to a chamber off the Hall. McGonagall replaced the House tables, but nobody sat according to House. Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, and Narcissa Malfoy were huddled together as if they were not sure they were supposed to be there.[3]

Trio after battle

"I've had enough trouble for a lifetime"

Harry, exhausted, sat on a bench next to Luna, who distracted everyone to enable Harry to escape underneath the Cloak. He, Ron, and Hermione left the Great Hall for the Headmaster's Office (whose gargoyle let them in without the password), where Harry sought Dumbledore's portrait's opinions on his (Harry's) plans for the Resurrection Stone, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Elder Wand. Harry returned the Elder Wand to the White Tomb (believing it to be more trouble than it was worth, and hoping its power would be diminished if he were to die naturally), left the Resurrection Stone in the Forbidden Forest, and kept the Cloak of Invisibility. He used the Elder wand to repair his own.[3]

Impact of the Battle

"They stood up at once, and together he, Ron, and Hermione left the Great Hall. Great chunks were missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade gone, and rubble and bloodstains occurred every few steps as they climbed."
— The damage inflicted on the castle from the Battle of Hogwarts[src]
Tumblr lwd9ngY1Ns1r5tevgo1 500

Harry Potter, the most affected by the Second Wizarding War

The death of Voldemort and many of his followers brought the Second Wizarding War to an end. Wizarding Britain, which had been living in fear for the previous two years, suddenly found itself again free from the grasp of the Death Eaters and their leader, Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter, without a doubt one of the people most affected by the war, having lost parents, godfather, mentor, and many friends, now finds himself free of the burden that was placed on him before his birth, when the prophecy named him as the only one that could defeat the Dark Lord.

This also gave him freedom to pursue what he has always wished: a family of his own, which he hoped to find next to Ginny Weasley. In addition, Ron's suddenly thinking about the welfare of the house-elves in the kitchens, and telling Hermione that they ought to warn them, is a turning point in their relationship. Hermione recognised it as a sign of maturity, that Ron was now thinking of others, and it deepened her love for him.

Fatalities

" [...] Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey and fifty others who had died fighting him."
— After the battle[src]
Scabior

Scabior and some Snatchers falling to their death

The first casualties were three Snatchers who inadvertently crossed the protective enchantments around the Castle moments before midnight on 1 May. Arguably, these deaths may not be considered battle casualties per se, although it is known that the first deaths were indeed those of Scabior and some of his Snatcher gang, who fell to their deaths when the Wooden Bridge collapsed.[16]

Tonks and Lupin dead (user image)

Remus and Tonks dead in the Great Hall

Vincent Crabbe tried to use the Fiendfyre curse on Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, only to have it backfire and kill him.[2] Fred Weasley was killed in an explosion caused by an unknown spell.[5] Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks were murdered by Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange, respectively during the first half of the battle.[20]

Mplayerc 2011-07-14 23-47-28-90

Lavender savaged and killed

Colin Creevey was found dead during a lull in the fighting by Neville Longbottom and Oliver Wood, though it is unknown how he died or who killed him. Lavender Brown was savaged by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback after falling from a balcony, and later died of blood loss from her injuries soon afterwards. Severus Snape was killed by Nagini on Voldemort's command.[17]

Bellatrix dead

A dead Bellatrix Lestrange at Molly's feet

When the battle erupted into its final stage, more people died on Voldemort's side, since Harry's sacrifice protected everybody who was protecting Hogwarts. Neville Longbottom beheaded Nagini with Godric Gryffindor's Sword. Bellatrix Lestrange died at the hands of Molly Weasley after just missing Ginny with a Killing Curse. The final duel saw Harry battle with Lord Voldemort and kill him. There were at least fifty lives mentioned to have been lost on both sides.[3]

Alternate timeline

When Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy attempted to use a "true" Time-Turner to save Cedric Diggory from death at Voldemort's rebirth, they inadvertently created an alternate reality where Cedric was so humiliated that he joined the Death Eaters in spite. Cedric killed Neville during the final stages of the Battle of Hogwarts, thus preventing him from killing Nagini. As a result, Voldemort remain protected from death, and succeeded in killing Harry.[21]

As a result of killing Harry, Voldemort completely conquered the wizarding world, where Dolores Umbridge became the permanent Headmistress of Hogwarts, Draco becoming the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Order of the Phoenix and their allies became no more than a flickering pocket of resistance. In a twist, Voldemort did not kill Snape, who continued to live up to his role as a triple agent, lamenting on his failure to protect Harry. Because Harry died during the war, Albus Potter became un-born.[21]

The Scorpius of this timeline was alleged to be cruel and mean, such as forcing Craig Bowker Jnr to do his homework. However, because Scorpius was involved in using the Time-Turner to change the past, he maintained his original personality and memory of his friend Albus. He was able to persuade Snape of everything that happened and to help him in repairing the damage, thus restoring the timeline in which Voldemort was defeated.[21]

Upon returning to their true time, Albus and Scorpius were greatly reprimanded by Professor McGonagall and their parents for plunging the world back into the dark age where Voldemort ruled, and would have been expelled were it not for McGonagall's understanding of the students' parents. Nevertheless, she punished them with a multitude of detentions and cancellation of their holidays.[21]

List of known deaths

Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's army

Person Killed by Cause of death
Unidentified man killed in the courtyard explosion Unknown, possibly a Death Eater Explosion
Unidentified wizard killed at the Quad battlements Unidentified Death Eater that duelled with Arthur Weasley Killing Curse
Fred Weasley Unknown Explosion caused by unknown spell.[5]
Remus Lupin Antonin Dolohov[20] Duel
Nymphadora Tonks Bellatrix Lestrange[20]
Severus Snape Nagini (ordered by Voldemort)[5] Nagini's venom/Snake bite
Lavender Brown Fenrir Greyback Savaged
Colin Creevey Random Death Eaters and other combatants Unknown
Unidentified Hogwarts students killed on the Seventh Floor
Camelia[22] Killing Curse (most likely)[16]
Fifty others Various

Death Eaters

Person Killed by Cause of death
Three unidentified Snatchers who disintegrated during the Battle of Hogwarts Themselves (inadvertently) Crossing the protective enchantments, dying in the process
Many Snatchers, including Scabior Neville Longbottom Collapse of the Wooden Bridge
Unidentified giant at the Battle of Hogwarts (II) Pomona Sprout, Neville or whoever else helped the attack with plants Devil's Snare
Unidentified giant at the Battle of Hogwarts (III) Minerva McGonagall Enchanted suits of armour
Unidentified Death Eater duelled by Kingsley Shacklebolt Kingsley Shacklebolt Momentum-reversing spell
Vincent Crabbe Himself (by accident), in the Skirmish at the Room of Requirement[2] Fiendfyre
Unidentified male Death Eater (X) Unknown Unknown
Unidentified female Death Eater at Malfoy Manor (I)
Unidentified Death Eater who fought in a first-floor corridor Ron Weasley
Nagini Neville Longbottom Beheading with the Sword of Gryffindor.[3]
Unidentified black Death Eater at the Battle of Hogwarts (II) Unknown Unknown
Unidentified male Death Eater during the Battle of Hogwarts (IV)
Unidentified male Death Eater killed by a grey haired wizard Unidentified grey-haired man during the Battle of Hogwarts Duel
Unidentified Death Eater during Battle of Hogwarts that was set on fire (possibly) Unknown Unknown, possibly Incendio or similar fire-based spell
Bellatrix Lestrange Molly Weasley Duel
Unidentified male Death Eater killed on the seventh floor Unknown
Lord Voldemort The Elder Wand which backfired upon recognising its true master (Harry Potter) Harry's mastery of the Elder Wand, the destruction of Voldemort's Horcruxes, Expelliarmus, and his own rebounding Killing Curse[3]

Media

See also

Behind the scenes

Voldemorts Death

Voldemort's death as shown in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Goyle Falls to his Death

Goyle's death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

  • In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, there are several differences between novel and film. One of the more major differences is the fact that Gregory Goyle died in the Room of Requirement instead of Vincent Crabbe. Unlike the novel in which they either survived or their fate was left ambiguous, Pius Thicknesse died before the battle in the film and Lavender Brown was already dead before Greyback's attack. The book also makes no references to the death of Scabior. Bellatrix Lestrange's death is also changed, with her being blasted apart by Molly's curse, instead of being struck by a similar spell and her corpse toppling over. In the book, her death is also witnessed by Voldemort.
  • Both book and film state that there were werewolf participants of the battle. However, the 2nd May 1998 wasn't a full moon, so this attack would have been futile seen as both Lupin and Greyback were in human form, rendering an army of werewolves void.
  • In the film, the final battle between Harry and Voldemort rages all over the school, with their final duel being in the Entrance Courtyard rather than the Great Hall. Nagini is also killed by Neville much later, after an extended sequence where Ron and Hermione fail to kill her first. When Voldemort finally dies, his body turns to ash and scatters into the air; in the book, his body is moved from the Great Hall and placed in an antechamber.
  • The Battle of Hogwarts was nominated for the Fight Scene' of the Year Award at the 2011 Scream Awards The Room of Requirement fight was also nominated for the Holy Sh!t Scene of the Year Award.
  • In the book, Grawp, Buckbeak, thestrals, and centaurs are among the defenders of Hogwarts in the battle; whereas in the film, they were all omitted.
  • In the book, Severus Snape is merely bitten through the neck for his death scene, after being knocked over by a spell from Voldemort. Whereas in the film, Voldemort uses a non-verbal Sectumsempra curse to do away with the latter, and on his command Nagini does away with Snape by performing numerous body slams and bites, smashing him against a wall, and he dies the same way.
  • It is found in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child that in an alternative universe which was created by Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy in 2020, there was a different outtake of the battle's events and aftermath. Neville Longbottom was killed by Cedric Diggory and thus preventing Neville from killing the last Horcrux, Nagini, and these actions allowed Voldemort to finally defeat and kill Harry Potter during the battle. However, these events were discarded after Scorpius corrected the events during the Triwizard Tournament which had been divergence by himself and Albus Potter through a Time-Turner.
  • It is cited in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child that those who died in the battle were called the Fallen Fifty and were memorialised in the aftermath of the war.
  • Beginning in 2015, Rowling has taken to Twitter on May 2nd each year to apologise for one of the significant character deaths in the Battle. It is unknown if she will do this for all of the Fallen Fifty, or just the named ones. So far:
    • 2015 - Fred Weasley (the worst for her personally)
    • 2016 - Remus Lupin (a sacrifice to save Arthur Weasley, as the Weasleys had already lost Fred)
    • 2017 - Severus Snape
    • 2018 - Dobby (while he didn't die during the battle, he "laid down his life to save the people who'd win it")

Appearances

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 171 images related to Battle of Hogwarts.

Notes and references

  1. Video clip of J. K. Rowling from the documentary J. K. Rowling: A Year in the Life
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts)
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 30 (The Sacking of Severus Snape)
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 32 (The Elder Wand)
  6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 8 (The Wedding)
  7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11 (The Bribe)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 29 (The Lost Diadem)
  9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 27 (The Lightning-Struck Tower)
  10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 13 (The Muggle-Born Registration Commission)
  11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 19 (The Silver Doe)
  12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 26 (Gringotts)
  13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 17 (The Heir of Slytherin)
  14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 23 (Horcruxes)
  15. 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 28 (The Missing Mirror)
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 16.9 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  17. 17.00 17.01 17.02 17.03 17.04 17.05 17.06 17.07 17.08 17.09 17.10 17.11 17.12 17.13 17.14 17.15 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33 (The Prince's Tale)
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 18.8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 34 (The Forest Again)
  19. 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 19.12 19.13 19.14 19.15 19.16 19.17 19.18 19.19 19.20 19.21 19.22 19.23 19.24 19.25 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35 (King's Cross)
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 "A transcript of a web chat with J.K. Rowling" from The Leaky Cauldron
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  22. https://www.mandy.com/uk/actor/sangeeta-reding