Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to
J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of
heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to
the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the
end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of
magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt,
love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers
in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which
Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we
would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you
embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.
The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest
for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces
more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct
threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of
losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember
Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and
what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult
principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the
answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and
you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that
even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.
A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series,
Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans.
The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the
battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but
the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and
fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with
full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience.
--Daphne Durham
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Begin
at the Beginning
Why
We Love Harry
Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no
doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite
moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in
mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry
could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular
revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have
not read them. Enjoy.
Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
 | * Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him. * When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists. * Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards. * Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat. |
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 | * The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius. * Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother. * The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms. |
Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 | * Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'. * Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children. * The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom. * Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape. |
Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 | * Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them. * Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it. * Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge. * Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses. |
Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 | * Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming. * Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone. * Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager. * Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape. * Dumbledore's confession to Harry. |
Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince
 | * The introduction of the Horcrux. * Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur's answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles. * Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling's most ingenious inventions. * Fred and George Weasley's Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!" * Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator. * The effects of Felix Felicis. |
Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling
am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world.
I'm sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to
be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers."
--J.K. Rowling
A Few
Words from Mary GrandPré
"When I illustrate a cover or a book, I draw upon what the author
tells me; that's how I see my responsibility as an illustrator. J.K.
Rowling is very descriptive in her writing--she gives an illustrator
a lot to work with. Each story is packed full of rich visual
descriptions of the atmosphere, the mood, the setting, and all the
different creatures and people. She makes it easy for me. The images
just develop as I sketch and retrace until it feels right and
matches her vision." Check out more Harry Potter art from
illustrator Mary GrandPré.
