Thoughts about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I'm sure all 2 of my faithful readers thought this post was never going to come...but here it is. Finally.

Deathly Hallows is my favorite Harry Potter book. I love how action packed it is and how (most) every mystery is explained.

Dumbledore
Until now, he has been the perfect, grandfatherly wizard who always explains everything at the end of the book. Now, we see a different side of Dumbledore—one where he is power hungry, flawed, and easily blinded by power and his feelings for Grindelwald. Harry always had Dumbledore in highest esteem, but now we see him confused and angry with him. Dumbledore leaves Harry with abundant mysteries (Hallows, Horcruxes, and the objects from his will), and Harry must figure it all out.
We learn about Dumbledore’s surprisingly tragic past and how it ties him even more to Harry. And we finally learn what Dumbledore saw in the Mirror of Erised.

Horcruxes or Hallows? (Or the stuff Dumbledore left them?)
I have to hand it to J. K. Rowling—being able to manage seven horcruxes, three Deathly Hallows, and Dumbledore’s four mysterious items left to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. That’s a lot to integrate and resolve into a story. Seeing how these items are all found and integrated into the story is amazing. I couldn’t remember how all of Dumbledore’s former possessions played into the story (except for Tales of Beedle the Bard). I also love the twist with Draco being the master of the Elder Wand. Brilliant.

Dobby
Dobby used to get on my nerves. Later, he becomes Harry Potter’s elf through and through. He saves Harry and the others from Malfoy Manner, only to die in Harry’s arms. For some reason, this death hit me hardest of all. In the same way Dobby’s death allows him to grieve Sirius, Dumbledore, Hedwig, and Mad Eye Moody, his death was cathartic for me too. The way Rowling describes Dobby reaching out "with a look of supplication" towards Harry…it broke my heart. Here’s to you, Dobby.


Snape, Snape, Severus Snape
Oh my stars. Chapter thirty-three. The chapter we’d all been waiting for. The chapter I weep through every time I read it. Is Snape good or bad? Or a little of both? Now we know. Little did we know that Severus’s undying love for Lily is what propelled him to watch over Harry (however begrudgingly) all these years. What prompted his defection from the Death Eaters into becoming Dumbledore’s man through and through. What made his patronus a doe. What made Harry having “his mother’s eyes” so important. What makes Severus Snape one of the bravest men ever. His love for Lily is a beautiful thing. The thought of loving someone for the rest of your life and having that love transform your whole self…to dedicate your life to the memory and spirit of that person. This is what makes Snape truly awesome.

Friendship
Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Luna’s amazing decoration in her bedroom. Ron leaving and then coming back. Sharing burdens. Not going it alone. This story is about so much, but one thing it is most about is friendship, loyalty and love. Enough said. (I just wish Harry had said goodbye before he went into the forest.)

Love
It’s all about love.
It was love that protected Harry all these years. Love that was so undervalued by Voldemort. Love that transformed Snape. Love that bonded Harry, Ron, and Hermione (and Neville and Luna). Harry’s loved ones lead him into the forest to meet Voldemort. Love that keeps Narcissa from telling the truth about Harry being dead. Love protected Harry and was the downfall of evil. Sounds familiar…

Harry Potter as a Christ-figure?
I saw this coming two or three books ago. Once J. K. Rowling said she was a member of the Church of Scotland and that people who knew that should know where the story was going… I knew. Harry would have to die to defeat evil. Little did I know that he, like Jesus, would be resurrected. The scene in the King’s Cross chapter is so amazing in everyway. Perhaps my favorite chapter in the whole series. I’m sure a lot of people would disagree with me on this, but Harry is a Christ figure to me. He struggles with coming to terms with his death (similar to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane) but he accepts it, goes to it willingly, and that makes all the difference. It’s not an exact parallel of course, but like C. S. Lewis I feel that Rowling steals “past those watchful dragons” to include a truth that is the ultimate truth we’ve seen before. Only that time, it was real.
Here's an interesting article on this topic.