Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... the novel...

The last and most exciting book of all the Harry Potter series. This is one book you have got to read! Here is how the story goes...

Members of the Order of the Phoenix are ambushed by Death Eaters when they attempt to escort Harry from the Dursleys' by broomstick using decoys. Hedwig and Mad-Eye Moody were killed in the attempt, and George loses an ear.

The trio go to The Burrow where Minister of Magic arrives to give Harry, Ron, and Hermonie bequests from Albus Dumbledore's will.

At Bill and Fleur's wedding reception, a Patronus arrives, announcing that the Ministry of Magic has fallen under Voldemort's control, and Death Eaters are on their way to The Burrow at that moment. Death Eaters approach. Harry, Ron, and Hermione disapparate in time to Grimmauld Place.

At Grimmauld Place, Hermione recalls seeing a locket whilst cleaning the house, and they discover that the Kreacher had stolen the locket from the items to be thrown out. With the help of Kreacher and Mundungus Fletcher they learn that the locket is now in Umbridge’s's possession. The trio successfully infiltrates the Ministry of Magic and recovers the locket.

The trio begin to travel the country, looking for Horcruxes and the means to destroy them. Ron and Harry argue over Harry's lack of a plan, after which Ron abandons the group. Harry and Hermione search for the sword in Godric’s Hollow. While looking at the house, Harry and Hermione are beckoned by Bathilda Bagshot into her home. Knowing something is not right, Harry follows her upstairs, where she transforms into Nagini. Voldemort himself appears almost immediately after. Hermione and Harry managed to escape, but Harry's wand was damaged beyond repair.

Hermione and Harry then go to the Forest of Dean. While he is on watch, a silver doe Patronus leads Harry to an icy pond containing the real Sword of Gryffindor. As Harry dives into the freezing water to retrieve it, the locket Horcrux starts strangling him. Ron, who was guided back to the pair by the Deluminator that Dumbledore gave him, saves him. Ron recovers the sword and destroys the locket with it.

Harry accidentally uses the name of Voldemort, and the trio are captured by a gang of Snatchers, led by one of Voldemort's followers and taken to Malfoy Manor, where they join the imprisoned Luna, Dean, Ollivander, and Griphook. Finding Gryffindor's Sword among the trio's possessions, Bellatrix Lestrange fears they have broken into her Gringotts vault, and tortures Hermione for information. Dobby arrives and rescued them but Dobby died in the attempt.

In Hogsmeade, Aberforth Dumbledore is able to smuggle the trio out of Hogsmeade and into Hogwarts. Harry alerts everyone in Hogwarts of Voldemort's imminent arrival. Luna Lovegood suggests that the fifth Horcrux could be Ravenclaw's lost diadem. Harry recalls seeing the diadem in the Room of Requirement when he hid his Potions book there the previous year. Meanwhile, Hermione destroys the Cup Horcrux with a basilisk fang. Various allies of Harry gather in the school, where the battle begins. In the Room of Requirement, Ron mentions that the house elves are still in the kitchens and in danger, whereupon Hermione runs over to Ron and kisses him.

During the battle, several of the Weasley brothers are duelling members of the Ministry of Magic. Percy and Fred are duelling the corrupted Minister Pius Thicknesse, when an explosion rocks the corridor, shattering one wall and killing Fred instantly. Harry leaves to go to Voldemort's camp in the Forbidden Forest, and meets Neville Longbottom, whom he asks to kill Nagini if he gets the chance. Along the way, he realises that the Snitch holds the Resurrection Stone inside it, and is able to retrieve it, whereupon he summons the spirits of his parents, Sirius Black and the recently killed Remus Lupin, who accompany him to Voldemort's camp. Voldemort then casts the Avada Kedavra curse at Harry. Harry revives, but feigns death. Voldemort orders Narcissa Malfoy to check Harry. Doing so, she realizes that Harry is alive, and she asks him very quietly if her son Draco is still alive, to which Harry whispers yes. Narcissa, no longer caring about anything but her son, lies to Voldemort, telling him that Harry is dead.

Grawp, the centaurs, and the giants add to a sudden disturbance caused by reinforcements from Hogsmeade residents and students' families yelling war cries as they spill over the walls of the school. Neville then pulls off the Sorting Hat, draws Gryffindor's Sword from it, and decapitates Nagini with a single stroke, destroying the final Horcrux. Harry moves around under his Invisibility Cloak and lends aid throughout the ensuing battle, as his supporters rally to defy Voldemort and the Death Eaters one last time. Eventually, the battle pares down into duels. Voldemort then casts a killing curse at Harry, but the Elder Wand's allegiance prevents it from harming its Master, and the spell rebounds off Harry's disarming spell, killing Voldemort, and leaving Harry victorious.

Among the dead of the battle were Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Colin Creevey, and fifty other people who died fighting the Death Eaters, as well as Voldemort and
Bellatrix.

Rating: 9/10
Genre: Fantasy