The epic conclusion to the wizarding phenomenon sees Harry Potter and his friends return to Hogwarts for a final, cataclysmic stand against Voldemort's forces, where secret loyalties are revealed and the Boy Who Lived must face his ultimate destiny.
Synopsis
Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their desperate quest to find and destroy the Dark Lord's final Horcruxes. As they uncover ancient secrets that lead them back to Hogwarts, Voldemort discovers their mission and launches an all-out siege on the castle. With the wizarding world's fate hanging in the balance, the battle lines are drawn, and Harry realizes that he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to end the war once and for all.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United Kingdom
United States |
Premiere date |
July 15, 2011 |
Running time |
130 minutes |
Genre |
Adventure
Fantasy |
Budget |
$250,000,000 |
Box Office |
$1,342,000,000 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
David Yates |
Produced by |
David Heyman David Barron J.K. Rowling |
Written by |
Steve Kloves |
Music by |
Alexandre Desplat |
Cinematography |
Eduardo Serra |
Edited by |
Mark Day |
Production Co. |
Heyday Films |
Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #08 in Harry Potter Collection
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The Plot
The Shadow of the Elder Wand
Following the harrowing events of the previous film, Lord Voldemort desecrates Albus Dumbledore’s tomb, stealing the legendary Elder Wand and firing a massive bolt of lightning into the sky in a display of terrifying power. The narrative shifts to Hogwarts, now transformed from a sanctuary of learning into a gloomy concentration camp. Dementors patrol the perimeter, and students are marched like prisoners through the courtyards under the watchful, blank expression of Severus Snape, who now presides as Headmaster from the high battlements.
Meanwhile, at Shell Cottage, Harry Potter mourns at Dobby’s grave before turning his attention to the mission ahead. Gazing into the two-way mirror, he interrogates Griphook about why Bellatrix Lestrange was so terrified that they had entered her Gringotts vault. Griphook reveals that a fake Sword of Gryffindor resides there, but Harry deduces that Bellatrix’s fear implies a Horcrux is hidden within. The trio strikes a reluctant bargain with the goblin: Griphook will guide them into the vault in exchange for the real Sword of Gryffindor—a deal that threatens to leave them weaponless against future Horcruxes.
Harry subsequently questions Garrick Ollivander regarding the wands captured at Malfoy Manor. The wandmaker identifies them as belonging to Bellatrix and Draco Malfoy. He warns Harry that Bellatrix’s walnut wand is "unyielding" and dangerous, whereas Draco’s wand has changed allegiance to Harry after being won in combat. When Harry probes about the Deathly Hallows, Ollivander feigns ignorance but issues a grave warning: if Voldemort indeed possesses the Elder Wand, Harry stands no chance of defeating him.
The Gringotts Heist and the Dragon's Flight
Under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak and heavy disguises—Hermione transmuted into Bellatrix Lestrange and Ron appearing as a fictitious foreign wizard—the trio and Griphook Apparate to Diagon Alley. Inside Gringotts, the heist quickly becomes complicated; Harry is forced to use the Imperius Curse on the goblin Bogrod to bypass security. However, their cover is blown when they pass through the "Thief’s Downfall," a magical waterfall that washes away all enchantments. Despite the alarms, they manage to enter the vault and locate Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup.
Chaos erupts when Harry touches the cup, triggering a Gemino curse that causes every object in the vault to multiply exponentially, threatening to crush them under a sea of searing hot gold. After securing the Horcrux, Griphook betrays them, snatching the Sword of Gryffindor and fleeing while alerting security. Trapped and surrounded by goblins, Hermione makes a desperate decision: she releases the vault’s guardian, a pale and abused dragon. The beast wreaks havoc, incinerating Bogrod and other guards before the trio climbs onto its back. The dragon smashes through the bank's dome, carrying them to freedom before they drop into a lake to escape.
In the aftermath, Harry experiences a terrifying vision through his connection to the Dark Lord. Voldemort, enraged by the theft, slaughters Griphook and the Gringotts staff at Malfoy Manor. In his fury, Voldemort inadvertently reveals that the next Horcrux is hidden at Hogwarts and is connected to Rowena Ravenclaw. Realizing Voldemort is checking on his Horcruxes out of fear, Harry tells Ron and Hermione they must return to the castle immediately.
The Return to Hogwarts
The trio Apparates to Hogsmeade, instantly triggering a "Caterwauling Charm" set by Death Eaters lying in wait. They are nearly cornered but are saved by Aberforth Dumbledore, who pulls them into his home. Harry realizes Aberforth is the one who had been watching over them through the two-way mirror shard and had sent Dobby to their rescue. Despite Aberforth’s cynical advice to flee and save themselves, Harry insists on finishing Albus Dumbledore’s mission. Resigned, Aberforth opens a secret passage behind the portrait of his sister, Ariana.
Neville Longbottom, battered but unbroken, greets them at the end of the tunnel. He leads them into the Room of Requirement, which has become a sanctuary for Dumbledore's Army. The students greet Harry with thunderous applause, eager to fight. Harry admits he is hunting a Horcrux linked to Ravenclaw. Luna Lovegood suggests the lost Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, though Cho Chang notes no living person has seen it. The strategy session is interrupted by Ginny Weasley, who arrives with news that Snape knows of Harry’s intrusion and has summoned all students to the Great Hall.
The Sacking of Severus Snape
In the Great Hall, Snape threatens the students with severe punishment if they aid Harry. Harry steps out from the crowd, confronting Snape openly. "How dare you stand where he stood?" Harry shouts, exposing Snape’s murder of Dumbledore just as the Order of the Phoenix bursts in. Snape draws his wand, but Professor McGonagall steps in, shielding Harry.
A fierce duel ensues. McGonagall unleashes a torrent of fire and spells, which Snape deflects—noticeably redirecting them to knock out the Carrow siblings behind him—before dissolving into black smoke and smashing through the window to flee. As McGonagall lights the hall, the room plunges into silence as Voldemort’s amplified voice echoes through the castle. He demands Harry be surrendered in exchange for their lives. Pansy Parkinson screams to grab Harry, but the members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order immediately form a protective ring around him.
The Battle Begins
McGonagall takes command, ordering Filch to lock the Slytherins in the dungeons. She animates the stone statues of Hogwarts to defend the castle, while Flitwick, Slughorn, and Molly Weasley erect a magical shield over the grounds. Harry, needing to find the Diadem, follows Luna’s advice to speak to the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw. In the corridors, he persuades the reluctant Grey Lady to reveal the location of her mother's Diadem, which Voldemort has defiled with dark magic. She reveals it is hidden in the "room where everything is hidden"—the Room of Requirement.
Simultaneously, Ron and Hermione venture into the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve a Basilisk fang. Hermione destroys Hufflepuff's Cup, unleashing a violent torrent of water that soaks them. In the adrenaline of the moment, the two finally share a passionate kiss, their feelings acknowledging the years of tension between them. Outside, Voldemort obliterates the magical shield, signaling the start of the full-scale invasion. Scabior and a gang of Snatchers charge the wooden bridge, but Neville triggers charges that collapse the structure, sending the enemies to their deaths while he barely pulls himself to safety.
Fiendfyre and the Diadem
Harry enters the Room of Requirement and locates the Diadem, sensing it through the Horcrux connection. He is ambushed by Draco Malfoy, Goyle, and Blaise Zabini. Draco hesitates to attack, but Goyle unleashes a lethal Fiendfyre curse. The cursed flames spiral out of control, taking the shapes of chimeras and dragons, consuming the room. Goyle is unable to control his own magic and falls to his death in the inferno.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione mount broomsticks to escape the blaze. Seeing Draco and Blaise trapped atop a precarious stack of furniture, Harry turns back to save them, with Ron reluctantly following. They drag the Slytherins to safety and crash-land outside. Harry destroys the Diadem with the Basilisk fang, and Ron kicks the remains into the burning room just as the doors seal. Voldemort, sensing the destruction of yet another piece of his soul, is left shaken and enraged, murdering Pius Thicknesse in his frustration.
The Prince's Tale
Harry’s visions lead the trio to the Boathouse, where they witness a confrontation between Voldemort and Snape. Voldemort explains that the Elder Wand answers only to the wizard who killed its previous master. Believing Snape is the master because he killed Dumbledore, Voldemort slashes Snape’s throat and orders Nagini to strike, leaving him to die. Once the Dark Lord departs, Harry rushes to Snape’s side. The dying Headmaster cries, giving Harry his memories in the form of silvery tears. "Look at me," Snape whispers, noting Harry has his mother’s eyes, before taking his last breath.
Harry returns to the Pensieve in the Headmaster's office to view the memories. He learns the shocking truth: Snape had been Dumbledore’s man all along, motivated by an enduring love for Lily Potter. The memories reveal Snape’s childhood friendship with Lily, his devastation at her death, and his secret vow to protect Harry. Most devastatingly, Harry learns that Dumbledore had planned his own death with Snape to save Draco’s soul. Dumbledore reveals the final secret: when Voldemort’s killing curse rebounded years ago, a fragment of his soul attached itself to Harry. Harry himself is an accidental Horcrux and must die by Voldemort’s hand for the Dark Lord to be mortal.
I Open at the Close
Resigned to his fate, Harry informs a devastated Ron and Hermione that he must go to the Forbidden Forest. He gives them instructions to kill the snake, Nagini. Walking alone, Harry pulls out the Golden Snitch Dumbledore left him. Whispering "I am ready to die," the Snitch opens to reveal the Resurrection Stone. The spirits of James, Lily, Sirius, and Lupin appear, offering him comfort and courage. Dropping the stone, Harry steps into the clearing where Voldemort waits. He offers no resistance as Voldemort casts the Killing Curse.
Harry awakens in a pristine, white limbo resembling King's Cross Station. He encounters a stunted, whimpering creature representing Voldemort's destroyed soul fragment. Albus Dumbledore appears, explaining that Harry is not dead because Voldemort used Harry’s blood to resurrect himself, tethering Harry to life. Dumbledore offers Harry a choice: move on, or return to finish the battle. Before departing, Dumbledore corrects his old motto: "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who deserve it."
The Boy Who Lived
Harry returns to his body in the forest, feigning death. Narcissa Malfoy checks him, but upon whispering "Is Draco alive?" and receiving a nod from Harry, she lies to Voldemort, declaring Harry dead. Hagrid is forced to carry Harry’s body back to the castle as a trophy. Voldemort announces his victory to the heartbroken defenders. Neville Longbottom steps forward, delivering a stirring speech that Harry’s death was not in vain and that the fight for freedom continues. He draws the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat just as Harry leaps from Hagrid’s arms, revealing he is alive.
Chaos erupts. Many Death Eaters flee, losing faith in their master. The Malfoys abandon the battle to reunite as a family. Inside the Great Hall, Molly Weasley sees Bellatrix Lestrange nearly kill Ginny. Enraged, Molly engages Bellatrix in a duel, freezing the Death Eater before shattering her body into dust with a powerful curse.
The Final Duel
Harry and Voldemort face off in the courtyard. Neville Longbottom spots Nagini and, just as the snake prepares to strike Ron and Hermione, he severs her head with the Sword of Gryffindor, destroying the final Horcrux. Voldemort is now mortal. He fires a Killing Curse at Harry, while Harry counters with a Disarming Charm.
Harry reveals the flaw in Voldemort’s logic: Snape never defeated Dumbledore; they planned his death. It was Draco who disarmed Dumbledore, becoming the master of the Elder Wand, until Harry disarmed Draco at Malfoy Manor. The Elder Wand refuses to kill its true master, Harry. Voldemort’s curse rebounds, and the Dark Lord disintegrates into ash, fading away into the wind.
The war ends. Standing on the bridge, Harry explains the wand’s allegiance to Ron and Hermione. Deciding the Elder Wand is too dangerous, Harry snaps it in two and throws the pieces into the gorge, rejecting ultimate power.
Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later
Nearly two decades later, peace endures. Harry and Ginny, now married, join Ron and Hermione at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to see their children off. Harry comforts his son, Albus Severus Potter, who fears being sorted into Slytherin. Harry tells him, "You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew." The train departs, and the camera lingers on the trio one last time. The scar has not pained Harry for nineteen years. All is well.
