Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

• Type: Motion Picture (film)
• Owners: Warner Bros. Pictures (Distributor) (film)
• Maker: Directed by David Yates; Produced by David Heyman, David Barron, and J.K. Rowling; Screenplay by Steve Kloves (film)

This film adapts the final part of the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, chronicling the end of the Second Wizarding War. The narrative follows directly from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. (film) The story begins with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger at Shell Cottage, where they convince the goblin Griphook to help them break into the Lestrange Vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in exchange for the Sword of Gryffindor. They suspect one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, Hufflepuff's Cup, is hidden there. With Hermione disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange using Polyjuice Potion, they successfully infiltrate the bank. They retrieve the cup but are betrayed by Griphook and forced to escape on the back of a captive Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon. (film) Harry has a vision of Voldemort's rage and learns another Horcrux is at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, connected to Rowena Ravenclaw. The trio apparates to Hogsmeade, where they are saved from Death Eaters by Aberforth Dumbledore. He reveals a secret passage into Hogwarts, where they are greeted by Dumbledore's Army. (film) Upon their arrival, Voldemort is alerted to Harry's presence and amasses his army to attack the castle. While the Order of the Phoenix and Hogwarts staff and students prepare for battle, Harry searches for Ravenclaw's Diadem. He speaks to the Grey Lady, the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw, who reveals its location in the Room of Requirement. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione enter the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve a basilisk fang, which Hermione uses to destroy Hufflepuff's Cup. In the Room of Requirement, the trio is ambushed by Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Blaise Zabini (film). Goyle casts Fiendfyre, which spirals out of control, destroying the diadem and killing himself. (film) As the Battle of Hogwarts rages, Harry witnesses Voldemort order Nagini to kill Severus Snape in the Boathouse (film), believing it will make him the true master of the Elder Wand. Before dying, Snape gives Harry his memories. In the Pensieve, Harry discovers that Snape loved his mother, Lily, and acted as a double agent for Albus Dumbledore. He also learns that he himself is an unintentional, final Horcrux and must die at Voldemort's hand. (film) Accepting his fate, Harry walks to the Forbidden Forest. He uses the Resurrection Stone, found inside the Golden Snitch left to him by Dumbledore, to briefly see the spirits of his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. He confronts Voldemort, who strikes him down with the Killing Curse. Harry awakens in a limbo-like version of King's Cross, where Dumbledore's spirit explains that the part of Voldemort's soul inside him has been destroyed. (film) Returning to his body, Harry feigns death. He is carried back to Hogwarts as a trophy by Voldemort. Neville Longbottom defies Voldemort and pulls the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, using it to kill Nagini, the last Horcrux. The battle resumes, and Harry reveals he is alive. The final duel between Harry and Voldemort takes place throughout the castle's courtyard (film). Voldemort's Killing Curse rebounds as the Elder Wand will not kill its true master, and he is permanently defeated, disintegrating into ash (film). In the aftermath, Harry snaps the Elder Wand in two and throws it away. An epilogue shows Harry, Ginny Weasley, Ron, and Hermione nineteen years later at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, sending their own children to Hogwarts. (film)

As a cinematic work, the film's “properties” and “usage” relate to its function within the Harry Potter franchise. (film)

• Properties:
  • Cinematic Spectacle: The film is renowned for its large-scale action sequences and visual effects, particularly the Battle of Hogwarts, the escape from Gringotts, and the Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement. It was the only film in the series released in 3D. (film)
  • Narrative Climax: It serves as the definitive culmination of the entire saga, focusing on themes of sacrifice, love, redemption, and the final confrontation between good and evil. Its narrative is tightly paced, concentrating on resolving the hunt for the Horcruxes and the final battle. (film)
  • Emotional Conclusion: The film provides the emotional payoff for long-running character arcs, most notably that of Severus Snape through “The Prince's Tale” sequence, and for Harry Potter's acceptance of his destiny. (film)
• Usage:
  • Series Finale: Its primary use is as the eighth and final installment of the Harry Potter film series, bringing the story of Harry Potter's fight against Lord Voldemort to a conclusive end. (film)
  • Book Adaptation: The film adapts the final section of the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, from Chapter 24, “The Wandmaker,” to the end. It is designed to be viewed as the second half of a single, cohesive adaptation with its predecessor, Part 1. (film)

The decision to split the final novel into two films was announced in March 2008 to do justice to the book's dense plot. Part 2 was filmed back-to-back with Part 1 from February 2009 to June 2010. (film) The film score was composed by Alexandre Desplat, who returned after scoring Part 1. He incorporated iconic leitmotifs from John Williams's original score for the first film, such as “Hedwig's Theme,” to bring the musical journey of the series full circle. (film) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 held its world premiere in Trafalgar Square in London on 7 July 2011 and was released worldwide from 13–15 July 2011. It was a monumental critical and commercial success, praised by critics as a thrilling and emotionally satisfying conclusion to the saga. It grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2011 and, at the time of its release, the third-highest-grossing film of all time. (film)

The film's primary role is to conclude the cinematic adaptation of the Harry Potter saga. It translates the epic scope and emotional weight of the novel's final act into a major cinematic event, cementing the visual and narrative legacy of the film franchise. (film) While largely faithful to the source material's core plot, the film makes several notable changes that distinguish its telling of the story from the novel's:

• Snape's Death: Snape is killed by Nagini in the Hogwarts Boathouse, a location created for the film, rather than the Shrieking Shack.
• The Diadem: In the novel, the diadem is destroyed by Fiendfyre cast by Vincent Crabbe. In the film, Crabbe is replaced by Gregory Goyle, who casts the curse, and the diadem is destroyed moments later when Hermione stabs it with a basilisk fang.
• The Final Duel: The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort is a prolonged, dynamic duel that moves through the castle courtyard. In the book, it is a static, verbal confrontation in the Great Hall surrounded by onlookers.
• Voldemort's Death: Upon his death, Voldemort's body disintegrates into flakes of ash in the film. In the book, his body falls to the ground, “mundane in its collapse,” emphasizing his mortality.
• The Elder Wand: Harry snaps the Elder Wand in two and discards it. In the book, he uses the Elder Wand to repair his original holly and phoenix feather wand before returning the Hallow to Dumbledore's Tomb.

• J.K. Rowling's Role: This film and its predecessor, Part 1, were the first in the series on which J.K. Rowling served as a producer, granting her a greater degree of creative control over the adaptation of her final book. (film)
• Epilogue Casting: For the “Nineteen Years Later” epilogue, the adult versions of the main characters were played by the principal actors. Their children were played by various young actors, including Arthur Bowen as Albus Severus Potter. (film)
• Awards: The film received numerous accolades, including three Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects, and won the BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects. (film)
• 'The Prince's Tale': The sequence depicting Snape's memories was developed with close input from J.K. Rowling, who provided actor Alan Rickman with key details about his character's backstory long before it was revealed in the books. (J.K. Rowling interview)