Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
It all ends here. The final battle for Hogwarts and the wizarding world.
Film Information
Release Date
July 15, 2011
Director
David Yates
Runtime
130 minutes
Box Office
$1.342 billion
Plot Summary
The epic conclusion to the Harry Potter saga delivers an action-packed finale to ten years of filmmaking. Part 2 picks up immediately after Dobby's death as the trio plans their break-in to Gringotts Bank to steal a Horcrux. The pace never lets up as they move from heist to revelation to all-out war.
Harry learns that he himself is a Horcrux and must die for Voldemort to be defeated. In the film's emotional climax, Harry walks into the Forbidden Forest to sacrifice himself. His willingness to die protects everyone at Hogwarts the same way his mother's sacrifice once protected him.
The Battle of Hogwarts is a spectacular showdown featuring every major character fighting for the school's survival. David Yates delivers a satisfying conclusion that honors both the books and the decade-long journey of the films, ending with a glimpse of the characters 19 years later.
Major Scenes and Sequences
Shell Cottage and Planning
After burying Dobby, Harry, Ron, and Hermione plan the Gringotts break-in with Griphook the goblin and Ollivander the wandmaker. Harry learns about wand ownership and realizes Draco disarming Dumbledore made Draco the true master of the Elder Wand, not Snape.
The Gringotts Heist
Hermione uses Polyjuice Potion to become Bellatrix while Ron and Harry disguise themselves. They infiltrate the wizarding bank and reach the Lestrange vault. The goblin Griphook betrays them, but they escape on the back of a dragon, crashing through the bank and flying over London before freeing the creature into a lake.
The Ravenclaw Horcrux
Harry has a vision revealing another Horcrux at Hogwarts - something of Ravenclaw's. With help from Luna, they learn about Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem. Meanwhile, Voldemort realizes his Horcruxes are being destroyed and begins killing everyone who might have information, including his own followers.
Return to Hogwarts
The trio sneaks into Hogsmeade and is rescued by Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus's brother. He reveals a secret passage into Hogwarts through Ariana's portrait. Neville Longbottom greets them, showing how the students have been resisting Snape and the Carrows' brutal regime.
The Room of Requirement
Students have been hiding in the Room of Requirement. The D.A. members have all returned to help Harry. Ginny, Luna, Neville, Seamus, and others have been fighting back against the Death Eaters running the school. Their loyalty and courage demonstrate how Harry inspired a generation.
McGonagall vs. Snape
When Harry confronts Snape in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall steps in to duel the Headmaster. In a spectacular fight, McGonagall drives Snape from the castle. She then orders the magical statues and armor to defend Hogwarts, bringing the castle itself to life.
Voldemort's Ultimatum
Voldemort's voice echoes through Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, demanding they surrender Harry Potter or face destruction. Harry is willing to turn himself in, but the school stands with him. Students, teachers, and the Order of the Phoenix prepare for battle.
The Grey Lady and the Diadem
Harry speaks with Helena Ravenclaw, the Grey Lady ghost, who reveals she told Tom Riddle where to hide her mother's diadem in the Room of Requirement. The Horcrux is hidden among thousands of objects in the room where things are lost.
The Kiss
Ron and Hermione destroy the Hufflepuff Cup Horcrux with a basilisk fang from the Chamber of Secrets. In the aftermath, they finally kiss, a moment of joy before the battle intensifies. Their relationship, built over seven years, culminates amidst chaos and danger.
Draco in the Room of Requirement
While searching for the diadem, Harry encounters Draco, Goyle, and Blaise Zabini. Goyle casts Fiendfyre, a cursed fire that destroys Horcruxes but cannot be controlled. The room becomes an inferno. Harry saves Draco's life despite their enmity, showing his fundamental goodness even toward enemies.
The Battle of Hogwarts Begins
Voldemort and his army attack. Death Eaters, giants, and Dementors assault the school while protective enchantments shield it. The battle is massive in scale with hundreds of wizards fighting across the grounds and castle. Major characters including McGonagall, Molly Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and students fight desperately.
Snape's Memories
In the Boathouse, Voldemort orders Nagini to kill Snape, believing this will make him master of the Elder Wand. As Snape dies, he gives Harry his memories. In the Pensieve, Harry witnesses Snape's entire story - his love for Lily Potter, his guilt over her death, and his years protecting Harry at Dumbledore's request. The revelation transforms Snape from villain to tragic hero.
Harry is a Horcrux
Snape's memories reveal the terrible truth: when Voldemort tried to kill baby Harry, he accidentally made Harry into a Horcrux. As long as Harry lives, Voldemort cannot die. Harry must let Voldemort kill him to destroy the Horcrux within himself.
The Walk to Death
Harry walks through the battle toward the Forbidden Forest. He sees friends and loved ones dead or dying. Using the Resurrection Stone, he summons the spirits of his parents, Sirius, and Lupin. They comfort him and walk with him to his death. Harry tells them he's afraid, and they assure him death is easy, like going to sleep.
Harry's Sacrifice
Harry faces Voldemort and offers no resistance. Voldemort casts the Killing Curse. Harry awakes in a white limbo resembling King's Cross station where Dumbledore's spirit explains what happened. Because Voldemort used Harry's blood to resurrect himself, Lily's protection lives in Voldemort. Harry cannot be killed by him. Harry can choose to return.
Neville's Stand
Voldemort displays Harry's apparently dead body and demands surrender. Neville Longbottom refuses. When Voldemort attempts to torture him with the Sorting Hat, Neville pulls the Sword of Gryffindor from the burning hat and decapitates Nagini, destroying the final Horcrux. His moment of supreme courage proves him a true Gryffindor.
The Final Battle
Harry reveals he's alive and the battle resumes with renewed hope. Molly Weasley duels and kills Bellatrix Lestrange in revenge for Bellatrix's crimes. Throughout the castle, good triumphs over evil as Death Eaters are defeated.
The Final Duel
Harry confronts Voldemort. He explains that Snape was never the Elder Wand's master - Draco was, since he disarmed Dumbledore. When Harry disarmed Draco at Malfoy Manor, the wand's allegiance transferred to Harry. Voldemort casts the Killing Curse while Harry casts Expelliarmus. The Elder Wand refuses to kill its true master. Voldemort's curse rebounds and destroys him.
The Elder Wand Destroyed
Rather than keep the most powerful wand in existence, Harry breaks it and throws it away. He chooses a normal life over power, the ultimate rejection of Voldemort's philosophy.
Nineteen Years Later
An epilogue shows Harry and Ginny, along with Ron and Hermione, sending their own children to Hogwarts. Harry assures his son Albus Severus, named for two headmasters, that being sorted into Slytherin would be fine. The series ends where it began - Platform 9¾ - showing that love, friendship, and family endure beyond any dark magic.
Main Characters Featured
- Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) - Accepts his fate and defeats Voldemort
- Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) - Fights bravely and finally admits his feelings for Hermione
- Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) - Brilliant and brave to the end
- Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) - Finally defeated by his own curse
- Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) - His true loyalty and love for Lily revealed
- Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) - The unexpected hero who destroys Nagini
- Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith) - Leads Hogwarts's defense
- Molly Weasley (Julie Walters) - Kills Bellatrix to protect her daughter
- Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) - Dies in the final battle
- Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) - Saved by Harry, inadvertently crucial to Voldemort's defeat
- Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) - Fights alongside Harry and becomes his wife
- Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch) - Helps Harry find the Ravenclaw Horcrux
- Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) - Appears in spirit to explain everything to Harry
Critical Reception
Part 2 received widespread critical acclaim as a worthy conclusion to the series. Critics praised the emotional weight, spectacular action sequences, and the revelation of Snape's true nature as one of cinema's greatest character arcs.
Alan Rickman's performance in the Pensieve sequence was particularly lauded as devastating and beautiful. The Battle of Hogwarts was praised for its scale and emotional stakes, making the audience care about every casualty.
Some felt the epilogue was awkward or unnecessary, and a few key book moments were missing. However, most agreed the film successfully concluded a decade-long journey and honored both the books and the fans.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% Certified Fresh (Critics), 89% (Audience)
Metacritic: 85/100 (Universal acclaim)
Awards: Nominated for 3 Academy Awards (Art Direction, Visual Effects, Makeup)
Box Office Performance
Part 2 was the highest-grossing Harry Potter film and the highest-grossing film of 2011:
Opening Weekend
$169.2 million (US)
Domestic Total
$381 million
International
$960.5 million
Worldwide Total
$1.342 billion
The film set numerous records including the biggest opening weekend ever at the time. It became the third film to gross over $1 billion and concluded the franchise with over $7.7 billion total worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing film series ever.
Adaptation Notes
Changes from the book include:
- The final duel takes place throughout the castle rather than in the Great Hall
- Harry destroys the Elder Wand rather than returning it to Dumbledore's tomb
- Many character deaths occur off-screen or differently than in the book
- Harry doesn't repair his own wand before breaking the Elder Wand
- The full depth of Dumbledore's past with Grindelwald is reduced
- Some of the epilogue details are changed
- Several minor characters' fates are not shown or are different
Series Legacy
The Harry Potter film series became a cultural phenomenon:
- Eight films released over ten years (2001-2011)
- Total worldwide box office: $7.7 billion
- Launched the careers of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint
- Featured legendary British actors across all generations
- Inspired theme parks, stage plays, and spin-off films
- Created a lasting franchise that introduced millions to the books
- Proved that faithful literary adaptations could be commercially successful
- Influenced a generation's childhoods and continues to attract new fans