“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good”
At midnight on June 15, 2011, I lined up in costume, as well as a plethora of other Harry Potter fanatics (Used in the best sense of the word here). When the lights dimmed and the movie started there was an excited buzz electrifying the air, girls squealed and guys clapped until the first scene’s dialogue started, then a hush like none I’ve ever heard descended into the movie theater.
There were gray haired adults, young school-aged children staying up way past their bedtime, and teenagers wearing the best getup all heading out to see the conclusion. The beloved movie series—spawned from a widely read book series—was now reaching its completion. Both the movie and the book series enthralled readers and movie-goers of all ages.
Part two of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was very much what the fans expected, but it also was a letdown in some regard as well.
The first major action scenes is in the Wizard Bank, Gringotts, where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Griphook the Goblin, and another bewitched goblin descend into the ominous catacomb-like underground where they desperately search for a Horcrux, all this while Hermione pretended to be Bellatrix Lestrange.
After the heart-pounding scenes the plot speed up and they were already trying to figure out a way back into the now dark-wizard controlled Hogwarts. With the help of Albus Dumbledore’s brother, Aberforth they snuck back onto the school. Anyone reading the book will realize they missed out on a major part of the back story to the seventh book and Dumbledore’s story as well. Dummbledore’s sister is mentioned, briefly by name, and the unfurling of part of his past never happened. For those who watched the movies but not read the book, they missed out on some crucial information.
There was no time to lament the lost scene as the battle of Hogwarts was starting. The students assembled, wands ready, to fight off the oncoming dark witches, wizards, and the other dark creatures Voldemort employed. Harry, Ron, and Hermione run off to find one of the remaining Horecruxes.
The search leads them into a headlong battle—a battle of survival too—with Draco Malfoy and his cronies. In the end Harry saves his life and leaves to finish his mission.
It was evident that the movie was slowly wrapping up at this point. The action was escalading, and the long-awaited prophesy would soon be fulfilled, “Neither can live while the other survives.”, before that could happen, a heart-wrenching scene with Snape left few eyes dry. Alan Rickman should receive an award for his work, as the theater was filled with the sound of fans sobbing, and that is no hyperbole.
The movie seemed to take the books lead and not divulge into the deaths of those during the battle, a brief pass-by of the camera, a few tears, some people mentioned in the book in passing were completely overlooked in the movie. For those that haven’t read the books or seen the movie, I will not mention names, but it was too short of a scene for those of us who read the books and fell in love with the characters in every single book, especially the consistent characters from the beginning. The director may not have understood the complete draw of the book was not just in the three heroes, but also the side characters like Luna Lovegood and Seamus Finnigan. They played just as much of a role as Harry Potter and the last movie (Both one and two) shirked on their part.
The rest of the movie I won’t spoil, my last comment on the end scenes is; how I wished that last scene was longer so the movie would never have to end.
Books are by and large better than their movies, with Harry Potter it is a close draw. The last movie left out some scenes, just worrying about building up action that peaked in a moment and then skydived to the conclusion. In some ways I think the movie would have been better with thirty extra minutes to add all that they skipped over, but as Harry Potter is and always will be; it was magical.
So as fans of the books, dried their eyes and left only once the last credit rolled, we raised our handmade wands in our Luna, Dumbledore, Umbridge, Hermione, Ron, and Harry Potter-costumed hands and whispered the words which encompassed our childhood;
“Mischief Managed”