Harry Potter’s Dramatic Finale

Joo-Ah Lee, Feature Editor
David Sorensen, News Editor

There is a somber, yet strangely hopeful, reverence that follows the end of any story, especially one that has become so deeply integrated into our culture that the general population is more familiar with its characters than with the members of our own Senate. [Caution: This article contains spoilers.]

In the case of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two,” dedicated fans nationwide mourn the loss not only of the series, but also of the characters themselves.

“I went to the theaters five times… I cried so hard. I didn’t want to leave,” said Sophomore Jennifer Orantes. She noted, like many others before her, that the deaths of the characters made the story more realistic, which is rather odd considering the idea that fiction is supposed to be surreal.

“When it was my 12th birthday, I cried because I didn’t get a letter from Hogwarts,” said Sophomore Bonnie Fisher. “Harry Potter is real to me.” Since the first novel’s publication in 1997, Harry Potter has enchanted both children and adults alike.

Students that missed it in theaters (heaven forbid) or wish to revisit Hogwarts for a spell will have the opportunity to do so as “Deathly Hallows: Part Two” comes to campus this weekend.

RottenTomatoes.com gives “Deathly Hallow: Part Two” a 96% rating, which is nothing to shake a stick (or wand) at; those negative reviews that can be found generally revolve around things like predictability of action sequences, clichés in the story line, and lack of moral value, which obviously doesn’t amount to much in the public’s mind.

A few even compared it to the famous trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, both positively and negatively. “I like Lord of the Rings, but Harry Potter doesn’t teach you anything,” said Senior Scotty Tiosso. “It’s just a story of one evil that looks better than another.”

J.K. Rowling stated in an interview (which can be found on the upcoming DVD) that her original plans did not include the death of any characters. However, in a depressive state of mind, she killed off a character to reassure herself.

From there, things seemed to have spiraled out of control, especially in the last book where she wanted many characters to die for the sake of the war.
The most notable death is that of Remus Lupin, who wasn’t supposed to die in any of her versions.

Rowling intended for him to continue living happily along with Tonks and their son, but this plan was abandoned in favor of keeping Hagrid alive. The image of Hagrid carrying Harry was the cornerstone of the whole story because it led back to the first novel, where Hagrid carried the baby Harry to his Muggle aunt and uncle.

And because Hagrid’s life was equal to Lupin’s, Rowling felt justified in killing Lupin for the sake of parallel structure in the series. “The deaths were sad but necessary,” explained Fisher. “They also symbolize different things. For example, Hedwig’s death represented Harry’s loss of innocence. They were also dying for something they believed in, too.”

Harry’s adventure has come to an end, and many of his friends are dead. But worry not! If we have learned anything from Warner Brothers, it is that no matter how finished a story line can be, there are always a few spin-offs and remakes in the works where a quick buck can be made. And with the massive amounts of money these books and films have already grossed, fans can rest assured that the world has not seen the last of Harry Potter.