Thursday, July 26, 2007

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows



"A master of death..." is what Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is all about. Who would have thought the it would end the same way as it had started - a backfired curse!


This is a very dark and scary novel, yet at the same time, portrays a deep sense of
courage and bravery, that no one can muster. To stand at the face of death, on your own, just for the rest to survive is an act of courage that is ineffable in its greater sense. This is a highly recommendable book for those book lovers out there.



What is in store for you while reading the book?

Many! All unresolved problems left by the six other books are answered in this
final book; from the prophecy of Trelawney, to Snape's loyalty, and so much more
including the life of Lily Evans, and the Howler sent to Petunia.


What is the Deathly Hallows and why is it called such?

The Deathly Hallows is considered a tale of the three brothers who have all surpassed
Death. It came from the book of Beedle the Bard, an ancient rune book, written by
Beedle himself. Why is it so important? It's important because all the necessary objects told in story are the key objects that helped the protagonist, Harry, to sum up all the courage to face Voldemort in the end, and it said that who ever collected all the three objects can be a master of death.


What are these objects told in the story of the Deathly Hallows?

The objects are as follows:

1. The Elder Wand - given to the eldest Peverell by death

2. The Resurrection Stone - given to the second Peverell Brother

3. The Invisibilty Cloak - given to Ignotius Peverell


Was the prophecy fulfilled?

Yes, it was fulfilled, and Harry was the one to survive. How? The true master of the
Elder wand won its allegiance and the curse brought about it backfired on Voldemort.


Who are the two main chracters that died?

That I cannot tell exactly. It's either Fred Weasly, Severus Snape, Nymphadora Tonks,
or Remus Lupin.


Who is the reprieve?

Severus Snape


What are the Horcruxes and how was it destroyed?

The Horcruxes are the following:

1. The Diary of Tom Riddle - destroyed by Harry in using the Basilisk's fang

2. The Ring of Marvolo Gaunt - destroyed by Albus Dumbledore using the Gryffindor Sword

3. The Locket of Tom Riddle's mother - destroyed by Ron using the Gryffindor Sword

4. The Golden Cup of Helga Hufflepuff - destroyed by Hermione

5. The Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw - destroyed by Crabbe using fiendfyre

6. The snake, Nagini - killed by Neville using the Gryffindor Sword

7. Harry Potter, himself - destroyed by Voldemort using a killing curse.


How did Harry survived if Voldemort used a killing curse?

This one is hard to explain, though it is said that Harry survived because of the enchanted blood forcefully taken to him by Voldemort, in the Goblet of Fire.

“He took your blood believing it would strengthen him. He took into his body a tiny part of the enchantment your mother laid upon you when she died for
you. His body keeps her sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survives,
so do you and so does Voldemort’s one last hope for himself.”


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Friday, July 20, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

A lot of leaks have been circulating around the internet for the past few days prior the release of the last installment of the much-awaited book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, stating that the said leaks were real, genuine and authentic. However, there were no given proofs, whatsoever on its authenticity, except for the fact that it was a photographed copy of the book.


A photographed copy, and yes there are two different copies circulating over; both of which have minor discrepancies over their plot. So which of which was real? A reader could never tell unless the real book was released tomorrow. So far, all were speculations that the one was fake and the other was genuine, or vice versa.



How come there was a leak of the photographed book, though its tight security measures? Simple, because according to the news some retailers in the US had breached the strict rules and delivered the books early as expected, hence the the said leak occurred.


Which was the genuine book? Although, Scholastic and J.K. Rowling had not spilled anything on the authenticity of the leak, a popular journal in the US broke the never ending saga of the debate. According to the New York Times

... it turns out that they were, in fact, the genuine article. The New York Times bought a copy of the book in a New York store on Wednesday and compared it with the images posted on the Web.


The amateurish photos showed each pair of facing pages of the book laid out on a beige red-and-green-flecked looped carpet and held open by somebody’s fingers. Some of the photos made the pages difficult to read, but the ending, upon which fervent speculation has centered for months, was completely decipherable.



Hence, now spoilers are everywhere...


Related Links:


New York Times

BBC News

Wikipedia