At the end of life and all its ups and downs comes death, bringing along with it answers and explanations. The Harry Potter series ends the same way — questions answered, doubts quelled — a satisfying closure to a story of 4,000 pages.
I am not here to give spoilers, for facts and surprises must be read only as JKR meant them to be. The fun of reading the seventh book lies in keeping pace with the super-fast story; you won’t get a minute to rest.
Each and every page, starting from the very first of Deathly Hallows, has action, suspense, and a whole lot of surprises. You may not even believe the things that happen in Harry’s 17th year — Harry returns to Privet Drive before his birthday and there are twists there. The Order of the Phoenix comes to take him to headquarters, and again the unexpected is thrown at you. But of course, this is the last book, things are not going to happen at a lazy pace. You must understand that, finally, the Dark Lord is going to take matters into his own hands and that too immediately.
By now, with all the gaps left in the overall story, you must have formed quite a few theories about who’s good, who’s bad, what happened when, where and why.
And with all the hype and speculation (in the form of unofficial leaks) that has been circulated over the Internet, many of these theories may have been confirmed. Many new theories may have also been formed. However, it is best that you wipe the slate clean and read Deathly Hallows with no pre-formed ideas. It’s more fun that way. You may even feel stupid for believing some theories, which in Book 7 prove to be nothing but decoys or red herrings.
Granted that there will be a lot of “I-knew-it!” moments, but Rowling doesn’t leave them bland. RAB is revealed in such a way that will leave you puzzled and shocked with a change of heart.
In between all these shocking twists and turns, as you reach the middle of the book, the Deathly Hallows are introduced. Questions about what the Hallows are answered in slow motion, but spectacularly. It is only towards the end of the book that you realise how important they are to Harry in his battle against Voldemort.
The battle itself is poetry that comes to life. It takes place over a couple of chapters – after all, that is the highlight of the entire book. Not a word is wasted, every action is described with crisp detail so that you feel you are right there, fighting with Neville, Aberforth and the rest of the crew.
There is one distraction in the entire book and it comes in the form of the chapter ‘King’s Cross’. It divides the final face-off between Voldemort and Harry in two equal parts. When you’re that gripped with excitement, this slow chapter can make you impatient and irritated, because it is all talk and no action. In your first read, it’s ok to read through it fast to get to the actual action. This chapter is meant to be re-read once you have finished the book. It is the most crucial one, where all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are fitted together.
In parting, I would suggest not obsessing over whether Harry will live or die. As you get towards the ending, you realise that it is immaterial. What matters is that he defeats Voldemort, that good triumphs over evil. That is a happy ending.
