The End of Harry Potter

When Deathly Hallows first came out, I read it quickly and without thought. Just like many other readers out there, I raced to the end of the book, without putting much thought into what Rowling was trying to convey.  I read only the explicit content, not the implicit. Reading it now as a much older and more mature version of myself, I have a better understanding of the plot, of why things happened as they did.

In this last book, Rowling gave us an influx of new information, particularly about Dumbledore and Snape.  Harry, early on, realized that he knew little about his headmaster. As he learned that Dumbledore had dabbled in the Dark Arts and that his sister, Harry’s emotions towards Dumbledore changed drastically. He was angry that Dumbledore hadn’t told him any of this personally. He started to doubt Dumbledore. Many, including myself, had forgotten that Dumbledore was only human, that even he could make mistakes. He did what he thought best at the time. Harry may have been angry, but he never stopped loving Dumbledore.  Harry understood Dumbledore’s intentions the moment he went to Voldemort and when he spoke to him at King’s Cross Station. The relationship between the two was far too strong for it to be severed.

Snape’s character was frustrating, to say the least. He was mean and foul, but, at times, his actions made us rethink all that. He tried to save Harry from Quirrell. He alerted the Order that Harry had gone to the Department of Mysteries. Yet, Harry never saw past the hatred Snape emanated towards him. Snape’s dislike for James translated to Harry. Harry’s relationship with Snape was the completely opposite of his with Dumbledore. And, in the moment Snape killed Dumbledore, Harry’s hatred towards him intensified. But, when Harry saw Snape murdered and looked into his memories, he understood. Snape was not a nice person, but he took risks and made sacrifices to keep a part of Lily alive.

By developing Dumbledore and Snape as she does, Rowling makes us aware of certain points. Even good people can have dark pasts. It’s not all black and white, as Sirius emphasizes; we each have good and bad inside of us. What’s important is what part we choose to act on. We’re all humans, we all make mistakes. But, people can change. Harry Potter reminds us that those with love and friendship will triumph and that the right choices are often the hardest choices.