You're gonna be bothered by how cool I am.

There’s a moment somewhere around the middle of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - where McGonagall is doing that spell she always wanted to do and the other professors and Order members are securing the castle – where I found myself (as the fandom saying goes) quite literally shaking and crying. Not from sadness or joy, not even from excitement, exactly. No, I think the feeling was pride. With all the fuss that’s been made about watching Dan, Rupert, Emma, and the other former children grow up in front of our eyes, I feel a very similar sentiment for this film series as a whole. I’ve watched it grow from the entertaining (and occasionally corny) child’s play of Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets, with barely a hint of the conflict ahead, to a very nearly (though still not quite) grown up epic worthy to stand alongside much higher brow epics, including Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. Yeah, I said it. I'm talking filmmaking here, not faithfulness to the source material, which is nice when it happens but is frankly immaterial to whether a film is quality or not. Sure, there are decisions I would have made differently, just as there are people I love who I wish had made different choices in their lives. But I love them nonetheless.





I can’t put DH7.2 into simple terms like “I loved it” or “I hated it” or whatever. It’s difficult for me to “review” because it’s not really a … well, it’s not exactly a film by itself. It cannot exist without Part 1, and frankly it can’t do without the other six films either. So I’m left with little to do but walk through the film like a tour guide and point and comment, which I hardly think does this series and its spectacular finale justice, but … what else can I do?



We start with the final moments of the previous film – Voldemort breaking open Dumbledore’s grave and stealing the Elder Wand and celebrating with a bolt of lightning to the sky. This threw me on the first viewing, because it happens even before the WB logo drifts onto the screen. Then we get a glimpse of Hogwarts under Snape’s leadership – or, let’s face it, Voldemort’s leadership. Children march in formation, as if the castle has been occupied by Nazis, and Snape looks down from a high window with all the conflict we already know from the books is bouncing around in his tortured soul.

Cut to Shell Cottage, which here belongs to a Weasley aunt (Muriel? Bill doesn’t specify), and it’s a hideout for what’s left of the Order. Harry comes in from brooding over Dobby’s grave and the mysterious mirror fragment, and Luna, commenting on the beauty of the place and admiring a wind chime, sets the tone for the whole film with this brilliant line – “Muggles think these keep evil away. But they’re wrong.” You said it, girl. First tears of the movie for me, upon first viewing.



Next we have two scenes that would have no business being in the first 10 minutes of any other movie, but are pretty essential in this one to what comes next. Harry talks to Griphook (with Ron and Hermione looking on) about breaking into a Gringotts vault. Griphook asks for Gryffindor’s sword as payment for his assistance, just as he does in the book (though he doesn’t take the few days to think about it), and tells them that Professor Snape put a copy of it in Bellatrix’s vault. Tips the hand far too much about Snape’s true allegiance, but ah well. Harry then talks to Ollivander about the Deathly Hallows, particularly the Elder Wand. I remember there being quite a bit of controversy about this, as Ollivander doesn’t know about the Hallows in the book, only rumours of the wand, and would surely have spilled about the other two Hallows to Voldemort under pain of torture. Well, no, he wouldn’t have had any need to tell Voldemort about the stone and the cloak, even if he did know about them, because as Dumbledore said, Voldemort wouldn’t have been interested in them. And of course, this being a Part 2, it’s a good idea to remind us about the Hallows and what they are. Ollivander is as simple a solution as possible to that.

I do love how the movie as a whole emphasizes the idea of wand allegiance, as that was one of the more confusing aspects of the book. The idea of a wand changing allegiances also subtly underlines the mystery of Snape’s allegiance, I think. Well played, Kloves.



Then it’s Polyjuice time! How perfect is Helena Bonham Carter as Hermione doing her best Bellatrix (and pretty much failing)? She does Emma so well, and it’s so hilarious to see “Bellatrix” being all scared and insecure. And we’re off to Gringotts, where the goblin bank tellers have gotten EVEN CREEPIER than they were in the first movie. There’s just something about those black doll eyes in their doughy little faces that gives me the squirms. Glad they kept the bit about Harry using Imperius, though it’s Ron who does the curse the second time. Is it just me or does Bogrod look like he’s smelling some pungent flatulence when he gets hit with it? Seriously, all I could think of is the episode of South Park where Stan’s family moves to San Francisco and everyone delights in the smell of their own farts.

The heist section and the stealing of Hufflepuff’s cup was done rather well, I thought. Gringotts seems to have upgraded their roller coaster bank carts for an even more thrilling (if canon questionable) ride. The dragon was perfect, I thought, and LOL at Hermione’s indignation on behalf of magical creatures, even in the middle of a robbery. Treasure in the Lestrange vault only multiplies and doesn’t inflict burns as it does in the book, which makes Hermione using the dittany later a little superfluous, but I guess their hands could have been raw from holding on to the dragon. I could not care less that it’s Hermione’s idea to jump on the dragon. It goes well with her concerns about the dragon being abused and I can see it being as much about freeing the dragon as using it to escape. Also, is it just me or is Rupert really hard to understand when he (I guess, because I couldn't understand him!) comments on Griphook’s treachery and says at least they’ve still got Bogrod. A rare moment of frustration in an otherwise flaw-free performance. And as the trio fly to freedom, we begin the “Brilliant!”-off between Ron and Hermione, starting with Ron. :)

The trio jump from the dragon (Ron’s idea here, though it’s Harry’s in the book) and Harry gets a Voldie-flash. Someone mentioned to me that it looked as if the film was putting forward the idea that using the Elder Wand when it’s not rightfully yours weakens you, but I don’t think that’s what is meant by Harry’s explanation here. Voldemort’s fragmented thoughts and instability isn’t linked to the wand at all that I can see (except that Harry first comments on it shortly - but not that shortly - after the wand is stolen), and I don’t think it even has (much) to do with the Horcruxes being destroyed. I think it’s more a psychological thing, where Voldemort is finally betraying some vulnerability. Harry says “If anything, he feels more dangerous” and that totally fits with him going bugnuts and killing everyone in the room. It’s unclear who he’s supposed to have killed – a synopsis I read says it’s all the Gringotts goblins (and we do see a slain Griphook), but then when he’s walking among the dead (EXCELLENT image with the bloodied bodies and Voldemort’s blood-stained bare feet) he seems to be at Malfoy Manor, not Gringotts, so then how is Griphook there? Need to see it again, I guess. Darn.

So Harry, having seen Hogwarts castle and Rowena Ravenclaw (too bad if you haven’t read the books and don’t know who that is – your loss!) in Voldemort’s thoughts and thinking there could be a Horcrux there, suggests they go immediately. After they change into some dry clothes, of course. Hermione’s all “But we have to have a plan!” and Harry’s all “What has our brief history of planning taught us, Hermione?” but all I can see in this scene is a gorgeous shirtless Ron. Thank you, David Yates.



They Apparate into Hogsmeade, which for some reason is covered in snow when the neighboring Hogwarts is not. Perhaps they went to Florida by mistake? Ah no, this is the right one, because they set off the Caterwauling Charm, which is (I loved this) literally the sound of cats screeching. A mysterious person opens a door and beckons them inside, everyone pauses deja-vu-like as they pass him, and Ron and Hermione remark how much he looks like Dumbledore. Well, that’s because he IS Dumbledore, you numpties! Aberforth Dumbledore, that is, played by the impeccable Ciaran Hinds. “In all the time you knew him, did he ever mention my name?” Yes he did, in the books, but no, not in the movies, which is fine because he was never germane to the plot until now and because it adds to the sense that there was so much about Dumbledore that Harry never knew. Hermione knows about Ariana, because of course we’ve seen her reading Rita’s book. We don’t get the full story on her (or Grindelwald), which is only logical, because there was no way to present it without slowing the movie down just before it gets to the good stuff. There’s already one big “splaining” section in the movie, and if it’s a choice between the two, clearly the Snape stuff is way more important. It’s very interesting backstory for Dumbledore, to be sure, but this is, as he says later, Harry’s party.

The reveal of Neville was only a teensy bit wrong for me – we should have *seen* him first, before Harry said his name. Neville gives good, fairly concise exposition here, except I don’t much care for the sensationalized edit of them performing Cruciatus on first years instead of detention-earners. That’s some sick hazing shit right there. Love the seemingly throw-away line about no one seeing much of Snape, who of course would be participating as little as possible in the new cruelty regime while unable to do much about it without giving himself away.

I love LOVE LOVE the reveal of Harry in the Room of Requirement, especially the brilliant stroke of using John Williams Sorcerer’s Stone score to highlight that Harry is back home. Love the “not much to go on”/”that’s nothing to go on” exchange. Also loved the little communication system and the fact that the signal for Harry’s return was “Lightning has struck.” Not going to ask how Luna is already there when she was at Shell Cottage just a few scenes ago. She is Luna and she just knows, man, and she’s there. She and Cho have some useful information about Ravenclaw’s diadem, and then Ginny arrives with a warning, although not before exchanging blazing looks with Harry and TOTALLY ignoring her brother, “Frankie First Year.” Seamus gets maybe his best line in the series here, reminding Ron that she’s got tons of brothers, but only one Harry. Everyone say it with me – awwwwwww.

There’s not really time to get into why everyone is hanging out in the Room of Reqirement and yet most of them are still very obviously in school, so I’m not too fussed about that. And yes, there are people there in Hogwarts robes who should have already graduated, but there’s a simplicity to using those familiar faces that means more than the math to me. Plus, we should all be used to them fiddling with ages and houses for convenience sake. I'm sure you all remember that Jo is not perfect at this either (see Flint, Marcus).



Snape demands info on the freshly spotted Harry Potter, and Harry’s all “I got your info right here, bitch!” Before Snape can pretend to attack, however, Minerva “BAMF” McGonagall steps in and duels Snape (which is in the book, but it happens somewhere else). Minnie rather deftly takes care of the Carrows before Snape does a bunk (missed that line, but the prompting wasn’t there either), leaving her to scream “COWARD!” at him through the shattered window out of which he’s just flown.

Loved the effect of Voldemort’s voice all over the castle, as if he’s whispering in everyone’s ears rather than being magically magnified (as he is, yes I know, in the book). The screaming girls were a nice touch – that’s got to be the creepiest thing EVER, even more creepy than the Gringotts goblins! Filch then makes one last comical appearance (“STUDENTS OU’ OF BED!”) and McG asks him to escort the finger-pointing Pansy and the rest of the Slytherins out, suggesting the dungeons (but I’m pretty sure that’s just trash-talking and it amuses me to see people taking that seriously, much like her “gallant” line from the book that tons of people thought meant "yay, torture is awesome").



Harry tells McGonagall he needs as much time as they can give him, and she makes to secure the castle. And is the biggest BAMF that ever BAMFed. This is one of my absolute favorite scenes in the entire series, and OMG I AM CRYING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. Incredible music cue here – again, one of my favorites in the series. And it’s here where the films basically say “You know, maybe we *ain’t* Lord of the Rings, but here’s what we’ve got.” And it’s pretty effing great, if you ask me. Gotta love the last little Fred and George moment (“Are you alright, Freddie?”).

Oh, but before the statues come to life, McGonagall gives Neville permission to blow up the bridge, suggesting that he confer with Seamus and his pyro expertise. Loved that they made the running gag about Seamus blowing stuff up a matter of actual use instead of just another laugh. Harry runs into Ron and Hermione, and Hermione is fangirling Ron’s brilliant idea of going to the Chamber of Secrets to get a basilisk fang to destroy the Hufflecrux with. And is it somewhere around here that Neville is looking for Luna to tell her that he’s “mad for her” because it might be his last chance? I always loved Neville/Luna, and despite the fact that he ended up married to someone else, I love the idea that he and Luna might have had a brief relationship in the flush of Voldemort’s defeat. And of course Jo did say she understood the appeal as well, which makes it all okay. :D And right after Neville runs off, Harry gets a last chance of his own, kissing Ginny, perhaps for the last time, and starting to tell her something before she simply says “I know.” Not canon, but so in character. Kind of reminiscent of the break-up scene in Book 6.



Ron and Hermione then enter the Chamber of Sexual Symbolism. Ron can speak a bit of Parseltoungue because apparently movie!Harry talks all snakey in his sleep, which makes at least as much sense to me as him remembering something in another language that he heard several months before in a moment of extreme stress. Also, of course Hermione hasn’t noticed that Harry talks in his sleep, Ron – you’re the one who’s slept with him for the past 7 years! :P Ron lets Hermione destroy the cup, which doesn’t seem to test her as the Locketcrux did Ron (but then the Ravencrux doesn’t do anything like that either, even in the book). And after being dowsed by a tsunami (water is also sexually symbolic, don’t you know), they (FINALLY) kiss rather passionately, putting seven years of romantic tension to rest along with another bit of Voldemort’s soul. The kiss, by the way, is just as obscured by someone's head as the H/G kiss in Part 1, but I haven't seen many complaints. Not that I'm making a point or anything. :P

Luna is the one to guide Harry to Helena Ravenclaw, because there’s just not time to go through all the steps Harry goes through in the book. It makes total sense that Luna would be sort of friends with the Ravenclaw ghost. Kelly McDonald is wonderful here (“HE DEFILED IT! WITH DARK MAGIC!”), and the only thing that bugs me about this scene is the mention of Tom Riddle wanting to destroy the diadem. I get that he was lying in order to find out where it was and all, but … why would anyone have wanted to destroy it *before* it was a Horcrux? I really love her clue about “the room where everything is hidden” too – “If you have to ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only ask.” Nice little riddle for the Room of Requirement, which makes a good substitute for the riddles used to get into Ravenclaw Tower in the book.

Ron and Hermione look for Harry on the map and find him, but he immediately disappears. Ron figures he might have gone into the Room of Requirement, remembering that Hermione had said last year (in the book, though not the movie, as I recall) that the room doesn’t show up on the map, and I just love this little moment of them admiring each other’s brilliance so I’m going to bask in it a moment. *sigh*

Okay, back to business. Harry finds the diadem in the Room of Requirement (Cornish Pixies represent!) using his Voldie-sense, but before he can do anything with it, Malfoy shows up with Goyle and Crabbe the infinitely complex Blaise Zabini in tow. Malfoy wants his wand back, and there’s a rather wonderful line here about his mother’s wand and how it doesn’t understand him, much like a sullen teenager would talk about their parents in our world. Harry asks why Draco didn’t betray him back at Malfoy Manor, and Draco has no answer. He magicks the diadem out of Harry’s hand, though (was he trying to Disarm and it didn't work because of the allegiance thing?), and it flies into a pile of the room’s hidden stuff just as Ron and Hermione appear. A short wand battle ensues and Malfoy tries to AK Hermione, prompting Ron to pull a Han Solo (if you made that connection, you are far from the only one) and scream “THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU NUMPTIES!” Harry uses the distraction to look for the diadem and Hermione helps, after taking a moment to goggle after Ron in a “wow, that’s my man” sort of way. And then Ron completes the Han Solo moment by running from the Stormtroopers Fiendfyre, grabbing his girl, and getting the heck towards the door. There is running, climbing, Goyle dying in Crabbe’s place, life-saving (“IF WE DIE FOR THEM, HARRY, I’M GONNA KILL YOU!” – so happy that line was left in), and a slightly non-canon destruction of the Ravencrux. I loved this change, by the way. Instead of Crabbe inadvertently destroying the Horcrux, the trio basically destroy it together, which is pretty darn cool.

Voldemort uses the Elder Wand to obliterate the defense shield surrounding the castle, and in his blind rage at the Horcrux being destroyed kills a random Death Eater who dares to speak. Neville, formerly safe behind the shield (“You and whose army!”), runs and begins to set off the explosives on the bridge, sending the sexy Scabior and the other Snatchers falling and almost taking Neville himself down with them.

Harry has another Voldie-flash, and this is as good a time as any to cover this aspect of the adaptation. Yes, it’s rather convenient, but I think it's well done, and even though having Voldemort (and Harry) feel it when a Horcrux is destroyed is not canon (and, errr, not consistent with the first two Horcruxes that are destroyed), it’s a great way to set up Harry himself being a Horcrux. Harry now realizes that the snake is the last Horcrux (oh, if only) and Ron gives him a little pep talk to take another psychic peek and find out where it is. This brings them, through the noisy battle (Hermione taking a moment to stop Fenrir Greyback from continuing to devour Lavender Brown, though it looks as if she’s dead nonetheless), to the non-canon but lovely boathouse, where tragedy befalls our beloved Snape. I never got the sense that having the death occur in the Shrieking Shack (as it does in canon) was particularly meaningful. Snape didn’t even get that far along the passage before James stepped in during the infamous Prank of 1970-whatever, that prank was far from the only time (or even the worst time) he was toyed with by the Marauders, and the only time we actually see him in the place in the books is when he catches Sirius, Lupin, and the trio in Book 3 and gets knocked out. I think the reason for using it in the book was simply that it was remote, emphasizing how far from the battle and from danger Voldemort was keeping himself, while others were fighting and dying for him (making his accusation of Harry doing the same thing later even more infuriating).

So Snape dies pretty much exactly as he does in the book, and I love how Harry (quite luckily, I might add) just steps in, out of what can only be compassion (at least that’s how it plays in the film). He collects Snape’s milky tears, and I can only imagine how this must look to someone jumping in for just this film (Snape’s tears are super-powerful – he’s like Chuck Norris!). But before Harry can get to the Pensieve (which Snape pronounces all French-like), he and Ron and Hermione go into the Great Hall of Great Deathiness. Slughorn tends to a wounded Filch. Trelawney and Padma pull a sheet over an unknown dead person. Remus and Tonks lie dead side-by-side, their hands almost touching. And the Weasley family console each other over the fallen Fred. Excellent work by Rupert here. I don’t mind that we don’t see Fred die. We don’t see any of the good guys die in battle, actually (besides Snape, who we don’t “know” yet is good, and who isn’t a battle death but a plotty death), which I kind of like because it doesn’t make any death seem more important than the others. They’re all tragic.



Harry then goes to the Penseive and we have one of the great filmmaking moments in the entire enterprise (kudos to Yates and the editor Mark Day for this montage) – Snape’s backstory, which is EXCEEDINGLY well done. It starts off a bit wonky, because, after hearing Snape say “you have your mother’s eyes” we are now seeing a little girl with BROWN EYES. And of course, then baby James has BLUE EYES, which tops the annoyance off nicely, but eh, at least Geraldine Somerville is blue-eyed. Little Petunia was wonderful, and they even had the scene with Lily and Snape under the tree. Since they undershot the Snape’s Worst Memory portion in Order, we didn’t get the “mudblood” thing, which would have been nice, but Snape still gets plenty to regret. The makeup or CGI or whatever the heck they did to Alan Rickman to try and make him look younger was HORRIBLE, but the acting was superb. And I really loved how they used the pieces of previous films, almost (as cleolinda has said) as if we’re seeing Harry process these memories with his own instead of just watching them. Snape holding Lily’s dead body was a nice touch, but I couldn’t help but giggle at baby Harry crying in the background (“Who is the scary man, and why is he holding my mommy?”).

When Harry comes out of the Penseive, we get to see Dan Radcliffe’s finest, and I felt like I’d never seen his face properly before. Fear, understanding, and even a bit of relief show themselves in a face that in that moment looks like the face of a much older man. He finds Ron and Hermione comforting each other on the stairs and tells them he’s going to the Forest to give himself up. Hermione hugs him emotionally, and he and Ron give each other Significant Bro Looks. I’m sure some fans are pissed about this. I am not. In fact, I think it's rather perfect. It reminded me of the chess scene (more the book than the movie) from a million years ago. Ron’s just lost a brother, and he knows better than just about anyone (besides Harry) that you’ve got to make sacrifices. That’s chess. If you think it looks like Ron doesn’t care – Look. Again.



Harry goes to the Forest and there are All The Tears. He opens the Snitch by saying “I’m ready to die,” (instead of “I am about to die.”) which is another rare improvement on canon, in my opinion. The ghostly figures of Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus (who quite obviously filmed his bit separately, though perhaps they all did). What killed me more than anything else was Lily’s “We never left” and GAH, THERE I GO AGAIN. My only quibble here is that he drops the Stone almost immediately after they promise to stay with him, and I suspect that’s an editing mistake and was meant to happen a few moments later. I suspect something similar happened earlier, in the scene at the boathouse when Voldemort speaks to everyone again. Rupert seems to randomly put his hand to his head, as if he’s just now feeling the effect of Voldemort’s voice, but as those are all reaction shots, it looks like they just got a bit out of order. [ETA: Almost forgot - obviously, it's weird for Harry to mention Remus's son, when we've never even heard that Tonks was pregnant; I wonder if there was more written for this that got cut and they just didn't want to leave Remus with *nothing* to say in this scene.]

King’s Cross was PERFECT. Bloody Babymort was suitably disgusting, and with the exception of the Ariana backstory (which again, was not absolutely essential to the story) Kloves hits all the notes he needed to here. I’m not sure I like the amendment of “Help will always be given…” I mean, surely help shouldn’t only go to people who deserve it, but I love that that line was brought back, because it’s so key to the reappearance of Gryffindor’s sword. My favorite purely Kloves bit, however, was this – “Words are, in my not so humble opinion, a most inexhaustible source of magic.” Spoken like a writer. :) I’m so happy they kept the Greatest Line in All of Canon in there, amending Harry’s bit to “Is this all real,” (emphasis added) which I think emphasizes the connection to our experience as readers/viewers even more.

We return to the Forest, and Voldemort has been knocked to the ground by the attempt to kill Harry. Narcissa is sent to make sure Harry is dead, and, presumably upon feeling a pulse, inquires after Draco. She declares him to indeed be dead and we next see Hagrid being forced to carry Harry's body back to the castle, just like in the book. Bonnie Wright BRANGS it with an excellent “NOOOO!” and Voldemort gloats hilariously (his laugh here is PRICELESS), declaring himself willing to accept Hogwartians into his ranks. Draco (under pressure from his parents) steps forward to receive THE MOST AWKWARD HUG IN THE HISTORY OF TIME. I love the cut back to the crowd and Dean looking like we’re all feeling – dude, that’s just not right. Neville then steps forward, not to join Voldemort, but to give a speech worthy of Henry V. Doesn’t matter that Harry or any of the rest of them are dead, he says, because they live on in all their hearts and whoever’s left is still going to fight.



At this point, Harry leaps out of Hagrid’s huge arms (this could have been done better, I thought), and hope springs eternal. Voldemort’s followers (I know it looks like too many Death Eaters, but I don’t think they all are – just people who joined the winning side; the DE’s are just the Inner Circle. Did I just make a sly fandom reference, why yes I did!) are like “F*** this noise!” and get the heck out of Dodge. This includes the Malfoys, who look as if they wonder why they were ever on that side to begin with. As there are so few of Voldemort’s peeps left, the Hogwartians have the rest of the battle well in hand. Molly pwns Bellatrix, as she does in the book, complete with the Ellen Ripley line, and Ron and Hermione try to get to the snake while Harry battles Voldemort all over the grounds.

I loved this, by the way. There’s no way to do exactly what’s in the book with them circling each other and monologue-ing at each other without being cheesy as hell and compelling the use of Ennio Morricone’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly score. I mean, come on. And I really loved Harry pulling Voldemort into that chasm and don’t understand why people think it’s weird when it’s SO TOTALLY BADASS. It’s like the actual version of Brad Neely’s Cribbage commentary – “Are they gonna crash? Yes, they’re gonna crash! But Harry loves death! He says bring it on!” Seriously, no way is Voldemort going to let himself hit the ground, and Harry knows it. I do like the simplicity in the book of it just being one spell, but that would have been anticlimactic after such an action-packed battle, so of course they duel all over the castle, culminating in a two-part Wizard Lightning Battle. The first part is interrupted when Neville slays the snake Nagini and Voldemort and Harry both react to the destruction of the last Horcrux. They go at it again and Harry claims the Elder Wand which is rightfully his. Voldemort dissolves into nothing (just like when the curse originally rebounded all those years ago) and ... it’s done.

Harry goes back to the castle to find a much happier scene, including a “How you doin’?” between Neville and Luna (and Filch trying to take a broom to the enormous mess), and meets Ron and Hermione holding hands and being all “yeah we know, finally, you don’t have to say it.” The three of them go to a high point in what’s left of the castle, and Harry explains about how the Elder Wand changed allegiances before breaking it in half and throwing it into the chasm below (which he totally should have done in the book – after repairing his own wand, of course – instead of just saying “oh well, I guess I’ll just hope I die of natural causes”).

And then we get the epilogue, which is just as contentious on film as it was in the book, apparently. I think it’s wonderful (especially as they once again used John Williams score from a more innocent time in the series). I thought the aging effects were fine (though very little seems to have been done to Emma) – I’ve seen much worse (LIKE SNAPE, FOR EXAMPLE) – and no, Ron does not have a pot belly. He is leaning down with an arm around his son and has a bit of a gut, like pretty much all men his age. And he DOES TOO speak in the scene (yes, I saw that outrage) and his line is no more or less meaningful than Hermione’s maternal dithering. Daddy Harry was perfect (love the little look he gives Ginny before he hangs back, just like canon), although Dan’s halting delivery of “Albus … Severus … Potter” was a little weird, almost as if he was doing a bad impression of Snape. And there’s a cute image of Al, James, Rose, and a couple of other kids (and their Chocolate Frogs) on the train before it starts to move. Loved the little OBHWF shot, closing in on the final image of the trio, back on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, the story having come full circle.

I loved this movie immensely, but I don’t think I can give it a rank. It’s so dependent on the other seven, especially its other half, that it’s impossible for it to distinguish itself (in my mind) from the rest of them. Contrary to most critics, I do think Part 1 works quite well on its own, much like The Empire Strikes Back, and someone at one of the press events called it an almost European style film, prompting me to think “Ah, no wonder no one loves it but me.” That’s not to say I don’t think Part 2 is as good, because it’s excellent. But any opinions I have on its quality are going to be highly biased by my affection for the series as a whole. This has put me in quite a conundrum for my Top 10 list this year, I can tell you.

I wasn’t devastated like I thought I would be at The End of All Things. I’d been building up the moment for several weeks, but Thursday night was so much more a celebration than a farewell, and I'm glad for it.

One final note on the films in general. I spent a bit of the wait in line playing HP trivia with some friends. Well, not the full game, exactly, just answering questions. Aside from being a little appalled at how much the movies had affected my canon recall of particular details, it occurred to me that there is SO MUCH in these books that haven’t - and really couldn’t have – made it into any kind of film/stage/television adaptation. The films have been great and I love them to pieces, but I don’t think that narrative, feature-length films were the optimal medium for telling this story visually. There are all kinds of fan ideas about what form it might take in twenty or thirty years’ time – I’ve even, errr, started something of my own – but the story will always and only ever be what Rowling wrote in those books. Anything else, including fans’ ideas about how it should be done, is simply someone else’s version. That’s how great storytelling works.