Character Realism in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Now of course there have been and will be countless Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows reviews, both here on Associated Content and all over the world, but something that struck me so strongly was not the incredible moral delivery of the story but the fruition of all of the characters themselves.

Rowling has outdone herself with this final chapter in the Harry Potter series and her literary brilliance is fully encapsulated in the growth and blooming of all of her magical - literally and figuratively! - characters written into the story.

Harry ought to be the first touched on, though I do not feel that he stole the show with his distinct personality, albeit his being the star of the novels. I say this because Rowling purposefully did not make him the greatest character in the story - only one of the most important. This is not to slight Harry, but to balance him realistically with the other forces in the plot.

Harry is time and again kept out of the loop because those who seem to be manipulating him are in actuality caring for him - and at times too much. He is driven to the extreme limitations of himself, but manages to finally rely on those around him. After years of struggling not to hurt his peers for his sake - that they would sacrifice for him - he understands that as much as he is willing to fight for his friends...they, too, are willing to fight and die for him.

I believe, however, that one of Rowling's greatest results of Deathly Hallows is the bestowing of true humanity on Albus Dumbledore. In every book Dumbledore has been the ever flowing fount of wisdom and expertise that outstrips or rivals the same qualities in everyone around him - not because he is spiteful but because he truly is one of the best wizards of his time.

But the greatest aspect of Dumbledore was the admittance of his human nature in the ending chapters of book seven. That is, he tells Harry of his overt selfishness in his youth and his weakness for power. Dumbledore hid certain things from Harry because he did not want him to make the same self-seeking mistakes that he had made in his past. Dumbledore admitted to Harry that he is not a perfect person at all and that Harry was a sort of opposite to him...a selfless and sacrificial messiah rather than a now-wise advisor, made so because of his own deeply human shortcomings.

Granted, sacrifice is definitely one of the themes of Deathly Hallows. Fred and George Weasley are great examples of that. Even though they were always the humorous fallbacks for all of the other characters, the twins are still willing to lay down their vast self-made fortune and ambition to support their family and friends in the most dire of needs. With George savagely - albeit accidentally - attacked by dark magic and Fred killed in the collapse of a Hogwarts corridor, they fall wounded and dead in the name of their family.

Molly Weasley certainly had her opportunity to shine. After her breakdown in The Order of the Phoenix when she saw her entire family envisioned as dead on the floor of the Order headquarters, she has risen to show that her family, truly, is her one and only passion and as she said, quite pointedly, to Bellatrix Lestrange, no one will touch her family. After Bill is mauled by a werewolf, Arthur is brutally attacked by Voldemort's snake, Nagini, George is attacked by Snape, Fred lies dead under a pile of rubble and Ginny had already been possessed by one of the Dark Lord's Horcruxes...it seems understandable that the full scope of Molly Weasley's wrath is finally unleashed within the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

Hermione and Ron's story is priceless, and after six and a half books of waiting Rowling has finally delivered to her readers the fruition of their love. Not only does their initial make-out session ease the mood of the siege of Hogwarts, it shows the honesty of emotion in the midst of tragedy. In all honesty, one could make the argument that the Harry Potter series, save the end, is one of the most depressing and emiotionally-straining series ever written, but Hermione and Ron's union unites the very first book to the last - taking pre-pubescent friends and forming them into war-time lovers.

Undoubtedly, however, the most character-based controversy surrounding Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is that of Severus Snape. Death Eater/loyal servant of Dumbledore/Professor Snape has been debated about more than any other persona in the series - whether he is fighting eventually for the forces of good or evil. I believe that he is the most emotionally-strained and conflicted character in the series and yet has shown how the perseverance of devotion can both change Snape's life and the lives of those around him. Harry remarks in the epilogue that his son, Albus Severus, was named after two Hogwarts headmasters, and the one, referring to Snape, from Slytherin, was the bravest man Harry had ever met. Indeed, the misleading but intriguing story of Severus Snape does reflect his utter bravery - even courage unto death.

I think that Rowling outdid herself with this final installment of her epic story - and it ought to be good since she is the world's first billionaire author. This is, of course, a simple and superficial review, but I hope that if you view this book as I did, with a focus on the tremendous development of the characters within, the story becomes even more alive with each read and re-read. I plan on cherishing this book for the rest of my life!