Source plot synopsis — includes the ending
After burying Dobby, Harry Potter asks the goblin Griphook to help him, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger break into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts bank, suspecting a Horcrux is there. Griphook agrees, in exchange for the Sword of Gryffindor. Wandmaker Ollivander tells Harry that two wands taken from Malfoy Manor belonged to Bellatrix and Draco Malfoy; he senses Draco's wand has changed its allegiance to Harry when he took it from Draco. A horcrux, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, is found in Bellatrix's vault, but Griphook snatches the sword and abandons them. Trapped by security, they release the dragon guardian and flee Gringotts on its back.
Harry has a vision of Lord Voldemort at Gringotts, furious at the theft. Harry also realises a Horcrux connected to Rowena Ravenclaw is hidden at Hogwarts. The trio apparate into Hogsmeade and Albus Dumbledore's brother Aberforth helps them, revealing that he was the one who sent Dobby to Malfoy Manor. He reveals a secret passageway into Hogwarts's Room of Requirement and summons Neville Longbottom to lead them back into the school.
As Severus Snape threatens the school staff and students, Harry reveals himself. Professor McGonagall duels Snape and forces him to flee before rousing Hogwarts for battle. Luna Lovegood advises Harry to consult Helena Ravenclaw's ghost, who reveals that Voldemort used dark magic on her mother's diadem before hiding it in the Room of Requirement. In the Chamber of Secrets, Ron and Hermione destroy the Horcrux cup with a Basilisk fang. Draco, Blaise Zabini, and Goyle attack Harry, but Ron and Hermione intervene. Goyle casts a Fiendfyre curse that kills him, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione rescue Draco and Zabini and escape. Harry stabs the diadem with the Basilisk fang, and Ron kicks it into the fire.
As Voldemort's army attacks, Harry realises Voldemort's snake Nagini is the final Horcrux. The trio overhears Voldemort telling Snape the Elder Wand cannot serve him until Snape dies, as he killed Dumbledore, the wand's previous master. Nagini mortally wounds Snape. As he dies, he gives Harry one of his memories. Many members of the Order, students, and staff, including Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks, are killed in battle.
Harry views Snape's memory in the Pensieve: Snape and Harry's mother Lily were childhood friends; he was also in love with her, but she fell for Harry's father James, whom Snape despised for his arrogance and for bullying him. Harry also learns Snape attempted to protect Lily by pleading with Dumbledore to hide the Potters. Following her death, Snape worked with Dumbledore as a double agent among the Death Eaters, including agreeing to kill him. Harry sees Snape conjure the Patronus doe that led Harry to Gryffindor's sword. Harry also learns that he inadvertently became a Horcrux when Voldemort's curse originally failed to kill him; Voldemort must now kill Harry to destroy the soul shard within him. Using the Resurrection Stone that had been stored in the Golden Snitch bequeathed to him, Harry sees the spirits of his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus. They comfort him before he returns to Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Voldemort casts the Killing Curse upon Harry, who awakens in limbo. Dumbledore's spirit meets him and explains that Harry is now free of the link to Voldemort and can choose to return to his body or move on.
Voldemort returns with Harry's apparently dead body and demands Hogwarts surrender. As Neville takes the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, Harry reveals he is alive, and the Malfoys abandon Voldemort along with many other Death Eaters. Molly Weasley kills Bellatrix in the Great Hall, and Neville beheads Nagini, destroying the last Horcrux. Harry defeats Voldemort when his Expelliarmus deflects Voldemort's Killing Curse back at him. After the battle, Harry explains to Ron and Hermione that Voldemort never commanded the Elder Wand; it recognised him as its true master after disarming Draco, who had disarmed Dumbledore before he was killed by Snape. Instead of claiming the Elder Wand, Harry chooses to destroy it.
Nineteen years later, Harry, Ginny Weasley, Ron, Hermione, and Draco watch as their children depart on the train at King's Cross for Hogwarts.
Harry has a vision of Lord Voldemort at Gringotts, furious at the theft. Harry also realises a Horcrux connected to Rowena Ravenclaw is hidden at Hogwarts. The trio apparate into Hogsmeade and Albus Dumbledore's brother Aberforth helps them, revealing that he was the one who sent Dobby to Malfoy Manor. He reveals a secret passageway into Hogwarts's Room of Requirement and summons Neville Longbottom to lead them back into the school.
As Severus Snape threatens the school staff and students, Harry reveals himself. Professor McGonagall duels Snape and forces him to flee before rousing Hogwarts for battle. Luna Lovegood advises Harry to consult Helena Ravenclaw's ghost, who reveals that Voldemort used dark magic on her mother's diadem before hiding it in the Room of Requirement. In the Chamber of Secrets, Ron and Hermione destroy the Horcrux cup with a Basilisk fang. Draco, Blaise Zabini, and Goyle attack Harry, but Ron and Hermione intervene. Goyle casts a Fiendfyre curse that kills him, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione rescue Draco and Zabini and escape. Harry stabs the diadem with the Basilisk fang, and Ron kicks it into the fire.
As Voldemort's army attacks, Harry realises Voldemort's snake Nagini is the final Horcrux. The trio overhears Voldemort telling Snape the Elder Wand cannot serve him until Snape dies, as he killed Dumbledore, the wand's previous master. Nagini mortally wounds Snape. As he dies, he gives Harry one of his memories. Many members of the Order, students, and staff, including Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks, are killed in battle.
Harry views Snape's memory in the Pensieve: Snape and Harry's mother Lily were childhood friends; he was also in love with her, but she fell for Harry's father James, whom Snape despised for his arrogance and for bullying him. Harry also learns Snape attempted to protect Lily by pleading with Dumbledore to hide the Potters. Following her death, Snape worked with Dumbledore as a double agent among the Death Eaters, including agreeing to kill him. Harry sees Snape conjure the Patronus doe that led Harry to Gryffindor's sword. Harry also learns that he inadvertently became a Horcrux when Voldemort's curse originally failed to kill him; Voldemort must now kill Harry to destroy the soul shard within him. Using the Resurrection Stone that had been stored in the Golden Snitch bequeathed to him, Harry sees the spirits of his parents, Sirius Black, and Remus. They comfort him before he returns to Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Voldemort casts the Killing Curse upon Harry, who awakens in limbo. Dumbledore's spirit meets him and explains that Harry is now free of the link to Voldemort and can choose to return to his body or move on.
Voldemort returns with Harry's apparently dead body and demands Hogwarts surrender. As Neville takes the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, Harry reveals he is alive, and the Malfoys abandon Voldemort along with many other Death Eaters. Molly Weasley kills Bellatrix in the Great Hall, and Neville beheads Nagini, destroying the last Horcrux. Harry defeats Voldemort when his Expelliarmus deflects Voldemort's Killing Curse back at him. After the battle, Harry explains to Ron and Hermione that Voldemort never commanded the Elder Wand; it recognised him as its true master after disarming Draco, who had disarmed Dumbledore before he was killed by Snape. Instead of claiming the Elder Wand, Harry chooses to destroy it.
Nineteen years later, Harry, Ginny Weasley, Ron, Hermione, and Draco watch as their children depart on the train at King's Cross for Hogwarts.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Section headings and formatting adjusted. · Content license