The inevitable battle, the final confrontation between The Boy Who Lived and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, has at last arrived. As warned by Professor Trelawney, ‘neither can live while the other survives’.

In J.K. Rowling’s novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, readers follow the boy wizard as he begins the final journey to defeat the Dark Lord, Voldemort, referred to by many as simply You-Know-Who.

Voldemort has now infiltrated Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic and forces every magical creature ? from centaurs and goblins to giants and house elves ? to choose the side of good or evil. Harry carries the burden of the seemingly impossible task to search for and destroy the broken pieces of Voldemort’s soul, to end his terrible reign.

Ever since infancy, Harry carried the lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, not only symbolizing a souvenir of Voldemort’s attack on him as a toddler, but also signaling his unusual connection with the Dark Lord. In every book (covering each of his seven years at Hogwarts, the school of wizardry) Harry has somehow battled Voldemort, narrowly escaping him at each instance.

So Harry, accompanied by his closest friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, begins his quest to search for the remaining pieces of Voldemort’s soul, held in relics famous within the wizarding world. Along the way, they attend a crashed wedding party, breach the Ministry of Magic, and break into the wizarding bank, Gringotts.

Guided only by instinct and hope, the trio slowly begin to find the six remaining remnants of soul while unraveling mysteries left behind by Dumbledore, the recently deceased Hogwarts headmaster. One climax of the story is Harry’s decision to search for either Voldemort’s soul or the fabled relics of death, the Deathly Hallows.

No review can quite capture the feeling a Potter fan gains when Harry and Voldemort, their wands held aloft, begin to circle one another during the ending climax. Whether Potter lives or dies remains a phenomenal secret to all those who have not yet read the spellbinding novel.

Final Potter novel exceeds expectations

J.K. Rowling fabricated a universe for Harry that was so attuned to detail that it seems believable as a fantastical alternate universe. She has told fans that many details are absent within her already thick-spined novels. Her previous interviews have been analyzed to excessive proportions by readers desperate for more information.

Ever since the beginning chapters of the first novel, The Sorcerer’s Stone, Rowling has scattered a trail of breadcrumb clues. Each hint, some more obvious than others, all connect in Deathly Hallows, finally answering questions that fans have been asking for years. Almost each puzzling detail that seemed insignificant at the time gains value at the monumental conclusion.

Throughout the series, Rowling upheld her distinct writing voice. She moves the characters from year to year, and they grow in stature and wisdom, yet never lose their distinct personalities. Harry is as determined and prone to lose his temper as ever; Ron is still the lovable, sarcastic best mate; Hermione remains the brain of the group, leaving nothing to chance.

Rowling also provides an alternative way to view familiar characters, adding more dimension to their personalities. Dudley Dursley, Harry’s bullying cousin, may be a changed man. We find out that Aunt Petunia’s hatred of Harry and his magical mother bred through jealousy. Harry even comes to believe that Dumbledore may not be painted as white as his beard.

Among such an extraordinary world, Rowling manages to intertwine her characters’ lives with love, loss, and ‘unbearable sacrifice,’ similar to the real world. She creates a place where both the imaginary and the palpable are possible.

Fans who have followed the series since the release of The Sorcerer’s Stone will no doubt read the final installment with a sense of elation mixed with bereavement. The story of Harry Potter has ended (punctuated by a much-appreciated epilogue) but the classic tale of good versus evil and love versus hate will undoubtedly continue to thrive.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is available at all local bookstores for approximately $34. For online purchasing, visit Amazon.

For more information, read Andrew Rurick’s article, Harry Potter loses magic despite record high sales.