
February 05, 2025
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 | Summary, Recap, & Review
Check out our very detailed summary of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, including a review, book and movie differences, and a FAQ.

9
Intense
Part 1 of the Harry Potter finale sets a dark tone for the movie to come in an epic beginning that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.

Pros

The eerie and magical soundtrack was captivating and moving.

The acting, from both main and side characters, was phenomenal in this emotional rollercoaster.

Cons

Details from the books were left out of the movie, taking away from the story and leaving movie watches confused.


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Buy: Harry Potter Merchandise & Gifts
Table of Contents +
Harry Potter and his friends are on the run, hunted by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They're on a quest to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes in order to stop the dark wizard once and for all. In this article, we'll be going over key moments from the movie in detail, discussing elements of the movie's creation in a review, comparing the book and the movie, and answering some FAQs.
Deathly Hallows Part 1 | Summary & Recap
The New World Order
The movie begins with the trio facing the new world as the war against Voldemort leaks into the muggle world. Hermione erases her parents' memories of her in order to protect them. The Dursleys leave their home at Number Four, Privet Drive. Ron and his family are still recovering from the attack on their home the previous year.
The scene shifts to Snape arriving at Malfoy Manor. Voldemort and all of his followers are meeting there to discuss when Harry is going to be moved. He takes Lucius Malfoy’s wand since his and Harry’s wands are twins. He has kidnapped the Muggle Studies Professor from Hogwarts and kills her in front of his followers.
The Seven Harrys
The Order of the Phoenix and Harry’s friends arrive at his place. They plan on moving him before he turns 17, which is when the trace finally vanishes and he is no longer protected. In order to do so, six others have agreed to use Polyjuice Potion to turn into Harry in case they are attacked.
They split into pairs and Harry travels with Hagrid. At one point, Hedwig protects Harry from a spell that tragically kills her. This gives the real Harry away and Voldemort is summoned. Harry holds off Voldemort just long enough for the Dark Lord’s borrowed wand to fail. They make it through the barrier and safely into the Burrow.
However, the tragedies are not over yet. George arrives, missing an ear. Once everyone finally arrives, Bill Weasley announces that Mad-Eye Moody was killed after Mundungus Fletcher, one of the Harrys, fled.
Dumbledore’s Will
Harry tries to leave that night to search for the Horcruxes on his own, torn that so many died or were injured in order to protect him. Ron convinces him to stay for Bill and Fleur’s wedding. The new Minister of Magic arrives just before the wedding starts in order to read Dumbeldore’s will to the trio.
Dumbledore leaves his Deluminator to Ron, a magical device Dumbledore created that can absorb light. He leaves Hermione his personal copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. He leaves Harry two items, the very first snitch he caught and the Sword of Gryffindor, which is missing.
The Wedding
Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour have their wedding. Witches and wizards from all over are there, including Luna Lovegood and her father. Harry spends most of his time talking to an old friend of Dumbledore’s named Elphias Doge, who had written about Dumbledore in the Daily Prophet.
Harry learns that Dumbeldore once knew a woman named Bathilda Bagshot and that he lived in Godric’s Hollow, where the Potters also lived. He’s trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he knows so little about the headmaster when a message arrives.
The Minister of Magic is dead. Moments later, Death Eaters attack the wedding. Harry, Ron, and Hermione manage to Disapparate just in time.
On the Run
The trio are now on the run in the Muggle world. They stop at a cafe, trying to settle down and figure out what they’re doing, when they’re attacked by more Death Eaters. They manage to take down the two dark wizards and Hermione erases their memories.
They go to Grimmauld Place, the only safe house they can think of, and are greeted by a terrifying spell meant to replicate the ghost of Dumbledore. The next morning, Harry is searching Sirius’ room when Ron announces that he’s found something. On one of the doors is a name place that says Regulus Arcturus Black. They make the connection that he is R.A.B., the unknown person who stole the real locket from the last movie.
The Locket
The noises in Grimmauld Place continue and finally they discover that Kreacher, the Black family’s house-elf, has been lingering about. Harry interrogates him in an attempt to locate the stolen locket. Kreacher reveals that Mundungus Fletcher is the thief.
Harry demands that Kreacher find him. He returns later that day with the thief in tow and with Dobby, who took it upon himself to help. Mundungus tells Harry that he never got a chance to sell the locket and that it was taken from him by a member of the ministry, Dolores Umbridge.
The Ministry of Magic
The trio form a plan to break into the ministry and the next scene shows them using Polyjuice Potion to turn into three members of the ministry. They face a few obstacles when they get inside. Ron has to figure out how to make it stop raining in Yaxley’s office, Harry breaks into Umbirdge’s office, and Hermione is stuck with Umbridge herself.
The man Ron turned into, Reginald Cattermole, has a wife and she just happens to be on trial that day for being a muggle-born. Umbridge is in charge of the trial and, as the Polyjuice Potion starts to wear off, Harry uses a stunning spell against Umbridge while Hermione grabs the locket.
They’re chased by dementors and then Yaxley. Harry uses the patronus charm against the dementors but Yaxley is on their tail.
The Forest
Using the Floo Powder network, Harry, Ron, and Hermione managed to escape the ministry but not Yaxley. Hermione reroutes their destination to escape him, but Ron is splinched, which happens when one isn’t fully concentrating on their destination. Hermione puts up barriers and they camp in the forest.
Now that they have the locket, they have no way to destroy it. Ordinary spells don’t work, so they take turns wearing it. It can’t be worn for too long, as it makes the wearer become short-tempered and hostile. They stay on the move, trying to avoid snatchers while Ron heals.
Ron Leaves
Hermione finally realizes why Dumbledore left the Sword of Gryffindor to Harry. Because he used it to kill the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, it is imbued with its venom and capable of destroying Horcruxes. Ron, who has been wearing the locket all day, finally loses his temper. He and Harry exchange harsh words before Ron finally turns and leaves. Now, Harry and Hermione have no choice but to move on without him.
Godric’s Hollow

With few clues as to where to begin looking for the sword, Harry decides he wants to go to Godric’s Hollow, the place he was born and where Dumbledore used to live. They find Harry’s parents’ graves in the graveyard and pay their respects. Hermione also finds the Deathly Hallows symbol on one of the gravestones.
They notice a woman watching them and Harry, recognizing her as Bathilda Bagshot, decides to follow her. She doesn’t speak a word and Harry followers her upstairs. Alone, Hermione finds the real Bathilda’s body. The imposter transforms into Nagini, Voldemort’s snake, and they barely escape with their lives.
The Sword of Gryffindor
Harry’s wand is broken during the escape. While on guard the following night, he notices the patronus of a doe in the woods. He follows it to a frozen pond, where it sinks into its depths. At the very bottom of the lake is the Sword of Gryffindor.
Harry can’t retrieve it with magic, so he plunges into the icy water alone. The moment he touches the sword, the locket freaks out and begins to pull away from the weapon. It twists itself around Harry’s neck but someone drags him out of the pond.
Destroying the Locket
Harry’s savior is none other than Ron, who has finally returned to them. He not only saves Harry but retrieves the sword as well. With a weapon that’ll destroy the Horcrux, Harry urges Ron to use the sword and destroy it. However, the piece of Voldemort’s soul doesn’t go down without a fight.
Ron is shown images that reflect his deepest fears. He overcomes them and destroys the locket. The two friends return to camp. Ron explains to Hermione how he found his way back, that the deluminator Dumbledore left him showed him the light, but she is still angry with him for leaving.
The Three Brothers
Hermione points out the Deathly Hallows symbol that she keeps seeing. Harry saw it on Luna’s father at the wedding and they decide to pay him a visit. Xenophilius Lovegood is acting strangely, but he explains that the symbol is connected to the story of the Three Brothers.
Hermione reads the story aloud. The story follows three brothers who unknowingly cheated death. Death himself rewarded each brother. One asked for a powerful wand, the other a way to revive his dead loved one, and the third asked for a way to continue on without death following him.
The first two brothers died horribly, while the last one lived a full life. At the very end, he passed the Cloak of Invisibility on to his son before going with death willingly.
The Deathly Hallows
Xenophilius explains the symbol to the trio. The triangle stands for the Cloak of Invisibility, which the friends recognize as the object Harry has owned since his first year at Hogwarts. The line stands for the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in existence. The circle stands for the Resurrection Stone. If someone were to possess all three at once then they would become the Master of Death.
They’re about to leave when Xenophilius suddenly snaps. He reveals that Luna has been kidnapped. He says Voldemort’s name, activating the spell that’s been put on the Dark Lord’s name. Snatchers appear, destroying the house, and the trio are suddenly on the run.
Malfoy Manor
Outnumbered and surrounded, there is nowhere for them to go. Hermione casts a stinging jinx on Harry’s face so the snatchers can’t recognize him. Still suspicious, they take the three friends to Malfoy Manor.
The Malfoys and Bellatrix try to use Draco to identify Harry but he doesn’t say a word. The moment Bellatrix sees the Sword of Gryffindor, she panics. Harry and Ron are locked down below with Ollivander, Luna, and a goblin named Griphook. Bellatrix tortures Hermione for answers, carving the word “mudblood” on her arm.
Dobby and the Wand

Harry uses the shard of glass he’s been carrying around to ask for help and Dobby appears moments later. He takes Luna and Ollivander to a safe place, before jinxing Wormtail and saving the others.
They have a standoff against Bellatrix and the Malfoys, but Dobby apparates them out of the manor. Just as they’re disappearing, Bellatrix throws a dagger. When they land safely on the beach, it’s only to discover that the blade has found its mark into Dobby’s chest. The house-elf dies in Harry’s arms, happy to be with friends, and they give him a proper burial.
The movie ends with Voldemort breaking open Dumbledore’s grave and retrieving the legendary Elder Wand. He now has the most powerful wand ever made.
Deathly Hallows Part 1 | Review
CGI and Visuals | 10/10
As the franchise nears its end, the CGI and visuals are better than ever before. While this movie is much milder compared to the next one, it still looks great. The small amounts of magic and creatures that are present in the movie look wonderful and the displays of magic are very convincing.
Storyline and Plot Development | 8/10
For a tale that isn’t fully finished, it manages to encompass all that makes up a complete story: rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It ends on a cliffhanger that works as a perfect divide between the first and second part. While the pacing is a little rushed and it does very little to hint at how much time is passing, there are still enough clues for the audience to understand that their search is taking a while and that the end is nearing.
Character Development | 7/10
Harry, Ron, and Hermione have pretty much reached the end of their character development across the movies, but there are still some moments that shine through, especially with Ron. His character tends to waver and grow the most in the movie. He loses his confidence and suffers from insecurities, something that has always been present in the book version of Ron. Those aspects take over but he still manages to find his way back.
Sound and Music | 10/10
The music, as with every Harry Potter movie, is beautiful. It starts off strong and sets a melancholy tone at the beginning of the movie. We can feel the power in the world as the dark forces grow and our main characters are sent running for their lives. It blends “magical world” and “impending doom” together perfectly.
Reception and Impact | 9/10
As the first part of the final act, it was highly rated by most viewers. Many praised the director, David Yates, for capturing the wizarding world at war in a masterful way. Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and even side characters like Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter were applauded for their portrayal of their characters.
As usual, many who read the book still felt like too much was left out and movie watchers were left feeling a bit confused in some areas. Some hated that it was broken into two parts while others thought the cut off was perfect. This movie is a prime example that not everyone can be pleased.
Final Score | 9/10
Deathly Hallows Part 1 | Book and Movie Differences
Wormtail’s Death
In the movie, Wormtail is simply knocked out by a jinx from Dobby and never seen again. His death in the books is much darker. While strangling Harry with the silver hand that Lord Voldemort gave him in the Goblet of Fire, he hesitates. Because of this, the silver hand turns on him and he’s choked to death.
Victor Krum
At the wedding, Victor Krum, a character from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is present. This brings together all the living competitors of the Triwizard Tournament for the first time since it took place. While there is a deleted scene of Hermione and Krum dancing at the wedding, it never made it into the final cut and he’s never shown. However, in the books, Ron and Hermione dance together at the wedding.
Harry the Godfather
Remus and Tonks’ love story is only referenced occasionally in the movie and, near the beginning, Tonks is about to tell everyone “the news” when she’s interrupted. Only book readers will understand that Tonks was about to tell everyone she was pregnant with Remus’ child. In the book, Remus makes Harry the godfather of his child, Teddy Lupin. This makes their eventual death during the battle of Hogwarts that much more tragic, since Teddy is made an orphan at a very young age.
Dumbledore’s Backstory
While the book The Life & Lies of Albus Dumbledore by Rita Skeeter is shown in the movie, very little is revealed about what lies within the pages. Hermione finds a photo of Dumbledore and Grindelwald in the book, and that’s it.
In the book, Rita Skeeter dives deep into Dumbledore’s past and we get a much clearer picture of his life. He had a rough childhood due to his sister’s illness and he became responsible for his family soon after he graduated Hogwarts. He befriended Grindelwald but they eventually turned on one another. During a duel, a stray spell hit and killed Dumbledore’s sister, Ariana, and her death would continue to eat away at him.
Remus Lupin

There are few scenes with Remus in the movie, but he’s the same heroic and brave character from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The book dives into his guilt and fear of being a werewolf and, with an unborn child that might share his condition on the way, he breaks.
In the books, he meets the trio at Grimmauld place and tries to convince Harry to let him join them in their search for the Horcruxes. Harry realizes what he is running away from and convinces him to return home to Tonks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Harry referring to Voldemort as “You-Know-Who” in the last Harry Potter?
+In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Harry is saying “You-Know-Who” rather than Voldemort because a taboo spell has been placed on the name. Anyone who says it can be traced.
What does “splinched” mean in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1?
+While it’s explained in the books, but never in the movies, getting splinched is what happens when one apparates incorrectly. If the witch or wizard are unsure of their destination, or aren’t thinking clearly, they can leave a body part behind.
What are the Deathly Hallows?
+The Deathly Hallows are three powerful objects created by Death himself and the owner of all three objects can become the Master of Death. The Deathly Hallows include the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility.
Who is Gellert Grindelwald?
+Gellert Grindelwald is a dark wizard and former friend of Dumbledore’s who sought the Deathly Hallows in order to become the sole leader of the wizarding and muggle world. He believed witches and wizards shouldn’t have to hide.
Who sent the doe that led Harry to Gryffindor’s sword in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?
+Severus Snape is the one who sent the doe to Harry and led him to Gryffindor’s sword. It is revealed later on that Snape’s patronus takes on the same form as Lily’s patronus because he still loves her.
What are the seven Horcruxes?
+Voldemort's Horcruxes are Tom Riddle's diary, Gaunt family ring, Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem, Nagini, and Harry himself.
How long is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1?
+Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is 2 hours and 26 minutes long, or 146 minutes. The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book is 784 pages long with 37 chapters.
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