Harry Potter is a long-running fantasy-fiction film series loved by millions of fans all around the world. Many films belonging to this genre are based on books, and Harry Potter is no exception. But most fans know there are considerable differences between a book and it’s film adaptation. This leads us to the important question: does Harry Potter die in the books?
No, just like in the film series, Harry Potter does not die in the books. In fact, the final battle is pretty much the same in both book and film versions. Why Harry Potter didn’t die in the final battle with Voldemort is due to many reasons.
Read this article to find out these reasons and more about the final battle with Voldemort as stated in the books.
Does Harry Potter Die in the Books?
It’s true that there are usually many differences in a book and its film adaptation but to the pleasure of many fans, this one detail remains the same in both the books and the film.
The Second Wizarding War came to an end with the final battle that took place at Hogwarts. It happened in the early morning hours of May 2, 1998, inside the castle and on the property of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which is located in the hilly region of Scotland.
Harry Potter’s secret visit to the castle to destroy one of Lord Voldemort’s final Horcruxes—Ravenclaw’s Diadem—prompted Voldemort to declare a full-scale assault on the school from all of his Death Eaters and any other dark being that had at any time sworn allegiance to him.
The war concluded with a clear victory for the Order and the D.A., resulting in several Death Eaters slain or arrested and Voldemort finally dead.
To sum it up, after battling and murdering Lord Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter survives in the final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The novel concludes with a chapter set 19 years later, when Harry and his future wife Ginny send their children to Hogwarts from Kings Cross Station.
Why Didn’t Harry Die in the Final Battle?
Rowling purposely spared Harry’s life as an example, likening him to war heroes who return home to help restore their communities. The intricacies of the horcrux could be worked out later, but at that point it was clear that Harry had to survive.
Even though Harry should have died after being struck by the AK curse, he survived for a number of reasons. Because this aspect of the story is so subject to interpretation, each of us can choose the one that speaks to us the most.
Lily’s Protection
When Voldemort attempted to remove Harry’s protection by incorporating Harry’s blood into his own, he did not realize that this action would have the opposite effect and would instead cause the protection to be doubled within his own body. Therefore, as long as Harry’s body remained alive, he was immune to death because Lily’s protection continued to exist. But as soon as the AK curse was uttered, it was certain that someone or something would die.
Therefore, the only living thing that passed away was the only thing that could pass away; this was the piece of the horcrux that had been living within Harry. The horcrux was the reason Harry could not be saved. The horcrux’s demise was a happy coincidence. Because AK only kills bodies instead of souls (as far as anyone knows), we suspect the strength of the Elder Wand and the tangled history between Harry and Voldemort were responsible for the death.
The Elder Wand
Voldemort used the Elder Wand to cast the curse, although Harry was the one who actually owned it at that moment. The wand wouldn’t kill the person that owned it. It is a common misconception that Harry didn’t die because he owned all of the three horcruxes.
The person who acquires all three of the horcruxes is believed to be the real Master of Death; however, Rowling has made it clear, both in the books and in interviews, that the Master of Death is a person who welcomes death and isn’t scared to die. Instead of making you eternal, the Hallows just remove your fear of death.
Harry’s Decision
Harry made the conscious decision to forego death and awoke from the coma he was in. It may help to consider “souls” in this context. When Harry was struck with his very first AK, the bullet ricocheted and shattered Voldemort’s physical form.
Part of his soul needed to leave his body and attach itself to another being (Harry). The second AK had the same effect, separating Harry’s spirit from his body. His spirit was guided to the afterlife, where he met Dumbledore. It’s possible the infantile object was the horcrux Harry had been harboring.
Since platform 9 and 3/4 represents the intersection of Harry’s muggle and magical worlds, it served as his personal limbo. There, he had the option of either living or dying; he picked life so that he might return and protect the ones he cared about.
Who is the Master of Death in Harry Potter?
Harry himself was considered to be the Master of Death.
A widespread misunderstanding has it that “Master of Death” is synonymous with “immortality” or “victory over death.” In reality, the term “Master of Death” refers to the individual who has come to terms with their own mortality.
Even though Harry is the owner of all three horcruxes (the allegiance of the Elder wand, his father’s cloak, and the resurrection stone in the snitch), he is nonetheless “ready to die”. All signs point to him knowing he won’t live forever, knowing everything he needs to do to protect everybody else, and greeting Death (Dumbledore) “like an old friend,” just like the youngest Peverell brother
It was up to Harry to decide whether he wanted to “go on” or “go back.” Although he did not necessarily want to live, Harry made the decision to return so that Voldemort could be defeated once and for all. So Harry “went back” to save everyone again, just like he had died for everyone else.
Harry’s willingness to make this sacrifice—not for himself or anybody else, but for the greater good—suggests that he would accept death if it involved the end of Voldemort. The only reason Harry survived the Forest (and, of course, Narcissa’s open lie to Voldemort) was because he was determined to face his fate head-on.
The pride that ultimately led to Voldemort’s demise was the same pride that led to the death of the eldest Peverell sibling. Snape, like the second Peverell sibling, met his end because he refused to let go of a past love.
Harry, in the same manner as the youngest Peverell sibling, removed the cloak and greeted death (Dumbledore) as if he were an old friend. He accepted death without fear, and that is how he made it to be the Master of Death. Why? Because he didn’t actively want immortality. He knew that his death was inevitable.
Conclusion
While there are some considerable differences between the film and book versions of Harry Potter, the final battle is more or less the same, in that Harry Potter does not die after being cursed by Voldemort.
