Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Choices, Redemption, and Morality
Grief and Coming of Age
Knowledge and Power
Mortality and Sacrifice
Friendship, Community, and Resistance
Summary
Analysis
The trio lands and Hermione begins to work their protective spells. Hermione groans that she wanted the Death Eaters to see Harry so that they won't hurt Luna, and she made Ron use the Cloak so his family doesn't get in trouble. They set up the tent and, over tea, Hermione laments that visiting Xenophilius was a waste of time. Ron thinks that Xenophilius was telling them what he believes is the truth and points out that the Chamber of Secrets was supposed to be a myth, too. Harry reminds her of the apparitions of his parents and Cedric that he saw when Voldemort returned, and points out that the stone can't actually bring people back.
It's important to note that while Harry clearly thinks that the Resurrection Stone is real, he understands that it's impossible to actually bring people back from the dead—which should remind him that the answers he's looking for from Dumbledore won't be forthcoming, since he can't bring Dumbledore back. This also suggests that Harry has a healthier view of immortality than one might think, since he accepts that immortality has its limits.
Themes
Hermione says she looked up the Peverells and the line is extinct, but Harry remembers that Voldemort's grandfather was descended from the Peverells—the ring Horcrux had the Peverell coat of arms on it. Harry reasons that Voldemort didn't know what it was, but both he and Ron think that the stone in the ring was the Resurrection Stone. Hermione is angry, but Harry imagines himself uniting the Deathly Hallows and thinks that this is the way to defeat Voldemort. He inspects his Cloak and realizes he's descended from the Peverells too, and he reasons that the stone is in the Snitch. Harry realizes that Voldemort must be after the Elder Wand, but he must not know about the Deathly Hallows—possessing them would render Horcruxes unnecessary.
Harry is correct that Voldemort is after the Elder Wand. Notably, the fact that Voldemort is pursuing the wand without actually knowing anything about the other Hallows suggests that Voldemort is truly eschewing information in favor of brute strength, as represented by the wand itself. As far as Harry believes, however, the conflict with Voldemort is between which way of attaining immortality is actually superior: Hallows or Horcruxes?
Themes
Hermione urges Harry to not get sidetracked and even appeals to Ron for support. Ron concedes that the Hallows makes sense, but he believes they're supposed to destroy Horcruxes and not chase Hallows. Harry can't sleep that night and wonders what the inscription on the Snitch means. He thinks that Hermione is just scared of the Resurrection Stone. In the morning, he remembers Luna and feels ashamed of himself. He desperately wants the Elder Wand, especially since he hates the wand Ron brought. He becomes obsessed with the Hallows over the next few days and keeps it a secret that he's seeing into Voldemort's mind in a new, blurry way.
Ron takes this stance because of his experience with the Deluminator and his newfound faith in Dumbledore and their mission. However, it's also easy to point out that Dumbledore left the symbol in the book for Hermione and could've very well intended for them to find out about the Hallows, as well. This shows that, though Harry may be beginning to think more healthily about Dumbledore and his legacy, it's still difficult to decide what exactly to focus on.
Themes
Ron spends his evenings trying to tune into Potterwatch and one night in March, he succeeds. Lee Jordan is hosting and he announces that Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, and Gornuk have been murdered, along with a Muggle family. He mentions Bathilda's death and holds a moment of silence. Kingsley encourages listeners to protect their Muggle neighbors, and Lupin encourages people to keep resisting. He says that, if Harry's listening, he wants him to know that his instincts are good. Ron notes that Lupin is living with Tonks again as Lupin says that Xenophilius Lovegood is in Azkaban and Hagrid is on the run. Then, either Fred or George hilariously reminds people to stay vigilant even though Voldemort might be out of the country, making Harry laugh. Harry feels happy and says that Voldemort is abroad looking for the wand, using Voldemort’s name. They hear people outside.
Harry's good spirits after hearing Potterwatch shows the true, positive effects of tapping into one's community. In this case, Harry is able to confirm his suspicions that Voldemort is looking for the Elder Wand, thanks to reconnecting with everyone in this way, and he's also able to receive affirmation from Lupin that he's on the right track and doing the right thing. This makes the resistance effort feel more real for Harry, and it affirms that he's not the only person out there fighting Voldemort. In this way, Potterwatch functions as an extension of the graffiti Harry saw outside his parents' home in Godric's Hollow that was supportive of him.
Themes
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