Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, have decided not to attend Hogworts but to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes containing Voldemort’s soul. The protection offered by living at his aunt’s house has ended and they are all in danger. Harry’s cousin Dudley for the first time shows feelings of regret and warmth toward Harry.
The Order of the Phoenix moves Harry and his family to safety. The Order have created a series of decoy Harrys using polyjuice potion. Snape has discovered the date of Harry’s planned escape and the Death Eaters attack. Auror, Mad Eye Moody, is killed and George Weasley, injured. Harry arrives at the Weasleys who are preparing for the wedding of Ron’s brother, Bill, and Fleur dela Couer. The wedding is interrupted by the Minister of Magic who delivers certain magical objects left in Dumbledore’s will to Harry, Ron and Hermione. The end of the wedding is marred by a Death Eater attack.
The ministry falls and Harry, Ron and Hermione hide at Sirius Black’s house in London. Harry achieves a rapproachment with Kreacher, the Blacks' House Elf, and learns that the Slytherin Locket had been switched by Sirius’ brother Regulus and later stolen by Mundungus Fletcher. Harry has Kreacher track down Fletcher and learns that the locket has come into the possession of evil Doris Umbridge at the Ministry of Magic. Harry, Ron and Hermione, disguised, invade the ministry and obtain the locket. They are pursued and must flee to the countryside. Unable to destroy the Horcrux they search for the remaining horcruxes and puzzle out Dumbledore’s gifts (A Deluminator, a wizards fairytale book and a used snitch).
Ron, angered by Harry’s inaction and trademark self absorption, quits the group leaving Hermione distraught. Harry and Hermione study Dumbledore’s past including his infatuation and later conflict with dark wizard Grindelwald, his quarrel with brother Aberforth, and his apparent neglect of his sad, strange sister Ariana. Harry and Hermione go to Godric’s Hollow. They find Harry’s parents graves and the house where they had lived and then visit Bathilda Bagshot who knew Dumbledore before. Bathilda however was dead, her body possessed by Voldemort’s snake familiar, Nagini. Harry and Hermione barely escape.
At the Forest of Dean, Harry leaves the tent, follows a doe patronus and finds the sword of Griffindor in a frozen pool. Pulled into the pool by the Horcrux around his neck, he was saved by Ron who had used the deluminator to find Harry and Hermione again. Harry has Ron destroy the Horcrux with the sword. Reunited, they remember that one sign from the fairytale book had been worn by Xenophilus Lovegood at the wedding. Xenophilus told them of the three deathly hallows that would allow a wizard to defeat death: the invisibility cloak, which Harry realizes he has, the resurrection ring, also a horcrux Voldemort’s grandfather had owned and Dumbledore broke and finally the elder wand which Voldemort seeks. Harry elects to continue seeking the Horcruxes and not the Hallows.
Captured by a squad of Voldemort supporters led by Fenrir the werewolf, they are taken to Lucius Malfoy’s house, then under the authority of Bellatrix Lestrange. They find Luna Lovegood, Ollivander and a Goblin, Griphook, already hostage. Harry calls Doby the House Elf who arranges their escape, losing his life in the process. Harry realizes from Bellatrix Lestrange’s behaviour that she has a horcrux in her vault and agrees to deliver Griffindor’s sword to Griphook if he helps them break into Gringotts bank. They succeed and obtain the horcrux, a cup from Hufflepuff, and then flee Gringott’s on a dragon. They go to Hogworts to seach for the remaining undiscovered horcrux, the diadem of Ravenclaw. Harry finds it by asking the Gray Lady, Ravenclaw's ghost, Professor McGonnagall begins evacuation of younger students, anti Voldemort wizards begin to assemble for the def
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