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By Azra Drljevic

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With the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final book of the Harry Potter series, those who were there for Harry from the start were left with an empty feeling as they finished reading the last few pages.

The book starts as any other Harry Potter book, with Harry’s mistreatment from his aunt and uncle Dursley at Privet Drive, but we quickly find that things have changed.

Early in the book characters start showing who they really are, starting with the Dursley’s.

At this point the reader knows the book holds the answers to any questions that may be left, including questions prompted earlier in the series.  Harry’s tormenting cousin Dudley surprises the reader by thanking Harry for saving his life from the Dementors in the fifth book, “The Order of the Phoenix.”

This small turnaround foreshadows many more to come throughout the story. Despite the light-hearted opening of the book, it is by no means a happy story all the way through. By the second chapter the reader knows that, unlike previous Harry Potter books, this one is packed with constant action, except for the ending that is completely anti-climactic.

As Harry takes off with Hagrid on Sirius’ flying motorcycle to leave Privet Drive forever, the Death Eaters attack and the first battle of the war for the wizarding world begins. The action-packed scene has you reading on the edge of your seat as Lord Voldemort appears for the first time and Harry passes out before he can pick up his dropped wand.

Harry survives the encounter because his wand saves him by attacking Voldemort, but other characters aren’t so lucky. The Order of the Phoenix suffers a great loss in the battle, and a Weasley twin is seriously injured.

The story gets progressively darker after the Death Eaters take over the ministry of Magic and Harry, Ron and Hermione have to go on the run. With no leads to find the missing horcruxes, they have to risk coming out of hiding multiple times.

Things get worse when Harry’s wand is broken and all hope is lost that the twin cores in the wands that saved him from Voldemort in the fourth book, “The Goblet of Fire,” will save him again.

While for the most part the book answers many questions and provides a satisfying ending to the saga, the final dual between Harry and Voldemort was disappointing.

At the same time, J.K. Rowling spoiled the ending of this book with just chapters left to go. After Harry’s conversation with professor Dumbledore, Harry knows how everything is going to end (and so does the reader). The final battle that was built up throughout the whole book takes place in three pages, and only one spell is cast by both Harry and Voldemort.

Despite the rather unsatisfying final dual, “The Deathly Hallows” is the best of the seven books. It makes for happy, exciting and sad reading, more emotion than all of the other six combined and it ended in a way so that it feels truly over.

J.K. Rowling truly wrote it so that there will never be another Harry Potter.