At Malfoy Manor, a tense meeting unfolds between Severus Snape and the menacing Lord Voldemort alongside his loyal Death Eaters. During this ominous gathering, Snape reveals critical intelligence about the Order of the Phoenix, specifically their plans to relocate Harry Potter. This relocation is particularly urgent now that the protective charm bestowed by his mother has been lifted. Without missing a beat, Voldemort seizes Lucius Malfoy’s wand, as he knows his own wand is powerless against Harry’s due to their shared phoenix feather core. The attack comes during the relocation, leading to tragic casualties where Mad-Eye Moody and Hedwig lose their lives in the chaos as Harry narrowly escapes Voldemort’s grasp.

As the stage is set for Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour’s wedding, the narrative takes a turn with the arrival of the new Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour. He brings news that Dumbledore has left personal gifts for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. These gifts include a Deluminator for Ron, a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard for Hermione, and the Golden Snitch that Harry caught during his very first Quidditch match. Additionally, the esteemed Sword of Gryffindor has been bequeathed to Harry, though its whereabouts remain a mystery.

Disaster strikes when news reaches them that the Ministry has fallen and Scrimgeour has met his demise. Chaos ensues as Death Eaters launch an attack during the wedding, forcing Harry, Ron, and Hermione to flee to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. While there, Ron uncovers a pivotal detail: Sirius’s brother, Regulus Black, is the enigmatic R.A.B. who pilfered Salazar Slytherin’s locket from Voldemort. The plot thickens when it’s revealed that the locket had been sold to Dolores Umbridge by the local thief Mundungus Fletcher. Their daring infiltration of the Ministry is fraught with peril as they manage to retrieve the locket, but not without being pursued by relentless Death Eaters. In a stroke of luck, Hermione disapparates them into the safety of a forest, although Ron sustains injuries. The trio now embarks on a perilous quest to locate and destroy all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, starting with the elusive locket.

Despite their best efforts, destroying the locket proves fruitless. Hermione employs her intellect to deduce that Gryffindor’s sword possesses the unique capability to obliterate Horcruxes due to its infusion with basilisk venom. Nevertheless, Ron is increasingly affected by the dark influences of the locket, leading to a sense of frustration about their slow progress and irrational jealousy towards Harry and Hermione. This emotional turmoil culminates in a heated argument with Harry, resulting in Ron storming off. Strangely, when Harry kisses the Snitch, it reveals a cryptic message: > “I open at the close.” Hermione observes that a peculiar symbol within Beedle the Bard mirrors one that Luna Lovegood’s father, Xenophilius, wears.

As Harry and Hermione set out to find the sword in Godric’s Hollow, they encounter the same mysterious symbol in a cemetery. Their journey takes a different turn when they are welcomed into the home of Bathilda Bagshot. There, they discover a photograph of a young man from Harry’s dream who had stolen a wand from Gregorovitch. In a harrowing twist, Bathilda transforms into Voldemort’s snake, Nagini, launching an attack on Harry. Thanks to Hermione’s quick thinking, they Disapparate just in time, although her spell inadvertently destroys Harry’s wand. In their search for answers, they identify the man in the photo as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. That very night, a doe patronus guides Harry to a frozen pond concealing Gryffindor’s sword, but as he retrieves it, the locket around his neck threatens to strangle him. To Harry’s aid, Ron arrives, snatching the sword from the water and saving his friend. Together, they successfully destroy the locket with Gryffindor’s sword, with Ron revealing that the Deluminator had guided him to their location.

Their next stop is to visit Xenophilius Lovegood, where they discover the symbol represents the Deathly Hallows. They learn of the legendary three brothers who each received a magical gift capable of evading Death: the Resurrection Stone, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the formidable Elder Wand. The true power lies in possessing all three, granting one the title of Master of Death. However, amid this revelation, Xenophilius covertly summons the Death Eaters, hoping to barter Harry’s life for his kidnapped daughter, Luna. Their escape is fraught with danger as Snatchers capture them, and during a vision, Harry learns from an elderly Grindelwald about the Elder Wand being buried alongside Dumbledore.

Back at Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix Lestrange discovers a Snatcher possessing Gryffindor’s sword, which she thought was safely tucked away in her Gringotts vault. Harry and Ron find themselves confined in the cellar where they meet Luna, Ollivander, and Griphook. In an upstairs room, Bellatrix tortures Hermione, prompting Harry to desperately call for help using a shard of mirror in which he thinks he sees Dumbledore. His call is answered by Dobby, who comes to their aid, facilitating their escape while Harry retrieves their stolen wands from Draco Malfoy. Tragically, just as they Disapparate away, Bellatrix hurls a knife that fatally strikes Dobby. In his grief, Harry lays Dobby to rest near Bill and Fleur’s seaside cottage, recognized as a safe house for the Order. Meanwhile, in the shadows, Voldemort skillfully retrieves the Elder Wand from Dumbledore’s final resting place, ensuring his power remains unchecked.