Key moments: The Gringotts dragon escape, McGonagall (Maggie Smith) charming the suits of armor to life (“ I’ve always wanted to use that spell ”), the “Prince’s Tale” flashback that redeems Snape (Rickman’s finest hour), and Harry walking to his death in the Forbidden Forest. The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort in the Great Hall—devoid of the book’s verbal dissection but full of visceral fury—ends with Voldemort dissolving into ash (a controversial change). The epilogue, featuring the now-middle-aged trio sending their own children off to Hogwarts, is pure, earned sentimentality. It makes you cry not because it’s sad, but because it’s over.
The final book was split into two films, allowing the finale to breathe and giving the Battle of Hogwarts the epic scale it deserved. harry potter all movies