Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Chapter 34 Quotes
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Chapter 34 Quotes
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Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 1
Finally, the truth. Lying with his face pressed into the dusty carpet of the office, Harry understood at last that he was not supposed to survive. His job was to walk calmly into Death's welcoming arms. Along the way, he was to dispose of Voldemort's remaining links to life, so that when at last he flung himself across Voldemort's path, and did not raise a wand to defend himself, the end would be clean, and the job that ought to have been done in Godric's Hollow would be finished: Neither would live, neither would survive. (34.1)
After witnessing Snape's tragic story, the truth becomes clear to Harry: he has no choice but sacrifice himself, something that Dumbledore ensured. The only option to save the rest of the world is to give himself up.
Quote 2
If only he had died like Hedwig, so quickly he would not have known it happened. Or if he could have launched himself in front of a wand to save someone he loved… He envied even his parents' deaths now. This cold-blooded walk to his own destruction would require a different kind of bravery. (34.4)
The sacrifice demanded of Harry is indeed a horrifically challenging one – he alone knows what he must do, and it's up to him to resolve to do it. It's not an act of passion, but one of calculated, "cold-blooded," and controlled will.
Quote 3
The Snitch. His nerveless fingers fumbled for a moment with the pouch at his neck and he pulled it out.
I open at the close.
Breathing fast and hard, he stared down at it. Now that he wanted time to move as slowly as possible, it seemed to have sped up, and understanding was coming so fast it seemed to have bypassed thought. This was the close. This was the moment.
He pressed the golden metal to his lips and whispered, "I am about to die."
The metal shell broke open. He lowered his shaking hand, raised Draco's wand beneath the Cloak, and murmured, "Lumos."
The black stone with its jagged crack running down the center sat in the two halves of the Snitch. The Resurrection Stone had cracked down the vertical line representing the Elder Wand. The triangle and circle representing the Cloak and the stone were still discernable.
And again Harry understood without having to think. It did not matter about bringing them back, for he was about to join them. He was not really fetching them: they were fetching him. (34.37-43)
There's only one comfort in this sacrifice – the Resurrection Stone. Harry uses it to call back his departed loved ones to help him through this terrible moment… it's the least Dumbledore could do to ease this decision.