History Awesome / HarryPotterandTheDeathlyHallows

* When the Dementors attacked Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they were going to the Shrieking Shack. Both Ron and Hefore the Dementors can attack, three Patronuses rescue them. Who is it that sent them? Not teachers, Aurors, or mermione cast their Patronuses to try and repel them to no effect, while Harry can't even bring himself to try. Bembers of the Order; it's ''Seamus Finnegan, Ernie Macmillan, and Luna Lovegood'', using what they learned under Harry in Dumbledore's Army. This gives Harry the hope he needs to summon his own Patronus. Particularly awesome when you realize that the trio who saved them represent the three Hogwarts Houses who were allowed to stay and fight against Voldemort. Not to mention the way Luna coaches Harry through the Patronus, reminding him that they're still alive and fighting, which gives him the strength to execute the spell.

** Also taking into consideration how many times throughout the books Dumbledore seemingly ignores Harry's claims that Snape is untrustworthy and evil, it appears as if Dumbledore has firmly grasped the IdiotBall for many years with how he [[WideEyedIdealist idealistically]] believes Snape to have reformed. Although Snape has turned to the side of good, it oddly is somewhat satisfying to see Harry watch Dumbledore regard Snape with the hatred he has viewed Snape his entire life.

* Harry, [[CurbStompBattle kerb-stomping]] Amycus Carrow for insulting [=McGonagall=]. "[[PreAsskickingOneLiner You shouldn't have done that.]]" As well as his simple response to his reasoning. "He spat at you."

** It's worth noting that no one--not Voldemort, not Bellatrix, not Greyback--ever got that level of contempt, as far as we're aware.

* The brief clash between [=McGonagall=], Snape, and Flitwick is really underrated as truly the finest example of a WizardDuel in the entire series (after the Dumbledore vs. Voldemort duel in Order of the Phoenix). Most duels are fairly shallow affairs involving throwing various curses at each other and hoping to block or dodge the enemy's ones. In ''this'' duel, [=McGonagall=] opens with a lightning-fast offensive spell that Snape blocks, then draws a lasso of flame from a nearby torch and hurls it at him, only for Snape to transform the flames into a black serpent and send it back at her. [=McGonagall=] blasts the serpent to ash, then transforms the ash into a swarm of daggers which Snape blocks by dragging a suit of armour in front of himself. Then Flitwick intervenes and animates the armour to try and grab Snape forcing him to send it flying back at his opponents before fleeing. The description of the scene is so fast-paced that you can just imagine the spells flying back and forth as two masters of the art use every trick they know to try and kill each other.
** Flitwick gets his own Crowning Moment of Awesome in this scene, right before saving [=McGonagall=] (and kicking Snape's ass): "NO! You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!" It just ties in so well with the teachers' LetsGetDangerous moment. It's made even better by the fact that Flitwick is a Duelling ''champion''; he ''knows'' how to kill and thus ''weaponizes the armour of the school'' to fight - he's using all the strategies of a champion. Do ''whatever'' you have to do to win and minimise casualties.
** That being said, it's one for Snape as well, being able to survive getting attacked by two master duelists at once.
*** Flitwick gets another one - later he's casting spells out of a window. Given that he's so small, presumably he '''''cannot see out of the window and is doing it all without looking at what he's aiming at!''''' Duelling champion for the win.
** Normally we see wizards struggle to do even ''one'' Patronus. [=McGonagall=], being the badass she is, manages ''three at once'' without even breaking a sweat. These Patronuses are of her Animagus form, this revealing that the only thing that can protect Minerva [=McGonagall=] and deliver messages ''is herself.''
* A battle is about to begin and Hogwarts needs all the defenses they can get to fuck up the Death Eaters' shit... so who does [=McGonagall=] get Filch to recruit? The chief of fucking up shit - ''Peeves.'' Peeves, during the battle, starts dropping Snargaluff pods - long, prickly, bramble-like vines that stick out the top and whip through the air - on to the Death Eaters' heads like bombs! Snargaluff Pods are meant to be handled by ''at least'' two people because they will attack you, so imagine Peeves now throwing them at Death Eaters!
* Also, after that, when Hermione tells Griphook they targeted her because she's a Mudblood, and when Ron mutters she shouldn't call herself that, she says she's a "Mudblood, and proud of it!"

* This exchange:
-->'''[=McGonagall=]:''' Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your House and take your charges in orderly fashion to the evacuation point.\\
'''Ernie Macmillan:''' (stands up from the Hufflepuff table) And what if we want to stay and fight?\\
'''cue applause'''
** And most of Hufflepuff House joining him. Sure, the Gryffindors would've mostly backed Harry anyway, but for most of them, it was because they wanted to fight. Here, most of the House standing up for him because it's what's ''right''. Hufflepuff haters don't know what they're talking about.

* Narcissa Malfoy in ''Deathly Hallows'' saving Harry's ass by ''lying to Voldemort's face'' -- but only when she was sure that Draco was still alive. Especially when one considers that Voldemort is especially talented at Legilimency, which means that he has very little trouble finding out if his followers are lying to him. The only way to block it is through Occlumency, which ''Order of the Phoenix'' established took a ''lot'' of control over one's emotions. Which means that Narcissa, while scared and shaken and desperate to find her son, discovers that Harry survived and that Draco is still alive, and is able to remain sufficiently emotionally neutral to prevent Voldemort from suspecting or realizing what was up.

* It's subtle, but the fact that Aberforth was able to participate in the duel between himself, his brother, and Grindelwald shows that while not as powerful as Albus, Aberforth is nevertheless a skilled wizard. Keep in mind that during this encounter he was only fifteen (while Albus and Gellert were of age) and was recovering from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse.

* [=*Punch*=] "And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two-faced bastard!" In one action and fourteen words, Ron (who arguably suffered the most from him) pays back Malfoy for all the crap he's taken from him over the years.

* When the Dementors attacked Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they were going to the Shrieking Shack. Both Ron and Hermione cast their Patronuses to try and repel them to no effect, while Harry can't even bring himself to try. Before the Dementors can attack, three Patronuses rescue them. Who is it that sent them? Not teachers, Aurors, or members of the Order; it's ''Seamus Finnegan, Ernie Macmillan, and Luna Lovegood'', using what they learned under Harry in Dumbledore's Army. This gives Harry the hope he needs to summon his own Patronus. Particularly awesome when you realize that the trio who saved them represent the three Hogwarts Houses who were allowed to stay and fight against Voldemort. Not to mention the way Luna coaches Harry through the Patronus, reminding him that they're still alive and fighting, which gives him the strength to execute the spell.

* A subtle one, but Harry after Dobby's funeral finally completing his CharacterDevelopment and growing from a rash, angsty teenager who lets his emotions get away with him into a mature, effective leader who makes careful, informed decisions. It's just so very satisfying to finally feel like we can trust our hero to not screw up.

* Hermione erasing all her parents' memories of her. Every. Last. One. Granted, she was planning on bringing them back but still! Not only did that show her caring for them, but it also shows her courage. That action pretty much sums up why Hermione is a Gryffindor and not a Ravenclaw; her plan to restore her parents' memories wasn't "granted" at all -- she could only do it if she lived long enough to find them, and one of the reasons that she erased the memories in the first place was so that if she was killed, or Voldemort won and she had to spend the rest of her life on the run/in hiding, her parents could be happy in their ignorance. You'd want to spare your parents that kind of grief, wouldn't you? WordOfGod later stated that, after Voldemort's death, Hermione managed to find her parents and restore their memories.

* The fact that the trio are a well-oiled machine now. Harry is the on-the-spot planner, Hermione is the one to fix all the holes, and Ron is the power, and we see it at the cafe. They win, because they cover each other's weaknesses; Hermione isn't good at imagining things, Harry doesn't think before he leaps, and Ron isn't the smartest tack in the shed, but they cover that by working together.

* Lee Jordan and Kingsley Shacklebolt using Potterwatch to ask listeners to look after their Muggle neighbors.
--> '''Royal (Kingsley Shacklebolt)''': We continue to hear truly inspirational stories of wizards and witches risking their own safety to protect Muggle friends and neighbours, often without the Muggles' knowledge. I'd like to appeal to all our listeners to emulate their example, perhaps by casting a protective charm over any Muggle dwellings in your street. Many lives could be saved if such simple measures are taken. \\
'''River (Lee Jordan)''': And what would you say, Royal, to those listeners who reply that in these dangerous times, it should be "wizards first?" \\
'''Kingsley Shacklebolt:''' I'd say that it's one short step from "wizards first" to "pure-bloods first", and then to "Death Eaters". We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.

* Harry calling Scrimgeour out again.
** Harry calling Scrimgeour out for wasting time combing over the things Dumbledore willed the Golden Trio, instead of going after Voldemort after the Minister grills him about Dumbledore leaving Harry the Sword of Gryffindor:
--->'''Harry''': Interesting theory. Has anyone ever tried sticking a sword in Voldemort? Maybe the Ministry should put some people onto that instead of stripping down Deluminators or covering up breakouts from Azkaban. So this is what you've been doing, Minister, shut up in your office, trying to break open a Snitch? People are dying- I was nearly one of them- Voldemort chased me across three counties, he killed Mad Eye Moody, but there's been no word about any of that from the Ministry, has there? And you still expect us to cooperate with you!
** After Harry stops Ron from attacking the Minister after Scrimgeour singes Harry with his wand, Scrimgeour goes into a lengthy rant about how Harry should show him respect. Harry shuts him up with one sentence:
--->'''Harry''': [[ShutUpHannibal It's time you earned it.]]
** And to cap it off, we get a call back to the last time the two met:
---> '''Scrimgeour''': You seem to think that the ministry does not desire what Dumbledore desired. We ought to be working together.\\
'''Harry''': I don't like your methods, Minister, remember? ''(Harry shows Scrimgeour his "I Must Not Tell Lies scar" again.)''
** The fact that Ron, impulsive or not, was ready to attack the freaking Minister of Magic to protect Harry. Keep in mind, we are not talking about the old Fudge anymore, who never seemed like a threatening wizard at all, but the former leader of the Aurors, someone who was specifically put in charge because of his fighting abilities, and with still an intimidating presence despite his age. This is someone who spent his life fighting dark wizards, but Ron would have attacked him nonetheless. All for Harry.
** Dumbledore, suspecting that anything he willed to Harry would undergo Ministry scrutiny, found a way to slip Harry the Resurrection Stone hidden inside what appeared to be a sentimental trinket. Harry, for his part, immediately realized a key part of what Dumbledore had done (the Snitch's touch memory would trigger not from his hand, but from his mouth), but pretended not to until Scrimgeour had left.
* Taking the above into account, [[DyingMomentOfAwesome Scrimgeour refusing to tell the Death Eaters where Harry was before dying.]] In death, Scrimgeour finally did something worthy of Harry's respect and of his station.

* Hermione managing to come up with a good lie while being horribly tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange is pretty cool -- as well as the fact she manages to save the [[BagOfHolding Magical Bag of Awesome]] from the Death Eaters by stuffing it down her sock.

* Neville killing Nagini with the sword of Godric Gryffindor while being [[IncendiaryExponent on fire]]. Right after he pulled a ShutUpHannibal right at Voldemort, just when it looks like their last hope is dead. Remember that he's the sole resistance leader when Harry arrives. He shows no care about his severe injuries, he's goddamn ''pissed'' when Harry tries to stop them from engaging in an open fight with Voldemort, and reacts to Harry's request to take on Nagini with barely any emotion.
** Not to mention that by drawing the sword of Godric Gryffindor, he finally proved himself to be a true Gryffindor, something that has been doubted during all of his school years. It's even more epic when he tells Voldemort off in front of his army and the remaining survivors of Hogwarts, proving just how brave he has become during his time at Hogwarts.
*** It really shows that Neville really is just as much TheChosenOne as Harry is.
** The “power the Dark Lord knows not” is not only Harry’s love, it is also Neville’s courage. That power enabled Neville to render Voldemort mortal.
* If there's anything good that came from this war, it's that it forced Neville to grow up and [[TookALevelInBadass take a level in badass]]. In a way, even what Voldemort says to Neville is a CMOA. The boy has been seen as a joke and a loser for years, and now ''the'' Dark Lord, the wizard that people are afraid to speak of by name, obviously respects Neville both as a worthy opponent and potential ally.
** Normally, the EvilOverlord offers WeCanRuleTogether to his nemesis TheHero, who has some special power or skill that makes him a direct threat to the Dark Lord or his plans. Aside from one (almost certainly insincere) attempt in the first book, Voldemort doesn't offer Harry power or position by his side. But he does offer it to ''Neville'', Hogwarts' Professional ButtMonkey seven years running. Granted, part of it is Neville's pureblood status, but the rest? Neville just impressed Voldemort ''that much'' with his unwavering courage.
** To put this in perspective, Neville has become the leader of Dumbledore's Army, turned it into a resistance cell, and is conducting a guerilla campaign against the Death Eaters who took over Hogwarts. Throughout book 7, Neville actually seems to be doing a better job of taking the fight to Voldemort's forces than even The Order of the Phoenix.
* A moment of awesome has to go to Neville's grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, even though it's [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome only spoken of and not shown]]. When a wizard tries to resist the Death Eaters, Death Eaters kidnap any family members they can use to force compliance. When Neville starts up a rebellion at Hogwarts, Death Eaters go after his gran. [[NeverMessWithGranny It doesn't end well for them.]] ''"Little old witch, living alone... they probably didn't think they had to send anyone particularly powerful. Anyway, Dawlish is still in St. Mungo's and Gran's on the run."'' Bear in mind, Dawlish was a top Auror with "Outstanding" in all of his N.E.W.T.s. Also bear in mind that this woman probably hasn't had to do any actual fighting since Voldemort fell; she's had ''sixteen years of peace'' and is ''still'' able to unleash the ever loving shit onto Dawlish and, on top of it all, she manages to ''run away into hiding, inform Neville of her location through letter '''and''' get to Hogsmeade, avoid the alarms, fight in the battle and live.'' Neville got it from his parents; Frank had to get it from ''somewhere''. Augusta is where.
* Even Kreacher and the house elves get a moment of awesome. This house elf revolt comes as the last and greatest in a string of OhCrap moments for the Death Eaters, who quite erroneously thought that Harry's seeming death would demoralize the enemies and instead found out that they're ready to fight harder than ever. The Acromantulas are attacking, Grawp has joined the fray, thestrals and hippogriffs are lunging, the centaurs are stampeding in and sending arrows flying, and what is the cherry on top?
--> The centaurs Bane, Ronan, and Magorian burst into the hall with clattering hooves, as behind Harry the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges; the house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers. At their head, with locket of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, yelling at his compatriots to fight the Dark Lord in the name of his master's sacrifice. The house-elves were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters with their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Harry looked the Death Eaters were folding under sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by elves, or else simply attempting to escape but swallowed by the charging army.
---> Kreacher: "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"
** To make this clear, house elves have powerful magic and can stand against wizards, but usually don't and put up with whatever mistreatment comes their way out of servitude. There are now a ''hundred'' of these little things not even bothering with magic, which would be scary enough, and swarming the Death Eaters with ''carving knives and cleavers'' intending to butcher them like hams. This is what happens when you bring blood to Hogwarts.
** Kreacher got one earlier. [[DeadpanSnarker "Perhaps once again, Master Harry, just for luck?"]] after a FryingPanOfDoom moment.
* Narcissa Malfoy in ''Deathly Hallows'' saving Harry's ass by ''lying to Voldemort's face'' -- but only when she was sure that Draco was still alive. Especially when one considers that Voldemort is especially talented at Legilimency, which means that he has very little trouble finding out if his followers are lying to him. The only way to block it is through Occlumency, which ''Order of the Phoenix'' established took a ''lot'' of control over one's emotions. Which means that Narcissa, while scared and shaken and desperate to find her son, discovers that Harry survived and that Draco is still alive, and is able to remain sufficiently emotionally neutral to prevent Voldemort from suspecting or realizing what was up.
** Even with the idea that Voldemort, believing himself at the height of his power and invulnerability, didn't even bother to use Legilimency on Narcissa, that does not detract from her awesome. Either because ''she had no way of knowing'' Lord Voldemort would indulge in SuicidalOverconfidence and not bother to make sure she was telling the truth, so still felt reasonably sure she could block him, or because she ''just knows Voldemort well enough'' to know he wouldn't bother making sure she's telling the truth.
* Just the fact that Narcissa’s lie to Voldemort changed the ''entire'' outcome of the war, [[{{Bookends}} making it the second time that the Wizarding World has been saved not just because of a grand and bloody battle]], but also because of a [[MamaBear mother's deep love for her son.]] The power the Dark Lord knows not, indeed.
* It's subtle, but the fact that Aberforth was able to participate in the duel between himself, his brother, and Grindelwald shows that while not as powerful as Albus, Aberforth is nevertheless a skilled wizard. Keep in mind that during this encounter he was only fifteen (while Albus and Gellert were of age) and was recovering from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse.
* Second to last chapter in the final book: "Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it isn't real?"

* Hermione proving once again just how well she thinks under pressure by throwing a Stinging Jinx at Harry's face after they are located by the Snatchers, just so they won't recognize him right away and turn him in on the spot.

* The fact that the trio are a well-oiled machine now. Harry is the on-the-spot planner, Hermione is the one to fix all the holes, and Ron is the power, and we see it at the cafe. They win, because they cover each other's weaknesses; Hermione isn't good at imagining things, Harry doesn't think before he leaps, and Ron isn't the smartest tack in the shed, but they cover that by working together.

* Harry, [[CurbStompBattle kerb-stomping]] Amycus Carrow for insulting [=McGonagall=]. "[[PreAsskickingOneLiner You shouldn't have done that.]]" As well as his simple response to his reasoning. "He spat at you."
** The reason why this is so awesome is that when Harry attempted the Cruciatus on Bellatrix in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', he didn't have the heart for it. Bellatrix explained that ''righteous anger'' wouldn't get the job done, only genuine hatred and sadism would. So imagine how Harry must've felt seeing Amycus spit on [=McGonagall=].
* In the middle of ''Deathly Hallows'', Dobby gets one by teleporting Ron, Harry, and saving Hermione from right in front of Bellatrix. Unfortunately, it also ends in his death, which is one of the most poignant scenes in the series. His [[DefiantToTheEnd unwavering reply]] to Bellatrix just goes to show how much he's [[CharacterDevelopment grown since his debut in ''Chamber of Secrets,'']] when he could barely speak ill of his old masters without hurting himself afterwards.
-->'''Bellatrix:''' How dare you defy your masters?!\\
'''Dobby:''' Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf!
* This exchange:
-->'''Ron:''' So Dumbledore left me his Deluminator because he knew I'd leave you?\\
'''Harry:''' No -- it was because ''he knew you would come back''.
* Hagrid producing a brick wall and a net from the motorbike, and the ''dragon'' flame that he uses as a turbo booster.

* In this exchange:
-->'''Aberforth:''' Why didn't he [Dumbledore] tell him to hide, then? Why didn't he say to him, 'Take care of yourself, here's how to survive'?\\
'''Harry:''' Because... sometimes you've got to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you've got to think about the greater good! This is war!\\
'''Aberforth:''' You're seventeen, boy!\\
'''Harry:''' I'm of age, and I'm going to keep fighting even if you've given up!

* Right after Harry curses Carrow, [=McGonagall=] demands to know what Harry's doing at Hogwarts and generally reverting to the stern Deputy Headmistress from the previous books. But as soon as Harry states he's "acting on Dumbledore's orders", she ''immediately'' stops lecturing and sets to work preparing the castle for the coming siege!
** It's also incredibly cathartic when after six books of [=McGonagall=] telling Harry off for snooping around the castle she now tells him she'll clear a path for him to do what he has to do. Harry is no longer a student under her care, he is a peer standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her in the war against tyranny.

* Hermione doing a memory charm on Xenophilius Lovegood right before she blew the floor away and disapparated (teleported away) in mid-air with both Ron and Harry to cover up Ron's presence.
* Hermione managing to come up with a good lie while being horribly tortured is pretty cool -- as well as the fact she manages to save the [[BagOfHolding Magical Bag of Awesome]] from the Death Eaters by stuffing it down her sock.
** To make it clear, she was coming up with the lie in between screaming in pain.

** Given that Fred and George described being ''terrified'' of their father when he loses his temper when they were kids and trying to make Ron take an Unbreakable vow, Mr Weasley being pants-wettingly frightening is apparently a ''normal'' thing; no wonder Kingsley immediately promotes this man after the battle.

** Grindelwald's last moments is quite awesome: Unarmed and clearly helpless, Grindelwald knew he wouldn't survive his encounter with Voldemort, but he doesn't cower at all. Instead, he [[FaceDeathWithDignity has been expecting Voldemort with no fear at all]] and taunts Voldemort before the latter kills him, not telling him about where the Elder Wand is ''even in the face of certain death'' …which is something Voldemort could never do, as death was his biggest fear.

** The fact that Grindelwald is bragging ''just by existing.'' Voldemort is scared of Dumbledore and will run away from a fight unless he ''has'' to fight him; Grindelwald, as far as we know, did ''not'' cower from the fight, even though he, too, was scared of Dumbledore. It's not described as "The greatest duel of all time" for no reason - he ''fought.'' Sure, he lost, but he went down fighting to the end! Just like Dumbledore, Grindelwald ''never'' feared Voldemort, and that's not just because he believed himself superior, but also because he never feared death. As such, both Grindelwald and Dumbledore demonstrated they had truly won over Voldemort by completely accepting of their fate.

* If there's anything good that came from this war, it's that it forced Neville to grow up and [[{{TookALevelInBadass}} take a level in badass]]. In a way, even what Voldemort says to Neville is a CMOA. The boy has been seen as a joke and a loser for years, and now ''the'' Dark Lord, the wizard that people are afraid to speak of by name, obviously respects Neville both as a worthy opponent and potential ally.

** But most importantly, his performance in the Battle of Hogwarts. Despite his powers being nerfed by Harry's sacrifice, Voldemort is "striking and smiting all within reach," and defeats McGonagall, Shacklebolt, and Slughorn ''simultaneously'' in his final duel.

* The mobile game ''Wizard's Unite'' briefly has [=McGonagall=] mention that she saw one of the flying boars on the Hogwarts gates ''dive bombing a group of Death Eaters''; as far as we're aware - and as far as ''she'' is aware - [=McGonagall=] bought the statues ''inside'' the school alive. Does this include the flying boars on the Hogwarts gates or is the ''school itself'' weaponizing bits of itself?

*** No, the uniform isn't a cloak over normal clothes. It says every time that they "change into" their Hogwarts uniform not "put their robes ob over their clothes."

* [[http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/11/02/harry-potter-dvd-jk-rowling J.K.]] commented on the [=McGonagall=] vs. Snape showdown in the film, telling us how she had to make sure it stayed the same as in the book, saying she didn't like the "[[FauxActionGirl marginalization of women when the fighting breaks out]]".

* Harry's sacrifice is awesome anyway, but the fact that his sacrifice protects every single person who was currently fighting Voldemort from him being able to kill them is even more awesome. It's his mother's protection charm UpToEleven.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/voldemort_vs_seven_potters.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''I must be the one to kill Harry Potter.'']]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a7df9d375256f63f884699a96b76c3c1_full_5.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[GrandFinale The final clash between good and evil.]]'']]

** His duel with Dumbledore is regarded as the greatest duel in the history of the wizarding world and whatever extraordinary magic they unleashed upon one another left all those who witnessed it so terrified and awed even years after, with Voldemort present, they still speak of exactly what they felt when they saw those two juggernaut-level wizards do battle. Dumbledore also stated outright that Grindelwald's magical power was no less than his, and he was only a "shade more skillful". That suddenly makes us remember Rita Skeeter's words, as untrustworthy as she is: Britain never experienced Grindelwald, so they naturally believed Voldemort was worse than him. However, it's quite likely it's not the same with the other countries of the wizarding world, who never experienced Voldemort, and this combined with Dumbledore's comparison of himself and Grindelwald, after an older Dumbledore had subjected Voldemort to a CurbStompCushion fight, may very well mark Grindelwald as being the superior dark wizard after all. Indeed, Dumbledore defeating Grindelwald was already considered by witnesses from Britain to be equal to Harry's defeat of Voldemort from the eye-witnesses, but to the international eye-witnesses, the victory was deemed a match for the establishment of ''the International Statute of Secrecy'', That's right, while Harry's defeat of Voldemort brought peace to Britain, Dumbledore's defeat of Grindelwald brought peace to the entire world and the whole world acknowledged it, showing that Grindelwald succeeding for 20 years wasn't just because he avoided Dumbledore, and he was ''very'' successful in terrorizing the other parts of the world. It was almost as if Rowling was warning us about the coming of the ''Fantastic Beasts'' series, where we would see Grindelwald display just how great of a wizard he is....

** The fact that Grindelwald is bragging ''just by existing.'' Voldemort is scared of Dumbledore and will run away from a fight unless he ''has'' to fight him; Grindelwald, as far as we know, did ''not'' cower from the fight, even though he, too, was scared of Dumbledore. It's not described as "The greatest duel of all time" for no reason - he ''fought.'' Sure, he lost, but he went down fighting to the end! Not only that, he demonstrates exactly what he thinks of Voldemort: He knows had they fought when Grindelwald was at his height of power, he would have surely won, and while it's no longer the case now, he still has the guts and sarcacsm to go down flaunting the superiority he once had at Voldemort by openly mocking him for not understanding anything of actual great importance and making it clear he considered him less a Dark Lord and more of a powerful idiot who to his eyes deserved no actual fear at all. Just like Dumbledore, Grindelwald ''never'' feared Voldemort, and that's not just because he believed himself superior, but also because he never feared death. As such, both Grindelwald and Dumbledore demonstrated they had truly won over Voldemort in practically everything: They are both magically better than him, and they faced death completely accepting of their fate.

* Just the fact that Narcissa’s lie to Voldemort changed the ''entire'' outcome of the war, [[{{Bookends}} making it the second time that the Wizarding World has been saved not just because of a grand and bloody battle]], but also because of a [[MamaBear mother's deep love for her son.]]

*** Also, that line calls back to ''Order of the Phoenix'', where she told Harry to tread carefully around Umbridge because "Do you really think this is about truth or lies? It's about keeping your head down and your temper under control". She might tell her students to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention to themselves even if it means ignoring injustice, but she ''sure as hell won't do it herself''.

*** Keep in mind, given the time frame, those Mandrakes were probably full-grown specimens that they had been raising since the start of the school year. Screaming full-grown mandrakes + unprotected ears = '''[[OneHitKill INSTANT DEATH.]]'''

** Possible fridge awesomeness: Hufflepuff's Cup and Ravenclaw's Diadem show no protective curses. Is it possible that they realize they've turned into Horcruxes and somehow [[ICannotSelfTerminate expect someone]] [[HeroicSacrifice to destroy them]]?

*** In context, this scene gets better. People talk about Andromeda Tonks and how much she lost as an innocent bystander, but what about Molly Weasley? Over the past 3 years, she watched helplessly as her husband and not one, but TWO of her sons (Bill and George) almost get killed. She spent the entire year fearing for the lives of Harry, Ron, and Hermione after being completely cut off in the aftermath of The Fall of the Ministry. She's watched close comrades die. She likely gets flashbacks to her brothers being murdered during the first war. Every day, it seems like her worst fear (the death of her family) might finally come true. and then, on the very same day that her estranged son Percy finally returns and apologizes for being an idiot, Fred is killed in the Battle of Hogwarts. SHE WAS ALREADY IN MOURNING. And on top of all this, Voldemort returns from the Forbidden Forest triumphantly with Harry dead in Hagrid's arms. As far as she's concerned, she's lost another son. So for Bellatrix to go after her youngest child, (her ONLY DAUGHTER, by the way) after she lost so much not just in 24 hours, but over the entire course of the war? With all that pent up rage and sorrow, there was no way anyone could have won a duel with Molly Weasley at that moment.

** The fact that Sybil Trelawney, who was almost a complete JokeCharacter, started dropping [[DeathFromAbove crystal balls on the Death Eaters' heads]] and the first person she took out was ''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Fenrir Greyback]]'', the most dangerous, powerful, and vicious werewolf alive. And note that this is the same werewolf who turned Remus Lupin into a werewolf and singlehandedly took down Bill Weasley, who was a professional cursebreaker, making him a very powerful wizard. Bill couldn't take him down with all the jinxes and hexes at his disposal, but Trelawney took him down with, of all spells, [[SimpleYetAwesome ''Wingardium Leviosa''.]]

* During the final confrontation, both BigBad Voldemort and TheDragon Bellatrix each take on three opponents at once. Voldemort faces off with [=McGonagall=], Slughorn and Kingsley, but the really awesome moment here is Hermione, Ginny, and Luna teaming up against Bellatrix - bear in mind that Hermione is only 18, Luna just turned 17, and Ginny is still 16 (and therefore the only one of the girls who's still underage), and none of them have completed their schooling, but still manage to hold their own, at least until Molly Weasley's immortal moment detailed above.

** Dumbledore's time possessing the wand, to a lesser extent. The whole time that he owned the wand, no one but he (and Grindelwald) ever realized he was wielding the most powerful and coveted wand in existence. He never boasted of it, and did not challenge others with it. And he was a powerful enough wizard ''before'' he obtained it that no one ever thought his great power suspicious--he never used it to its full power except when absolutely necessary. He always regretted keeping James Potter's cloak, and his attempt to use the Stone of Resurrection got him killed eventually...but the wand at least was something he ''was'' worthy of keeping.

* The entire film series accomplishing the seemingly impossible task of adapting the entirety of ''Harry Potter'' to film, keeping all the same main cast members except for one who died through the whole thing. (And Crabbe, whose actor got busted for drugs. [[HandWaved But honestly, does anyone really care?]])

*** And as much effort as he put into it all, when him and the other Death Eaters were chasing the seven Harrys, he tried to ''cut off a fellow Death Eater's wand hand''. He risked his pretty tight and useful position to stop another Death Eater. If that curse hadn't accidentally cut George's ear off, Snape would have died that night. Not to mention on the night of the final battle, when Voldemort calls him, he insists on looking for Harry: no doubt to try and explain everything to him before the end.

* In the chapter The Prince's Tale, Dumbledore disarming Snape only moments after apparating before him and leaving him utterly helpless and terrified, demonstrating even if only briefly exactly what happens if anyone but Grindelwald and Voldemort tries to fight him, and then verbally trapping Snape into exposing his hypocrisy of only valuing certain innocent lives, then point-blank telling Snape that he finds him 'disgusting' with, according to Harry, more contempt than he has ever had in his voice before.

*** WordOfGod went into a bit more detail on this scene, which, if anything, made it even more awesome than it already was. Specifically, it was clarified that the curse Molly used was not, in fact, the Killing Curse but rather an exceptionally-powerful Stunner that caused Bella to have a heart attack. On paper this doesn't sound as badass as the Killing Curse, but then you remember we have actually seen something like this before, in the fifth book, when four of Umbridge's henchmen Stunned and critically wounded [=McGonagall=]. Thing is, that was four trained Aurors versus an unarmed target, and even then, [=McGonnagal=] didn't die. In ''Deathly Hallows'', however, we find one dumpy housewife versus the second most powerful Death Eater, and ''she'' comes away with a kill. Just how powerful is Molly, anyway?

* McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley vs Voldemort. From how Harry described it, they weren't able to finish him off, but Voldemort was also clearly trying and straining himself to match all three of them, with how Harry stated that Voldemort was growing more and more furious by the moment. It was only when Voldemort's rage exploded that he knocked them down, but even then, it's evident they would have stood up and continued the duel had Harry not intervened.

** Grindelwald's last moments is quite awesome: Unarmed and clearly helpless, Grindelwald knew he wouldn't survive his encounter with Voldemort, but he doesn't cower at all. Instead, he FacesDeathWithDignity and taunts Voldemort before the latter kills him, not telling him about where the Elder Wand is ''even in the face of certain death'' …which is something Voldemort could never do, as death was his biggest fear.

* The former Dark Lord, Grindelwald, taunts Voldemort before the latter kills him, not telling him about where the Elder Wand is ''even in the face of certain death'' …which is something Voldemort could never do, as death was his biggest fear.

*** The fact that Grindelwald is bragging ''just by existing.'' Voldemort is scared of Dumbledore and will run away from a fight unless he ''has'' to fight him; Grindelwald, as far as we know, did ''not'' cower from the fight, even though he, too, was scared of Dumbledore. It's not described as "The greatest duel of all time" for no reason - he ''fought.'' Sure, he lost, but he went down fighting to the end!

* In the chapter The Prince's Tale, Dumbledore verbally trapping Snape into exposing his hypocrisy of only valuing certain innocent lives, then point-blank telling Snape that he finds him 'disgusting' with, according to Harry, more contempt than he has ever had in his voice before.

*** For Grindelwald's credit, this statement alone already marks him as being capable of surpassing Voldemort in terms of skill and power. Dumbledore, who had subjected Voldemort to a CurbStompCushion fight, outright admits that Grindelwald was nearly at his level. Indeed, Doge's words in his memorial of Dumbledore spoke just how legendary their duel was: Regarded as the greatest duel ever even now, the eyewitnesses of the duel were stated to have to write just how terrified and awed they were with the extraordinary power and skill these two had, and Dumbledore defeating Grindelwald was considered equal to not just Harry's defeat of Voldemort, but also the establishment of ''the International Statute of Secrecy''. That's right, while Harry's defeat of Voldemort brought peace to Britain, Dumbledore's defeat of Grindelwald brought peace to the entire world, which reminds us of Rita Skeeter's words that Britain had never experienced Grindelwald and thus feared him more. It was never stated whether or not the other countries feared Voldemort like they feared Grindelwald. It was almost as if Rowling was warning us about the coming of the ''Fantastic Beasts'' series, where we would see Grindelwald display just how great of a wizard he is....
*** Not only that, when Voldemort came to threaten Grindelwald, Grindelwald was unarmed and no longer at his prime, but he still faces Voldemort boldly and sarcastically, welcoming his death at the one wizard considered more dangerous than himself with absolutely no fear. He even manages to get under his skin, refers to him by his birth name, and makes it clear that he is aware that in his prime, he would have been better than Voldemort ever was, flaunting the superiority he once had at Voldemort by openly mocking him for not understanding anything of actual great importance and making it clear he considered him less a Dark Lord and more of an idiot who deserved no fear at all from him. Just like Dumbledore, Grindelwald ''never'' feared Voldemort, and that's not just because he believed himself superior, but also because he never feared death and thus won over Voldemort in practically everything.

** Also the fact that Dumbledore was able to defeat Grindelwald while the latter possessed the Elder Wand. Dumbledore was able to defeat a wizard roughly as powerful (if only very slightly weaker) than himself while the latter possessed the most powerful wand in existence. Once again, there's a REASON why Grindelwald never tried to invade Britain!

** It's also awesome because a common complaint is that, as Hermione lampshaded, most wizards don't have an ounce of common sense, especially, it seems, not the pure-bloods. Voldemort especially is prone to constant BondVillainy. This is a case of Voldemort actually being pragmatic, and it ''very nearly works.''

** The “power the Dark Lord knows not” is not only Harry’s love, it is also Neville’s courage. That power enabled Neville to destroy Voldemort’s immortality.