Hidden Meanings Explained in Harry Potter’s Final Movie

The Mystery of Harry's Survival

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the final film of the Harry Potter franchise, saw Voldemort defeated and Hogwarts triumphant but left some questions to be answered, from why Harry didn't die to why he snapped the Elder Wand.

Harry Potter walking through the Forbidden Forest to meet Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

As the flash forward concluded and the final shot zoomed out of King’s Cross Station with Harry, Hermione, and Ron waving goodbye to their children, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 came to a close.

Harry and his on at Kings Cross Station with their luggage while Ginny walks behind them in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2's flashforward

The real meaning behind many major moments, such as how Harry Potter didn’t die after Voldemort’s killing curse, and why it was the Horcrux that was destroyed instead, was highlighted in the final scenes of the movie’s third act.

Harry and Voldemort looking at the Elder Wand in Harry Potter

The Expelliarmus Spell and Voldemort's Demise

In the third and final act of the movie, Harry Potter came face-to-face with Voldemort completely devoid of his evil Horcruxes, as they both cast their spells one last time in their most vulnerable forms.

Harry Potter and Voldemort with Expelliarmus versus Avadakedavra curses being wielded outside of Hogwawrts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The question arose as to how a harmless spell like the Expelliarmus could end Voldemort's life, and the explanation lay again at the heart of the Elder Wand.

Harry Potter with Snape's Dead Body in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

When the two cast their spells against each other, the curses collided in a beautifully filmed scene with red and green fire-like lighting intertwined. The connection allowed the Elder Wand to bond with Harry, its rightful owner.

The Meaning Behind Albus Severus Potter

The final scene jumped 19 years forward and showed Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley married and taking their son to the King’s Cross station to await the departure of the Hogwarts Express.

Once Harry knelt to address his son, he stated his name, Albus Severus Potter, and told him he was named after two great wizards of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) seeing their children off in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's Epilogue

The explanation behind young Potter’s second name was revealed when Severus Snape’s memory in the Pensieve divulged the professor’s eternal love for Lily Potter.