HARRY POTTER AND DEATHLY HOLLOWS PART 1 SUMMARY

Following Dumbledore's death, Voldemort has completed his ascension to power and gains control of the Ministry of Magic. Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave Hogwarts to hunt and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. They isolate themselves to ensure their friends and families' safety. They have little knowledge about the remaining Horcruxes except the possibility that two are objects once belonging to Hogwarts founders Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, and the third may be Nagini, Voldemort's snake familiar. The whereabouts of the two founders' objects is unknown, and Nagini is presumed to be with Voldemort. As they search for the Horcruxes, the trio learn details about Dumbledore's past, as well as Snape's true motives.

The trio recover the first Horcrux, Salazar Slytherin's locket, by infiltrating the Ministry of Magic. They begin wearing it, and Ron temporarily leaves under the influence of Voldemort's soul inside the horcrux. Harry eventually finds (with the help of a mysterious silver doe) the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, among the few objects able to destroy Horcruxes (having absorbed Basilisk venom), and when Harry attempts to recover he sword, he is almost killed by the horcrux in the attempt, Ron makes a triumphant return and uses the sword to destroy the locket. The trio continually encounter a strange symbol, which an eccentric wizard named Xenophilius Lovegood (father of Luna) tells them represents the mythical Deathly Hallows. The Hallows are revealed to be three sacred objects: the Resurrection Stone, a stone with the power to summon the dead to the living world; the Elder Wand, an unbeatable wand; and an infallible Invisibility Cloak. Harry learns that Voldemort is seeking the Elder Wand, but is unaware of the Hallows and their significance. The trio determine that finding Voldemort's Horcruxes is more important than procuring the Hallows. They break into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at the Wizarding Bank Gringotts to recover another Horcrux, Helga Hufflepuff's cup. Harry learns that another Horcrux is hidden in Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter the school and find the Horcrux, the Diadem of Ravenclaw, and also successfully destroy the cup and the diadem.

The book culminates in the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, their many allies, and various magical creatures, defend Hogwarts from Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Several major characters are killed in the first wave of the battle, including Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Fred Weasley, and Severus Snape. Harry discovers whilst viewing the memories of Severus Snape that Voldemort inadvertently made Harry a Horcrux when he attacked him as a baby and that Harry must die to destroy Voldemort. These memories also confirmed Snape's unwavering loyalty to Dumbledore and his role as spy in Voldemort's camp. Harry surrenders himself to Voldemort, who casts the Killing Curse at him, sending Harry to Limbo-like state between life and death. There, Harry sees Voldemort's destroyed soul shard, then meets Dumbledore who explains that when Voldemort used Harry's blood to regain his full strength, it protected Harry from Voldemort harming him; the Horcrux inside Harry has been destroyed, and Harry can return to his body despite being hit by the Killing Curse. Harry returns, the battle resumes, and after the last remaining Horcrux (Nagini) is destroyed by Neville Longbottom, Voldemort is killed, and the wizarding world lives in peace once more.