Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Missions of the Wizarding World Role-Play”

In this activity, students will assume roles from various factions to tackle challenges that the characters faced.

The characters face daunting challenges, from infiltrating the Ministry of Magic to preparing for the final stand at Hogwarts. Each decision they make is crucial, impacting their world in ways big and small. In this activity, you’ll analyze these scenarios, taking on roles from different factions in the novel. You will strategize and make decisions, exploring how your choices could influence the story’s unfolding events and its ultimate outcome.

• With your group, take the role of a unique faction from the book: Dumbledore’s Army, The Order of the Phoenix, Ministry officials, Hogwarts staff, or Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
• Each group will receive a specific challenge drawn from the novel. Challenges could include:

o Infiltrating the Ministry of Magic to retrieve a Horcrux

o Planning the escape from Gringotts

o Organizing resistance within Hogwarts against the Death Eaters

o Setting up protective measures for the final battle at Hogwarts

• Create a detailed strategy to face your challenge. Consider the resources available to your faction, the challenges you face, and the objectives you must achieve based on text details.
• Act out your group’s plan. This could be a discussion, a mock confrontation, or even a creative performance.

After all of the groups have presented their strategies, reflect on one other’s plan. How might the different plans have changed the story’s outcome? What possible drawbacks could you see with their plan? How might another group’s plan affect your faction?

Teaching Suggestion: You may wish to assign or encourage specific roles to students within the groups, such as strategist, speaker, or note-taker. After students have completed their plans, consider asking students to reflect on their challenge and how it connects to the theme Friendship and Teamwork. This reflection could also take place regarding another group’s plan.

Differentiation Suggestion: English learners and students who benefit from a more structured approach may benefit from a graphic organizer with all or some of following headings: Faction Members, Challenge, Objective (Goal), and Resources. This visual structure can help students organize their thoughts as they come up with solutions to their challenge.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The Deathly Hallows are central magical objects that embody different philosophies about death and power.

• How do each of the Deathly Hallows symbolize distinct attitudes toward death? (topic sentence)
• Analyze what each of the Hallows represents in terms of acceptance, denial, and the desire to conquer death. Consider the choices characters make regarding these objects and how these choices reflect their understanding or misunderstanding of death. Bring examples and text details into your discussion that support your topic sentence.
• In your conclusion, discuss how the symbolism of the Deathly Hallows contributes to the novel’s broader theme of Fear of Mortality and Accepting Death.

2. The decisions of Harry, Hermione, and Ron are deeply influenced by their friends, shaping key events in their quest against Voldemort.

• How do the influences of friends and allies affect the trio’s decision-making processes? (topic sentence)
• Identify and analyze 3 key instances where the counsel or support of friends notably impacts the decisions of these characters. Include at least 1 situation where characters choose to act against the advice or expectations of their friends.
• In your concluding sentences, reflect on how these choices highlight the complexities of friendship and loyalty.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider how Snape’s memories reveal his true motivations, and how Dumbledore’s complex past shapes his actions and indirectly affects Harry’s path. Additionally, reflect on how Harry’s experiences and memories, particularly those connected to Voldemort, guide his choices leading up to the final battle. In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, examine the role of memory and the past in shaping the narrative and characters’ actions. Use specific examples from the text to support your analysis.

2. The effects of war take both a physical and psychological toll on individual characters and communities. In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, analyze the profound impact of war on the wizarding world. Explore how the resistance movements, like Dumbledore’s Army and the Order of the Phoenix, reflect broader themes of courage and defiance, and how J. K. Rowling uses themes such as loss, resistance, and the moral complexities of war to portray the changes within the wizarding society. You may want to consider the ways in which Rowling depicts the moral ambiguity and ethical challenges faced by characters in wartime. Use specific examples from the text to support your analysis.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. In what way does Hermione’s use of the spell “Obliviate” on her parents reflect a larger theme in the book?

A) The importance of self-sacrifice for the greater good

B) The struggle between good and evil

C) The power of love and friendship

D) The impact of war on innocent bystanders

2. How does the revelation of Dumbledore’s past with Grindelwald add depth to Dumbledore’s character?

A) It highlights his infallibility and wisdom.

B) It shows his vulnerability and past mistakes.

C) It detracts from his ability as a wise mentor.

D) It has no significant impact on his character.

3. What is the significance of Harry’s decision to not keep the Elder Wand?

A) It shows his lack of ambition and desire for power.

B) It is a strategic move to protect himself from future enemies.

C) It indicates his fear of becoming like Voldemort.

D) It represents his understanding of the dangers of absolute power.

4. What does Neville Longbottom’s role suggest about the theme of courage?

A) Courage is inherent and cannot be developed.

B) True courage is shown in grand, heroic acts.

C) Courage is less significant than intelligence or skill.

D) Courage can be found in the most unlikely individuals.

5. What is the significance of the Horcruxes being hidden in objects of personal importance to Voldemort?

A) It shows his underlying sentimental nature.

B) It reflects his desire to be remembered and revered.

C) It illustrates his arrogance and belief in his own invincibility.

D) It indicates his strategic planning and foresight.

6. How does the portrayal of the Daily Prophet reflect the novel’s perspective on the power and influence of the media?

A) It illustrates how the media can be manipulated for propaganda.

B) It shows the media as an unbiased source of truth.

C) It portrays the media as completely independent of political influence.

D) It indicates that the media has no real impact on public opinion.

7. In what ways does the term “Mudblood” contribute to the narrative about discrimination and societal divisions?

A) It represents a harmless nickname that no one takes seriously.

B) It becomes a symbol of unity and defiance among Muggle-born witches and wizards.

C) It underscores the deep-rooted prejudices and divides within the wizarding community.

D) It is a term of endearment among friends in the wizarding community.

8. What does Harry’s decision to dig Dobby’s grave by hand reveal about his character?

A) It shows Harry’s reluctance to accept the finality of death.

B) It symbolizes Harry’s deep respect and gratitude toward Dobby.

C) It indicates a magical tradition in the wizarding world for honoring the dead.

D) It suggests Harry’s belief in the superiority of manual work over magic.

9. What is Harry’s reaction to the graffiti on the sign in Godric’s Hollow, which commemorates his parents’ deaths?

A) He is angry at the disrespect shown to his parents.

B) He is confused about the significance of the sign.

C) He is indifferent, focusing solely on their mission.

D) He is proud of his parents’ bravery and legacy.

10. What purpose does the infiltration of the Ministry of Magic by Harry, Ron, and Hermione serve in the narrative?

A) To emphasize the theme of resistance against authoritarian control

B) To demonstrate their magical skills in a high-stakes environment

C) To gather allies for the final battle against Voldemort

D) To find a safe haven from Voldemort and his followers

11. How does Luna Lovegood’s perspective on life and death provide insight into the book’s themes of loss and acceptance?

A) It shows a lack of understanding of the seriousness of death.

B) It highlights the importance of maintaining a positive outlook.

C) It offers a more accepting and serene viewpoint on death.

D) It demonstrates her detachment from reality.

12. What does the discovery of the diadem in the Room of Requirement reveal about Voldemort’s understanding of Hogwarts?

A) That he has a deep, sentimental attachment to the school

B) That he underestimates the school’s complexity and the knowledge of its students

C) That he sees Hogwarts purely as a tool for power

D) That he has complete and thorough knowledge of every aspect of Hogwarts

13. How does the Battle of Hogwarts serve as a climax for the series?

A) It represents the culmination of the conflict between good and evil.

B) It highlights the weaknesses of Hogwarts’ defenses.

C) It shows the overwhelming power of the Death Eaters.

D) It is the event that determines the next headmaster of the school.

14. What does the Epilogue reveal about the future of the main characters?

A) It shows them still struggling with the past.

B) It leaves their futures ambiguous and open-ended.

C) It suggests ongoing conflicts in the wizarding world.

D) It indicates a return to normalcy and the continuation of their legacies.

15. What role does Aberforth Dumbledore play in aiding Harry and his friends?

A) He provides them with essential information about Voldemort.

B) He assists them in understanding the Deathly Hallows.

C) He offers shelter and a way to secretly enter Hogwarts.

D) He gives them magical items to enhance their powers.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does Snape’s character arc challenge the traditional notion of heroism?

2. How does the Sword of Gryffindor’s appearance in the frozen lake represent a turning point for Ron?