Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, announced in December 2006 and published July 21, 2007, is the seventh and final book in J. K. Rowling's original Harry Potter series. The novel follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they hunt Voldemort's Horcruxes and concludes the long-running storyline. It drew massive attention, record sales for its time, and a two-part film adaptation. Rowling has since released companion works and extended the franchise through other projects.
The title and publication
The seventh Harry Potter book is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. J. K. Rowling announced the title in December 2006, and the novel was published worldwide on July 21, 2007. It completed the seven-book arc she had been building for years and closed the core storyline begun in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
What the book delivered
Deathly Hallows follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they leave Hogwarts behind to search for and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. The novel resolves long-running mysteries from earlier volumes and brings the saga to a final confrontation with Voldemort.
The book arrived to huge public attention and record-setting sales for the time. It also spawned a two-part film adaptation released in 2010 and 2011.
From the speculation to the finished story
Before publication, fans and critics guessed at many plot points. Several of the commonly discussed elements - the Horcrux hunt, visits linked to Harry's past, and major character deaths - did appear in the finished book. Other pre-publication guesses either played out differently than expected or were red herrings.
Rowling had said in interviews that the final volume closely related to the sixth book, and readers familiar with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will recognize how the two volumes complete each other.
J. K. Rowling and the wider Potter world
By the mid-2000s, Rowling had become a public figure well beyond the books: a best-selling author, a prominent philanthropist, and the creator of a global franchise. Since the series ended she has published companion pieces and charity projects tied to the wizarding world (for example, The Tales of Beedle the Bard and other short works), and she later expanded the franchise through digital releases and the Fantastic Beasts films.
Why the seventh book mattered
Deathly Hallows closed a long-running narrative and answered questions that had driven fan discussion for years. For readers who followed the series from the start, the final volume offered both resolution and new details that reframed earlier events.
Whether you first encountered the books in the 1990s or discovered them later, the seventh book remains the narrative capstone of the original Harry Potter series.