We continued our journey where we left off since part I last November. Harry, Ron, and Hermione was burying Dobby at Shell Cottage; Voldemort breaking into Dumbledore's last resting place and took the Elder Wand. It couldn't be any more devastating and hopeless.
I was worried how the screenplay and the direction of the second part would go. Everything had to be perfect. Or at least as perfect as possible since so many information came out into the light during the second part. Not to mention, the quick paced battle scenes and the emotional turmoils that each character had to experience. Everyone accepted the sacrifices and the pain. To me, there were several emotional scenes from the book that I wanted the movie to capture.
Aberforth Dumbledore's story regarding his brother Albus. Even if that scene was shortened due to time restrains, I wanted the dialogue between Aberforth and Harry to be in there. Readers would know that this is where Aberforth claims that with Ariana's death, Albus was free of his responsibilities to his siblings. Harry informs Aberforth that Albus was never free. And Harry himself had witnessed the demons that terrorized Albus that night in the cave. I was disappointed when that scene wasn't there. It was so emotional for me to read it in the book and it explained what Albus had gone through and had seen while under the influence of Voldemort's poison in the cave.
Severus Snape's death and his tale. I cried when I read this in the book. After Half-Blood Prince, readers were fervent to know which side Snape is on. Many believed that he was Dumbledore's man, many believed that he was once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. However, Snape's memories told us of a deeper story: Snape's reason for doing what he did, the sacrifices that he chose to make, his inner turmoil. Of all the scenes, I wanted this scene to be perfect. It was, to me, a very climatic scene. Not only did it tell Harry what he needed to do, it proved Snape's unwavering allegiance to Dumbledore...all because of something Voldemort never, ever understood: Love. Snape's love for Lily Potter, unwavering, undying. irrevocable. Alan Rickman did a wonderful, if not, brilliant job portraying Snape in the scenes of his memories. I was in tears. And I wasn't the only one. All around me in the theater, I could hear people sniffling. I think the part where I spilled the most tears was when Snape made his way up the staircase in the Potter's home (I know this isn't in the book, but I don't think it mattered much since it showed so much of Snape's love, pain, and loss). He held the dead body of Lily in his arms and there was so much love and pain in his movements and expressions that one can feel it. I applaud Alan Rickman and if I can, I would give him an Oscar on that scene alone. The scene that I had put so much expectations on, had far exceeded my expectations.
Harry in the forest with his parents. This was a tearjerker for me as well. Once the dam breaks, everything sort of flows out regardless of how much you try to hold the water back. I think the part that made me cry the most was when Harry told Remus that he didn't want him to die, to leave young Teddy. It made me cry so much because there were scenes before that during the movie of Remus and Tonks, reaching for each other before a battle, and then before Harry went to the forest, he saw their bodies next to each other. Other than that, I found that this scene lived up to my expectations as well. Emotional, like how it was written.
Narcissa Malfoy. I'll say it. The woman is amazing. I love how she just stared at Voldemort in the face and lied to him about Harry being dead without flinching. She was a mother on a mission and there was nothing that would stop her from getting to her son. I also love how when the battle between Harry and Voldemort began back at the castle, Narcissa simply marched her son out of there, without looking back.
Mrs. Weasley. Another mother on a mission. And of course, the screenwriter Steve Kloves lived up to my expectations on this scene because he included the famous Mrs. Weasley's "not my daughter, bitch". And it also managed to capture that arrogance of Bellatrix Lestrange and how she underestimated Mrs. Weasley, laughing as she was attacked...much like her cousin, Sirius. Although Bellatrix's demise in the movie shocked me to no end. Poof.
Harry vs. Voldemort battle. It was quicker than I thought. I had assumed that Harry would explain everything to Voldemort and they'd be doing that standoff thing where they circle each other, like how it was described in the book. However, in the movie, they both took no time. And they also got some action fight before the actual ending battle. There were a lot of things that Harry didn't say to Voldemort. But, if he did, the movie would probably stretched another fifteen minutes, which I could hardly mind since I believe this movie was the shortest of all the Harry Potter movies! So, I was a bit disappointed with the very minimal dialogue. Not to mention Harry didn't explain to Voldemort how the spells he cast aren't working because Harry had made his sacrifice to protect everyone. I thought that bit was quite important and it shouldn't have been left out. As for Voldemort's demise, much like Bellatrix...poof. Only with a bit more...strangeness.
As for the epilogue, all I cared for was how adorable Harry's children are. Especially Lily and Albus. Albus Severus Potter is simply adorable.
Overall, even with the elements that are missing, I think the movie truly exceeds my expectations. While the first part of Deathly Hallows was slow and rather relaxing to watch, the second part was fast, emotional, and highly charged. Harry Potter made up my childhood and I literally grew up with it. In 1999, when I was 9, was when I first came upon it. In 2007, when I was 17, the tale that changed a whole generation of children ended. That was nearly a decade. A whole decade if I had read the book when it first came out in 1997. The first Harry Potter movie debut in 2001. The last ended yesterday, in 2011. That was a decade. That was my generation. I will be proud to one day tell my children and grandchildren Harry's story, to have him and the characters that we have come to both love and hate, be part of their generation as well. And anyways, like my best friend said, by the time of my children or grandchildren, there would probably be remakes with exceptional cinema quality. But of course, no one would ever forget the last ten years.
Corner Tip #28: Harry's journey might officially end, but there's really no reason to let him go. There's Pottermore, there are fan fictions, there are movies you can rewatch, and of course, you can always start Harry's journey again by picking up that worn out book of Sorcerer's Stone that you have read so many times already. 
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