Summary

• The legend of the Deathly Hallows in Harry Potter was actually a prophecy about the Boy Who Lived becoming the master of Death.
• Possessing all three Hallows didn't save Harry's life - he was already the master of Death after defying death twice and willingly sacrificing his life.
• Only the master of Death could possess all three Deathly Hallows, fitting in with the ironic themes of Harry Potter.

The legend and quest for the Deathly Hallows in Harry Potter bothered me for years, but I have a theory about what uniting these artifacts actually meant. The big reveal at the end of Deathly Hallows that Harry had become master of the Elder Wand was certainly a good one. It was that final twist of destiny that reminded everyone that the Boy Who Lived was meant to destroy Lord Voldemort all along. However, since Harry had united all three Deathly Hallows, he had technically become the master of Death, but the way this played out never sat right with me.

By complete chance, Harry wound up the rightful owner of all three Hallows in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He had inherited the Cloak of Invisibility from his father, who had been a descendant of the artifact's original owner, Ignotus Peverell. The Resurrection Stone became his when Albus Dumbledore left it to him inside Harry's very first Golden Snitch, and it could only be retrieved at the "close" of the boy's life. Harry claimed the Elder Wand when he disarmed Draco Malfoy, who was secretly its true owner, despite never touching it. So, Harry became master of Death—or did he?

The Deathly Hallows Legend Claimed Whoever United The Hallows Would Become Master Of Death

There Was No Magical Reaction When The Deathly Hallows Were United (Despite The Legend)

The "Tale of Three Brothers" story in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows outlines the legend of the Deathly Hallows story. According to Xenophilius Lovegood, this ancient story had inspired the quest for the Deathly Hallows, which countless wizards across the centuries had taken up in hopes of becoming master of Death. Gelert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore had fallen into this adventure, both believing that uniting all three Hallows would make them masters of Death, which, in their minds, would make them invincible.

Of course, Harry wasn't invincible when he became the first person to unite the Deathly Hallows. Though it's true that Harry faced Voldemort and again survived the Killing Curse, this was only possible because Voldemort had used the boy's blood (which contained the essence of Lily's sacrifice) to resurrect his body, thus making it so Harry couldn't die so long as the Dark Lord lived. The Hallows only aided Harry in his self-sacrifice, and even then, it was only the Cloak and Ring that served much purpose as Harry entered the Forbidden Forest to die.

The Harry Potter movies never explained why Harry survived Voldemort's Killing Curse, but the books make it clear it had nothing to do with the Deathly Hallows.

For all the build-up to Harry possessing all three Deathly Hallows, his having technical ownership of all three didn't come too much. Each was useful individually, but Harry didn't even know for certain that he had ownership of the Elder Wand until her had already relinquished possession of the Resurrection Stone. The combined Hallows didn't save Harry's life, and he wasn't master of Death, aside from the fact that he is willing to die. So, what was the point of the quest and legend?

I Believe The Deathly Hallows Legend Was Deeply Misunderstood

The Deathly Hallows Legend Was Actually More Like A Prophecy

It's evident by the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that being master of Death didn't mean being immortal. A major theme of the story is that a person can only master death when they no longer fear dying and, therefore, "greet Death like an old friend." However, the legend claimed that uniting the Hallows would "make the possessor master of Death." What has always thrown me off is that the Hallows didn't do anything for Harry as a united whole. Voldemort couldn't have killed Harry anyway, and Harry would have been willing to sacrifice himself and, therefore, "master" death even without the Hallows.

Rather than the three Hallows making the possessor the master of Death, only the master of Death could possess all three Hallows.

I believe that not only Xenophilius but also Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and anyone else who had studied the legend of the Deathly Hallows deeply misunderstood what would happen if they united all three Hallows. Over the years, the quest's instructions had become distorted. Rather than the three Hallows making the possessor the master of Death, only the master of Death could possess all three Hallows. The legend wasn't instructing wizards on what would happen if they united these ancient artifacts; instead, it was prophesizing about the only wizard who would be worthy of claiming them—the Boy Who Lived.

Harry had already defied death before uniting the Deathly Hallows and had already learned through his parents' example the power of sacrifice. Therefore, I theorize that Harry Potter was the master of Death from the very beginning and was destined to unite the Hallows even before he was born.

The Ironic Truth About The Deathly Hallows Fits Perfectly With Harry Potter's Themes

A Deathly Hallows Prophecy Aligns With The Irony Of Harry's Chosen One Prophecy

If my theory about only the master of Death being able to unite the Deathly Hallows is correct, it would be horribly ironic. It means that, despite their best efforts, Dumbledore and Grindelwald could never have succeeded in their quest, and neither could any of the other witches and wizards who died for a chance at immortality over the centuries. The very fact that they were seeking a chance to live forever disqualified them from claiming the Hallows, and fate would have always found a way to stop it from happening—an example of this being Dumbledore being cursed by the Resurrection Stone.

Voldemort had turned the Resurrection Stone into a Horcrux, though he never knew the true nature of the Peverell stone ring.

This falls right in line with the rest of the themes of Harry Potter. The Chosen One prophecy was ironic as well since it was only because Voldemort heard it and acted on it that it came true. If the Dark Lord hadn't attacked Harry as a baby, a fragment of his soul would never have been transferred to the boy. If he hadn't used Harry's blood to create his body, then the Chosen One's soul wouldn't have been tethered to life. The delicious twists of fate and ironic plays of destiny are what I find most appealing about Harry Potter, and the idea that the Deathly Hallows legend was actually a prophecy fits right in.

Could The Deathly Hallows Ever Be United Again?

Could Another Master Of Death Claim The Deathly Hallows?

I love the idea that, thanks to fate and happenstance, Harry was the only person in the wizarding world who could have united the Hallows. If it wasn't for Voldemort's efforts for unmatched power and Lily Potter's sacrifice, Harry wouldn't have become the Boy Who Lived and, therefore, master of Death. However, if chance worked out this way for one person, it could feasibly do it again. After all, in the Harry Potter books, all three Deathly Hallows still exist.

If Harry Potter has taught me anything, it's that fate will always find a way, and these artifacts could resurface if the wizarding world has a need for them.

At the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry dropped the Resurrection Stone in the Forbidden Forest and put the Elder Wand back in Dumbledore's grave (no, he didn't break it). He only kept the Invisibility Cloak, and he hoped all of this would be enough to keep anyone else from ever again using the more dangerous Hallows. However, if Harry Potter has taught me anything, it's that fate will always find a way, and these artifacts could resurface if the wizarding world has a need for them. However, I much prefer to think that, in the new age of peace won by Harry's sacrifice, the Hallows can forever lay dormant.