The original ending of Harry Potter turned out to be bright, cautiously optimistic. Evil is defeated, friends are alive, Voldemort is gone forever. But what if the story had unfolded differently? How could the final battle have ended if Rowling had decided on a darker and more symbolic ending?
Greg Palast, a journalist and writer, shared an interesting story. According to him, J.K. Rowling was his friend, and before the release of the last book, she told him an alternative ending.
The last meeting in the Forbidden Forest
As in the original, Harry voluntarily goes to meet Voldemort. But the Dark Lord prepared not just "Avada Kedavra". He developed a new, even more terrible curse — Oppugno Mortimbessios. It was supposed to take Harry's soul forever, leaving him in eternal silent suffering.
The Dementors touch Voldemort's wand one by one, charging it with their curse. A chill runs through Harry, and he feels the end approaching. But suddenly, ghostly figures appear next to him. For a moment, he thinks they are his parents, but no, they are Tom Riddle and his wife, Voldemort's parents.
"Our dear son, we will not let you be harmed," they say.
The victory over Voldemort is not what we expected
The Riddle ghosts rush towards Voldemort. At that moment, his own curse is reflected. An explosion of magic makes everyone freeze. The Dark Lord begins to change, his body shrinking until he turns into a small child. His parents take his hands, and in that moment, time stops forever for them. The world forgets about Voldemort. No one remembers who he was. Only Harry knows the truth.
2130: A world without Voldemort, but with a hint of new darkness
A century later, an old Harry Potter sits in his office as the headmaster of Hogwarts. The Ministry has long forgotten who the Dark Lord was, but Harry has erected a monument with a simple inscription: "Riddles." No one but him knows that the statue contains three souls. His great-great-great-grandson Tom plays on the rug nearby.
Suddenly, in a fit of sudden anger, the boy crushes a toy chocolate frog. Harry notices this and realizes that the darkness is awakening again. Which ending do you think is more logical?
