If you could own one of the Deathly Hallows, the most powerful objects in the Wizarding World, which would it be? Funnily enough, when Harry, Ron and Hermione discussed which one they’d pick, they all chose differently.
But what do you think? Obviously, it’s all subjective – but let’s weigh them up and try and make a choice all the same. It’s actually a pretty difficult decision, when you really think about it.
The Invisibility Cloak
So funny to think that we were introduced to a Hallow so early in Harry’s adventures – in fact, the very first book. Funnier still, to think that Harry used one of the most powerful and rare objects in the world to basically sneak around Hogwarts and mess about.
Passed down to him from his father, this magnificent Invisibility Cloak had been an heirloom in the Potter family for many years – and it started with Ignotus Peverell, one of the three brothers believed to have inspired Beedle the Bard’s story, ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’.
The Invisibility Cloak makes a great case for being the best Hallow – as the brother who chose it was able to evade death for many years, unseen, while the other two brothers had much unhappier endings. And think of how many times Harry would’ve been caught out without it. It’s basically the most sensible option – so no surprises that this is the one Hermione chose. And it’s true that such a cloak could be incredibly advantageous in day-to-day life: hiding from unwanted acquaintances at parties, pretending to be ghosts to prank your friends and, er, probably actually useful things too.
But of course, the Cloak does come with complications – in the wrong hands, it would be a criminal’s best friend: just think, they’d never get caught. But used wisely, as Ignotus Peverell did, it could allow you to glide through life seamlessly. Wouldn’t that be nice?
The Resurrection Stone
‘No spell can reawaken the dead’, Dumbledore once told Harry – although this legendary stone possesses magic that comes close. As told in ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’, the Resurrection Stone has the power to bring loved ones back from the grave – but at a cost. In the story, when the second brother used the stone to bring back his lost love, she was ‘sad and cold’ and didn’t ‘truly belong’ in the mortal world anymore, causing the brother to kill himself in despair.
When Harry learnt of such a stone, this was understandably the Hallow that enchanted him the most. After experiencing so much loss in his life, it was natural Harry would gravitate to the one thing that could bring his loved ones back, albeit not truly as they were before. Of course, many readers can relate to Harry – but would it be worth bringing back absent friends if they weren’t truly happy? Or would it help with the grief – if they were brought back for a short time?
When Harry finally found the stone, he used it to bring back his parents, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black – who guided him in his final struggle against Voldemort – before disappearing. Could he have found that bravery without them?
The stone may seem too devastating a choice for many, but arguably, could do the world the most good – imagine bringing back great leaders from times gone by for advice, or simply resurrecting a loved one just to say goodbye properly. Is there a magic more powerful than that?
The Elder Wand
A lot of people would argue that one Hallow rises above and beyond the others – the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny. So legendary is this wand that it has acquired many names throughout the centuries, but ultimately, only one exists. This seemingly unbeatable weapon has driven many a wizard to callously murder its previous owner – with a long line of significant people carrying it, from Gellert Grindelwald to Lord Voldemort. Of course, a wizard doesn’t have to be killed in order to acquire it – Albus Dumbledore won the wand fair and square from Grindelwald in their famous 1945 duel, while Harry became its master after disarming Draco Malfoy. Voldemort’s obsession with it ultimately led to his downfall. So, it’s not that great, is it?
But the scope of the Elder Wand’s power does, indeed, seem endless – even having the power to fix Harry’s broken wand, which is usually impossible to do. But with great power comes great responsibility, of course, and Harry ultimately decided that the wand was way more trouble than it was worth. Fair enough. Sure, you’d own the most powerful magical object in history – but a bunch of Dark wizards would be after your blood on a day-to-day basis. So really, is the Elder Wand worth the admin?
So... Which one is the best?
Well, that’s really up to you. But based on our own reasoning, we’d have to side with Hermione and Ignotus Peverell and go with the Invisibility Cloak. While both the other objects carry far too much weight, the Invisibility Cloak is quite the opposite.
Feel free to have this debate at home with your friends! You can learn a lot about someone based on which one they pick...
