The Diadem
In Deathly Hallows, Harry becomes more intuned to the Horcruxes. He can recognize them and shares a connection with them, even if he does not know exactly which object he is looking for. However, what is ironic is that while Harry can hear the Horcruxes in this book, he never realized at the time that he had held one in his hand and left it behind. When he hides the Half-Blood Prince's book in the Room of Requirement in the sixth novel, he actually uses the diadem to mark where he has put the book. He put a warlock bust on the cupboard then “perched a dusty old wig and a tarnished tiara on the statue's head” (HBP 493). What becomes ironic in Deathly Hallows is not only that the diadem of Ravenclaw has not beeen lost for centuries, as was believed, but that Harry has already found it. This irony shows how in hunting Horcruxes, Harry keeps getting better at it.
Harry Being a Horcrux
The major theme of this novel is Harry's hunt to find and destroy all of Voldemort's Horcruxes. By wearing the Horcrux necklace, Harry, Ron, and Hermione each become more vulnerable to their emotions and darkness. While Harry tries to lead them to success, he at times has the same negative effects on his friends, often lashing out at them in frustration. Harry and Voldemort represent light and dark, respectively, so it is ironic the way that the prophecy has come true. Voldemort cannot die so long as his mortal enemy lives, because a part of Voldemort's soul lives in Harry. Likewise, Harry cannot die because when Voldemort recreated his own body, he used Harry's blood which contained Lily's love and protection. This connection shows that even though Harry is fighting for the light, his life depends on the blood that runs through the Dark Lord. And while it is Harry's goal throughout to destroy all of the Horcruxes, Voldemort is the only person able to destroy the one that exists in Harry.
Harry becoming “Master of Death”
Although Voldemort seeks means of immortality throughout the series, from the Philosopher's Stone to Horcruxes and mastering the Elder wand, the irony is that Harry is the ultimate master of death. When Voldemort casts the Killing Curse in the Dark Forest, Harry is at this time the rightful owner of the three Deathly Hallows and therefore immortal. However, he never intended to own the Hallows. The cloak was a family heirloom he had had since his first Christmas at Hogwarts. The Resurrection Stone was left to him by Dumbledore in the cracked Horcrux ring, pointing out Voldemort's ignorance of the other Hallows and that he can never be “master of death” because he is unable to feel the loss of a loved one as Harry does, specifically after Sirius' death. Finally, the Elder Wand had shifted its loyalty to Harry after he overpowered Draco at Malfoy Manor, and yet Harry does not seek it; instead he accepts his own death for the greater good. This shows that Voldemort had been wrong about what it means to master death. Dumbledore once described death as “the next great adventure,” and this is echoed in “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” When Harry admits that he is ready to die, the ring Hallow is given to him, and he is “killed” not fearing death but ready to embrace it. Voldemort believes that immortality makes one the “master of death,” but Harry realizes that death is not something to be beaten, and his acceptance of this makes him the most worthy of this title.
