Harry Potter Drops The Resurrection Stone In Deathly Hallows For A Good Reason

The "Harry Potter" universe is home to some pretty dangerous magical artifacts, if we're being honest. There are Time-Turners, which can, as you may have guessed, turn back time (though they do have certain limitations, many of which end up ignored in later projects like "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"). Everyone has a magic wand, which can turn a mouse into a teacup and can also turn any random living person into a dead person. And then there are the Deathly Hallows, a trio of fabled objects known as the Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Resurrection Stone. 

All of these objects can be dangerous if they're used incorrectly or fall into the wrong hands, but at first glance, the Resurrection Stone, which can revive loved ones from the dead, seems like it might be the most benign. After all, the Elder Wand has left a bloody trail throughout wizarding history as witches and wizards have dueled to the death to become its master, and as for the cloak of invisibility, we'll actually go ahead and circle back to that one in a bit. Harry — played by Daniel Radcliffe in the films — only uses the Resurrection Stone one time, and with good reason: repeated use of an object steeped in grief can drive a wizard insane.

So why does Harry use the Resurrection Stone if it's so dangerous? It's not dangerous by nature, but it has to be used in a very particular way ... which is precisely what Harry does. Harry has been on a sidequest to find the Deathly Hallows as he and his best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) hunt for the Horcruxes they must destroy to bring down Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), and as his journey draws to a finish, Harry realizes something enormous. After Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) dies, he leaves Harry a Golden Snitch, and as he goes to confront Voldemort, Harry suddenly understands that the Resurrection Stone is hidden within the Snitch.

Harry obtains the Resurrection Stone and, as one does, turns it over three times in his hand, only to see several of his deceased loved ones by his side — his parents Lily and James among them. They stay by his side and give him strength as he approaches the Dark Lord, knowing that the final Horcrux lies within Harry himself, and he must allow Voldemort to kill him outright to destroy it for good. Because Harry uses the Resurrection Stone for temporary fortitude and comfort rather than personal gain, he uses it correctly ... and when he's done with it, he drops it in the Forbidden Forest and loses it for good.

Discarding the Resurrection Stone in a dark forest where it's unlikely to ever be found again is the right move on Harry's part, especially when you consider what transpires in the stone's origin story. Read through Hermione in the book and film, audiences are introduced to the "Tale of the Three Brothers" — itself a part of the magical children's book collection "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" — which explains the folly of at least two of the Hallows.

As three powerful wizarding brothers (later revealed to be the real-life Peverell brothers, from whom Harry is descended) try to cross a vast river, they meet Death, who is angry that they use magic to create a bridge over a river that normally claims his victims. Each brother gets a wish, so the eldest asks for a wand to beat death, the middle brother wants a way to reunite with the dead, and the youngest asks for a way to hide from death, in so many words. The way the all-powerful wand thing turns out is pretty predictable in that the eldest brother is murdered by someone seeking it, and the third brother ultimately passes his cloak on to his son and "[greeted] Death as an old friend." So what about the middle son? He brings his late fiancée "back to life," but when he realizes she isn't really a part of his same earthly plane, he joins her in death and is no more, marking a sad ending to his tale.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org