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Study Guide
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Weakness/Strength
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Weakness/Strength
SCRIMGEOUR: These are dark times, there is no denying. Our world has perhaps faced no greater threat than it does today. But I say this to our citizens. We, ever your servants, will continue to defend your liberty and repel the forces that seek to take it from you. Your Ministry remains strong.
This is the Minister of Magic's spiel to his constituents at the beginning of the movie. He seems to be trying to make a show of confidence but…yeah, the Ministry is definitely not strong, as we soon find out.
SCRIMGEOUR: I don't know what you're up to, Mr. Potter, but you can't fight this war on your own. He's too strong.
The Minister goes to visit Harry to read Dumbledore's will and dole out its bequests, and he uses the opportunity to try to find out what Harry is up to. Harry isn't at liberty to share his Horcrux-hunting plan with the Minister, and Scrimgeour isn't really pleased. As he says, he thinks Voldemort is too strong for Harry to go after him alone. But of course, he won't be alone, right? He'll have Ron and Hermione.
KINGSLEY'S PATRONUS: The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming.
See, we told you the Ministry wasn't strong. It falls pretty early in the movie, which means that Harry's sanctuary at the Burrow is immediately busted. So, he, Hermione, and Ron have to go into hiding.
HARRY: I have to start finding these Horcruxes. They're our only chance to beat him, and the longer we stay here, the stronger he gets.
When Harry is kind of hiding out after leaving the Dursleys, he's eager to get the show on the road and start finding those Horcruxes. Like Scrimgeour, he seems to feel that Voldemort is gaining power as the rest of the wizarding world figures out what to do.
RON: I can't handle it. That thing affects me more than it affects you and Hermione.
HARRY: All the more reason.
RON: No, I can't.
HARRY: Then why are you here? Why did you come back? Now, I'll have to speak to it to open it. When it does, don't hesitate. I don't know what's in there, but it will put up a fight.
Here, Harry seems to have a lot more confidence in Ron's strength/fortitude than Ron does. He gives him a little tough love in the form of the "What are you doing here anyway?"-type talk, and it works: Ron does manage to destroy the Horcrux when Harry opens the locket.
HERMIONE: You destroyed it. And how is it that you just happen to have the sword of Gryffindor?
RON: It's a long story.
HERMIONE: Don't think this changes anything.
RON: Oh, of course not. I only just destroyed a bloody Horcrux. Why would that change anything? Look, I wanted to come back as soon as I left. I just didn't know how to find you.
Even though Ron managed to destroy the Horcrux (yay!), Hermione is so not ready to forgive him for whatever weakness/jealousies caused him to leave them behind. We hope these two can patch things up soon, though—we aren't strong enough to watch them fighting and bickering for this long.
HERMIONE: No, you don't understand. Dirt and rust have no effect on the blade. It only takes in that which makes it stronger.
Here, Hermione is talking about the sword of Gryffindor—which, miraculously, only drinks in stuff that makes it more powerful. She's realized that the sword can destroy Horcruxes because it imbibed basilisk venom back when Harry used it on—you guessed it—a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.