in the book, they circled each other as the sun was rising with the entire cast/wizarding community surrounding them, spelling it out for each other and revealing the whole story to the world at last- Snape's vindication, WHY the Elder wand didn't actually work for Voldemort, how by Harry presenting himself for death, thus cast the same charm over everyone that his mother's sacrifice cast on him.
I've never read the books and likely never will. Can you expand upon this? I thought that the scene in the movie was interesting, but not the powerful, dramatic climax that it should have been. To learn that there was more going on than movie viewers saw makes me want to know what it was all about.
I haven't read the books since release, so I don't remember the details like Neon does, but I do remember that Voldemort shot an Avada Kedavra at Harry, and Harry deflected with Expelliarmus, killing Voldemort. In front of everyone.
I was frustrated because I remember anticipating this scene so much in the theater, and then being so let down.
So in the book...
The members of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry's old classmates show up in the room of requirement prior to the battle starting (not long after Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter through Arianna's painting).
Once the battle starts, pretty much everyone else who was ever a character in the book shows up to also defend Hogwarts...not many of them are mentioned by name but a few of them are (Neville's grandmother, Aberforth, etc). but it's mostly like..extended family members of Hogwarts students, shop keepers and residents of Hogsmeade, etc.
After Harry presents himself to Voldemort to be killed, and Voldemort makes Hagrid carry Harry back to Hogwarts, EVERYONE who had participated in the battle was outside of the castle and sees what they perceive is a dead Harry Potter.
This is where Neville gets his grand vindication with everyone- He runs up and stands up to Voldemort and gives everyone this awesome pep talk and at this point this is when the sorting hat presents Gryffindor's sword to him, and he lobs Nagini's head off IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. After this is when Harry jumps up and shows that he's still alive. There were also giants on the scene and they start going ape shit and out of fear of being crushed everyone gets ushered back inside and into the great hall. Other individual fights break out (among them Molly Weasley finishing off Bellatrix).
After awhile all the death eaters have been killed or captured and finally it's just Voldemort left, and he and Harry are staring at each other and pacing, circling each other with everyone surrounding them- (as the sun is beginning to rise through the windows/enchanted ceiling in the great hall ). Harry tells them all not to assist..."It's got to be this way...it's got to be me." And then he proceeds to explain to Voldemort everything about Snape, and why the Elder wand never worked for him, and everything else.
Finally it comes to a point and Voldemort casts "Avada Kadavra" and Harry casts "Expelliarmus" their spells collide in the middle of the circle, Voldemort is disarmed and the Elder wand flies into Harry's hand, and the killing curse that Voldemort cast backfired on him and hit him. (Making it so that for everything Harry went through, he never had to go through with ever committing murder, despite the prophecy saying one of them would have to kill the other).
Also just in case you were confused:
Dumbledore planned his death with Snape, and intended to die the last master of the Elder Wand so that it would never work properly for anyone ever again. But Draco disarmed Dumbledore before Snape stepped in and killed Dumbledore, and the Elder wand recognized Draco as its new master but of course no one knew it. Voldemort killed Snape thinking this would make him the new master of the Elder wand, but it was never Snape's.
While Harry and Co. were in Malfoy Manor, Draco had collected everyone's wands, and ultimately Harry wrenched three different wands out of Draco's hands as they escaped, among them Draco's wand, which now also had changed allegiance to Harry.
So when Harry and Voldemort were casting their final spells at each other, Harry was using the wand that had previously been Draco's, and in the book it was explained that the Elder wand "recognized" the wand with which it had been claimed previously (and also recognized that Harry was the master of it)- which is why, not only would it not kill its master when Voldemort cast the killing curse, but instantly flew to Harry when Harry summoned it.
TLDR: The movie left out some crucial shit.