Warning from J.K. Rowling:

[Matilda]

Two people will die in the final Harry Potter book.

"Rowling has already said that the final chapter of the seventh book was written long ago.

"The final chapter is hidden away, although now it's changed very slightly," she said in an
interview broadcast on Monday on channel 4. One character got a reprieve, but I have to say two
die that I didn't intend to die".


http://www.smh.com.au/news/books/two-die-in-final-potter-book-rowling-warns/2006/06/27/1151174172150.html


"Two die that I didn't intend to die" - that sounds as if the two are characters we know and like.
Oh dear - Hermoine? Ron? Ginny? Dare I think it - Harry?

[intheflow]

1. !!!

:yoiks:

It the part about her being simatico with authors who kill off their lead character that gets me. :scared: But then, it may be Snape and McGonagall who die, or Neville or Luna. It's hard to believe she'd kill off Ron, Hermione, Harry or Ginny because in a way, their deaths would be more traumatic than Dumbledore's.

[Matilda]

2. I keep telling myself that good has to triumph.

But it doesn't always, as we know too well.

And we know Rowling can make the hard choices, hence Dumbledore.

It has my brain in a whirl.

[Reader Rabbit]

3. All I can say is...

...if Harry doesn't get a happily ever after, given all the crap and trauma he's had to deal with in his young life, I will be mightily pissed! I understand that Rowling wants to emphasis "hard choices" and "actions have consequences," but isn't real life depressing enough?

:-(

[Pithy Cherub]

4. Saw Jo being interviewed and it actually made me queasy.

Then I thought long and hard about her other values, morals and philosophy in the Potter books about courage, standing up when no one else will, curiosity, the non-acceptance of rote authority and other humorous/painful lessons that teach about the price of responsibility and adult decision-making. She semms hellbent on ensuring there are no sequels either.:scared:

Who could it be?NO NO no no no no no not from the main three please, Jo.:cry:

The Heartbreaking Choices:
The Weasley Twins, Ron-ron & Hermione, Harry & Ginny, Minerva & Hagrid?

The They Had It Coming Choices:
Snape & Draco, Cissy & Wormtail, Voldy & Percy, Umbridge & Fudge?

and is Dumbledore REALLY dead....

[Matilda]

5. "Two will die that I didn't intend to die".

That doesn't mean only two deaths, it means two that are perhaps not the most obvious candidates.
There will quite possibly be more deaths than that, but some predictable - such as Voldemort. He
really has to die for good this time, if only to make sure there are no further books about him.

But two unplanned deaths opens up all sorts of possibilities, some of which hardly bear thinking
about. I wouldn't put it past her to kill off Harry, although I'm sure she'd be mindful that there
are millions of children who adore Harry and who'd be extremely upset, so he may be safe.

Snape? In spite of HBP, I'm still sure that Snape is going to help Harry, and either he will give
his life to save Harry (thus fully justifying Dumbledore's confidence in him), or he will be the one
who gets the reprieve. I have a feeling myself that he will live, but will come very close to the
ultimate sacrifice.

When we're considering two whose deaths were not planned, I think we have to consider those closest
to Harry - Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, Neville, Hagrid. And that's not to say that there won't be other
deaths from a slightly wider circle - Lupin, Tonks, McGonagall, Mr & Mrs Weasley, Luna, Draco and/or
his father - but I think the two unplanned deaths will be from Harry's closest circle.

And in spite of what I wrote above, I'll be worrying about Harry until the book comes out.

[XemaSab]

6. I'm wondering if Neville gets the reprieve

I think she's set things up to look pretty grim for the Longbottom boy.

[Matilda]

8. I'm sure Neville's going to be an important player in book 7.

Yes, the possibility that he might have been the chosen one can't just be left to dangle.

Either he will come through with flying colours, or he will give his life for Harry. The reprieve
or death, but he won't be just an also-ran.

[Orrex]

7. Harry and Hermione will bite the dust, IMO

Otherwise, she'd have to deal with parasites battling for the rights to the characters. Also, it'll spare her a lifetime of "when are you going to write the next Harry Potter book?!?"

Of course, I've never read even a word of a Potter book, but it seems a likely choice, in terms of factors external to the story arc.

[Mist]

9. I have trouble believing JKR would kill off Harry, but I can see a

friend or two getting it. I'm betting on Ginny, I don't know why. But, plainly, a number of characters are going to die--it's the big battle! JKR's left so very many questions and dangling ends that need to be dealt with, she may have opted for death instead of story-lines, e.g., Percy may be killed off instead of a reconciliation. Some readers have claimed to see an "alchemical" pattern to the books, and claim that the steps of black/white/red indicate that Sirius Black, Albus DD, and Reubeus Hagrid will die. Black, and DD have died, so maybe Hagrid will be killed off? So many speculations until the last book is out! But no, not Harry, not Harry. If JKR kills off Harry, this Potterfan may have to have her own private book-burning in the back yard....(yeah, I'd be that pissed off!)

[intheflow]

10. Yeah, Rowling said she wasn't telling because she

didn't want the death threats. But I think she'd get death threats in force if she killed off Harry. :(

[Pithy Cherub]

11. But Jo also said that her husband only really blanched

at one of the names. Somebody got a reprieve, but somebody is going to die that is going to make us all throw tomatos at her. x(

[Matilda]

13. After Harry, I'm inclined to think Ron.

Poor Ron was always second-best, first to his brothers and then to Harry. But he's always been
there with Harry doing what he could, and now he's maturing and coming more into his own. It would
be very sad if he were to die, but for shock value (and J.K. Rowling is good at that), it has to
be Ron - or Harry.

I still have this worry about Harry, but would it be worth all the distressed kids and angry parents?

[intheflow]

12. Lounge discussion on this topic is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5317020