There’s a buzz in fandom this morning (HT to Glenn Lucke, who tried to make me and La Shawn “twitch” with this story): J.K. Rowling said in an interview that two characters will die in Book 7, and she’s included some intriguing comments about Harry’s fate:
“I have never been tempted to kill him off before the final because I’ve always planned seven books, and I want to finish on seven books,†Rowling said Monday on TV here.
“I can completely understand, however, the mentality of an author who thinks, ‘Well, I’m gonna kill them off because that means there can be no non-author-written sequels. So it will end with me, and after I’m dead and gone they won’t be able to bring back the character’.â€
There will tons of speculation about this, but I say it’s no big news. Rowling likes to play with the media, and by the way, we need to keep the hype going until the book is released! Let’s do a quick analyzing of the important comments:
I’ve never been tempted to kill [Harry] off before the final - I don’t think this means, “I wasn’t planning to kill him, but now I’m thinking about it.” JKR has had the book’s end decided since 1990. I think it means, “I wasn’t planning to kill him in any book before 7, because I planned to write 7 books.”
I can completely understand the mentality… - No biggie here. We can parse this out all we want, but we’re left with the same mystery. Will Harry die? She’s just not being clear enough with us on this, and she never will!
The rest of the speculation will center around the number “two.” Which two will die? The guesses will go on and on, and it will be fun discussion. There’s just nothing in this interview terribly new except the number “two.” I think JKR is just having fun playing with the media again.
Related Posts: Will Harry Die?
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Gaines
06.27.06 at 8:48 am
Hah! I totally agree. I saw the article last night and my first reaction was, “Is this really supposed to be big news?”
Allison
06.27.06 at 10:41 am
Well, I thought what was interesting is this…(and it really isn’t news at all, you’re right) look at the quote:
“One character got a reprieve. But I have to say two die that I didn’t intend to die.”
The only thing significant about the number two is that two MORE die that she didn’t intend. She never makes it clear that she only planned to kill a certain number– there could be deaths of multiple characters, with two additions. And we know now that some of them will be very central. But didn’t we know that anyway?
She is having fun with all of us who are completely addicted to the Harry books and can’t wait until next summer…
Travis Prinzi
06.27.06 at 10:45 am
Yes, having read the quotes more carefully, you’re right - there are some interesting tidbits in there. There are obvious changes to who she planned to kill and who she didn’t. Doesn’t help us with our guessing very much, but interesting nonetheless.
I read somewhere that she’s said she’s boxed herself in with some minor plot points from previous books. I can’t imagine trying to hold together such a long, intricate plotline without having to make some changes like this while finishing the series.
Christina
06.28.06 at 6:45 pm
Well, we can assume that one of the people that is killed is Lord Voldemort, right?!?RIGHT?!?
Travis Prinzi
06.29.06 at 7:10 am
As Allison pointed out, I don’t think JKR is saying, “Only two characters will die,” but, “Two more (or other) characters will die that I had not planned.”
kelly
06.29.06 at 7:26 pm
Travis Prinzi is right. she said two more, not two characters will die, and one character has received a sort of “reprieve.”…..that could be alot of people. Snape and Malfoy just two options.
Dom1212
07.01.06 at 3:52 pm
Well there is one more person who could die.
ou are forgeting in book 3 pg 311 now listen to this.
…. ” You did a very noble thing saving pettigrews life.”
” But if he helps voldemort get back to power-!”
“Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt. When one wizard saves another wizards life, it creates a certain bond between them… and im much mistaken if voldemort wants his servant in debt of Harry Potter.”
“I don’t want a bond with pettigrew!” said Harry.” He betrayed my parents!”
” This magic is at its deepest, its most impenatrable,Harry. But trust me… the time may come when you may be very glad that you saved pettigrews life.” …..
That may well impose that pettigrew will sacrifice himself before the end.
Thanks for reading
Dom
Travis Prinzi
07.01.06 at 8:56 pm
Dom, right on target. A Pettigrew sacrifice would be very consistent with what we know so far, and the conversation you quoted will be quite important to book 7.
Kitsune Sakurano
07.03.06 at 1:24 am
my theory is that she’ll be killing off:
Voldermort-
the prophecy states that either he or harry must die. if it was harry then it really makes me wonder why she would leave us with such a horrific ending, who wants to live in a world where young master tom rules?
Hagrid-
he’s the best candidate, it’s poor form to wipe out any of the kids, but Hagrid will not oly pull on the correct heart strings of the readers but it will also be the catalyst to push Harry into destroying Volermort.
and by snuffing Voldermort you are finishing the book series, because it’s bassically about Harry and Voldermort. he wants the boy dead and the boy wants him to stop killing him and his “Family” it worksout nicely.
after killing VM you can’t really continue writing anything else because he’s supposed to be ‘the evil’ you can’t have someone out there lurking decidedly more dangerous than his precessor (sp?) because that’s just weakening the magic. After killing VM all you can really do is sum up the direction the children will take.
Thank you for your time
-Kit
pradeep krish
07.12.06 at 5:56 am
The Propesy which says “only one of them will live” does not mean live for ever.
harry may kill voldermert and then die probably at Snape’s hands.
who in turn will be killed by Longbottom.
Killing Ron Ginny or Her’ine wont serve any purpose.
probably JK will and should come out with a story centrally based on Life of Voldermert. it indeed has a great theme.
Travis Prinzi
07.12.06 at 8:45 am
pradeep, thanks for your thoughts. Couple quick responses:
The prophecy says “neither can live while the other survives.” JKR has been intentionally cryptic with what this means and doesn’t mean, and the wording is rather ambiguous.
I don’t think JKR kills people off for any particular “purpose.” The deaths don’t always “serve a purpose.”
I’d argue that Half-Blood Prince was a story essentially about Voldemort. I really doubt she’ll write anything else related to the Harry Potter world after this.