06.26.06
Rowling Discusses Book 7
via HPANA
Huge news. J.K. Rowling appeared on the Richard & Judy Show in the UK, and she revealed many interesting things about book 7. She stated that the book is not finished, but that she is well into it. She also said that the final chapter, which she originally wrote back in 1990, has changed in that two more people will die than she originally planned and one person who she did plan to kill off will live. She also stated that she regrets writing some parts where she may have boxed herself in earlier in the series and that she believes Ron to be a more popular character than Harry due to a poll she saw on a fansite.
Whoa. Some big news to digest here. The news that two more people are going to die threw me for a loop at first. But then I thought about it. In point of fact, we don’t know of anybody she was planning to kill off in book 7, so the fact that there are two more is not that big of a deal. Or at the very least, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. The two more people could be death-eaters for all we know. However, it could very well be that at least one of our trio gets it. To be honest, people keep saying Ron, but I just don’t see it. Number one, why would Rowling spend all this time developing this big romantic storyline between Ron and Hermione just to kill him off? Secondly, I’ve always been of the opinion that if any of the trio dies, Harry would make the most sense. Especially if he gives his life defeating Voldemort.
But I’ve actually begun to think that probably none of the trio is going to die. I think even Rowling knows that that might be crossing the line from realism to outright cruelty. Sure, I could handle it, but what about all the thirteen year olds who read the book? They might actually require therapy if one of the main characters dies. Children become very invested in the characters in the books they read.
So my guesses as to who will die? I say some of our older characters are not long for this world. Pretty much Hagrid, Lupin, and McGonagall are fair game as far as I’m concerned. I think Moody will almost certainly die. Slughorn maybe? Dobby, perhaps? If you think about it, there are a ton of characters to kill off without even touching Harry, Ron, or Hermione.
I’m more intrigued by who she will be giving a reprieve. My guess on this one is Snape. I believe that Snape is actually good, that he killed Dumbledore as part of a plan cooked up between the headmaster and himself, but even so, I’ve always believed that he would die in the last book. Sort of a you must pay for your sins even if you’ve repented sort of thing, which is common in literature. However, it would be interesting if she let Snape live. My only other guess as to who this could be is Draco. If she lets Draco live, it will either be because he has truly repented and seen that Voldy and his father are evil gits, or because she wants to leave us with an open-ended ending. After all who was it who said that if you destroy one Dark Lord, there’s always another to take his place?
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Michael said,
June 26, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Yeah, I must agree this threw me for a loop as did her comments on authors killing off the main characters… my immediate fear was the death of Harry, Ron or Hermione (or two of the three) (because we could easily see either of the other two be spun off into their own series)… Then I started thinking (as you did) and of course when we talk of characters there are MANY MANY OTHERS…
The problem with her statement is we don’t know what she is qualifying characters… notice she didn’t say 2 beloved or good characters. So this could easily mean Death Eaters…. Afterall, we have 1 probable death that we all are 99.9% sure of… Lord Voldemort. I’m pretty certain he is going to die, especially if she is serious that she won’t write another Harry book (selfishly muttering rude things under my breath about that). So right there that could be 1 of the characters. Another is either Snape (who could be the one getting the reprieve) or Bellatrix, both of whom Harry would love to take out.
These are of course obvious. Lets say though that LV being killed is a forgone conclusion and she wasn’t referring to him. There are a few other ones who were foreshadowed earlier but never fully arced. Wormtail is a big one in my mind and a perfect candidate. Afterall, Harry DID save his life and Dumbledore said one day he may not mind having saved him. I think Wormtail is either a deadman or the reprieved character… My personal feeling is he sacrifices himself to save Harry from either LV or Greyback. Lupin would be another as then all the friends would be dead, but I don’t see the purpose it serves. Lucius is another and a GREAT candidate for the spared one…
Saying all that, here is my prediction… the one I put my Galleons on…
Wormtail dies, jumping between Grayback and Harry and using his silver hand, while suffering a mortal wound… repays the debt he owes to Harry and is his way of saying he is sorry for his role in the death of Harry’s parents.
Snape, as Ravenclawwit believes is not bad, but still on the side of good (or as close as he can be.) I was re-reading book 6 and it seems to me that Snape may know that Dumbledore was looking for the Horcruxes… This is not said point blank so I could easily be wrong. My thought is though that Snape helped him when he was injured by the Ring Horcrux, resulting in the burnt hand, and it was SNAPE whom Dumbledore wanted to be brought too when he and harry came back from the cave… not Pomfrey. If Snape does indeed know about the Horcruxes, and LV doesn’t know that Harry and Dumbledore knew… well I think that tells us which side Snape is on… I still think Dumbledore made him make an unbreakable vow to either help defeat LV or to kill him to keep his cover if need be… bu this is speculation.
Anyhow, my feeling is Snape will not turn on LV until Harry is at his mercy and then will buy Harry enough time while LV kills Snape for Harry to kill LV. So Snape is the second character.
I think Lupin is the character who was spared… probably no real point in killing him and as I think he will be head of the OotP in book 7, he will not be in on the final fight and maybe originally there was to be a showdown between him and Peter.
So these are my guesses. I would love to hear others.
RavenclawWit said,
June 26, 2006 at 4:29 pm
Interesting thoughts Michael. Though I just wanted to bring up one thing. It’s likely that more than two characters will die in Book 7, since Rowling said that she will kill off two more characters than originally planned. Who knows how many she planned to kill originally.
Yes, obviously, I’m 100% sure that Voldemort will die. That’s why I didn’t even mention him in the post; he’s a forgone conclusion.
Snape is a big mystery here. Part of me says that whether good or bad, he’s a goner for sure, but another part of me (probably the part of me that has a crush on Alan Rickman, hehe) can see him getting a reprieve. Also, Jo used that exact word, reprieve. It has a certain connotation of someone who has death coming to them or they would be expected to die but they don’t. It’s for this reason that I consider either Snape or Draco for the reprieve. Lupin doesn’t really have death coming to him. I guess I would agree that Lucius theoretically could fit this, but what would be the point? To live forever with his misdeeds? He doesn’t really have a conscience, so I doubt it would bother him much.
I agree that Bellatrix is definitely dead, but poetic justice tells me that Neville will be at least somewhat involved in her demise. I also agree that Wormtail will probably help Harry in some way, probably with Greyback, although Jo debunked the silver/wereeolf thing on her site didn’t she? But at any rate I still think he’ll die doing it, because he was basically directly responsible for the Potters’ deaths, by betraying their location to Voldemort. It would just be too horrible if he got to live after all that.
So Lupin, yeah I guess there would be no point in him dying except that then all the Marauders would be dead, and that’s really rather morbid. However even if he does live, I don’t think he’s the reprieve character, just because of the choice of word that Jo used. If Lupin lives it’s probably because she never planned to kill him in the first place.
Michael said,
June 26, 2006 at 10:07 pm
You forgot Wormtail as someone who has death coming to him… Almost as much as Snape. I am curious if JK is a fan of Dante. Remember the theme of the 9th circle of hell… I’ll let you google it if you don’t know, but the 3 people in the mouth of Satan are Brutus, Cassius and Judas Iscariot… Dante considered them the worst of Humanity.
Either way Snape and Wormtail and Bella have death coming to them.
Michael said,
June 26, 2006 at 10:09 pm
And as far as JK debunking the werewolf… What she said was Wormtail WOULDN’T kill Lupin with his hand…
Michael said,
June 26, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Section: Rumours
Peter Pettigrew’s silver hand will be used to kill Remus Lupin
Nice idea, clearly predicated on the legend that only a silver bullet can kill a werewolf – but incorrect.
Here’s the exact quote anyway… It could be taken either way… I think it would still be pretty cool. Either way he saves Harry’s ass.
Michael said,
June 26, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Honestly, now that I think about it a little more, I have to think that you are right Lupin isn’t the reprieve character. I am betting one of the Trio or Ginny or Neville are the reprieve character… If I had to pick I’d say either Harry or Hermione.
Aninda said,
July 4, 2006 at 2:19 am
michael,i agree with you…wat jk rowling said was that wormtail wouldnt kill lupin with his hand…she NEVER said he wouldnt kill him…i think harry gets the reprieve..my best bets on whose dying would lie with lupin,hagrid and a elder member of the weasley family(maybe bill)
Emma Watson Diaries Author (it's actually Emmaline Wattina, we just made it shorter cause i believe i'm not a that good author at the age of 12!!! it's just for my friends!!!) said,
July 4, 2006 at 4:49 am
well lets take it so…
we all who use this site love Harry. Right??? So why not formule it so… J.K. Rowling surely knows that even 10 years old r reading and loving her books. So she really can’t crush their spirits just with seven books(which r surely not enough 4 a story so beloved that it hardly can hit the box office top(just a joke). So where were we??? Oh! ya! So i’m telling u, i personally really mind if one of the trio dies, but i kinnda think that Neville should look after him self! still we(I) just want a clear ending cause i just don’t want it to end like Inuyasha cause he fell of a cliff and done!!! We want the last chapter to have a clear ending and Snape alive!!! Don’t ask why, cause i’ll tell u! Snape has to remain alive cause…
U see, many things end up just like that so we(i) beg u J.K. Rowling atleast who ever u kill(which should not be one(2) of the trio, ) give us a pretty, meaningful and an ending which movie makers can DO!!!!
a great fan who finished d fifth and sixth book in 1 month,
Emma Watson Diaries Author … Blah, Blah! Blahhhhhhhhhhhh…!!!???
Gail said,
July 5, 2006 at 11:06 am
I have thought all along that Harry has to die if you follow the logic of Voldemort and he being “connected”…hoping of course, that something would happen to change that and Harry can live long after Voldemort is gone. If some of the main characters die, it would be sad but Rowling is a great writer and she sees, more than anyone, how the story has to go.
LUVGUD!!! said,
July 5, 2006 at 2:25 pm
i think da 1 whoz been reprieved is snape or draco…but i wish she shud’nt kill da trio…harry is da main character & if JK kills him it’ll leave a bad impression abt her on young readers……..& da other 2 i mean ron & hermione’z death makes no sense @all!!!!!
harrypotter_lover35 said,
July 6, 2006 at 10:14 pm
Well, I agree with all of your comments. There were many intervies with J.K Rowling stating that the bad guys usually go for the main people and that’s what she’s doing.So, she is going to kill off some main characters.I think this troubles me a bit because she might have meant the main characters in book 7. Personally I think that Voldermort may or may not die. This book is really great because it shows that evil exists, I think the moral of that particular part would be ruined. Then again, it would be odd if she didn’t kill him off, but it is HER book! She said that she was killing off two characters that she didn’t plan to, but that doesn’t mesn she won’t kill off others, I like that this was brought up.That’s my opinion!
Mark said,
July 6, 2006 at 10:15 pm
Personally, i think that Snape is going to die. i do not think that Snape was supposed to kill dumbledore or knew about the horcruxs’. there was just to much mercy in dumbledore’s voice when snape killed him. i mean, the only people in the room were snape, dumbledore, draco and harry. snape wouldnt have killed dumbledore if just those four were in the room, and dumbledore wouldnt have sounded so hopeful. snape also made an unbreakable vow with Narcissa, that if draco failed, snape woyuld kill the dumbledore for him, which leaves me also to believe that voldemort might harm draco ir snape because it was draco’s task, not snape’s. i am not really sure on who the reprieved character is however my bet is on Ginny, Neville, maybe Lupin however doubtful, or one of the trio. i also think that wormtail will die (whats all of this talk about his silver hand? i dont understand, i havent heard about it?) either defending harry or being killed by lupin. i also think one of the weasly elders will die, or one of ron’s parents, as one of the unexpected, and also hagrid, mcgonnagel, or another student of the D.A.
i also think that harry might die defeating voldemort, i sure hope not, however this type of ending is common among dramatic stories.
Mark said,
July 6, 2006 at 10:20 pm
i also believe that Moody is a given and Lucius. Either harry, ron or hermione will kill lucius, or possibly neville? i also wonder about the great war that is going to happen. i mean, will durmstang and beauxbatons come and help? will we have more giants? the centaurs? i am anxious to ait?
any guesses on how long its going to be? i think the longest book yet.
and that it will start off with harry at the dursleys or him leaving and on a trip for the horcruxs’
P.S Does anyone have any idea whos intials were in the locket that Dumbledore and harry retried in book 6? or where the others and and what they are?
love to see other thoughts
nottelling said,
July 11, 2006 at 11:44 am
People are oblivious; what’s the point of ending her series with 7 books if Harry does not die in this one. If Harry would survive in her last book, the series would continue, the books are about HIM. So why not continue to write if he were to survive. come one, I cant believe no one picked this up already.
nottelling said,
July 11, 2006 at 11:50 am
And honestly people, stop sweating the small stuff. If JK Rowling is ready to retire the Harry Potter collection she is ready to retire them, it is not up to the public to decide when it is time to retire a series or not. Yes they are amazing books and I would have never picked up another book if it were not for these books but you can not expect her to write these books till her dying days. She has a life to live and she has to fulfill her dreams and take care of her kids and not worry about wether kids she does not even know are mad at her because she decided to retire her Harry Potter book series. If she has other dreams and potentials in minds then we have to grow up and let her live her life. Yes, maybe Harry Potter is dead now; but who says she won’t write other books just as interesting as the Harry Potter ones? And come on people, it’s not like she is sending you to prison you can live with 7 books…. if you want more just re-read the series over and over till you get bored of it or till you know each book by heart.
Wendy said,
July 27, 2006 at 9:25 pm
when Snape killed Dumbledore . there were other death-eaters in the room to, it just wasn’t Snape, Dumbledore, Draco and Harry. If ya remember there was Amycus and his sister Alecto and also Greyback showed up before even Snape did. So you see there was other death-eaters in the room. So Snape had to go through with it and I don’t think Dumbledore was pleading for his life but for Snape to do what Draco couldn’t do that Snape had to do because of the promise. If you remember that Snape and Dumbledore were having words in the forest one night and that Snape said he couldn’t do it and Dumbledore said that he must. Dumbledore is to great of a wizard not to know about Draco’s plans. well he told Draco he knew what he was doing. So I think that Dumbledore knew it may come down to it and that Snape couldn’t blow his cover. I think there will have to be deaths because there at war and with war there is deaths. I think there is a good chance Harry will die defeating Voldemort ” I hope not but there is that chance. Also Harry could live and JK having him be the one she gives reprieve to. stop and think about it he is the one who has had a very hard life but there is one more who she could grant the reprieve to and that is Neville who may not have had to fight as much as Harry did against Voldemort but he also has had a very hard life as well but I don’t think it has been as hard as Harry’s. It seems like everyone Harry loves or had loved dies so the other 2 deaths could be Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Hagrid, Lupin, and any of the older teachers. But I think it will be 2 of the ones Harry is more close to. I think at least one or more of the Weasleys will die.
I also think we haven’t heard the last of Dumbledore I think he is either really dead but has left ways to still help Harry, if it came to him dieing or since he knew it was going to happen he prepared his self for it. After all Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizard there are even Voldemort feared him. I also think Snape and Harry at one point will be fighting side by side, because I think Harry will finally understand that Snape was really on the same side. Snape may have not liked James and his friends but I think he respected them just the same and also I think Snape liked Lilly. in book six Slughorn said he couldn’t imagine anyone who had meet her that wouldn’t have liked her. Also she took up for Snape when James had him up side down. I don’t think he said any bad thing about her in any of the books it was always James. So in some ways he treats Harry bad because of James but I think deep down he also see Lilly in him more. I think Wormtail will help Harry because Harry saved him. Also I think Draco will have a change of heart because he really didn’t want to kill dumbledore he said he had to or Voldemort will kill him and his family. But he couldn’t kill him and he didn’t.
Well that’s my thought about everything
StyX said,
August 10, 2006 at 9:55 pm
ok i’ve read through all the comments. i think you all make very valid points.
but i have something else to tease you with.
has anyone considered harry might BE the missing horcrux? 0-o
what’s that? no way. your nuts! not quite i’m afraid.
look into it more closely. read the books again.
1)- dumbledor said that voldamort transfered some of his powers into harry (maybe not just powers)
2)- harrys blood was the key to bringing LV back.
3)- that is dumbledors final protection on harry. if all LV’s horcruxes are gone he only has harry left-if LV wanted to keep harry alive in the very end and harry sacraficed himself wouldn’t that be dramatic?
4)- horcruxes can be made only in the murder of another person a) this could have been intended to be harry but oh yes! that back fired right? 0-o ding ding ding-living horcrux! B) explains the connection harry and LV have-being able to see into each others minds!!
5)- if harry is to fail. and don’t shoot the msg’r!! maybe dumbledor needs snape around to do the one thing he could not- kill harry. (although it may be far-fetched)
6)- wouldn’t it be such a twist
ok , as for who j.k will kill off? here’s my idea’s but remember j.k loves to shock. and everything may change on this new character who has one of the horcruxes.
lupin- alive (to grieve for harry if he dies.
harry- i reckon killing harry will be the ending(and a great one at that!!) through self-sacrafice would be the iceing on the cake!!
hermione-nope
ron- nope (includes other weasleys exempt ginny)
ginny- is always possible but i don’t think so i think LV will use ginny to draw harry out for the final show down.
wormtail- i think wormtail will disappear maybe only to appear at the end and by clumpsey attempt hamper LV’s plans, maybe in being told to kill ginny and not doing it leaving harry enough time to save her.
snape- i don’t think snape will die. who know’s either way would be great in my view. i think snape will be the bad guy to be the good guy. who says harry will kill LV? maybe harry kills himself and leaves snape to finish him (now he’s mortal)?
Lord Voldamort- she will kill him for defo but i wish she wouldn’t. at least then potential writers can continue for years to come in writing their own personal continuations
also LV i think in the end the last final words of voldamort will not be what we expect. i think j.k will finally reveal his human side or what’s left of it maybe in a big confession or maybe in a simple line (like - he gasps his mothers name or tells harry they were not so different)
aberforth- are we all forgetting that dumbledor has a long lost brother? who’s to say who he is or where he is?! could he be the one to finish LV? could he be the one to help harry find the horcruxes? could fawks have gone to him? does he have an old thing for the new headmistress? lol.
and i missing anything? nope sorry it was so long.
Nielsenator said,
August 23, 2006 at 2:08 pm
Hello All who are reading this comment,
I hope you take your time to listen to what I have to say, as I have spent some time devoloping this theory.
First and foremost, the key to Voldemorts death lies with the person of the initials RAB which of course like many other of Rowlings characters has been introduced in the books before…
For example in the Fourth Harry Potter Book when the Weasleys meet up with the Diggorys to take a Port Key to the Quidditch Cup, Amos asked Arthur if the Lovegoods were coming. Then in the Fifth Book Luna Lovegood is introduced and plays much like a fifth buisness role. Another example would be after the Cup, Percy is complaining about those who are pestering him at work but he does mention a Mundungus Fletcher sleeping under a cloak propped on four sticks. This Mundungus appears in both the Fifth and Sixth books and has quite a large role in having Harry attend the Hearing.
Anyways, you see the point of Rowlings knack for introducing characters, so in the Fifth book when Sirius mentions his brother Regulus Black and somewhere it is mentioned his brother was a death eater, you wouldnt think that would be a clue somewhat, or say an “Introduction” for the whole story of his death. Or is he dead? When Harry has taken the fake Horcrux, read the note and then read who wrote it (RAB) you must believe this is Sirius brother. Somehow Im quite positive that Regulus will be the key to helping Harry track down the Horcurxes (even if he is dead). Either Sirius is going to come back from behind the veil and help Harry, give him the full story on Regulus or Snape( who only killed Dumbledore on Dumbledores orders so that he could totally win Voldemorts trust ) will help Harry as he must know some things secret about Voldemort even if Voldemort opperates alone.
And another thing. About the two chracters who will die, I think JK Rowling would kill off the last of those closest to Harry in a sort of parented way. Lupin will die (as werewolfs can only die from silver bullets through their hearts) and Peter Pettigrew will kill him. (Wormtail has a silver hand). And Snape will die saving Harrys life right when Harry finds out that he is good OR Wormtail will save Harrys life as he owes it to him like Dumbledore said and then suffer the consiquences. I also think that Neville Longbottom who is truely a hero and probably one of the bravest of the bunch will die being a true friend.
But this is just what I think and JK Rowling wrote all about the Characters and places and stuff and Im not copying anything promise just giving my opinion!
HARRY POTTER ROCKS said,
August 23, 2006 at 2:16 pm
umm just so you know
HARRY COULDNT BE THE HORCRUX BECAUSE HE LOVES AND HORCRUXES HAVE TO HAVE HORRIBLE CURSES ON THEM ANNNND IT IS UNWISE AS DUMBLEDORE SAID TO PUT IT WITH SOMETHING THAT CAN THINK ITSELF EVEN IF VOLDEMORT CAN POSESS NAGINI I DONT THINK HE WOULD IN HIS RIGHT MIND PUT HARRY AS THE HORCRUX WHO IS HIS SWORN ENEMY.
Slughorn “well you split your soul see and hide part of it in an object outside the body.”
Also why would Voldemort WANT TO KILL HARRY if he was part of his SOUL?
StyX said,
September 7, 2006 at 8:54 am
that being the point. H.P.rocks
i just think there are far too many links between harry and a horcrux but that is only a stray thought.
Nielsenator i didn’t even think of black to be honest. but you make a very valid point. i think you may just be right too. you seem to have j.k’s style to a tee but also remember why would black turn on voldamort. in his life he was a voldamort supporter. unless it is all a trap for harry to fall into. part of V’s big master plan.
one thing is for sure. i think their will be some connection we havn’t seen hidden in the first book.
this plot could take 50 turns in any direction. i’ve worked through most of them.
also wormtail killing lupin is a very clever idea but i’m sure that is the end.
for a dramatic end she just HAS to kill harry off. and i for one hope she does. not that i don’t love harry as a character ofc i do but the hero must die. otherwise he will left in torment of killing V. can the hero b/c a killer? yes it’s been done in many books. look at darren shan or trudi canavan. but also remember it will destroy harry if he does it.
idk all i can say is a can’t wait for it to come out but also that no matter how close we get to working this out? it’ll hit us like a ton of bricks. none of us will get it RIGHT. there is always one final peice of the puzzle we miss.
HPs_luver said,
December 19, 2006 at 6:22 am
well,after all that what i hope or can say wish is PLEASE DUN LET HARRY DIE…………….
i think theres 1 person whos gonna die which is is snape . and the other one ic lucius malfoy..