[HPFGU-OTChatter] Question about JKR interview in The Tatler

[Katherine Coble]

On Jan 11, 2006, at 11:51 AM, sionwitch wrote:

>
> Quote from this interview:
>
> "In the seventh book there will be deaths of both, goodies and
> baddies. She was talking to her husband, Neil, the other day, after
> she has just writing the death of one particular character. He
> shuddered. "Oh don't do that", he said to me, but of course, I did."
>
> I have a question about this, because I often interpret this kind of
> thing wrong.
> JKR was referring in this quote to the death of Dumbledore or to the
> death of another character in the 7 book?.

K:

I think this is definitely book 7.  And I think that it's probably 
gonna be Hagrid who bites it.
Also, consider that she's doing press, and she WANTS us all to be up in 
arms.  It could be anyone.  Seriously, maybe Neil is a big fan of Percy 
Weasley.   As far as deaths go, I'd bet the following:

1. Hagrid
2. Hedwig
3. Flitwick
4. Charlie Weasley

Her pattern in creating conflict seems to be:

1 major shocking death. For this I vote Hagrid; book 6 was DD.  Hagrid 
is still a major character but one who has lost his narrative 
neccessity.  Why is he still hanging around?  So she can drop some 
Glaswegian dialect from time to time?  No, because she knew she needed 
him to die in Seven.

1 Personally-affecting Harry loss.  For this I vote Hedwig; we haven't 
had such a thing since the Nimbus was decimated.  Instead we've had 
major fights with either Ron or Hermione.  Now that the fighting with 
Ron and/or Hermione is done to death, we're back to Hedwig.  She can't 
structurally give him another broomstick loss without looking tired.  
So bye-bye Hedwig.

1 Total screwup at Hogwarts.   We've had DADA teachers who were crazy, 
Divination teachers who were useless or obscure, Hagrid's many absences 
and the death of DD.  So now we've got to muck about with the school a 
bit.  Flitwick is the charms teacher.  I predict Harry's growing closer 
to Flitwick as he learns more about his mother's prowess in 
Charms--only to have Flitwick bite it in the end.

1 Rocking of the Weasley boat.   The Weasleys are Harry's surrogate 
family.  There needs to be some conflict there.   First it was "they're 
broke."  Then it was "Percy is an Ass."  Then it was "Percy is An Ass 
on the Wrong Side."  Then it was "Bill's been bitten by Greyback."   
This time someone's gonna die.  Could be anyone--how sadistic is 
Rowling?  If she were smart she'd axe Charlie--he's outlived his 
purpose, since I doubt we'll need any more dragons disposed of or dealt 
with.  If she were middling cruel she'd send one (or both) twins to 
their mortal end.   But that kills her biggest tool for comic relief, 
so I can't see her doing that.   Besides, the joke shop is a 
dead-useful source of material.  It'll also give the gang a place to 
serve as their Diagon Alley Safe Haven now that the Leaky Cauldron is 
compromised.  If she wants to be really mean as a snake (ha!) she'll 
kill Arthur.  Harry already has one Patron--James.  Arthur is secondary 
in his psychological needs.   But, I'm betting she'll get her big bang 
from Hagrid, so Charlie is her Weasley Sacrifice.

Katherine (a writer trying to look at it from a writer's perspective.)