Should Harry Potter die?

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 2035

Hi ---

Rita Winston wrote:

> --- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Rita Winston" <catlady at w...> wrote:
>
> > It would certainly be very literary if Harry carries out the
> > prophecy, which all the Old Gang knows about but he doesn't, that
> > the only way Voldemort can be killed is if Harry dies in the act of
> > killing him.
>
> If my brain were working, I would included this in the big post,
> instead of of burdening everyone with two posts:
>
> We can guess how Snape feels about having to keep Harry alive long
> enough for Harry to die killing Voldemort -- resentful of having to
> keep Harry alive, and unreservedly eager for that final double death.
>
> But how do the good guys such as Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, Black
> feel about raising up the child in their care, who also is the image
> of James whom they all loved, to be a real good kid of whom they're
> proud, all the time knowing that they're going to send him to die
> like a turkey at Thanksgiving (or, I guess, a goose at Xmas for the
> Brits)?

I think the above paragraph is an excellent argument why Harry isn't
necessarily destined to die.  He is clearly destined to have a final
showdown with Voldemort at some point, but I don't think it's
necessarily ordained that he will die in the process.  I very much doubt
that Dumbledore could be mentoring him through his training just so that
he can be the sacrificial lamb in the end.  He's obviously mentoring him
in the hope that he'll have the strength, power, knowledge & so forth to
wage an effective final battle & triumph.  I was an early adherent to
the HP books as Christian allegory view, but in the final analysis, I
don't want Harry to die (not even to vindicate my theories).  And, I
don't think JKR wants him to die either. I really don't think that's her
intent in the end.

She hasn't necessarily ruled out writing books after HP 7 -- she has
only said that she never intended to do this but that she never says
never anymore (since she then inevitably ends up doing whatever it was
she swore she'd never do).  She has also joked when asked about
post-Hogwarts books and said "So, you're sure I won't kill Harry off at
the end of Book 7?"  I think she's just joking in this context.  I think
there is a possibility that she *could* do more books, but if she does,
I suspect it will be after a respite, perhaps even writing something
completely different & coming back to HP later.

Whoever proposed the theory (Jim?) that perhaps Harry will have to
sacrifice his magical powers to defeat Voldemort could be on the right
track.  That's a very interesting twist to consider.

Penny


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