The Death of Cedric

[msl at fc.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 11207

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., harry_potter00 at y... wrote:

> It's just that Cedric's death didn't really do 
> that.  He was alive and then he was dead. I have to agree that it's 
> unsettling the way AK works, but doesn't make for a good literary 
> death scene. 

In this case I think that "unliterariness" was part of the point. 
Cedric's death reminded me of one of those scenes in gangster movies
where the bad guy reaches out with his .45 and blows some poor slob's
head off just for the hell of it.  The closest literary parallel that
jumps to my mind is in Richard III, when Richard orders the children
in the Tower of London killed; it's not something he needs to do,
necessarily, it's just convenient.

For Voldemort & Pettigrew, killing Cedric was just more convenient,
and they're sufficiently accustomed to killing people that they do it
without fanfare.  "Who's this mf?"  Bang!

> Another question I had is whether Cedric's death is extraneous to 
> the plot, or will later become central? Did he HAVE to die? Not 
> exactly, at least IMO. I mean his death shows the reality of evil, 
> and that Voldemort doesn't care who he kills. It also, as Peg once 
> eloquently pointed out, took Harry's noblest decision and made it 
> the greatest tragedy (in the canon so far, or will someone go 
> against this?).

It shows how one's best intentions can go awry, definitely.  It may
also provide fodder in the future for people who want to discredit
Harry in some way.  "Harry blames Cedric's death on V, but I think
he's involved himself; look at how ambitious he is, sneaking his way
into the tournament; he should have been in Slytherin, not
Gryffindor...."
 
> Cedric is also (argubly-sp?) the first person to be killed in the 
> Second Voldemort War (SVW or VWII as we've dubbed it). He's not a 
> martyr (as he didn't even know what was happening) but perhaps his 
> death will serve as an inspiration for others to fight in the
future.

I tend to count from Quirrel. If one does that, then we've got
Quirrell, Frank the gardener, Bertha Jorkins, Crouch Sr. (and Jr.),
and Cedric as known victims of V's second rise.  Although in the case
of Quirrell and Crouch Jr., we might question their victimhood since
they were on V's side.
 
> 
> Would anyone like to point out why the death of Cedric was or was 
> not needed to forward the plot?
> 

I don't know that it was "necessary" strictly speaking; V could have
menaced Harry without Cedric's presence, I'm sure.  On the other hand,
I think it's a very effective way of illustrating Harry's predicament
for future books...namely, anybody Harry does a good turn, anybody who
gets close to Harry, is in mortal danger.  I don't see how this could
fail to take a heavy toll on his friendships.

marvin