The Next Victim

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 28610

JKR has said that the next death will "absolutely crucify" her to
write...there are some possible victims that AFAIR haven't been discussed
yet.

For starters---has Herself stated in an interview that _Hermione_ will
survive to Book Seven?  She's said that she couldn't kill Ron, b/c he's
Harry's best friend.  Killing Hermione---she's brave enough to not run from
danger, and IMNSHO she'd throw herself in front of a bullet or an Avada
Kedavra spell to save either of her friends, without a second's thought or a
moment's regret.  She's also Muggle-born, which for some reason the DEs
don't like (you know, I always thought the Death Eaters would make more
sense as a movement of Muggle-born and half-blood mages to overthrow the
pureblood families that unfairly hold them back---Tom Riddle/Lord Moldyvort
is half-blood himself, after all) and being close to Harry Potter puts her
in danger.

Also, Molly Weasley is a real possibility.  She's involved with the
Dumbledore "old crowd" and may well be a powerful witch in her own right who
_chose to_ marry and raise a large family.  Some people, after all, _do_
honestly like children and want large families; the gods alone know why, but
they do. (I don't know about you, but if somebody who can turn me into a
newt says she wants to marry, stay home, and raise a family, I'm not going
to say a WORD!)   She's the linchpin of her large family, and does a lot to
keep her husband's feet planted as firmly on the ground as they ever get.
Losing her would throw the Weasleys into a major, major tailspin, and would
just devastate Ron, and through him, Harry.  At the same time, this would
give Ron and Harry something in common, albeit one that they never
wanted---I think that just as Ron's rather jealous of Harry's fame, Harry's
down-deep envious of Ron's large, loving family---and to look at life _chez_
Dursley, I can't honestly blame him.  This would draw Harry and Ron closer
together, though.

Some of the other Weasleys are low-probability possibilities---GredandForge,
for example.  They're pranksters and don't take life as seriously as their
mother wants, but IMO when the cause of Good calls, they'll be there.  Same
for Percy, who I honestly don't think will turn bad.  I think a lot of his
anal-retentiveness is based on NOT wanting to end up in a dead-end job like
his dad has, and thinking that being the perfect rule-follower will get him
there.

PS:  I've been enjoying people's off-list suggestions to me about what to do
with Voldemort if he's captured alive---but ye GODS, some of you have evil
minds!  Taking away Voldemort's powers and making him live with the Dursleys
was bad enough, but the one who suggested, as an additional torment, making
him live with the Dursleys as their submissive love-slave...you're sick,
twisted and deranged, and I wish I had thought of it first!  Remind me NOT
to get on your bad side (and you know who you are!)

--Eric, who has a more morbid mind than most of his friends would prefer