Murder Spree

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 39115

 --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "archeaologee" <JPA30 at c...> wrote:
<snip>
>> 
>>  There are seven Harry potter books
<snip>
>>  
>>  A complete arc.
>>  
<snip>
> What are the stories 
>>  really about?  Good vs Evil?  The Rise and fall of Voldemort?  A 
>> boy 
>>  coming of age?  Harry's life?  Well that last one seems 
>> interesting.  
>>  First chapter, first book, famously re-written ad nauseam, 
>title?  
>>  The boy who lived.
>>  
>>  What if he doesn't.
>> 
>>  There is no need for him beyond p.1 book seven.
>>  
>>  JKR has often said that there will be one death that will be 
>very 
>>  hard to write (and much debate ensued).   
<snip>
>>  
>>  She loves to surpise us.  The arc is complete.  So why not kill 
>> him, 
>>  and if you're going to do it, I say chapter one final book.  
>Scare 
>>  the hell out of everyone (on the train maybe, on the muggle 
>> motorway 
>>  on the way to King's cross - not protected... dead).  Then 
>defeat 
>>  Voldemort through that.  The total outrage of this loveable, 
>> strong, 
>>  brave, little soldier's untimely demise would surely galvenise 
>the 
>>  wizarding world and force them to accept the return of 'you know 
>> who' 
>>  as real (although this will probably happen before book seven).
>>  
>> I like it more and more.
>> 
>> Thought I'd throw that out there.
>> 

Chapter One? Only if she intends to spend the next ten years 
hiding under an assumed name. ;-)
 
 I agree that Harry is quite likely to die before the end of Book 7. 
The poor boy practically has to kick all the death omens out of the 
way to move at all! Even his godfather is a symbol of death!

However, he is also surrounded by symbols of rebirth - his holly 
and phoenix feather wand being the most obvious. (Translates as 'it's
late and I can't be bothered to look the others up').

So, we might have the 'so powerful he even survives death/is saved by
sacrificing himself' angle.
 
Or we might not.
 
One of my favourite ever critical comments (and I sincerely regret 
that
I do not know the name of this critic) was about C.S. Lewis's 
The Last Battle.(SPOILER) The comment was:

'The only children's book in history to end *happily* with all the 
major
characters being killed in a train crash.' [my emphasis]
 
And he was right.
It is a happy ending.
 
Pip
(who likes happy endings. Even when they also have lots of dead 
bodies ;-) )