Eileen's *One* Most Rock-Solid OoP Prediction - Lupin Dies

[Eileen]

No: HPFGUIDX 59668

 --- "Cindy C." <cindysphynx at comcast.net> wrote:
> Maybe it's 
> time for a gut-check -- time for anyone who's
> willing to stand on 
> just one OoP prediction to step forward.
> 
> And not just any old prediction, either.  Let's say
> you only get to 
> make *one* prediction.  And specificity counts.

Unfogging the future, I foresee that Lupin will die by
the last page of OotP. First of all, I've always had
Lupin on my to-die list, from first meeting him in
PoA. People who are tired die. It's a literary
convention. It has to do with the thematic
intertwining of sleep and death. For a classic example
of the conflation, check out Shakespeare's Hamlet in
which, Hamlet, considering suicide, says, "To sleep.
Perchance to dream. Aye there's the rub. For in that
sleep, what dreams may come?" Hamlet, of course, after
expressing that he wishes his "too solid flesh would
melt" does die. 

In this, Hamlet is not alone. Notice the fate of
Theoden in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." Theoden is
revived from decrepit inertia by Gandalf's
intervention, but he still is tired, drained by years
of ruling his country, and the recent loss of his son.
He thanks Gandalf, saying that now he can sleep
better. Not surprisingly, he ends up dead. 

But you don't need to express a wish to die to die.
You just need to be weary. Look at Andrey Bolkonsky in
"War and Peace." After having a lot of undeserved
trouble with the women in his life, Andrey has nothing
left for him (except to duel another character). He is
continually described as weary. So he tragically dies,
of course. 

And so do a lot of people in Charles Dickens's "Bleak
House." You can't see the ground for all the worn-out
people dying in that book. Worn-out people, rejected
by society, with nothing to live for anymore. Sound
familiar? 

So, now that we've estabished that Lupin qualifies
under the "darkling I listen, and for many a time, I
have been half in love with easeful death" category,
is there anything specifically to indicate that Lupin
is Ever So Dead?

Well yes. Lupin's paternal role has been usurped by
Sirius BlacK, remember? And Hagrid's got the
prejudiced-against-minority angle covered. And while
Hagrid's a tempting choice to off, he's got something
to do with the giants. And besides, JKR, despite
Cindy's protests, thinks Hagrid is funny. No, Hagrid
shall not die. The obvious choice, if we're going to
get any unbearable sacrifice out of this book, is
Lupin. Everyone else has continuing roles. Lupin is,
sad to say, expendable.

Yep, Lupin will die. 

This prediction, however, isn't spectacular enough.
Let me add something to it. 

Lupin is going to die because of a choice of Harry's. 

That's what unbearable sacrifice means. That's where
we'll get self-doubting, bangsting Harry. 

Eileen

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