What if Harry dies?

[G Miller]

No: HPFGUIDX 85271

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "tigerpatronus" 
<tigerpatronus at y...> wrote:
snip 
> 
> Indeed, it seems to me that many of the most enduring stories, and 
> especially epics, have ended with either the death of the / a main 
> character or, in the case of romantic entanglements, the two 
protags 
> being separated. Now, I'm not talking about the "best" lit...... 
Now that we've sniffed each other's CVs, we can discuss 
Harry's 
> fate.) I'm talking about the ones that most people have read and 
> endure all out of proportion with their assumed lit value. 
> 
snip
> 
> Anyway, my main point here is that ephemeral, genre, trendy lit is 
> all about the happy ending and the boy and the girl getting 
married. 
> Enduring, interesting lit, many times, ends with death because it 
is 
> a reflection of life, and that's how life ends. 
> 
snip
> 
> As Dumbledore said in PS/SS (p297, AmPB), "[I]t really is like 
going 
> to bed after a very, *very* long day. After all, to the well-
> organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." A lot was 
set 
> up in Book 1 that is becoming apparent in the most recent book. 
> 
> Children's lit does not shy away from death the way adult feel-good 
> lit does. Dumbledore's quote sounds like an excellent title for the 
> last chapter of Book 7. 
> 
snip
> There many reasons why Harry shouldn't die, but he might. 
snip
 
> TK -- Tigerpatronus

Good literary examples and I agree the "HP and the Next Great 
Adventure" would be an excellent title for book 7.  (Although
that 
would probably give away the ending)

I think a good indicator if Harry will meet his demise at book 7 
will be his (or the WW's) general state of well being at the end
of 
book 6.  JKR could be utilizing another literary technique that she 
has used to some extent already.  That is, the set up for the 
opposite (or unexpected) to happen.   (one example would be H's 
dreams of S in danger that turns out to be a trap and ends up with S 
being killed anyway,  OK this might not be the best example, but I 
don't have my books handy) 
Let me try to explain it putting forth a few scenarios with examples 
added for effect:
1.	Book 6 ends upbeat with V nearly defeated, most of the DEs7 
gone, Fudge out of the MM (or a complete attitude adjustment), OoP 
intact, HRH happy and alive, and H with a new and serious love 
interest.  End of book 7 Harry dies (probably by sacrificing himself 
in some noble way finishing off V).
2.	Book 6 continues the gloomy tone of the previous two books 
and ends with the WW & H in dire straits.  MM completely disabled, 
OoP ripped apart, multiple good characters (both major & minor) 
killed or severely wounded, good characters turn out to be working 
for V, etc.  Book 7 will have a happy ending and Harry will live 
after defeating V in some heroic fashion.  (a side note to this, if a 
minor OoP character is killed off early in book 6, I would expect a 
major 
character to die at the end)
3.	Book 6 ends with the state of affairs unknown.  Book 7 could 
go either way.

My own personal feeling is that after the way the previous two books 
end, book 6 will be more optimistic and promising, which could spell 
doom for our young Mr. Potter.  However, the only book 7 prediction I 
would be inclined to make is that H does something extremely heroic 
to kill V.

TVTFTG
(The very tired father of twin girls)