How about... this ending? (was: A portrait of Sirius?)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 95129

Steve first wrote:
>>>Perhaps, in the final death of Voldemort scene, Harry and 
Voldemort will be fighting in the Death Chamber, and Sirius's hand 
will reach out from behind the veil and pull Voldemort back through 
the Veil into the land of the dead.<<<

And Siriusly Snapey Susan replied:
>>You may have been joshing, Steve, but I have to say if this were 
to be how Voldy met his death, I would be *sorely* disappointed!  I 
may not be a FEATHERBOA [is that the right one--the blood & guts & 
gore gang?], but I'd like something more "YES!" and less "Whoops!" 
than being yanked behind the veil by Sirius.  ;-) <<
 
So Steve suggested:
> So, how about if Sirius pulls Voldemort behind the Veil while
> Voldemort pulls Harry along with him? Now Sirius, Harry, and 
> Voldemort are all behind the veil.
> 
> I once considered an ending where that happened. Inside, or on the
> other side of, the veil, Voldemort is attacked by all his victims 
> who drag him down to the depths of hell. Meanwhile Harry meets his 
> father and mother for the first time, and gets to hug them. After 
> a long tearful reunion, his parent and Sirius tell Harry he has to 
> go back because it's not his time to die.

SIRIUSLY SNAPEY SUSAN AGAIN:
Well...it's certainly better than the briefer version at the top, 
Steve, and I especially like that Voldy gets dragged down to the 
bowels of hell by those he wronged...but I'm not so sure about the 
veil "spitting Harry back out" because it's not yet his time.  That 
might feel like cheating to me somehow....

On the other hand--
 
Kneasy added:
> It's no  secret that'd I'd prefer something shocking, violent, 
> with bodies draped over the scenery and retribution and revenge 
> well to the fore. Not that I think it'll go that way, but I can 
> dream can't I?
> 
> Like SSS, I'm not so enamoured with the veil as the instrument of 
> choice for the final resolution. Partly because in traditional 
> thinking, with the 'going beyond the veil' concept, the veil is 
> the dividing line between the living and the dead; death itself 
> comes from other causes. 
<snip of interesting thoughts on WW body disposal system>
> Harry and Voldy (if there is one at all - a low but definite 
> possibility) will not be a wand-to-wand showdown in Hogsmead High 
> Street; the wand conflict probably puts paid to that. Some aspect 
> of the 'possession' theory might come into play - mental conflict 
> rather than physical.

SIRIUSLY SNAPEY SUSAN:
Kneasy's right that I'm not overly fond of the veil as a choice for 
the final resolution.  Even w/ Steve's addendum to his description 
of the scene, I think I'd still feel "cheated" out of a proper 
duel/battle.  Again, I'm not looking necessarily for rivers of blood 
& guts, but I am looking for some thing *definitive*...something 
where's it's really, really clear what happened and how...and 
something where Harry DIDN'T get the assistance of a "mechanism" 
such as the veil.  I think, this time, I want Harry to do it all by 
himself...or maybe w/ the help of someone in the DA [Neville?], but 
essentially w/o something that might smack of deus ex machina.

Too bad my mind simply *doesn't* work like the great theorizers of 
this list!  About all I ever do is nod my head vigorously & 
say, "Yes!" or shake my head vigorously & say, "No way!"  On this 
one, I'm still shrugging.

Siriusly Snapey Susan