References to JKR's quotes on upcoming deaths

[jksunflower2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 98689

With the recent discussion taking place on who will not survive to 
the end of the series, I thought I'd post a quick reference list I 
compiled a while ago of JKR's quotes mentioning upcoming deaths 
(courtesy of Quick Quotes on the Floo Network, of course):

CBS News: This Morning
28 June 1999
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/1999/0699-
cbsnews.html

ASSURAS: Oh. But as all children's -- I want you to tell me the 
ending -- as all children's books go, most -- there will there be
a 
happy ending.
ROWLING: Depends whether or not your favorite character dies because 
there are going to be deaths.


The Press Democrat Santa Rosa, CA
30 October 1999
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/1999/1099-
pressdem-lauer.html

She wouldn't say much about the next book but she did reveal that 
one of the characters will die before the seven-volume series 
ends. "I won't say which one, but I will say one of them dies." 


The Express 
28 March 2000 
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2000/0300-
express.html

She said yesterday that while there are some issues she would never 
tackle in a children's book - including hard drugs and teenage 
pregnancies - she would not shy away from addressing themes like 
death. 
Declining to reveal who the victim would be, she said: "I've said 
all along there will be death. You see a death in book four. People 
should not be too worried about it as there have already been deaths 
in the books." 


The Times
30 June 2000
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2000/0600-
treneman-times.html

Now, in {Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire}, death comes for us, 
too. The identity of the corpse is secret until next Saturday, 
though she will say that it is a character we care about. 
"Yes, this is the book in which the deaths start. I always planned 
it this way. It's become a bit of an {idée fixe }with me. I have
to 
follow it just the way I wanted to write it and no one is going to 
knock me off course. If it's done right, I think it will be 
upsetting but it's not going to be damaging. I have said from the 
beginning that if you really are honestly going to examine evil 
actions then you have a moral obligation not to fudge the issue." 


New York Times 
July 10, 2000 
All Aboard the Potter Express 
Alan Cowell 
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2000/0700-nyt-
cowell.htm

She intimated that as the series progresses the mood may darken. The 
death of one character in the fourth book, she said, is "the 
beginning of the deaths." 


Canadian Broadcasting Co. 
July 2000 
J.K. ROWLING INTERVIEW 
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2000/0700-cbc-
solomon.htm

E: It opens with a murder and then there's one at the end, which I 
won't say who it is. And you cried then? 
JK: Yeah. 
E: But in the future there's even more... 
JK: (Laughs deeply) There's worse coming. 
E: Is there? There's even worse coming, isn't there? 
JK: I don't know why I'm laughing. It's mild hysteria. (Looks at 
camera) I've got all these children peering in at me [from outside 
the train]. If they knew I was talking about slaughtering their 
favourite characters. (Waves vigorously to fans) Hallo! 
E: People love Ron, for example. Kids think you're going to knock 
off Ron because he's the best friend. 
JK: Kids do, exactly, because they're sharp and they've seen so many 
films where the hero's best friend gets it. So they think I'm going 
to make it personal by killing Ron. But maybe that's a double 
bluff... (Laughs) 
E: Now that you know they expect it, do you give it to them? 
JK: No, I decided...It's not that I sat down with a list and decided 
to write, 'You're going, you're going, you're going.' There are 
reasons for the deaths in each case, in terms of the story. So 
that's why I'm doing it. 


BBC Special
Christmas 2001
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2001/1201-bbc-
staff.htm

Death is the most important theme throughout all seven books. "More 
people are going to die. One death is going to be horrible to write. 
IT HAS TO BE." 


Guardian Unlimited Books 
Friday December 28, 2001 
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/2001/1201-
guardian-yates.htm

Describing the chapter, she says, "this really wraps everything, 
it's the epilogue and I basically say what happens to everyone after 
they leave school, those who survive - because there are deaths, 
more deaths coming...There's at least one death that's going to be 
horrible to write." 


So, there you have it.  Either Sirius was the "one death", or half 
the characters or better will bite the dust.  Interpret as you will.

Toad (who firmly believes Harry will experience a purely symbolic 
death...won't speak for the others, though)