JKR's site up-date - Rumours Section-Deaths

[antoshachekhonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 127270


<snip>
> The only outside chance in book six is Ron.  I think that Harry has to
> survive to book seven - I'm guessing he'll survive that, too, and
> Hermione, as the female lead, I just don't think will die; but for
> serious impact I think one of the Trio has to go.  That leaves Ron. 
> But I generally agree with you, it's an outside chance in six.
> 
> THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF CHARACTER DEATHS FROM 1-10
> 
> Harry: 		10	
> Hermione: 	10
> Ron:		 9
> Dumbledore:	 6 (we're expecting it)
> Hagrid:		 8 
> Neville:	 7
> Ginny:		6-7
> Luna		5-7
> Lupin		5-7
> Arthur W.	7-8
> Molly W.	 8
> Fred/George	 7
> Snape		 7
> Umbridge:       +5 (bonus)
> 
> Jim Ferer

Antosha:

I agree with most of your evaluations... there are a few people (Ginny, Lupin) I'd rate a bit 
higher, one or two (Hagrid, Umbridge :wink:) a bit lower. You left off Percy, who's 
somewhere around a 4 or 5 in my book. Charlie and Bill also seem like likely victims--
again, rating a 4 or 5, though possibly a bit higher because of the impact on Ron and 
Ginny's family. 

McGonagall would probably rate about a 5. Draco's death would devastate a few, but for 
me that would be about a 2, and only that high because I'm looking forward to seeing him 
begging for knuts on Diagon Alley at the end of the series. Tonks is probably a 6 for me, 
though I know some people don't like her as much as I do.

I would be surprised if Luna or Tonks gets knocked off in HBP because they were just 
introduced in OotP. Likewise, Arthur, Ginny and Neville would be unsatisfying (to me) 
choices, because each of them has already confronted tragedy, and it seems as if having 
them die at this point would be... cruel. Molly, on the other hand... Well, that would be 
devastating. The death of _one_ of the twins would be an interesting thing for the survivor 
and the family to have to deal with.

I actually think that Hermione is the MOST likely of the Trio to die. Brilliant as she is, she's 
the least gifted of the three at tactical spell-casting--she has a tendency to freeze up at 
critical moments. Also, she is the character with whom the author identifies most strongly. 
It seems like the sort of thing JKR would do, killing off her alter ego. 

Also, her dying (most likely mid- to late-book-seven) would a) devastate Ron and Harry 
and b) change the shipping calculus in a way that one of the boys dying would never do. If 
Harry or Ron were to die and the living boy were to try to hook up with Hermione, you're 
going to tell me that the ghost of the dead Trio member wouldn't haunt the couple 
forever? Whereas, if Hermione dies, both boys--along with her friends and a huge portion 
of the readership--would mourn her deeply, but it wouldn't affect any relationship the 
boys were in (or got into). I'm hoping this isn't the case--I'm hoping the DoM Six all 
survive the series. But my gut tells me that, of the six, Hermione, Luna and Neville are the 
most likely to cash it in, in that order.

Antosha, cackling and rubbing his hands together in ghoulish glee (not)