Happy endings and locked rooms

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 164670

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant107" <eggplant107 at ...> wrote:

Eggplant:
> By the way, you don't suppose JKR could be so revolutionary 
> as to let Voldemort win do you? No, of course not, silly question, 
> I apologize. Still, sometimes late at night I wonder if,
., oh never 
> mind.

Geoff:
When JKR went on record as saying that there are two character 
deaths in Book 7, one thought that crossed my mind was whether 
this included Voldemort or was his death a given?

Are we expecting two of the other characters or just one? I haven't 
seen this being mentioned on the group but I don't read every message 
or I'd never have time to do anything useful. 
:-)

Carol:
> > like a young British soldier returning
> > from World War II 

Eggplant: 
> Many of those noble and incredibly brave young soldiers had been
> forced to do hideous things, and many of them suffered from Post
> Traumatic Shock Syndrome for the rest of their lives as a result; If
> Harry survives I expect he will have the same problem. We may have
> seen a tiny taste of that in book 5 when Harry gets a little grumpy at
> his friends and destroys Dumbledore's office.

Geoff:
Yes, but not every soldier had that problem. Many of them were able 
to re-integrate into ordinary life - perhaps not overnight - but without 
long-term problems.  My father did.

Carol: 
> > At any rate, I have every confidence that
> > JKR can bring about a poignant, bittersweet
> > ending that brings tears to all but the
> > most jaded reader's eyes and yet have
> > Harry survive to attend Hogwarts for a 
> > belated seventh year along with Ron, 
> > Hermione, and Neville and Ginny

Eggplant: 
> But those are a list of characters that we readers love the most, if
> they all survive what is there to cry about? I believe some or all of
> the characters you mention will die.

Geoff:
Do I want to cry? There is enough in the real world to shed tears over. 
Harry has already known the loss of three characters so he hasn't been 
protected from loss and grief and has shed his own tears, maybe privately.
A little "willing suspension of disbelief" wouldn't go amiss.