Harry dies?.

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 171447

eggplant:
> To me that sounds like exactly where I'd expect Harry to die, after
> all Dumbledore didn't die in the last chapter of HBP, or even the
> second to the last. 

zgirnius:
That's right, he died at the very end of the fourth chapter from the 
end. But there are important differences betweem Dumbledore's death at 
the end of HBP, and a hypothetical death of Harry in DH a similar 
number of chapters from the end of DH, in my opinion.

1) If the death of Dumbledore at the hands of Snape was indeed *the* 
main event of HBP, our account of this event was not over until the 
second to last chapter, "The Phoenix Lament". It was relevant for Harry 
to learn all the details of Snape and Draco's actions that night and 
for us to see his reaction.

2) HBP was not primarily about Dumbledore - Harry is the hero of that 
book, and DH as well. Further, the book was also about Snape/HBP (the 
other title character). The revelation of the 'secret' of the book 
(Snape=HBP) occured a chapter after Dumbledore's death, and the chapter 
following that gave us more details of the events that led to the 
killing of Dumbledore by Snape. If Harry dies at a similar point in DH, 
we will not need further chapters, because Harry's story will be over, 
and so will the story of DH.

3) HBP was not the final book of the series. The remaining three 
chapters dealt with the escape of the culprits, the reactions of the 
good guys, especially Harry, to the events, and set up for Book 7 
(Harry making decisions about what he will be doing in DH). The culprit 
that matters will be dead along with Harry, in my opinion. And no pages 
will need to be spent on setup.

I also think that Harry's story can be brought to an end fairly 
conclusively without Harry dying. For example, the epilogue could state 
facts of his future life that would preclude further epic adventures. 
(Harry was a star Seeker and later respected professional coach, 
married Ginny, had 12 kids, and lived happily ever after, for example). 
Without either contradicting such an account, or positing such 
adventures for Harry and Ginny in late middle age once their brood of 
twelve have all gone on their merry ways, no sequel could be written.

eggplant:
> If JKR can make me cry over Snape's death she is an even better writer
> than I think she is.

zgirnius:
What is relevant is how Rowling feels about the matter, since it is her 
crying that we are speculating about. We're not going to agree on this, 
as you are convinced she is writing Snape as one of her villains.