[HPforGrownups] Okay, Who Dies?

[P. Alexis Nguyen]

No: HPFGUIDX 170666

W. K. Mahler:
> Harry
> Hermione
> Ron
>
> That's our debate.
>
> Do we have to wait till "Deathly Hallows" is released to know?
>
> Your thoughts please.

If any of the trio dies, I would bet on Ron.  Hermione is basically
JKR's avatar, and since DD's gone, Hermione's is JKR's last voice in
the story.  As for Harry, this is his coming-of-age story, and it's a
very rare, and even less rarely done well, where the hero dies at the
end of that kind of story.  (Yes, I've read all the arguments on what
novelistic form, or the lack thereof, HP falls under, but I stand by
the coming-of-age one.)  Moreover, Ron's death sort of has a "most
bang for your buck" feel - in other words, Ron's death has the most
dramatic impact in the story because it would be deeply felt by most
of the characters as well as serving as catalyst for a final
confrontation, and his death would also be felt, if not necessarily
deeply then at least somewhat, by most readers.

That said, I don't believe that any of the trio will die.  I think
someone quite close to them will, though, and any given Weasley would
be a good candidate, with Hagrid also having a fairly decent chance of
dying.  (Ginny might well die since she is an important person to
Harry.  Though I can't believe that it's true love, her death would
still have a large emotional impact on him, even if I wouldn't care.)

That's my bit.  It might not mean much, but I'd put money on it. :)

~Ali