[the_old_crowd] Re: Only TWO Die? No, wait...

[susiequsie23]

Mooseming/Jo:
>>> Watching the interview helps a lot in my opinion (although R&J make
me cringe). Especially for the bit just before the break where they
are talking about how much JK will miss HP. JK has just said she
wants to go out leaving the readers wanting more and Judy is
indirectly asking if JK might revisit the Potterverse sometime in
the future she says:

J: "Well I think most people will be hoping that at some point in
your life, that you will come back to him in some way, shape, or
form...there will be something. `Cause you'll have generations..."

At which point JK interrupts with a throwaway joke:

JK: "Harry Potter's midlife crisis." (Spoken as a semi question.
Possibly a passing reference to Adrian Mole??)

Anyway Richard (*not* JK) then offers up the usual caveat:

R: "Should he survive to see it."

To which JK shrugs and smiles in a `of course, of course' type of
way and says:

JK: "Right." Confirming that Richard is correct to remember to add
the caveat.

To me this sequence implies that JK has no intention of killing off
Harry, she forgets to remember it's a possibility as it were. <<<

SSSusan:
Thanks much for this, Jo.  I watched the entire show, but I missed a couple 
of the key lines in this exchange you've just provided -- most notably that 
JK said "midlife crisis."  It is interesting, as you say, that *Richard* was 
the one who then brought up the typical caveat regarding "if he survives." 
Maybe that does mean something??


Mooseming/Jo:
>>> As to those other deaths well JK states:

JK: "The last, the final chapter is hidden away although it's now
changed very slightly."

*Very slightly* to me doesn't suggest a dramatic u-turn regarding
Harry, Voldy, Ron, Hermione or Snape although Draco, Neville, anyone
else at all could well be for the chop/reprieve. <<<

SSSusan:
Good catch re: "very slightly."  It does seem it would mean something other 
than a major change of heart regarding the fate of some Big Characters, 
doesn't it?


Mooseming/Jo:
>>> A reprieve to me indicates a baddie gets off and the two that die
are the "price" that has "to be paid", that are targeted by evil, so
are therefore goodies.

At this point we're firmly into speculation, I imagine JK reviewed
the chapter and thought "oh oh, I've killed off all the bad guys and
not nearly enough of the good ones this won't do". <<<

SSSusan:
Makes sense to me.  Given how she handled the DoM battle, with 6 kids taking 
on all those DEs, with so little damage to them all... and again the battle 
at Hogwarts in HBP, I do think she has a tendency (like all the cop shows on 
TV) to have an inordinate number of good guys dodge bullets (well, not 
bullets, but you know what I mean).  Maybe you're right that she realized, 
"Oh, this is ridiculous.  I really do need to kill a couple more here."

Watching & hearing it, vs. reading it, really did bring on a different 
overall response for me.  It felt lighter in tone than I was taking this (as 
well as the bit about Harry and whether he might die).

Siriusly Snapey Susan