At Least Two Die!!!

I was quite excited, thrilled, and shocked to see this on the front of the Yahoo Page.

Harry Potter News!!!

Reuters: Rowling to kill two in final Potter book---

LONDON (Reuters) - Children's author J.K. Rowling has revealed that at least two characters will die in the seventh and final installment of her bestselling Harry Potter series, but was careful not to say who.

Children and adults are expected to rush and buy the final Harry Potter novel in their tens of millions when it is complete, and if the publication of the sixth book is anything to go by, secrecy surrounding the plot will be tight.

I know I will certainly be in line to get one before it comes out. I am anxious to see how the story ends, and, at the same time, I dread finishing the series and seeing the end of beloved (possibly?) characters.

Rowling has already said that the final chapter of the seventh book was written long ago.

"The final chapter is hidden away, although it's now changed very slightly," she said in an interview broadcast on Monday on Britain's Channel 4. "One character got a reprieve, but I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die."

When asked to be more specific, she added: "No, I'm not going to commit myself, because I don't want the hate mail or anything else."

She did explain that she understood an author's desire to kill off the main character of a successful series.

"I've never been tempted to kill him (Harry) off before the end of book seven, because I always planned seven books and that's where I want to go.

"I can completely understand, however, the mentality of an author who thinks 'Well, I'm going to kill them off because that means there can be no non-author-written sequels ... so it will end with me, and after I'm dead and gone they won't be able to bring back the character'."

Does that mean she's going to kill Harry off in book 7? Or that she thought of it, but decided against it?!?

Then there is what she says in this AFP article:

Speaking on Monday evening, Joanne Kathleen Rowling, 40, said she was well on the way to finishing the eagerly-awaited seventh Potter book.

"I wrote the final chapter in something like 1990, so I've known exactly how the series is going to end," she told a chat show on Channel 4 television.

"The final chapter is hidden away although it's now changed very slightly. One character got a reprieve. But I have to say two die that I didn't intend to die," Rowling said.

"A price has to be paid, we are dealing with pure evil here. They don't target extras, do they? They go for the main characters -- well, I do."

I completely agree about the pure evil and that evil doesn't target the extras. I just hope that Harry doesn't have to pay the price. He's paid so much already. And I don't want Ron or Hermione to die. Or Ginny. Or Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Or Fred and George. Etc., etc., etc.

Movie 5, based on my favorite of the first six novels, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be out in theaters 13 July 2007! That's only a year!

And could book 7 be released about the same time?

As for the seventh and final chapter in Harry's increasingly dark odyssey, Britain's most famous (and wealthiest) author has confirmed she has started writing the story. But according to U.K. publisher Bloomsbury, the currently untitled tome won't hit bookstores until 2007 at the earliest. Our guess is it will be on shelves just in time for a certain movie opening.

I don't know if that would be a smart thing. If, let us say, Harry or another big favorite dies, fans will not be in the most forgiving mood (I know I won't). I am sure that would affect ticket sales. It would be better to release the book after the movie.

(Crossposted at A Lady's Diversions)

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