Harry Potter Must Die

[BlueDiablo]

According to "Lost" creator Damon Lindelof. It's a good read.

(Had to check to make sure this wasn't posted already in the other thread. I don't think it was.)

[DevilAlumna]

[Rowling] can’t whack Harry because there are rules that must be followed when it comes to how one ends a grand mythology. Good triumphs over evil. Hope overcomes despair. Paper covers rock. Harry wins. Voldemort loses. The Ewoks sing.

And this is precisely why Harry has to die.

"The Ewoks sing." Awesome.

[JasonEvans]

I am guessing most of you have seen Kieth Olbermann's excellent analysis of how the series turns out... complete with a fabulous Sopranos reference at the end.

-Jason "while I think Olbermann's idea is interesting, I don't think it really works" Evans

[Exiled_Devil]

Just read an essay that proposed that Harry is a horcrux. I think that it is idiotic. If that happens, I will be immensely disappointed in the series.

His protection on the night of his parents' murders was a surprise to Voldemort. IT was magic he didn't understand. This undermines most of the arguments that Harry is a horcrux. Besides that point, as I have read elsewhere, if Harry was a horcrux, it would feel like lazy writing.

Harry can live, Harry can die - I am okay with either outcome. But Harry being a horcrux would just be horrible for my reading experience.

I think the horcruxes were a problematic literary device - there is no way that tJK can commit space to the discovery and destruction of them in a worthwhile way and also deal with mourning, Hogwarts, love interests, and Snape's morality in a book that is manageable. I have this bad feeling, similar to how I felt after Clones - there is way more story that I want to hear than time to tell it.

I'm trying to keep open an open mind, but I really fear for this last book.

Edit: 15 minutes later
Now I think that AD's smile when Voldemort took his blood to revive is a sign that maybe Harry was a horcrux, but Voldy's essence has been returned due to the new spell. Hmm...

Now I am very excited for the book.


Exiled

[Exiled_Devil]

I am guessing most of you have seen Kieth Olbermann's excellent analysis of how the series turns out... complete with a fabulous Sopranos reference at the end.

-Jason "while I think Olbermann's idea is interesting, I don't think it really works" Evans

Olbermann's analysis of Sherlock Holmes leaves a little to be desired - Conan Doyle treid to kill of Holmes permaneantly, but was pressured into resurrecting him after the fact (and several years) by fans.

Relatedly, Olbermann's constantly bringing the final book back to a financial calculation is frustrating and, I think , not appropriate with JK. It's frustrating because it reflects and idea that produces much of the crap Hollywood gives us - the merit of a piece is in the financial gain. I think that Rowling is little concerned with this - she is richer than she ever thought, and as far as I recall, she has noone looking over her shoulder telling her to tweak things so it "sells better in the Heartland"

Odd as it may seem, JK is a modern day artist in a medium where it is mostly commerce, and not art, that is produced. And given the power of her franchise, people will buy and watch whenever it comes out. HP7 in the theater will do incredibly well no matter what happens to Harry. We are all going to see it because it is Harry Potter.


His final conclusion is interesting, but I am not sure that I buy it. Maybe I don't want to buy it. I know I want more story about Snape than his conclusion would allude to. I want to get into his head a little before we end.

My excitement is rising...and so is my irritation with all the people who discuss this with phrases "obviously", "certainly", "clearly", and 'It has to be this way'

Exiled

[blublood]

If this series ends the way Olbermann seems to want it to, it would be the worst of all possible outcomes as far as I'm concerned. When I was little, I read another British series, The Dark is Rising, which pulled this same trick. After a series of harrowing magical adventures, at the end of it the children accomplished their mission and were sent back to the non-magical world with no memory of having done anything at all. (except maybe one of them stayed behind because he was the rightful ruler of Whateverland... I can't quite remember)

It was horrible! I mean, what the crap was the point of reading the whole thing if you're reading something none of the characters even remember?? Not coincidentally, you notice very few people today have even heard of The Dark is Rising series.

As someone pointed out elsewhere, for all their panache these are still children's/young adult books. I see no problem with things ending about the way you would expect - Voldemort's dead, Harry lives (albeit with his spiritual and perhaps physical scars), evil is put on the run, and everybody sets about rebuilding the world again. (unless they're dead)

[Dukerati]

It's not quite like Dark Rising because Olbermann is not saying that no one will remember, he's saying that Harry will be no longer magical. Harry would still be friends with the wizards and such, just not able to practice magic. In fact, Harry would most likely assume a very important role in the world of magic without being magical himself.

Personally, I like the ending. I don't agree with Olbermann's financial motivation theory but as endings goes, this is as feasible as any. No matter how Ms. Rowling decides to end it, many many people will be dissapointed. My only hope is that Ron dies. I have no idea why but that dude just annoys me.