Harry Potter RIP? I’m not at all surprised

Wow. Just ... wow. Clearly I've been living the last 6 (?) years in such deep denial (and have been working sufficiently late) that I can't even think of an intelligent comment. But it really does make metaphysic sense. (sob!) Must go meditate on the way of the Tao.

So far, the most plausible theory is that Harry himself is the final Horcrux, thus rendering his death unavoidable. It could also tie in saving the lives of his friends, but then who would be the aforementioned other two that die?

Just because Harry dies to save his friends doesn't necessarily mean he must be entirely successful. For reasons I can't articulate, I have a feeling that Hermione could be for the chopping block. As for the other, sheesh, it could be anyone. Maybe Neville Longbottom comes into his own and dies a hero's death, too. Or maybe the other deaths aren't heroic, just stupid and pointless. That'd be cheery, huh?

I just don't. get. Harry. Potter. I managed to make it through the first chapter of the first book (as I had borrowed it from my boss, hurling it across the room was not an option) despite the terrible, derivative, we-seen-it-all-before writing. I had hoped the movies would be better, but alas, like the book, I barely made it through the first one, which was all flash and little substance. At WorldCon Jane Yolen said it didn't matter that HP was written with all the finesse of a brick in the face, that was was important was that it got kids and people (because we all know children aren't actually human, right? Right?) reading, and better authors like Diana Wynne Jones back in print, and I can't deny that at all...I just wish it was with a more well written book (Garth Nix, anyone?). I'm quite surprised Rowling is killing off any of her characters, to be honest. Not because of the money so much as for the adoration...that's a hard thing to willingly give up if one doesn't have another book in mind, and I'm sure she's worried about moving on to new characters and plots, gods know I would be. I guess for the sake of her fans I hope she comes up with something equally good. Anyway, that's my rant over.

The astonishing thing about the Harry Potter books is that each is more sophisticated than the last. Whether that's a result of a neophyte writer getting better with each book or a deliberate attempt to bring the level of the writing up as the characters (and many of the young readers) become more sophisticated, I don't know. But it does mean that if you stopped after the first book, you really don't know what you're missing.

MaryAnn, what do you think of the 'Harry/The Scar is a Horcrux' theory? This could mean that, if Harry does defeat Voldemort, he may have to literally self-sacrifice to finally defeat him -- It could well be that the final challenge of Harry isn't fighting Voldemort, but that this will be a lead in. It will be finding the courage to leave behind all the things he loves and perform the ultimate sacrifice. This could also mean that in death, his brow would be untroubled by a lightning-bolt shaped scar... and fit the previous evidence that the last word of the series will be 'scar'.

Or you might already have addressed this above. Today, I am a dork. :)

I think your prediction is pretty close to what might happen, Sean.

I agree with MaryAnn and Sean. I think Harry is the last Horcrux but I'm also wondering about Neville... He too was attacked by Voldermort and survived. Perhaps Voldermort THINKS Harry is the one he's looking for, but perhaps it's Neville? It seems strange that Rowling introduced that little tidbit and then did little to follow-up with that. I'm also curious to see what happens with Snape. At first I wasn't too taken with the series either, but it's grown on me considerably.