Rowling: Two 'Potter' Characters Will Die

http://www.comcast.net ^ | 6 26 06 | Associated Press

[andyssister]

I think it's possible that Harry became an accidental horcrux when V killed Lily.

When faced with the choice of killing the "one who could vanquish" him, and saving a piece of his soul, V chose to kill Harry. (He'd already made horcruxes and was obsessed with immortality.)

So he AV's Harry. Lily's sacrificial mother love causes the curse to bounce off Harry and render V helpless and bodyless.

However, Harry still has the soul piece in him. Maybe Lily's love forced it out of Harry through what is now the scar on his forehead??

There are also the 24 hours between the events at Godrick's Hollow and when Harry is brought to the Dursley's.

In HBP, the horcrux ring worn by DD has a crack down the middle that was caused when DD destroyed the soul piece residing within it. I wonder if there is a similarity between Harry's scar and the crack in the horcrux ring??

[Sloth]

I'm guessing Snape, plus one of the Weasleys. As for who got the reprieve, maybe Pettigrew?

[grellis]

The strongest argument for, to me, is Rowling's teasing demurral on explaining her personal faith, saying that if we knew that then everyone from 10 to 60 would be able to predict the end. If that faith is any kind of a Christian faith, then the hero must die to accomplish "salvation." But would that also include a resurrection?

This is where I should be reading what she said instead of jumping ahead to supposition. Did she say personal faith or religious belief? Maybe she had some catharsis at some point, something which changed who she was fundamentally. Excuse the psychobabble but I feel like I'm on to something here. Could HP losing his power be a metaphor for rebirth, resurrection? I don't know if it's really keeping with her writing style, though. Seems more like a route that Tolkien or Lewis would have taken.

The plot thread I am most interested in seeing play out, even more than LV vs HP, is what becomes of Snape. I have my theories all worked out, but I'd love to know your take on him...pure evil or just misunderstood? Whaddya think?

[retrokitten]

In HBP, the horcrux ring worn by DD has a crack down the middle that was caused when DD destroyed the soul piece residing within it. I wonder if there is a similarity between Harry's scar and the crack in the horcrux ring??

That's a good point. I'm still not sold on the whole Harry as horcrux theory, though. I'd buy Snape's a super double-double secret agent before I'd believe Harry a horcrux. Although, anything is possible. But like others have said, why try and kill part of your own soul (as in Voldie repeatedly trying to kill Harry) then?

[Antoninus]

I hear that the last book is going to be called "Harry Potter and the Lake of Fire."

[Anne of DC]

In post #170 you wrote:

"Those of us doing troop support care packages pray a lot for those in harm's way. None of the ones that fall are extras to their families. Each is a main character whose death is keenly felt."

In the last part of your comment.

I ditto those sentiments.

[Anne of DC]

LOL!

No comment! :o)

[null and void]

But like others have said, why try and kill part of your own soul (as in Voldie repeatedly trying to kill Harry) then?

Perhaps he divided his soul too many times and needs part of it back to fully live? He did so want Harry to be there, and alive, at the end of GoF. Was his plan to recover his soul fragment as soon as he had a body again?

[andyssister]

I don't think Harry is a horcrux either.

But I wonder if he became an accidental horcrux in Godrick's Hollow. Then DD showed up and removed the soul piece, creating the scar (like the crack in the horcrux ring.)

I'm currently rereading HBP so I'm obsessing over that ring!!!

Has anyone seen my kids!!! LOL

[retrokitten]

I don't think he can recover it if the vessel is destroyed. Remember how Harry destroyed the diary and Tom Riddle was gone? So I would assume (I know, never assume, especially when dealing with magic) that if whatever the bit o'soul is contained in is destroyed then so to is that bit o'soul.

[retrokitten]

I think the ring may be more important then we think. I have HBP on cd and am listening to it, too. I'm just to Harry and Dumbledore's first journey into the pensive (sp?).

Someone posted this link the other day...HBP is the Best HP Novel and they raise some interesting questions. Just a warning, it's really, really, really long.

[andyssister]

I think the ring may be more important then we think

I agree. When Marvolo Gaunt is wearing it, it's not cracked. When DD has it, it's cracked.

Maybe this is to show us that a horcrux vessel can remain fairly intact when the soul piece is removed? (Ala Harry??) Just a thought...

Thanks for the link. If I'm not on FR, I'm on Hogwarts Professor or HP Lexicon. total loser!! :)

[BibChr]

Snape -- oh, boy! You know, it was in discussing that aspect of the book with my wife that my regard for Rowling as a writer made a quantum jump.

When she read it to me (as I drove), I was appalled. Snape in the books had been so much darker, nastier, "badder" than he's been in the movies. Seemed unredeemable. I sort of gasped when he took the unbreakable vow at the start, wondered where that would go. But Dumbledore had such absolute confidence in him... but he'd been wrong before, too.

So when this came, I hoped he'd change, or show up as good. Instead, Rowling describes this look of hatred and revulsion, and he simply does the evil deed. I gasped. He'd clearly turned, gone evil.

But then Valerie raised doubts after we finished, and I began wondering. We went back over events.

I came to the conclusion (at least) that it is a startlingly well-written narrative. It really could go either way! As that professor guy, Granger or what's-his-name, says, the books are written as if we were observing from just over Harry's shoulder. We see things almost always just as Harry sees them. And so we see this as Harry sees it, and Harry's view of Snape is very definite.

But it could mean a whole different thing!

So I've gone from sure that Snape was evil (first read) to thinking that he really is doing as he and Dumbledore had planned. The details -- no idea.

Anyway, that's my thought in a nutshell. Yours?

Dan

[retrokitten]

Maybe this is to show us that a horcrux vessel can remain fairly intact when the soul piece is removed? (Ala Harry??) Just a thought...

Hmmm....interesting thought.

Thanks for the link. If I'm not on FR, I'm on Hogwarts Professor or HP Lexicon. total loser!! :)

Don't feel bad...I have the HP theme song as my cell phone ring and I got the time turner a couple Christmas' ago.

[grellis]

I think Snape is doing Dumbledore's bidding, going all the way back to when he approached DD, remorseful, at having set LV on the path to the Potters. I think the reason why DD has trusted Snape over the years is that the two of them made an unbreakable vow, back then, that Snape would always do everything in his power to protect HP's life, since he was responsible (partly, at least) for the deaths of James and Lily. And Snape has always done that, starting in Sorcerer's Stone and going right through HBP. At the end of HBP, when the Death Eaters are all running away, Snape not only didn't kill HP, as he could have, but he also didn't abduct him, which would have been just as easy and--for a true follower of LV--abducting HP at that point would have been the logical and most rewarding course of action. He couldn't do it, though--it would have undoubtedly led to HP's death.

So right now, everyone is convinced Snape is the bad guy (excpet for maybe Bellatrix and LV). If it turns out he's really one of the good guys, how will anyone else find out? A neat bit of continuity would be if DD had left HP his memory of Snape having made an unbreakable vow to protect him, if that is in fact what happened. It may even bring HP back to Hogwarts for a day or so. There don't seem to be a lot of pensieves sitting around. All conjecture, obviously, but what fun! At least it gets my mind off of our real estate sitch.

[BibChr]

All true; plus, I read somewhere, Snape took the time to give Harry one last lesson -- in what to expect when he fights Lord Voldemort -- before he fled.

I can't remember anticipating a book more than I do Book Seven.

...hard as that is to admit!

[Kirkwood]

Harry will lose all of his powers in the final story and go back to the real world and pump gas for a living. This is an effective way to kill the series without actually having to kill Harry.