What Must Harry Sacrifice?

[gadfly22]

I think Harry will survive the series. His death wouldn't really be tragic enough. I picture something worse -- the loss of his powers with the defeat of Voldemort, which creates an unbridgable gap between him and the world he was most comfortable in.

And with no Hogwarts for Harry, no Ron, Hermione or Ginny, maybe JKR will even have the Powers That Be do some memory modification on the newly Muggled Harry (think Men in Black) so he has no recollection of his wizard years.

Or Harry may live happily ever after because he sacrifice will be made by a surrogate. For instance, Harry might be called on to make that great sacrifice, but Neville -- the almost-Harry -- might take the bullet for him (so to speak). That way, the sacrifice would be made, the survivors would all feel it but the way would be clear for Harry to marry Ginny and become an Auror or the DADA teacher at Hogwarts or whatever.

[darkcloak]

You could link this 'sacrifice' to the "Harry is the last Horcrux" theories.

If the S or lightning shaped scar on his forehead does indeed mean that he is a horcrux (and that Harry's magical powers come from this) then his sacrifice is getting rid of the horcrux within himself, thus also ridding himself of his magical powers.

[Froggs]

I totally agree with thestral, "it's better to burn out than fade away" (Neil Young). I think it would be worse for HP to live without his powers than to sacrafice himself for his friends. I don't buy the Harry is a horcrux thing, because I don't like it...but I didn't like DD dying either, so I can't say that it won't happen!

[Snow_Crystal]

I really don't want it to have a lame ending. No corniness here please!!!! It's got to be something major. I think I remember hearing ages ago that Harry doesn't make it to adult life. But on that note what do you call adult life? In the wizarding world it's 17 so that doesn't make sense unless the whole of the next book happens within the next couple of weeks after DD's death which I very much doubt.

I think he will more than likely sacrifice his life for peace but if he does die what will happen to everyone else. I don't think Harry will sacrifice his life unless everyone else will be safe, locked away or killed (depending on who they are of course).

I think Harry will sacrifice his life if he has done everything he feels he needs to do - a kind of self-fulfilment. If he hasn't or it doesn't look like he has as we read the book then I reckon it would be something else and wizarding powers would be a good guess I reckon but then what was the point of all that career advice they were giving out at the Hogwarts? I can't believe JKR would write about stuff that is not relevant for the end.

I am completely torn!

[b.scheller]

I don't think, anyone plans to die any time soon. Thus, people make goals, and try to attain them. Unfortunetly sometimes things happen, that no one could have predicted and those goals are not achieved.

It would be silly to think, that anyone who goes away before their time, would not set goals, because they had foreshadowed it. Harry Potter's death, would bring closure to the series. It would prohibit, J.K.R from writing more Harry Potter books, or any other fan's, from writing fanfiction.

[Snow_Crystal]

I think Harry will be very much in control of his own destiny in the final instalment. None of the DE's can touch him as he's been earmarked by LV. I think LV is waiting for Harry to come to him now to take revenge for the death of DD - maybe that's why he wanted DD dead as he knew that DD was the last wizard that Harry was loyal to and had a truly firm bond with (remember he's taken them all out now).

I think Harry will go looking for LV this time not the other way around. Interestingly Lucius tells Bellatrix in OOTP that Harry's weakness are his heroics and that LV understands this.

I reckon Harry will choose his destiny and will therefore make the choice to face LV and when to finally put an end to it all and to take revenge. he will only do this after he's destroyed the horcruxes to improve his odds. LV's over-confidence always lets him down and I don't think he will have foreseen that DD would find about his horcruxes and that Harry would be told.

There's a clue in the new GOF Trailer I reckon, "There comes a time when you will have to choose between what is right and what is easy"

We know that Harry will always choose "right" and if that means a sacrifice of some sort he will not hesitate to do it.

I don't want Harry to sacrifice himself or his wizarding powers, but I really don't want to see a corny ending. I hope JKR will write the last few chapters sympathetically and will not make it too much of a hollywood, romantic, overly-glam, feel-good about everyone or moralistic end!

[sirius_lives_forever]

these are thing that i think likely for him to give up:

-being an auror
-ginny(she could die while they are going out)
-his best friends
-going back to hogwarts for his 7th year(very likely)


and there are others too but i dont feel like listing them all

[Tanuki]

I have this image in my head of Harry sitting in a room, just staring at his hands. Then he gets up, pulls on a robe and walks out, to fight all the dark wizards of the world, outside of the favor of the ministry of magic, and officially out of wizarding society, he and his personal army work to prevent anyone like Voldermort from ever rising again

[dibble2]

I don't think that Harry surviving would make it a cliche ending. I mean, ever since I started reading stuff fans write about the series people have been saying he's going to die. The hero dying would be just as cliche as him surviving. And another thing I don't get is how Harry surviving means no closure to the series. We already know there's an epologue, we can pretty much assume Voldemort goes down. What more do you need?

Harry's sacrifice. Well, so far he's lost his parents, his godfather and his mentor. Maybe he's made the better part of his sacrifices already.

[gadfly22]

Harry's sacrifice. Well, so far he's lost his parents, his godfather and his mentor. Maybe he's made the better part of his sacrifices already.

Don't confuse loss with sacrifice: Harry had no control over the loss of his parents, Sirius or Dumbledore. What makes the hero heroic is to choose to lose something precious to him of his own free will -- and with the chance to avoid that loss.

That's especially true in these books, because we learned that Harry's protection derives from his mother's death, which she had the chance to avoid but chose not to.

[b.scheller]

Heroes are those who have died, those who survive are the lucky.

[dibble2]

Don't confuse loss with sacrifice: Harry had no control over the loss of his parents, Sirius or Dumbledore. What makes the hero heroic is to choose to lose something precious to him of his own free will -- and with the chance to avoid that loss.

Ah yes. Good point. It isn't exactly a sacrifice, but he does seem to have a heroicly tragic life.

[Broccoli]

I think Harry might realize at the end that he is the last horcux and so he will be ready to sacrifice his life, but he won't die, only (some) of his powers may be gone. Frankly speaking, it is hard for me to imagine that Harry was actually born a squib, so I hope only his parseltongue abilities and other things he received from LV will be gone.

[carsten]

...I hate those clichéd Hollywood endings where more people live than could logically have survived ...

Yeah, to some extend, but what is a stereotype ending? If the hero dies? If he survives? You cannot tell. I think, JKR will go for a unique, high-quality story. The simple fact of Harry's survival doesn't make it a stereotype. He may have further losses, have to sacrifice people, things and qualities dear to him, maybe risking his own life (he did that before). This is a character change type of story. So what is sure: he will be a very different person in the end.

And why not sailing away in the sunset? *romantic sigh*

[dibble2]

He's already sacrificed his love life to protect Ginny. This of course fits with the prophecy, "Neither can live while the other survives." Harry has to put his life on hold and sacrifice his romance. Voldemort is consumed with Harry and the prophecy that he didn't hear. They are both only living with respect to each other; in each other's shadow, so to speak, but they can't live normally. So that probably means more bad stuff for Harry to come.