What Must Harry Sacrifice?

[gadfly22]

The Guardian had a good article the other day that included this point:

"Rowling's comic touch tends to run against such heavyhanded soothsaying, but by the end of her last volume, Dumbledore had replayed the words of the prophecy for a reluctant Harry: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."

This sense of order expressed by such prophecies gives a religious tone to these fantasies. As William James said, "Were one to characterise the life of religion in the broadest and most general terms possible, one might say that it consists of the belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto." And this leads to a very particular view of heroism. In order to fulfil their destiny and re-assert the order of the universe, Frodo must give up the ring, while Pullman's Will and Lyra must give up their love. And we are gradually learning that Harry Potter's heroism is going in the same direction. "Your mother died to save you," Dumbledore tells him. "To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection for ever."

With the repetition of this idea that true heroism is about pity and love, it is becoming clearer as we reach this, the penultimate instalment, that the books will only end with some supreme sacrifice from Harry. Will he have to break his wand? Return to the Muggle world? Or is there some other sacrifice being prepared that we cannot yet imagine?"

So. Will Harry have to make some great sacrifice? And if so, what will it be?

I think the answer to the first question is "yes". After 7 volumes, I just don't think JKR is going to go with a "And they lived happily ever after" ending.

What if Voldemort's death means Harry loses his wizard powers, as the article suggests? What else could he lose to make a worthy sacrifice?

[carsten]

Well...good point...probably a good newspaper? Anyway: There are a few things, Harry might have to sacrifice. And most probably things very dear to him:

• His life (unlikely in a children's book, much too sad)
• His friends (don't hope so, the death toll is very high by now)
• His girl-friend (oh no!)
• Wizardry (another sad ending)
• Being one of the good guys (by using dark magic)

I hope it won't turn out too bad. The HBP book was a very dark one already. I would like a very Hollywood-like happy ending in book 7!

[Froggs]

Oh, his life, to be sure. I don't see HP living after the books end, one of the main characteristics of a hero, isn't it? Give your life so that others may live. And JKR has made that decision pretty easy for HP, since she has killed off everyone who is important to him. And if the Ginny/Harry break up holds, than he is even more unattatched to life/living. Of course he still has his friends, but like Sirius said in PoA, friends are worth dying for (paraphrased greatly but you know what I mean)...Yup, IMO there is no way that HP is going to live.

[b.scheller]

Life doesn't always have a happy ending. In fact, in such cases, for him to go back to normal, would be too perfect. I think, the quest to destroy Voldemort, will destroy him. Much like Frodo's quest to destroy the ring, damaged him beyond repair.

[Froggs]

Plus, would it be possible to be just living a "normal" life after all that HP has gone through? He has been "special" since he was 11 years old, very formative years followed, what would he do once LV was dead? And if he does live, he will be the Teen Who Saved The Wizarding World, can you imagine? I go with the Frodo analogy, he won't be able to just settle to a life of a regular wizard, he has had to much trauma and loss.

[Dacre]

The Gruniad is not a good paper in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I do agree there will be a sacrifice, and I suspect it'll be his life. Can't see it going any onther way really, interms of finishing the series, and bringing closure.

[Mistress Siana]

I've always had the feeling Harry would die at the end. The again, JKR might think of something unexpected for Harry to sacrifice. His girlfriend? To cheap, I think. His wizardry? That's something I absolutely can't believe. Can you imagine? Harry, without proper muggle education, no chance to get a job, unemployed and living of wellfare, possibly alcoholic? Nonononono! My bet is on early death...even though it's a children's book. It isn't much like your typical children's book to have DD drink that horrible potion for nothing, or make Sirius's death so unnecessary.

[darkcloak]

Perhaps Harry was actually born a squib and it was only when Voldemort tried to murder him (transfering some of his abilities and marking him as his equal) that he gained his magical powers.

Therefore once Voldemort is defeated, Harry's powers may go with him

.....and all Harry was left with was the scar.

[Tanuki]

Well...good point...probably a good newspaper? Anyway: There are a few things, Harry might have to sacrifice. And most probably things very dear to him:

• His life (unlikely in a children's book, much too sad)
• His friends (don't hope so, the death toll is very high by now)
• His girl-friend (oh no!)
• Wizardry (another sad ending)
• Being one of the good guys (by using dark magic)

I hope it won't turn out too bad. The HBP book was a very dark one already. I would like a very Hollywood-like happy ending in book 7!

Why do people assume it'll still be a kids book by the seventh book. Is it a kids book now?

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

I thought the same.
When I was reading HBP it definitely occurred to me that these characters were now too advanced and the plot was slowly moving out of the range of "kid's books".
I think this has been the only book so far that I could say about it though. I'd be interested to see if the young children reading it actually enjoy it. There were a lot last time that didn't, but of course that could just be because it was as good a book...

[carsten]

Folks!

Is this the pessimist's thread? You make me doubt, whether I should buy and read book 7! (well...of course I will)

No way for a happy ending? It IS a children's book. It would be tempting for JKR to end the series in such a definite way, but will she make it that sad for the readers? Please, don't!

How about a romantic ending? Harry could live in a nice warm place far away with his girl-friend ever after!

[Scarlet Lioness]

It definately moving away from a kids book as Harry and co get older...the plot gets darker than the rest, Relationships and all other things involved in a teenagers life...

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Personally I think it will be a happy ending and Harry will survive, and it may still be regarded as a children's book, but if there's more adults reading it and liking it than children...

[thestral]

harry's gonna die. there's no other way round it. he'll sacrifice himself to save everyone else. it'll be sad but i think seeing frodo return to hobbiton and always being bothered by his injury from the wraith and his decline. he had nowhere to go from there. how do you follow up saving the world, travelling, meeting kings and fighting huge battles? you can't and i think the aging hero is much more tragic, like tennyson's ulysses poem. i don't want to see harry go that way. altough if he had ginny maybe he would be happy ever after, oh i don't know. he's gonna die.

[Mistress Siana]

Carsten, the problem is that JKR never ever bothered about what we want her to write. If she's planned to have Harry die in that train to King's Cross 15 years ago, Harry will be dead by the end of the series. And before HBP you could argue that the books are written from Harry's point of view and that she couldn't suddenly change that, but the first two chapters of the new book proove that wrong.

Anyway, why pessimism? I hate those clichéd Hollywood endings where more people live than could logically have survived cough*waroftheworlds*cough, and I certainly wouldn't want a cheap ending for a great series only because some 8-year-old kiddies wouldn't like it. I've always trusted JKR to write her ending as good and non-stereotyped as she writes her deaths, but seeing how Harry and Ginny got together, I'm not so sure anymore.