no doubt. If she wasn't surrounded by Yes- people, somebody would say books are not like coffee, not sold by weight. If she hadn't hyped the seven volumes she could break it up...not that I'm saying there's nothing to be an "out-take" though

I have reasons. I'm not sure what they are, but I have them. Boy should die. It should be very sad and heroic and poignant and whatnot.

Bu then, I liked The Gift MUCH more than Chosen. If it weren't for the fact that I actually like a good bit of season 6 so very much (OMWF! Tabula Rasa! Giles!Return OMG! Even the yellow crayon!) I'd wish that had been the end of the series.

Angel's ending, on the other hand, I found to be perfect. I'm a big fan of heroic last stands.

Back to HP, though. In agreement, if Ginny dies, I will cry until I cannot cry anymore. She's my favorite, for reasons I don't really understand. Probably because of fanon more than canon, though I quite like her in canon.

I have reasons. I'm not sure what they are, but I have them. Boy should die. It should be very sad and heroic and poignant and whatnot.

I don't have nearly as much HP canon under my belt as you, David, but I think you're...not so right. It's important that he lived as a baby. And it's important that he was marked. And it's important that he has always allowed himself to name He Who Shall Not Be Named. And it's important that the sorting hat basically let him choose. And it's important that he was so mistreated by his Muggle relatives, locked under the stairway, and that they tried to hide his heritage from him.

Harry can't die. He needs to ascend. He needs to become (but in a Buffy way, not an Angelus way).

It's not some post-modern Ecclesiastes, with everything meaningless. It's kid-lit fantasy. The only way I'd accept his death, I think, is if it were a triumph that gave him more (so really moving onto a new dimension sort of thing) power, or reality or what have you. If he dies, it can't be the end of his story, or the whole rest of the story was wrong. I'd only accept it if it were somehow like Gandalf's death.

So, and in conclusion? Poopy on you.

Suddenly wanting to watch Princess Bride.

Yeah...you've really got to get a grip on this necro thing. Harry is a survivor...he has to ultimately live. Knowing that, though, he already got his one-in-a-million save. I would hate it if they had him go into some deadly situation without getting a scratch because he is The Hero.

Harry can't die. He needs to ascend. He needs to become (but in a Buffy way, not an Angelus way).

I have to agree with this. Back when I was contemplating How Buffy Would End (between S6 and S7, I believe), I had a great scenario in my head of total death and destruction, and the only survivor would be Jonathan. A great image, but not true to the show as a whole.

So, now when I wonder how JKR will end Book VII, I like to think of some death and destruction (and casualties on both sides), but a chance for the hero to finally live his life as he's always wanted to. I was just rewatching my Goblet of Fire DVD over the weekend, and there's a real telling statement of Harry's when he tells Ron that "I don't want eternal glory; I just want..." and he can't finish the line because he's not sure how to articulate it, but I think he'll know it when he has it.

But I'll be able to tone my upper body with this next one. I've used Infinite Jest before.

I did a bit of physical therapy with Foucault's Pendulum last night.

It's not some post-modern Ecclesiastes, with everything meaningless.

What does him dying have to do with everything being meaningless? If Harry's just been fighting for himself this whole time (pauses to consider the books to date), then it's all so much smaller.

You can extract great meaning from dying for a cause, especially if it's done knowingly.

I have to agree with this. Back when I was contemplating How Buffy Would End (between S6 and S7, I believe), I had a great scenario in my head of total death and destruction, and the only survivor would be Jonathan. A great image, but not true to the show as a whole.

I know what you mean. I used to delight myself imagining a series finale ending with Spike and Dru dancing on Buffy's grave (I'll dance with you, pet—on the slayer's grave), but had that come to pass, it would have actually invalidated the whole series for me.

What does him dying have to do with everything being meaningless? If Harry's just been fighting for himself this whole time (pauses to consider the books to date), then it's all so much smaller.

You can extract great meaning from dying for a cause, especially if it's done knowingly.

Of course you can. I just don't think that's true to (what I have read of) this story. So much of this is an coming of age story (to me), anyhow. I don't know if that helps convey what's behind my opinion, or not. I don't have any other way to explain it further, except that it would, to me, be wrong.