July 18, 2007
Harry Must Live
I haven't seen, nor heard the content of, the last Harry Potter novel, which is about to be published. But before the whole world hears what happens, I want to go on the record on the subject of whether Harry will die in this final installment of the series.
I believe that Harry must live. I think it would be exceedingly cruel to all the kids who have come to love this character. And I think it could damage the new-found love of reading which the series has created.
On the business front, I think it would be foolish to kill Harry, especially at this stage of the business plan. There are still many movies to be made, possibly more related books, and endless branded merchandise. The Harry Potter Industry is set to keep chugging for years to come.
Unless the customers lose the magic.
And killing the beloved Harry would be just the way to cause the fans to turn their backs on the Harry world. It would be foolish to kill Harry.
There is of course a middle ground, where Harry doesn't really die, but ascends to some higher plane. Sort of a Obi Wan Kenobi thing. But that's nearly as risky as having him die. Tricky to do right.
The best thing is to have his finish off Voldemort, get the girl, and have the others come to a happy ending.
And setup for the ultimate sequel series.