No really, I’m going to post some sane ideas. No spoiler box, because I’m not really spoiling anything.
For Dramatic Tension, one of the people killed will be someone important and ‘near and dear’, like Mr. or perhaps Mrs. Weasley. This invests the reader more fully in the idea of killing Voldemort.
Ron and/or Hermoine will be put in serious danger, perhaps held captive, for a length of time, furthering the Dramatic Tension.
Harry will not be Dirty Harry, plowing through his enemies. The heroics will be spread around through the entire ensemble, allowing many characters to shine.
But Voldemort is all Harry’s.
Despite saying NOW that she wants to end the saga and let Harry go, I predict that it may only be a 5-8 year respite before she returns to the well. Especially so with the Harry Potter theme park deal. Along the way, there are many side-stories that can be told in the HPU, which would be more than enough to provide her with a Stephen King level of prolific writing if she so chose. I would be singularly surprised if she DID NOT write any of these side stories and if Harry DID NOT show up in at least one of them.
:: Moderator hat on ::: There’s really no need for spoiler boxes around what is pure speculation. Spoiler boxes are for spoilers, revelation of REAL endings and twists, not for imaginatary ones.
::: Regular poster hat on ::: I’m with brazil84. Killing off Harry would be a betrayal and reversal of everything the books have been about. The orphan child, raised by (usually wicked step-parents) finds out that he’s the true prince/heir/wizard, and then dies in destroying the villain? No way. Rowling has used classic fairy tale and myth and storytelling, including all the “surprise” revelations*. Killing off Harry would overturn everything she’s written to date. He may be injured (even severely) in the final battle, he may lose a dear friend, but Harry himself has to come through as the heir – prince to king, wizard to replace Dumbledore, whatever. This is classic, and if she ignores or destroys it, I will be out there (a) NOT buying book seven, and (b) giving away free all the other books to any one stupid enough to still want them.
“I already have an advance copy of Harry Potter. Spoiler alert: Hermione’s a dude, Voldemort is the ghost of Harry’s father- whose real name was “Rosebud”- and on the very last page, Harry wakes up in bed with Suzanne Pleshette.”- Dr. Stephen Colbert
Bob Newhart’s wife in his show from the 70’s. They ended the last episode of his more recent show, with the implication that the entire series about the Vermont innkeeper had been the dream of a Chicago psychiatrist.
In other news, was I just whooshed? In case I wasn’t, the chick from Dallas was Victoria Principal.