So yesterday they revealed the Harry Potter cover art on one of those morning shows where people sit around with coffee cups and are far too cheery for anything happening before elevenses.
As part of the Big Reveal, they spoke to Arthur A. Levine who is the editor or publisher or something like that–excuse me for not going to Google right now to get my facts straight. (I always thought he was the publisher but I guess now he’s the editor with his own imprint. Go him.)
Anyway, Arthur A. Levine broke down and cried on the show,** and not because he was up far too early for mere mortals. He apparently cried because Harry Potter And The Everybody Dies At The End was an emotional and heart-wrenching read. I’ve now got much email in my in-box from people who are absolutely certain without a doubt that Levine’s tears are for the dead Harry, Hermione and Ron. It’s as though we’re all fresh off a viewing of Reservoir Dogs and have to assume that every story ends in all the characters splayed dead in a warehouse.
I think people are rattled because they seldom see men weeping openly about fictional characters on early morning television.
Regardless, I’ve still got my money on Hagrid biting it this time out and I’m not too sad about that. He can take his intermittent Scottish brogue beyond the veil and hopefully carry his insanely retarded giant brother with him. But if we lose Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna or Ginny I’m going to plotz.
**Apparently rumours of Levine’s nationwide weeping were greatly exaggerated as he didn’t cry on the show but rather talked on the show about having cried. This makes me even happier I missed it, as I didn’t even have the novelty of seeing a grown non-preaching man cry on television.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
I think he just “sobbed” when he read it, not on the show.
Yeah, I absolutely don’t think the tears are for any or all of the Trio dying. I’m thinking a eucatastrophe, along the lines of Return of the King (a book that definitely makes me sob when I get to the end of it, even though I’ve read it before and know what’s going to happen).
Jim and I laugh every single time we see a man crying on TV. And because we watch a lot of reality TV, we see a LOT of men crying. We think it’s hilarious. Jim has promised me if he ever gets on TV he will NOT cry, no matter what.
“But if we lose Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna or Ginny I’m going to plotz.”
Oh, come off it. You’re going to plotz when the series is finished, no matter what. You know you are. I don’t share your HP obsession, but I’ve had other literary series after who end I walked around for weeks thinking “is that all there is? there isn’t going to be any more than that?” so I know what I’m talking about.
I’ll grieve, for sure. But plotz? Mabye.
I’m already a bit grieve-y just thinking about it.
Oh, right, you’ll plotz from shock because you think you’ve got it all sussed out already. (smacks self on head) Not from horror. Got it. I am soooo not understanding anything I read today.
Oh, right, you’ll plotz from shock because you think you’ve got it all sussed out already.
No. I’ll plotz if they die because it’s already enough of a death in a sense that the series is ending. Killing them is just like pouring salt in the wound.
I’m in the same eucatastrophe camp as Pam. I think the end will generally be bittersweet. And I say “think” in the sense of ‘maybe if I hope hard enough it will work out the way I hope, right, Universe?’ not in the sense that I know what JKR will do.
It does bug me though, all of the correspondants on my literary group who seem almost gleeful at the idea of Harry dying. Like they’ll get some thrill out of watching the rest of us be brokenhearted.
They’re a bunch of puppy-kickers, the lot of them.
I have tried to prepare my Kid for the possibility that Harry might die or join Sirius behind the Veil.