J.K. Rowling Continues Breaking Hearts, Makes Her Annual Character Death Apology
It’s become a sad, terrible tradition. Each year, on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, J.K Rowling apologizes for killing one of her Harry Potter characters. This year it’s…
Remus Lupin.
In 2014 the author apologized for a surprising death in her book series – Florean Fortescue. “I originally planned Florean to be the conduit for clues that I needed to give Harry during his quest for the Hallows,” she wrote. “The problem was that when I came to write the key parts of Deathly Hallows I decided that Phineas Nigellus Black was a much more satisfactory means of conveying clues.”
Ok sure, it all made sense and frankly, I don’t think anyone shed tears over Fortescu. Then in 2015 she kicked us in the gut all over again by apologizing for Fred Weasley. She didn’t give much else except to tell a fan, “I thought I might apologise for one death per anniversary. Fred was the worst for me, so I started with him.”
Well, here with are in 2016. Rowling tweeted:
Once again, it’s the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts so, as promised, I shall apologise for a death. This year: Remus Lupin. In the interests of total honesty I’d also like to confess that I didn’t decide to kill Lupin until I wrote Order if the Phoenix. Arthur lived, so Lupin had to die. I’m sorry. I didn’t enjoy doing it. The only time my editor ever saw me cry was over the fate of Teddy.
Of course for many fans it wasn’t that Rowling killed off just Lupin but the one-two-punch of Lupin and Tonks going out together that had so many upset. I mean, good god, I wouldn’t have wanted Author Weasley to die either and I know authors are meant to kill their darlings but oof, this was certainly the toughest for me I think. Which HP series death hit you the hardest?
Dobby. Still to this day I am gutted by Dobby.
I always suspected that Lupin was going to die. He was always a character I was worried about. However I felt very underwhelmed by how they did his and Tonks death. It was done in such an unclear way that I actually had to reread to figure out that they were dead.
ahh this takes me back to the remus/sirius shipping days… all the sad fics and LJ posts where readers worked thru sirius’ death… then remus hooking up with tonks… the confusion and eventual acceptance… then remus and tonks dying… such emotionally turbulent times. LOVED IT
lupin and tonks were the worst for me. the relationship he had with harry in the third book really struck a cord . i loved tonks’ lust for life and she was a hufflepuff the house i most identify with. seeing them in the last move made me misty eyed