We all know that JK lost her mum when she was 26...around the time she wrote HP.A friend of mine tells me that it is only because of this reason that JK includes death in all books.
Quirell died in the first..we had lost all memories of Riddle in the second.In a way..the memories died.IN the third..every one remains safe.IN the fourth lots of unnocent blood is spilled.Sirius dies in the fifth and then we lose Dumbledore in the sixth...

Chels.

jk actually started writing hp before her mum died and i think i remember reading somewhere that she includes a lot of death in each book because death is a part of life and although it is fiction she wants to keep the books real in a way that everyone has to die ( even voldemort).

Hey!
Dunno...this feels odd!I know Rowling started writing before her mum died..but then rumors say that she made changes in the ending.Dunno......

Chels.

JK has been killing off more and more important characters, Cedric followed by Sirius followed by Dumbledore. She started off with evil characters so we didn't care too much. It might just be JK adding drama. Though your theory is good.

Hiya!
Thanx Spider!
True that she killed evil first..but ten Death's death!Evil or good..she's been killing off peolple!
Maybe so that readers know how it is to loose someone???

Chels.

I know, I feel so bad for J.K Rowling. At least it makes the books interesting though

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I think every death contirbutes to the story:

1) James and Lily - Harry's fame comes into being
2) Cedric - shows that Voldemort is back, also gets Harry Cho, then Harry realizes Ginny is really the one for him (one thing leads to the other, see)
3) Sirius - Harry's father-figure is gone, which makes Harry upset, but also makes him grow up a little (notice how much Harry changes from book 5 to book 6)
4) Dumbledore - Harry is on his own now. He is old enough to find the horcruxes and kill Voldemort once and for all. He grows up even more.

See? One thing leads to another. And the stroy just wouldn't be the same without the deaths

priori_incantatem, I totally agree with what you said. It makes a lot of sense.I feel bad that JKR lost her mom when she startd the books. I have to admit that I didn't know.

I have to say this though because it is so true:
What doesn't kill, makes you stronger.

I think this is the answer. Death happens. People do die. So why on earth should you keep this out of a book? Even if it's a children's book. Even in fiction you can't keep the most essential principles of life out of reach.

HIya!!
priori_incantatatem,you've got a point those deaths are ESSENTIAL but we are diverting from the topic!
But...you guys are bringing out inner meanings of HP deaths...and I guess that's not bad either!!

Misto,
True that death Happens,but this is HP,and you're forgetting it's JK who's written it!She's a lady who'll go into the depth of a matter and support every simple happening with a deeeeep reason!

Chels.

It's my opinion that the "problem" of death is the point of the entire HP series. JKR has recently stated in an interview that she can understand why Voldemort is so desperate in his quest for immortality, implying that perhaps even the purported master villain of the series is not without this very human fear.

I will even go so far as to say that I suspect the author has been quite deliberately building reader frustration through her exceptionally realistic portrayal of death as irreversible in this fantasy series, all for the sake of arriving at a very unexpected climax, in which perhaps there will be One -- and only One -- exception to this iron-clad rule. And this stunning event will provide the solution to this universal problem and fear.

i think death is an important part of the books, it builds the plot. the main thing that makes harry diside that he has to kill voldermort is because i looks back on the death of his parents, cedric and sirius. and now dumbledore, harry knows that voldermort did this to him and that he has to stop him doing it to more people that he cares about...there is nothing sinister in JK actions just plot building

I think that Jk has decided to have these deaths because they are meant to happen and not because she has lost someone.I don't think she would be the type to do that, but you never know.

I also think that the climax is when someone dies and it happens for a reason maybe to se the evil side of someone or as it was time for that character to die.I also think that they have died because she wants harry to grow up and to show us that he can be on his own and no matter the many losses in his life , he has to defeat voldemort.

There is alot of death in the series, but it isn't gratuitous or because of some morbid fascination with death. All the deaths have had some significance to the story.
Book 1.
Starts with the death of Harry's parents, but this is the driving force behind the stories
Quirrell had to die when Voldemort left him so that readers would realise exactly how ruthless Voldemort is - he doesn't even care about his supporters.
Book 2
The diary obviously had to be destroyed
Book 4
Cedric's death marks the return of Voldemort, in effect stating that the war is on, and that Voldemort has made the first move
Book 5
Sirius dies trying to save Harry, showing, once again, how much is being lost to evil. This death also, with Dumbledore's death in book 6, shows us that Harry has to fight his own battles and that he can't rely on his mentors forever

death is a part of life and jk has tried to make these storys as true to life as possable (excluding the fact that its about wizards:P )
i think that Kymar put it just the way i would have...all the deaths in the books contribute to the overall story/plot these deaths need to happen to build up to the final book and keep the story going, not because jk has a fixation on death.

I have a hunch that JKR may be building her series quite deliberately to a stunning conclusion specifically related to this major theme of death. Consider how frustrated many readers have become, even clinging to hope that somehow favorite characters aren't really dead, as these characters continue to fall by the wayside, with more deaths to come per the author. Note also that JKR has recently talked in an interview about how all human fear is essentially of death, tying it to her own fear, which she also gave Molly Weasley, of harm coming to her family. (And perhaps, if one rereads that scene, there is a whisper of hope provided as well through the possible symbolism behind the momentary resolution of Mrs. Weasley's dilemma.) Could it be that not death itself, but revealing the answer to our fear of it, really is the main point of the series?

I find it interesting that the thestrals were created right at the beginning: it divides the children into those who have seen death, and those who haven't. This is a "division" that is very real - seeing death does change who you are. But JK has moved from killing bad guys to killing good guys, and to be honest, I don't like the trend! One regularly sees references to the possibility that Harry will get slaughtered at some point: If Harry does die, I'd imagine JK runs the risk of having ten-year-olds throwing themselves off buildings - I know I'd go into a serious decline, and I'm old enough to be Harry's mum. Also, how is goodness and love to triumph over malice and evil if Harry dies, aged 17? After book 7, I for one want to be able to visualise Harry ambling off happily to become a professional Quidditch player or something - something SAFE! Poor guy will have paid his dues.

The thestrals are fascinating. It is interesting that they divide students as efficiently as they do. It creates a stark contrast in a person, for it does change a person.

I agree that death is a major theme of the series. If one were to write about war, there must be casualties on both sides. Beloveds are lost daily for no reason other than timing. We cannot choose when we live, but we must make the best of the time given us (wow, that sounds incredibly like Gandalf).

Anyhow, I think I am trying to say that JK is writing a story of triumph and redemption. You must have death included, because death is natural (as many pointed out, including JK).

Sorry for rambling.

this is pretty interesting,but i think the reason j.k.r is killing characters of in the books is because death plays such a large part in sum1s life nd to add to the saddness of the story she had to include deaths,thoughs that were close to harry to make it seem more real

Death, its a part of life, it happens.. It needs to happen or we would all live to were what? 2000 years old? It needs to happen, It has to build up the mystery I think atleast.

I think she writes about death a lot to demonstrate just how unstable and unpredictable the wizarding world is with Voldemort alive and creating havoc. What's happening now is quite mild compared to what happened before Harry almost destroyed Voldemort. She's also showing that nobody is safe as far as death and Voldemort are concerned. In a way, I think death is sort of necessary for Harry to accept the full meaning of the prophecy and to understand that there may be more deaths along the way.

Well Jo might be adding death in her books because of some sort of misreable incident.She might have someone die,break a limb, in a car crash and so on. Although it mught just be because she is buildind dramatic suspension to book seven. Any way it is still a good read even though of the deaths.

It might be a possibility that J.K has lost someone... But the again death is like a lot of people say a part of life it just happens..

Plus she is trying to show that thesse are dark times and Voldermort doesn't take no prisoners...

it is possible that JK is include more dying in the books as she lost some one but it is more liekly that is not the case.

and as above it is more likely that she is showing the extent of the situation and that voldemort is not a nice guy and the world isn't always a nice place. casue as peopel have said death is a part of life it happens to everyone. and for some people death is a very scary prospect to go through.

It was her mom... her mom died when she was 45 and JK was really young... Thats why she keeps killing all the parent figures for Harry.
I have been reading JK's biography... The Wizard Behing Harry Potter... and I found this...

Well the consensus so far is that JK killed off important characters because 'death is a part of life'. Someone also stated that 'she did that so readers know how it feels to lose someone'. Well, I have to agree with you. Most good authors write what they know or understand. They research every aspect of the book. And JK's understanding of death comes from experience. It is obvious that she wanted her readers to know the feelings that comes from losing someone you love.

As for JK, I doubt that she killed off anyone because she lost her mum. It is simply part of the story. If noone died and everyone was there helping Harry, how boring would the books be? We felt bad when Cedric died. We felt really bad for Harry that his parents died. We cried when Sirius died and Harry felt alone. We cried lots and lots (well I did) when Dumbledore was killed. It makes for an interesting story. If it was part of normal like, I would feel really sorry for Harry. He has lost tonns of people in his life.Most people only lose one or two people.

mrs hagrid

I think shes trying to make harry stronger,by having to deal with each death.but notice she doesnt do them all together.she like allows him to get ready after each one before handing him the next.just my views feel free to contradict me...

I agree with Hedwig_321. Going through times of sorrow and sadness will usually make one stronger, and this is no different for Harry. She (JKR) spreads the deaths apart just enough so when Harry is almost recovered from the last one, someone else dies, and I think this is to make Harry hate Voldemort more and more. Even though he didn't personally kill Sirius or Dumbledore, it is essentially Voldemort's fault that they are dead.