When Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling made a rare appearance on British TV last week, she delivered news as chilling as a Dementor's kiss: In book 7, which she's now writing, at least two main characters will die. ''A price has to be paid. We are dealing with pure evil here,'' she said. While her American editor, Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine, tells EW that ''you never know what J.K. Rowling actually means until the manuscript comes in,'' we couldn't resist putting our Muggle brains to the test. Herewith, death odds for Hogwarts denizens:
WEASLEY KIDS
Offing Harry's best mate Ron would be dramatic. But more likely to meet
her maker is his sister Ginny, whom Voldemort tried to murder in book 2.
RON ODDS: 20-1; GINNY ODDS: 6-1
HAGRID
The gentle half-giant is Harry's last adult ally. Sadly, this spells
doom.
ODDS: 3-2
HERMIONE
Rowling has said she sees herself in the brainy gal. Killing the
strongest young female would send a wicked message, indeed.
ODDS: 50-1
SNAPE
Harry is convinced he's on Voldy's side, but Dumbledore defended him
until the end. Expect the prickly professor to die a martyr fighting the
Dark Lord.
ODDS: 2-1
HARRY
Voldy won't quit until The Boy Who Lived is no more, so their ultimate
face-off will be apocalyptic. But ending the series with the death of
the hero? Beyond shocking.
ODDS: 9-2
VOLDEMORT
Goodbye, Mr. Big Bad.
ODDS: Even
