I think she's referring to the sheer volume of deaths. And to the fact that some people would hate it if Harry died, some would hate if he lived. Some hate Harry and Ginny and others hate Hermione and Ron. think of all our debates and think of all the varying ships and rumors an theories we have. Some people are bound to hate it only because it didn't go as they wanted it to and what with it being the last book, I think I already hate it, even though I'm sure I'll love it.

I think I will absolutely love the book no matter who dies. It has actually been a firm belief of mine that Harry will most likely die in this book, so although I will be extremely sad if he does, I won't "loathe" it. I think the only people who would hate it are people who hate sad endings, and only like the happily ever after kind. And it's people like that who shouldn't be reading Harry Potter anyways. They should know by now that Jo's endings are not fairytale ones (books 4, 5, AND 6 people!). This quote has actually made me respect Jo quite a bit more. I think it's great that she wrote this book not really caring what people think of it, as long as it's what she wants it to be. It's great that she doesn't bend to what others want, and is firm in her beliefs/decisions. And now I feel like I have written way too much. Looking forward to the book!!! =)

On one hand, it will kind of stink if Harry is to die in Deathly Hallows... but on the other hand... If Jo is happy with the ending, then I think most of the fans will be too.

it doesn't necessarily have to be harry, there are many other characters that are loved, she might be refering to them. i don't want harry to die, but at this point, I JUST WANT TO READ THE BOOK! I might not like certain parts, but I'm sure Jo did a great job!

I don't think that Jo means that we'll hate the book because it was poorly written, or that the plot wasn't good, I'm sure that it has to do with who dies and how it ends, like Ciaran said. I really, reelly hope that Harry doesn't die, I mean come on, that would be such a terrible llife to have lived. Spend 10 years with evil muggles, then spend 7 years fighting off the biggest evil in the world, then die...yeah, I hope not. But anyway, I doubt that I'll loathe it, probably be really really sad, but not loathe it.

This is interesting...Oh well, I know whatever happens I will LOVE the book anyway. Also, I agree with performingmonkey that not EVERY theory can be answered, that must be why JKR said that some people would hate it...?

Even if Harry dies, I'm sure I'll still love the book anyway. I'll just prepare myself and buy boxes of kleenex incase he does die. (They'll probably come in handy no matter which loved characters die)

off topic but -MUGGLENET MODS- THERE'S A PERSON POSTING DH SPOILERS ON THE ARCHIVE UNDER THIS ONE!

Whatever way Jo chooses to end it, i'm sure will be great.....actually it will be AMAZING. Even when favorite characters of Harry Potter fans die, it won't change the whole book for us, but just make us sad. The book will still be amazing!

JK Rowling is always trying to throw us off her scent... this could mean everything or nothing! I think she is just stealing herself for hatemail that might come if she kills off certain characters, but that doesn't necessarily include Harry, Ron, or Hermione.

Even if Harry dies I won't loathe the book. Whatever the outcome is I know I will love it (And cry a lot too)! Thanks Jo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! only 7 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

Great story! I personally don't think Harry will die, but I'm not adamant about it--anything could happen. For me, I would be very very sad if certain characters died, and I'm probably going to cry no matter what happens, but I (and I'm sure loads of others feel the same way) would never, never, NEVER "loathe" the book. It's Harry Potter, for crying out loud! I think it's good news that JKR says some people will loathe it and some will love it, though, because that means it's probably really suspenseful and dramatic, which in my opinion is fantastic. No matter what JKR does with Deathly Hallows, I trust her--she's a great writer, and it follows that the seventh book will be just as it should. By the way- People, please stop posting comments that just say "yay! 1st?" or something along those lines...It's pretty much spamming the comments, and nobody reading the comments wants to scroll down through a whole lot of nothing. Thanks!

I really can't stand the suspense anymore. Next Saturday can't come soon enough! And darn my local Wal-Mart for not being a 24-hour store!

Oh sweet Merlin... SIX MORE DAYS!!!! Yeah, it's always like that. Tons of people hated HBP because of the different style it took from OOTP. It'll be the same for DH. And I might not like certain endings, (who knows whats going to happen, after all) but I don't think I could ever loathe or hate DH. I'm going to cry, either way. Because it will be over. A chunk of my life is over, I have to close the pages to that book and find something new... but I will never ever forget HP. Ever.

Wow... that pretty much tells us that Harry dies :(((((((((

"For some people to love it, other people must loathe it". Are there a lot of people, who'd love it if Harry died? To me that seems so unlikely. In my opinion it will have to do with Snape's loyalties because that stirred up a lot of emotions. I mean even those people who think Harry will die (I am NOT one of them), usually say it with sadness. So, I cross my fingers.

WHAT!! I DONT WANT TO HATE IT

I don't care, I'll love it.

I really don't think any hardcore HP fans could loathe it. I'm sure some people will be upset with the outcome though. I just hope that if Harry dies Ron and Hermione will live, get married and have a child named Harry! Whew! Im so excited for this book! Only seven days! Go HP!

I really don't want Harry to die....Even if Voldemort dies too, what message will that send to people? that good can't triumph over evil... neither one will win? I think the only way Harry should die is in sort of a self-sacrificing way... like what his mother did for him.

Actually, I would be much more likely to hate the book if Molly Weasley died than if Harry died.

I'll say it again - Soprano's-style ending for Snape, totally ambiguous. She's going to leave him in the middle. She's not an all-good/all-bad type of writer and Snape epitomizes Sirius's comment that the world is not divided into good people and death eaters.

Rowling said before she became famous whether Harry, Ron and Hermione die or not. Emerson spartz tells the story at a leaky mug convention here: http://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=sid4fh7zpss&mode=re lated&search=

Theory - Maybe Harry doesnt die. Maybe he's a squibb and the only reason he can do magic is because of the scar that Voldemort gave him. Maybe once the scar is gone his powers will be too... A lot of people would loathe that outcome as well.

oh please don't kill Harry, please Jo please...I love Harry he's like my best friend...I will go into depression...please don't kill Harry...

Harry sacrifices himself so Snape can kill Voldemort. How pissed off would people be about that? ;)

Sorry, I posted the incorect address above. SPOILER: JK Rowling said BEFORE she became famous whether Harry, Ron and Hermione survive. Emerson Spartz told the story at a Leaky Mug convention here: http://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=sid4fh7zpss

that was really awful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooo sure that harry wasn't going to die.... now, my theories (and my moms) are crashing. book 7 is going to leave me really really sad 4 the rest or the summer =(

I am 100 convinced that Herimone is the big death at the end. The reason why JKR was so upset writting the ending was well... because she based Herimone off of herself when she was young. So it's almost like killing yourself in the books. Maybe she gives her life for Ron or maybe Ron dies with her. I can see the extream Herimone fans getting pissed at this. I am not one of them. If she does kill of Herimone this women got some **** to her.

I don't imagine how anyone could hate this book. Come on, it's Harry Potter!! Even if it makes us cry for days, how could we hate it? If Remus dies, it will destroy me. Really. But I don't think I could hate the book...

well harry dies because he is a..horcrux big spoiler...

Please PLEASE don't kill Harry! I will cry until I drown the world. KILL GINNY MUHAHAHA!!

I agree, Madison_Wales: I'm sure that whatever Jo writes, whether happy or not (though I'm hoping it will be!) it will be perfect... beause she wrote it! It's HP! I love everything in the series so far, and will be so sad when it ends. I hope Harry doesn't die though. I will be absolutely DEVASTATED if he does. But then again, I will be severly depressed at the end of the series, so I probably would react the same anyways! It's also quite sad to think that, if Harry lives, we won't see what happens to him *cue imaginative fan fiction*. I also agree with sticky - if Jo loves it, I am confident that I will too. I don't think that killing Harry will ensure the end of the regime: future authors could simply find a way of bringing him back and carrying on, or going back in time, or to write alternative endings or something. Jo is a fantastic author, and has a knack for writing good conclusions. I think that whatever she writes will definately mark the end of the HP era in all our minds - she is the one and only creator of Harry Potter, and no one but her could continue it. Book 7 will be brilliant - I'm confident about it! :-) I will be so sad when it's all over - none of my friends or family can quite comprehend the fact that special phone support lines have been set up to aid depressed fans (admittedly, I think that is going a bit far) but still, I think you have to be a HP fan to understand how hard the end of the series is going to hit us. Ah well, at least we can all come back to the comments boards to rant, argue and cry afterwards! Wow I've written a lot... sorry, I'll shut up now. lol.

I don't think that that comment means that lots of people (especially fans) will "loathe" the book because of deaths etc. I think its like she says, it's the nature of the beast for some people to like it and some to not. For example look how many people dislike Harry Potter in general.

that link still does work.

I can't believe there's only a WEEK LEFT. Anyway....even if I cry uncontrollably and take months to get over what happens in this book....I won't loathe it. I'll still love it, treasure it, adore it, but in a bittersweet way...

You know, I really don't think that Harry will die. It just seems so pointless to kill off the main character. Plus, the whole story, throughout all the books, has been told from his point of view, although not in first person. The top candidates for death are Neville and Lupin. I think Neville will die in a very heroic way, trying to avenge his parents. But as he has always oncsistently come up short, I think he will do so in this battle too and end up being killed. But he may take a few Deatheaters with him. Lupin is also another candidate because of his strong connection to Harry. Haven't we noticed a pattern here? The people that are most close to Harry have always died ( his parents, Sirius, Dumbledore) which could also mean that Ginny, Ron and Hermione are in exceptional danger as well. But these are just theories....Even if the deaths are not fair or just seem pointless, i will still love the book. C'mon, its Harry Potter. You can't help but love it, no matter what!

the theory that hermione dies is kind of good, sad though........ if poor harry dies, it WOULD be a horrid life to live 4 him !!!!!!!!!!

HEATHER_S_70056: dig deep my weary son...and you shall laugh like a drunken hyiena...

nah..........i wouldn't loath it 4 the world......i mean...it's harry potter we're talking about.......who can loath it...... we all have jo to thank 4 harry potter she made reading rock....4rom harry potter i became a faster reader... oh and by the way-Madison_Wales jo changed the last chapter...not years and years ago but....when he made the changes to book 7

I agree with Heather. Did you guys read Stephen King's editorial a few days ago? (The link was in the News section.) He also talks about how hard it is to satisfy every fan of a series. Plus, he thinks that Harry will not die, so that made me really happy :)

OK- the you tube video about Rowling telling whether Harry, Ron, and Hermione dies may be found with the following search terms: JKR story emerson. sorry about the broken links guys

K8y, heather_s_70056, you are both spot on. A lot of people want Harry to die, Dan R for example. People are imagining are noble-sacrificial death. ... But whatever the outcome, this is going to be sad. It's the end of an era. just be thankful we got to experience it first hand.

Well, we can't say she hasn't prepared us for the finale can we? We've all had this knowledge way before she finished the book so we should have had time to brace ourselves for an unpleasant ending to this tale. After all it is her tale to tell, and so she has every right to concluded it in her own way! We should remember it's not just our sorrow, it's hers as well! This has been her baby for 17+ years! I can only imagine what it's been like for her! I for one could never loathe Jo for whatever ending she has choosen for Harry and his world! I can only admire her more for having the courage to staying true to herself, and carry on writing a story that it worth reading and re-reading time and time again! It's not the ending that makes the story but the amazing journey it takes you on in getting there!

it is taking like allll my willpower to not watch that youtube video. I get the feeling in the end it will be me who spoils it for myself.

i just cant wait anymore...i need to read that book!

Man this is crazy. My sister thinks that Hermione will die because there is a character in this Shakespearian play that is named Hermione and she dies! I don't think that should be right. Emma says at a press conference: "Hopefully I and Ron will be able to have lots of beautiful babies". If she dies then that aint gonna happen! My sister also says that maybe everyone will die except for Fred Weasley.... I mean, go Fred! But what about George, and Ginny, (She's great), and Luna, and Neville, and the trio! I mean, I think that everyone of Voldemort's Victims will be back to their normal selves and live once again when Voldemort is killed by Harry. I think that that is a happy ending...... Don't kill them off JO!

XOHPLOVE: you are right my padded one....you only lose if you beat yourself senseless in the a@#

I think that the reason for Jo's prediction that some will 'loathe the book' is that it doesn't seem as though the book will follow the usual HP format: opening with the summer holidays, going to Hogwarts, major battle at the end, going home to prepare for another year. If the trio are not returning to Hogwarts, the book will be pretty different from what we've seen so far. Some fans love Hogwarts and all the lessons, Quidditch and an exciting, good-defeats-evil, climactic battle at the end - they consider that a HP book. If that is not in the book, some will not like it as much as the previous ones. That alone could inspire dislike among some fans. Throw in a few majorly upsetting deaths, ships that people don't aprove of and a different ending than some people envisioned, and you have some major hate mail... the rest (most probably myself included) will still love it for the fact that it is HP, but, as we all know so well from all the shipping and theory arguements over the years, everyone has their own opinion. I mean, most of us have now come to accept the deaths of Sirius and Dumbledore, but still love those books. It is for this reason that I think the 'loathing' prediction will be because of the book's overall atmosphere and different plotlines rather than individual deaths. I really have to stop talking now. Sorry for annoying everyone! :-)

trust i will definitely be happy...i mean c'mon! its harry potter here!