Letters to the Editor
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He Who Cannot Live
I don't see any choice - Harry must die.
My specific prediction is that he'll sacrifice himself to save his friends Ron and Hermione, in a duel to the death with Voldemort, who will also die.
But his death won't just be an act of loyalty to his devoted friends. Like Jesus, Harry will die to save the world - in this case, the wizarding world - and thus fulfill his destiny.
Like Jesus, Harry has had his own "take this cup from me" moments in which he's agonized over the role he's been given to play. He's wished he could be normal (well, wizard-normal) but his fate has been sealed from the moment he received the mark on his forehead. He's not the son of God, but the Son of Good, and he has to die in order for the excesses of dark magic to be wiped away and for all of wizard-kind to be redeemed.
Harry will live on, not on crucifixes in churches, but in a portrait at Hogwarts and in statues in wizarding locales. He'll be the greatest wizard that ever lived, and one that sets a moral example for young wizards and witches, who will be told at every opportunity to "Be like Harry!". Rather than being un-nameable (like You Know Who), his name will be on every tongue in the Magical World. After having always been known as The Boy Who Lived, he will become The Boy Who Died...to save the world.
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No, Harry won't die.
We adults need to step back and remember that, despite all of us, this is a chidren's book series. Sure, children's books have dealt with death before, but Harry Potter has become a very good friend to millions of kids (and all of us overgrown kids), and why would a nice lady like J.K. Rowling kill off a bunch of kids' good friend?
Methinks there will be plenty of angst and emotion, but in the end Harry lives, and in the epilogue he will be shown years from now to be the new Headmaster at Hogwarts.
More predictions: R.I.P. Snape. R.I.P. Draco. Congratulations to Hermione and Ron: we always knew you two would hook up.
And of course, Voldemort: toast, in a serious way.
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Harry will die...
..or rather "part of him will die". It's the whole loss of innocence and childhood theme thingy, you know, sacrifice and rebirth. He will rise a new Harry. There will have been heavy losses: Hagrid? Snape?
Whatever. I just want Nevil to kick some Death Eater Ass. That's something to look forward to.
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Why does no one suspect that...
Harry lives, but without the scar, and ends up as a muggle -- to wit, he sacrifices (burns out?) his powers as a wizard to somehow bring the final end to Voldemort.
Something tells me the proverbial last word being "scar" is/was to be preceded by "sans" (which disappears or heals shortly after his wizarding powers are sacrificed.)
This seems the most likely scenario, as it allows him to "live" but ends the series and his involvement in the wizarding world as a bookend to the way the novels started.
BTW, doubtful that the major characters (Ron, Hermy, Ginny, Hagrid) will die, but much more likely they are severely injured/crippled. Most likely deaths would be Gred & Forge, and probably Lupin/Tonks. Plus (of course) Snape & Wormtail kill each other in some convoluted DEM scenario.
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I don't think Harry will die.
It would just anger, disappoint and piss off to many fans and harm any series or books Rowling may write in the future. If the customers are going to continue to buy her products, they are going to have to trust her and you just don't do that by killing off nearly everyone's favorite character, even if it is to make him a martyr.
Also, I think Dumbledore is not dead. It is an oft used tool by fantasy writers to kill off the most powerful wizard/warlock to allow the protagonist to realize that he/she must stand on their own two feet and not count on the bigger stronger person to always take care of them, which I think is also supported by Dumbledore insisting on Harry's training with Snape and the Horcrux finds.
I suspect that Harry may be the final Horcrux, but that Voldemort doesn't know it. He's been trying to kill Harry every year and destroying the object that holds his soul is what destroys Voldemort. I also think that I could be totally off because Harry being a Horcrux was a suspicion immediately pounced upon by many Potter fans after the 6th book release and Rowling has been pretty good at making her plot twists surprises.
I also think Snape is on the side of good and used the Aveda Kadavra spell at Dumbledore's insistence and that it was all part of a plan that Harry couldn't be allowed to unwittingly interfere in.
As for who will die, Snape, protecting Harry. Harry's got to have some scars from his final battles and some reasonable guilt. I also think that Ron, Hermionie and Hagrid are up for death grabs too. Simply because if Draco, Percy, Ginny, or some of the other peripheral characters die it won't be enough of an emotional impact and Harry is going to need some sort of reason to confront Voldemort on his terms instead of being ambushed all the time. It has been well grounded in Harry's character that he has a hero/rescue complex so I don't see him going after V boy without a push out of pain. I also suspect that Draco when confronted with real evil will cower in fear and join the good side, cause it's less scary.
I just hope we get to find out what's behind that veil in the Department of Mysteries and while it'd be nice if Sirius came back, I just think it's not going to happen. Harry can't have too much of a happy ending if he survives, it would be too cute if Sirius lives and Harry goes off to live with him but that he'll find another relative in this R.A.B character who will give Harry clues on how to permanently destroy Voldemort.