Siriusly? (possible spoiler)

[AgCl]

"In earlier interviews, J.K. had said that there were was a character she claims she had intended to kill in book 5, "The Order of the Phoenix," but didn't. She admits now that character was Ron's dad, Arthur Weasley.

"He was the person who got a reprieve. When I sketched out the books, Mr. Weasley was due to die in Book Five.I swapped him for someone else...."


omG, i never knew this. I'm not saying she should've done otherwise, but i feel really bad for Sirius.

[Sophie]

I feel so bad saying this but I'm glad Sirius died if it meant saving Arthur Weasley. If Arthur had died when the snake bit him it would have been SO sad!

[Sammy]

I think if Arthur had died then it would have affected Harry and Ron's relationship a LOT. What with Harry having witnessed his fathers death perhaps Ron would have blamed Harry for not reacting and taking action fast enough and blamed the death entirely on him, perhaps all of Ron's family would have done this and therefore Mrs Weasley wouldn't have helped to raise Harry and Harry would never have married Ginny. Who knows maybe in a domino affect this would have meant Ron and Hermione might not have got together in the end, as she might have stuck by Harry? Or Ron may have resented Harry for him being the person who was in some way the person who witnessed his fathers final moments and was in some the last person to see him instead of Ron or his family? No, if you ask me it had to be Sirius (as much as I hate to say so) I think the story would've been altered too greatly if it was Arthur Weasley who had died.

[AgCl]

Sammy wrote: "I think if Arthur had died then it would have affected Harry and Ron's relationship a LOT. What with Harry having witnessed his fathers death perhaps Ron would have blamed Harry for not reacting an..."

hmmm...i like Mr. Weasley ,but i'm not really too keen on the whole Harry-Ginny thing and Ron can be really annoying and useless sometimes. If for any reason i'd choose Mr. Weasley it would be for the fact that being a widow doesn't seem to fit in with Mrs. Weasley's character. XD

[Sammy]

But can you imagine how different the story would've been if Ron and Harry hadn't been friends? And if Harry didn't have the support of the Weasleys?

[AgCl]

Sammy wrote: "But can you imagine how different the story would've been if Ron and Harry hadn't been friends? And if Harry didn't have the support of the Weasleys?"

i dont think the entire clan would've hated on him. I think Ron, Ginny and the twins might have some feelings of resentment at the start ,but then they'd have to come to terms with it. It wouldn't exactly be Harry's fault, he was just dreaming that he was Nagini biting Mr. Weasley and the Weasley lot aren't exactly unreasonable people.

[Sammy]

Its hard to be reasonable when grieving though, I'm not saying that they would've hated him but the relationship would be really strained and altered

[AgCl]

i suppose so.

[Benja]

I'll trade you Arthur for Sirius any day.

[Sammy]

I agree Sirius is a much better and more enjoyable character but the plot would've been too different had it be Arthur.

[Taygus]

I wouldn't have minded a different plot. She killed every person Harry looked up to. so harsh ):

[Benja]

Sammy wrote: "I agree Sirius is a much better and more enjoyable character but the plot would've been too different had it be Arthur."

Is that necessarily a bad thing?

[Kylie]

Both were father figures for Harry, but the difference between Arthur and Sirius, was that Sirius represented a very real hope and connect with his parents, that Arthur didn't. His relationship with the Weasley parents was that of proxy parents, but it was still through his relationship with Ron. The pain and grief that Harry felt for Sirius, that drove him on, that pressed him forward, would not have been as strong if it had been Arthur that was killed.

This is partly because the pain would have been diluted as it was shared between so many. It would also in part have been due to the same thing that distanced him when Arthur was hurt - he couldn't face them as he felt that he had caused it, or been part of it in some way. While that was wiped aside with Arthur living, it would not have been the same should Arthur have passed. That pain, the pushing forward, would have become Ron's, and completely changed what happened from then on.

I loved Sirius, and would have loved a reprieve, but not at the expense of the story.

[AgCl]

Kylie wrote: "Both were father figures for Harry, but the difference between Arthur and Sirius, was that Sirius represented a very real hope and connect with his parents, that Arthur didn't. His relationship wi..."

...or maybe not. It wasn't any of the Weasleys but Hermione who convinced Harry to get out of Buckbeak's room when he thought he was getting possessed by Voldy and he might've felt more vengeful towards Voldy and the rest of his gang after Sirius died but it was through Dumbledore's efforts that made him realize his true goal and galvanized him to take on a more active pursuit of his enemy.

[Rachel]

Sirius Black is my favourite character in the entire series. So I'd swap anyone with him to bring him back.
I read what J K had said and from what I understood was that she was planning on killing Arthur but didn't and therefore was forced to kill Lupin in the last book. She never mentioned anything about Sirius.

I love Lupin a lot too so if Arthur dying meant he could still be alive, I would rather have it that way.

[Sammy]

Benja wrote: "Sammy wrote: "I agree Sirius is a much better and more enjoyable character but the plot would've been too different had it be Arthur."

Is that necessarily a bad thing?"

How do you mean?

[Bekah]

Sammy wrote: "I think if Arthur had died then it would have affected Harry and Ron's relationship a LOT. What with Harry having witnessed his fathers death perhaps Ron would have blamed Harry for not reacting an..."

agree with everything you said, sammy! sirius is my absolute favorite character out of the entire series, (besides ginny, of course), but like you said, it would have altered the plot way too much. i would have liked to have sirius alive, but i do think his death was very necessary. there would have been so many things we wouldn't have now if it was arthur.

would you really have enjoyed the story, had it ended a different way? or are you merely saying that because you like sirius? in the ending, the golden trio were all together, and they were happy. that is more important to me then them all being separated and having to choose sides for the sake of a single character living.

[Sruthi]

JKR had her reasons for switching the two. She thought it too cruel to kill Arthur Weasley because he was virtually the only constant fatherly figure in the entire series.

And it's not like Sirius's death replaced Arthur's. It was Lupin and Tonks who were killed off in lieu of Arthur. Sob.

See: Rowling on Character Deaths

[Sauv]

Taygus wrote: "I wouldn't have minded a different plot. She killed every person Harry looked up to. so harsh ):"

Exactly. :(

And Sruthi, Lupin was the last friend of Harry's father (excluding Pettigrew of course)! So sad that Rowling killed them all. :(

[Suni]

Sirius is my favorite character in the series and I still think that...perhaps it was better him than Arthur.

In my opinion, Arthur was the only truly good father figure throughout the entire series. We don't see James at all as a father. Vernon Dursley spoils his son something awful and is horrible to Harry. Lucius poisons his son's mind with hate. Sirius, despite having reasons for it, was a very impulsive, immature character - not suited at all for being a guardian.

I think Arthur is the only father in the series that was ever consistently there for his children. To take him away would have left Harry without a responsible father figure to look up to.

[Harshi]

Had she decided to kill Mr.Weasley she must have done it in the middle of the 5th book which would have spoiled the reader's enthusiasm. Besides it would have affected Harry differently

[[deleted user]]

say she made the books with Arthur Weasley dying. then the entire rest of the series, would have been a very interesting read. but i liked it, the way it is, and well, i agree with Harshi. it would have spoiled the readers enthusiasm. and it would have made such large protests in feedback, but its is her choice and her series, she has all the rights to them. she can say what ever she wants about it. she also has reasoning behind what she has been saying about these books. no, i have no idea what the reasoning is, but everything one person says to another has reasoning behind it. it may be very silly reasoning, or maybe even lacking good reason, but it still has reasoning.

[Willl]

I don't think Arthur should have died!

[Beatriz]

Sirius had to die in order for Harry to be once more deprived of a father figure. Ron didn't have to be deprived of a father figure because the conceot is necessarily that Ron has the family Harry has always wanted. Also any other scene at the Burrow would've been as depressing as it was to go back to Grimmauld Place on DH. It would've been unnecessary for the plot for Arthur Weasley to die.

[Beatriz]

I guess if she didn't kill any Weasley it woulv'e been kind of unrealistic. But she could've killed Percy instead. It's not like he's anyone's favourite character.

[Angie]

Harry's attitude and behaviour was the worst in this book: he became more self-centered, frustrated, impulsive and he was prone to bouts of anger.

There were many causes for it: adolescence, that he felt like a recluse during the summer, that no one believed him and the powerful wanted to hide the truth, seeing Cedric's death, and of course, we cannot forget that Voldemort started to use the mental connection he had with Harry which make him to have more feelings of hate, frustration and anger.

During that year, there were many signs and warnings to Harry to cool down and to not let his emotions overcome him, he didn't pay attention or listen to them. They started little and they continued to get bigger until it reached the climax: Sirius' death.

Arthur's death couldn't affect Harry so much because he didn't feel a special link with him, he wouldn't have felt a real loss despite feeling sorry for his best friend and his family.

I guess Sirius could have died later on (in the main battle of the last book), but I think that in this book it was necessary because Harry was getting out of control with his emotions, he needed to grow up, become less "dependable", and to remember what is the most important.

Sirius wasn't perfect, like any other character, everyone has had their own faults, but despite it, he has become for me a personal hero. Maybe he was unstable and reckless, but that didn't intervene in still being a confident, a mentor, an older brother to Harry, that Harry could trust him and being himself with him.

When Harry was in need, both emotional and not, Sirius gave him the best support despite the inner demons he was having at the moment, he didn't let them overpowered him when Harry's feelings and problems were in concern.