Still No Word on Harry Potter's Fate: Will He Survive Grand Finale?

J.K. Rowling, author of the internationally successful children's book series, Harry Potter, says she is "well into" writing the seventh and final installment. At a benefit reading in NY with fellow authors Stephen King and John Irving, Rowling gave very little information on the last book, particularly whether she planned on killing off the main character or not.

In a press conference, Rowling explained the pressure of penning the last of the books. "It's the last book so I feel quite liberated." She then commented on how fans will view the grand finale. "Some people will loathe it and some people will love it, but that's how it should be." She also added that in "an epic saga, the hero has to fight alone."

Organized by King and Scholastic publishing, the three authors gave a benefit reading at Radio City Music Hall to raise $500,000 for the Haven Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. The Haven Foundation helps uninsured artists unable to work due to accidents or illnesses; Doctors Without Borders delivers emergency medical care to victims of epidemics, war and other disasters.

The three literary masterminds read selections from their respective works and then had a question and answer session with the audience. Though undoubtedly well respected in their own right, Irving and King joked about who the main attraction was. Teased Irving, "We see ourselves as warm-up bands for Jo." Irving also commented on the audience being younger than his and King's readership. Rowling joked back, "I'm toughening them up for John and Stephen's works."

At the press conference, the media pleaded for more information of Harry's fate and they weren't alone. Irving and King talked about their wishes for the boy wonder. "I have my fingers crossed for Harry," said Irving. His own method of writing involves making a casualty list before sitting down to write. Irving's list of works include A Prayer for Owen Meany, The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules, in which he won an Oscar for his movie adaptation in 1999.

King, no stranger to killing off his protagonists, has sent characters to the grave in his horror books, which include Carrie, The Stand, and The Shining. Whether sparing the boy wizard, or ending his magical life, King hopes it's done in a spectacular way that it deserves. "I just want the story to be fair. I love that series. I have total confidence in her. I just don't want him to go over Reichenbach Falls," referring to Sherlock Holmes' demise by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Following a massive uproar from fans, Doyle eventually resurrected the famous sleuth.

Rowling, didn't give anything away, but did mention the allure of axing Potter. "I understand why an author would kill a character from a point of view of not allowing another person to continue writing after the original author is dead," said Rowling. "I don't always enjoy killing my characters. I didn't particularly like killing the character that died at the end of book six," referring to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. She did leave the media wondering as to other characters lifespan, by saying, "We're working towards the end I always planned, but a couple of characters I expected to survive have died, and one character got a reprieve."

In June, Rowling revealed on a UK talk show that two main characters will lose their lives. This leaves everyone's destiny up in the air, from Harry and his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, to beloved Hogwarts professors and classmates. Once Harry Potter is over and done, Rowling plans on finishing a shorter children's book, which is only half done.

The Harry Potter series has created quite a phenomenon, casting a spell into pop culture history. It has made kids read voluntarily and adults admit they love the books as well. With every latest edition released, fans young and old line up at book stores, have wizarding parties and discussions about the magical world of Hogwarts. With each film adaptation, more and more fans are earned. Daniel Radcliffe, (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint, (Ron Weasly) and Emma Watson, (Hermione Granger), will return for the fifth edition of the franchise; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released July 2007.