![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I've been pondering over my violently unhappy reaction to the end of OoP and have come to a conclusion. JKR is like Stan Lee. That is, she creates great characters and concepts, but other people write them better. Anyone familiar with Spiderman and X-men will know what I mean. Who created the X-men? Stan Lee. Who writes the gripping, angst-filled, epic story lines (ex: the Dark Phoenix Saga)? Chris Claremont. Ditto for Rowling. Nobody does Snape/McGonagall interaction like ThePet, nobody does Remus and Sirius like the community of amazingly talented R/S slashers, nobody does Draco like the Veelas. And nearly all of us kill people off better.
I think, having been exposed to so much Shakespeare, epic poetry, and writers influenced by the epic tradition (ex: Tolkien) that I naturally want my characters to die dramatic, heroic and/or incredibly tragic deaths. Deaths brought about by their own fatal flaws, or heroism. The sort of deaths that inspire paintings and songs. I don't want Sirius's death. I want The Death of Sirius.
If one of the puppies had to die randomly in the book, I would have made it Remus. Say that Remus goes to the ministry in Sirius's place, (because Dumbledore had ordered Sirius to stay home) and is killed by Wormtail (who really should have been there. Where was he, anyway?). Then, Sirius can do the Achilles thing and go mad with grief and the thirst for vengeance, and his own bloodlust will destroy him. Harry still gets the shock of having someone he knows well die because of his recklessness, and also gets to see Sirius fall apart, and see how dangerous revenge can be. And watching Sirius kick arse and slaughter Death Eaters would be cool.
I think, having been exposed to so much Shakespeare, epic poetry, and writers influenced by the epic tradition (ex: Tolkien) that I naturally want my characters to die dramatic, heroic and/or incredibly tragic deaths. Deaths brought about by their own fatal flaws, or heroism. The sort of deaths that inspire paintings and songs. I don't want Sirius's death. I want The Death of Sirius.
If one of the puppies had to die randomly in the book, I would have made it Remus. Say that Remus goes to the ministry in Sirius's place, (because Dumbledore had ordered Sirius to stay home) and is killed by Wormtail (who really should have been there. Where was he, anyway?). Then, Sirius can do the Achilles thing and go mad with grief and the thirst for vengeance, and his own bloodlust will destroy him. Harry still gets the shock of having someone he knows well die because of his recklessness, and also gets to see Sirius fall apart, and see how dangerous revenge can be. And watching Sirius kick arse and slaughter Death Eaters would be cool.