As a fairly new “student” of yours since, “Looking for God in Harry Potter” and
learning of the rich literary alchemy history
in JKR’s work with Harry Potter, all I can do right now is shout a loud, “Yessss”!!! To the
fact that J K Rowling CONFIRMS your observation of the alchemical literary system she has alined with the characters and internal symbols within her books.

David

I only today decided to get more into Harry Potter fandom again and decided to check your webpage. How exciting to see the post I placed into HP for Seekers showing up here! It is just such a cool coincidence!

Regarding the demise of Ron and Hermione, I think all that is needed is for Harry to think they died. Since the readers work off of Harry’s point-of-view, if he is convinced, we will be convinced for a few uncomfortable and sad pages.

Remember Buckbeak?

Then think of how joyful Harry (and ourselves!) will be to the King and Queen back in business.

About translating my books into French, contact robert@zossima.com.

About the necessity of Ron/Hermione being killed in the last book, you’re on the right track, but I think Ms. Rowling has chosen an alternative couple. There needs to be an “Alchemical Wedding” in the Rubedo or final stage of the Great work, in which the Red King and White King “die” and the Philosophical Orphan is produced. Ron and Hermione were the obvious candidates for these roles, however young they are, until Bill and Fleur’s engagement was announced. I have to suspect, when Ms. Rowling announced that two people died whom she thought would live, that she was talking about Bill and Fleur.

Killing Ron or Hermione would be harder for many fans to take than Harry’s demise, for which death they seem prepared. Here’s hoping for an Alchemical Wedding without casualties, however unlikely that is.

John

I am so convinced of this model (which has evolved significantly) that I am writing a new book.

It will be called Snape is the Man: Elements of Reformed Doctrine in Harry Potter.

Look for hilarious open letter to Jo to be dropped on Mugglenet very soon. That’s me.

On the Forum I’ve tried to explain the basic part of your alchimic analysis( I guess not to badly) and invited people to consult the present blog.
We’ve got a question about Ron and Hermione : do you think that as mercury and alchimical sulfur they would be distroyed (killed)in the story climax? Or could we imagine a symbolic death ?

ps: sorry for my nearly “Acceptable” english, never practised since … twenty years.

Pat, great question! “Sanguine” means both “bloody” from the Latin word for blood and, more commonly, after the temperament, “cheerful, confident, optimistic,” etc. I think we’ll see humid weather if not dramatic summer syorms to illustrate “hot and moist” because the drama of the Rubedo demands something vibrant, flushed, even bloody.

Could it be melancholic (cold and dry)? Certainly. But it wouldn’t follow the alternating qualities of the books and the sense of story climax the way “hot and moist” does.

Or so I think! I’d love to hear what you and others think of my alchemical weather prediction for *Deathly Hallows*!

John, back to bn.com’s Book Club (Where We First Met, Pat!)