Harry Potter may never grow up. Daniel Radcliffe, who stars as the daring schoolboy wizard, said Friday that Harry may die in the last book of J.K. Rowling’s magical series.
“I’m going to be really unpopular for saying this about Harry, but I’ve always had the suspicion — with everything that’s going on — that he might die,” Radcliffe, 14, told a news conference to promote the third film of Rowling’s series, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”
Rowling has remained silent about the fate of Harry in the seventh and final book. But with each new installment, Rowling reveals more connections between the character and his archenemy, the evil wizard Lord Voldemort.
“Harry and Voldemort have the same core in them, we get to see that in the fourth film,” Radcliffe said. “The only way Voldemort could die is if Harry dies as well.”
Voldemort was responsible for the deaths of Harry’s parents and left the young wizard with the distinctive zigzag scar on his forehead.
The pair have similar powers — including their wands and their fluency in Parsel — and Voldemort has been unable to kill Harry.
Rowling has hinted in the past that Harry may not survive. Asked whether she would write books about the character when he reaches adulthood, she replied: “You have to wait and see whether he survives to be a grown-up.”
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” now in production, may be the last time fans see Radcliffe in the role of Harry, which has brought him a fortune estimated at about $18 million. He has yet to commit to a fifth film.
“I’m not going to lie and say it will be absolutely easy to see someone else play the part because it will be extremely strange after four films,” Radcliffe said. “But if it happens it will be something I will have to get used to. I’m not saying it will happen but it’s a possibility.”
“The Prisoner of Azkaban” premieres in Britain on Sunday and goes into general release the following day. The film will open in the United States on June 4.