The Guardian is running a contest to write a notional Dumbledore death scene from the upcoming Harry Potter in the style of famous authors, including Hemingway, William Carlos Williams and AA Milne. Some of these are freaking brilliant. Note: Apparently a character dies in this Harry Potter book. I don't know who that character is. I don't know if the Guardian knows who that character is. I assume that they picked Dumbledore at random and that this isn't a spoiler. (select the text preceding to see some stuff that may or may not be a spoiler)
Orwell: Albus looked at the figure beside him, the face familiar. "I know you," he said to the woman, "You are termed O'Mione."
"No, Albus," she said, "You know that is not my name. You know my real name. I want you to say my real name. Speak it, say it now," and Albus was aware of pain deep inside him, a pain like the hole left by a timetable with an unforgiving minute left unfilled by the curriculum.
"Your name is … your real name is … " but something stopped him from completing what he had to say. "Your true name … the truth … t…ruth …"
"Look at this dial, Albus".
"There is no time." The pain took hold again. "No, it's four o'clock, no, it's six o'clock, it's four o'clock." He started to weep. "What do you want me to say? It's six o'clock, it will always be six o'clock."
"Albus, you think you love schooling, but you must love it all the time." She turned to the guards. "Education 101…."
cummings:
i sing of Harry Potter, dig?those ready wands laid down in war
(against pernicious Voldemort)
O wellbelov'd Harry (orphaned
hogwartsian most succinctly bred)
determined Albus took in hand;
but – though an host of stupefied
gryffindors (jinxing on the fly
them) do through besquidded waters float
those death-eaters which others stroke
with wood-wands recently employed
anent this muddy toiletbowl…
Palahniuk: Harry was an irritant scab to Voldemort for years. He was the Yoko to Voldemort's McCartney. The Kid was a hero. He'd been stopping Voldemort since he was 11, and every year after that.
At 17, his head is being pulled off slowly by a Giant. His heroic roars of defiance have been contorted into pathetic squeals. The sinews and bones in his neck are snapping. In an instant he will lie lifeless, as his head is torn off.
Voldemort is now telling the cannibals to save him the head.
The Cannibals throw Voldemort Harry's head like a Deflated beachball. As his head bounds slowly past, I catch a glimpse of the school. The great hall has turned into an abattoir.
(via Making Light)
