J.K. Rowling admits that she almost killed this major character

At this point, it’s unusual when a brand new piece of Harry Potter information isn’t uncovered every other day of the week. Just because the books are finished, and the movies have all been released, doesn’t mean that we’ve learned everything about the wizarding world. Quite the opposite, in fact.

While we certainly know how the Harry Potter series ends, the story almost had a completely different (and much sadder) ending. For a bit, master scribe J. K. Rowling seriously considered killing off one of our main trio. Which one? Technically speaking, she did kill Harry, but he clearly survived that. It also never would have been Hermione, because Hermione 4 Life. That leaves only one more option: Ron. Rowling came this close to killing off Ron.

In an interview with none other than Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, Rowling drops this grim bit of information. The interview comes from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 DVD bonus features so yes, it’s been hanging around for a while. But OK, tell me the last time you actually pulled out the Harry Potter DVDs considering ABC Family plays the movies every other weekend.

While talking, Radcliffe admits he was convinced “one of the main three had to buy it” and with a little chuckle from Rowling, she confesses something heartbreaking just THINKING about it.

“I planned from the start that none of [the three] would die,” She explains. “Then midway through, which I think is a reflection of the fact that I wasn’t in a very happy place, I started thinking I might polish one of them off… But I think in my absolute heart of heart of hearts [I wouldn’t have, but] I did seriously consider killing Ron.”

Simply thinking about this is too much to handle. Can you imagine what the end of the books (and movies) would have been like without Ron? She doesn’t explain how or when it would have happened, and it’s probably better if we never know. Something made her change her mind and our favorite Keeper got to stick around. So thanks, Rowling, for not going with the horribly tragic ending where the trio dwindles down to two.

(Image via Warner Bros.)