Did Lavender die?

[birdsofshore]

This has been puzzling me lately.

In Deathly Hallows it says:

"Two bodies fell from the balcony overhead as they reached the ground a grey blur that Harry took for an animal sped four-legged across the hall to sink its teeth into one of the fallen. "NO!" shrieked Hermione, and with a deafening blast from her wand, Fenrir Greyback was thrown backward from the feebly stirring body of Lavender Brown. He hit the marble banisters and struggled to return to his feet. Then, with a bright white flash and a crack, a crystal ball fell on top of his head, and he crumpled to the ground and did not move."

So, "feebly stirring" to me, meant that she was injured, perhaps seriously injured, but not dead. When I read it, I expected her to get medical treatment after the Battle was over, and that she would survive.

Then, when I saw the film version of Deathly Hallows, I noticed that it looks as if Lavender is killed by Greyback during the attack. You could argue she is unconscious, or paralysed, but she does look dead. However I just passed it off as either a) making her look more seriously injured to be dramatic, or b) one of those things where the films differ from the books. I don't count film canon as superceding book canon, in any case.

However, when I went to Harry Potter Wiki to check something, (yes, yes, I know it's not exactly the most pre-eminent source, but where else do I look?) they are quite certain that Lav is dead:

"Immediately after the attack, she was seen feebly stirring, but later died from her injuries."

They cite Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey as the source for this. I do actually own this book, and it's lovely, but it's freaking massive and I am not trawling through it at the moment to see on whose say-so Lavender allegedly died.

Now, I've seen Lavender alive and kicking in several fanfics lately. I don't want her to be dead. For one thing, I really quite like her, and also, I want to put her in my fic. I know it doesn't matter what Harry Potter Wiki says. If Snape can be resurrected in fic, I am sure Lavender can. But it's annoying me. Hands up who thinks Lavender is still alive at the end of Deathly Hallows? I mean, if you think that's what JKR intended, not just your own personal head canon.

Also, if she's alive, then she's a werewolf, I presume? Or did I get that wrong? Where are all the Were!Lav fics? Probably in those dark and scary comms I never go to. Or is being a werewolf now just one of those annoying little things that we don't mention in polite company, like having a verruca or something?

Come and tell me all the things about Lavender, I beg you!

Comments

[nathalieweasley.livejournal.com]

I have seen a variety of fics where Lavender is in all sorts of states of existence. She dies, she lives (I've seen her paired with George and Seamus), and where she has some sort of affect from Greyback's attack, bet it full-on were or more Bill-esque effects. There seems to be a decent amount of Hermione and Lavender make-up scenes.

Off the top of my head, here is a partial-Were!Lav fic (written by the fabulous Pinky Brown): Kiss Me, I'm Irish

Author’s summary: This story follows immediately on from the events of Pub Crawl and my first fic to focus on someone other than Ron. In the aftermath of the war, Seamus and Lavender find that a friend makes all the difference, especially when they come with benefits.

ETA: Personally, I feel that the books are vague enough so that she could either have lived or died.

[birdsofshore]

You're right, it would be quite feasible to show her either dead or alive after the battle. You could explain what happened after we see her attacked by Greyback, and it wouldn't be at all unbelievable to show her dying later from her injuries. What annoys me are the wesbites stating this definitely happened.

Thank you for the Were!Lav rec! Partial-were!Lav sounds very intriguing.

[nathalieweasley.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, websites veering off vague canon and inserting their own opinions (sans the option of meta) are frustrating.

You're welcome!