Fred Weasley was hardly the boy who lived. The character in the Harry Potter books and movies was killed off in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and author J.K. Rowling is now apologizing for the loss.
The celebrated writer, 49, took to Twitter on Saturday, May 2, to discuss the death of Ron Weasley’s brother. The date holds special meaning for Rowling, as it’s the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts.
“Today I would just like to say: I’m really sorry about Fred,” the Brit wrote, apologizing for the tragic loss of one of the Weasley twins. “*Bows head in acceptance of your reasonable ire.*”
After Rowling’s words, a fan brought up other hard Harry Potter deaths, such as the losses of Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. Rowling responded soon after, writing, “I thought I might apologise for one death per anniversary. Fred was the worst for me, so I started with him.”
Harry Potter fans said goodbye to Ron’s older brother and George’s twin in the great Battle of Hogwarts, as depicted in the 2007 book and 2011 film adaptation. He stood by his brothers, sister Ginny, family members, and Hogwarts students as they fought Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but ultimately died in the fight.
Actor James Phelps played Fred throughout the beloved series, starring alongside his twin brother Oliver Phelps, who played on-screen twin George. Oliver saw Rowling’s tweet this past weekend, retweeting her words and mentioning his brother.
