Will the Harry Potter Series End With the Death of Harry Potter?

The current speculation in the British press is the upcoming final volume of the Harry Potter series will end with the death of the eponymous hero. The Mirror has the story, which demonstrates to wonderful effect the tabloid nature of the British press, where all things must be controversy and scandal. Speaking of which, assume an identical story to air on Fox New soon as sensationalism is Murdoch's stock and trade.

Why do the British press think that Potter will find his final end? The following quote by the Audio Book actor who portrays Potter in the US Audiobooks:

"She's lived with Harry Potter so long she really wants to kill him off."

So Jim Dale makes it clear that Rowling is becoming tired of writing Potter books, so much so that she "really wants to kill him off," and that automatically means we should assume he dies in the next book? I don't think so. I do think that it means we should assume that Rowling has written a couple of private short stories that do the chap in. Maybe she has even written a Holmes pastiche where Potter is the victim and Holmes gives up because he doesn't like the chap. Maybe she has even taken to browsing various Potter/Weasley slash fiction sites. I don't know what it means except that she is done writing the book and is happy she gets to move on.

And Potter fans need not worry, she has indeed finished the book.

Rowling has already revealed she has written its last chapter, in which Harry and his chums come of age.

But the only detail of the top-secret project is that the final word is "scar".

So let's see...she has written the book, which I imagine has completed its major narrative movement before the final chapter (as she has done in every book so far), and the final chapter is about how "Harry and his chums come of age." Is it supposed to be after this point that she kills Harry? Well, heck that could mean he dies of old age...or cancer...or a Quidditch accident at the next World Cup.

But to rumor mongers it means he is brutally murdered. I don't know if Harry dies or not. I do care and I will buy the book and read it. But I would buy it and read it even if I had full knowledge that he lives until the end of time.

Does one of the most popular fiction series in history really need this kind of rumor -mill manipulations to increase the sales of the next volume?

I think not.