In response to mogwai_milkshake, no, it wouldn’t have been more sad if [spoil]George had died instead.[/spoil] I know this sounds superficial, but I almost saw the twins as two halves of a whole. They didn’t have a very big part, but every time they appeared, the mood would automatically lift. I can’t remember a part in any of the books that was sad when the twins were around. They always managed to make the most of any situation including Umbridge. For Fred to [spoil]die so unexpectedly, and in the middle of a sarcastic remark, was very jarring. I would have thought that if one twin were going to die, then they both would; they’d go out together in a blaze of glory.[/spoil]
Thanks for the responses, guys, and I understand what you’re saying. [spoil]I genuinely feel that Fred’s death was the most shocking in the book, in part because it happened so suddenly with no real warning, but also because I’d never really anticipated that JK might kill one but not the other. I’d always assumed that either they’d die together or they’d both survive (I actually thought the same about Crabbe and Goyle, and was surprised when their character arc took the turn that it did). It was very difficult to envision them as anything other than “Fred and George”, so no, I don’t think it sounds superficial to think of them as two halves of a whole. It’s just that most people who mention how upset they were about Fred dying never seem to say anything about George, so I wondered if there was anything about Fred which made him the more popular twin. JK Rowling did actually say in an interview that she always knew that Fred would be the twin who’d die, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.[/spoil]
That’s a good point you make about Crabbe and Goyle, mogwai_milkshake. In a way, they’re sort of like the anti-Fred and George 
They’re always mentioned as “Crabbe and Goyle”, and their personalities were basically interchangeable. When they appear, you can be sure trouble is going to follow.
It’s funny, because [spoil]Fred and Crabbe die in the same chapter.[/spoil]
Another interesting observation, Spirit of Adventure.
My memory is really bad, could you guys help me out? When [spoil]Fred dies[/spoil], I remember there being someone [spoil]pining over his body. I think it was one of the members of the Weasley family, one of the brothers, but I’m not sure which one. Was it Ron or Percy? Or even George? If it wasn’t George, do we know where he is at that time? And just to see if I remember correctly, it was it Bellatrix that killed him, right?[/spoil] It’s been a while since I read the book, maybe I should read the series again.
[spoil]Percy was the family member who was with Fred when he died. I don’t remember it being Bellatrix who killed him (though she later tried to kill Ginny), but I don’t have my copy on hand to check.[/spoil]
No, [spoil]Fred’s not killed by Bellatrix. He’s killed by Augustus Rookwood, but that’s not stated clearly in the book, just referenced.[/spoil]
Ah, thanks for clearing that up for me, mogwai and Spirit.
You are welome 
Explain Harry Potter’s facts is my favorite hobbie 
How many times have you read the books Spirit?
I don’t know the real number, but I know that as the book is older, I’ve read it more times.
So the one I’ve read the least is the seventh, which I know I’ve read eight times.
Wow, and people say I read books too many times. But I just love the stories, you know? I’ve read Waership down about 5 times now, I love that book. My mom can’t read a book more than once; she says there’s no point if you know the ending.
Anyway, I’ve read the first three about 4 times each, and the rest about 2, maybe 3, times? It was 2 years ago that I went through the whole series again, took me the whole summer. Maybe I should try again this summer
Well, there’s still point in reading it again, because the second time you’ll find a lot of details you didn’t notice, or references to the ending you didn’t get before.
Or, like in my case, you’re just aiming to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the books
I like Prizoner of Azkaban the best.
Wow, this was a really old board.
Look, Evil Genius still existed at that time 
Thanks for reviving this up, Pixarfan!
I cant choose which one. I like the Prisoner of Askaban, but the Deathly Hallows are the epic finally. 
I think thhe last one. It’s such an epic conclusion.
Seems a lot of people hate Chamber of Secrets
It’s a three-way tie between Prisoner Of Azkaban, Goblet Of Fire, and Deathly Hallows for me.
I don’t think a lot of people hate any of the books, simply that they’re their less favorites.
The one most people complain about is Order of the Phoenix, mostly for its length, but I love very large and detailed books and I think OOTP is one of the richest, specially on political themes.
That’s the very reason my less favorite is Half-Blood Prince. It’s very rushed compared to its predecessor. Also, it spends far too much time on the romantic triangles.