J.K. Rowling Almost Killed Off Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter Series

Author J.K. Rowling "seriously" considered killing off one of the core characters in the Harry Potter series, and the reason why is much more sinister than you might think. Rowling once admitted that she almost killed off Ron Weasley “out of sheer spite.”

Rowling wasn't shy about killing off some beloved characters over the years, including headmaster Albus Dumbledore and loyal house-elf Dobby, but she never considered killing off one-third of the main gang of Harry, Ron, and Hermione until she "wasn't in a very happy place," about halfway through penning the series.

Daniel Radcliffe interviewed Rowling as a special feature for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 DVD, and during the course of their conversation the author revealed that Ron had a vicious wand pointed at his neck for a little while. 

"Funnily enough, I planned from the start that none of them would die. 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. Out of sheer spite," Rowling said. "But I think in my absolute heart of heart of hearts, although I did seriously consider killing Ron, [I wouldn't have done it].

"It's a real relief to be able to talk about it all," the author added.

Given the story-altering effect Ron's death would’ve had on both Hermione and Harry, we're glad Rowling found it in her heart to let the red-haired wizard live.