The Elder Wand Task 1

[February Fortescue]

"NO!” shrieked Hermione, and with a deafening blast from her wand, Fenrir Greyback was thrown backward from the feebly stirring body of Lavender Brown,

 

There has been some debate over whether or not Lavender Brown survived the attack by Fenrir Greyback.  What was your impression? Do you think she lived?

10  scales if posted by  Sunday, 11th April, 23:59 HOL time.
5 scales if posted after that but before Friday, 30th April,  23:59 HOL time

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

I always figured she survived. When there were reports that she did not survive, I was surprised. I wonder, though, if she was turned into a werewolf by Greyback. ....

[Hannah Lovegood]

I think that she probably survived.  She seemed like one of the braver Gryffindors.

[February Fortescue]

I was surprised the film made it appear she had died and that became the generally accepted opinion. In the book, to me at least, she seemed to have lived. Like Tarma, I would have loved to have heard the follow up story! Did she become a werewolf?

[Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis]

I believe Lavender survived. It wasn't a full moon during the Battle of Hogwarts (neither Lupin for Fenrir Greyback were "full wolf"), but it would be interesting to see her gain some wolf-like qualities.

[Daria Summers]

If we look closely at the movie, Lavender's eyes were open as Fenrir was eating at her neck. It is highly unlikely she made it.

[Prof. Sky Alton]

I can understand why the movies declared her dead (and I consider movie and book canon entirely separate) but I always think the book version of Lavender survived because it sounded to me like rescue got to her in time and Greyback wasn't full wolf. It always seemed to me like when Rowling killed someone outright, she told us so. I agree that it would be interesting to know what Lavender was like after the attack: I hope she was able to recover psychologically. I'd love to see her as a warrior type afterwards (though still with those softer qualities and love of sentimental things that made her who she was).

  Also, I'm taken with the idea of those who survived the battle but were wounded and perhaps suffered permanent disability from it. There probably wasn't space to go into that but it has to have happened as magic can't heal everything.

[Aurelia West]

My impression from the book was that she lived. Like everyone else has mentioned, Fenrir Greyback wasn’t in full wolf form, and if she had died I feel like we would have known instead of having to infer.