Bloodless Coup

Voldemort.

Beyond that, I think it's unwise to speculate. She has dropped misleading clues before. :-)

Yes, she certainly has.

My first thought when she said 2 was Voldemort and Harry - a nice balance to those killings.

I figured Hagrid was sure to be killed at some point given his bumbling, but it almost seems pointless to kill him off at this point (another father-figured killed? plus at this point that death wouldn't have the same emotional impact it would have a couple of books ago).

I think it'll be The Weasley parents, or the Weasley twins. Voldemort is evil, after all. But what of Snape?

The Weasleys (parents or twins)? Really? I can't believe it would be the twins (and it better not be), and killing Molly would be just too cruel - though I suppose I can see Arthur getting himself into some battle and being too brave.

Snape. Yes Snape really is the issue isn't he. In so many ways. What does one do with Snape. I guess as interesting as Rowling's comments that she was going to kill 2 characters is her comment that 1 was going to get a reprieve. Snape would seem a definite possibility to fit that category.

Nonethelss, the more I think about it the more I can't see her killing Hermione or Ron, and if they live and Harry lives, well Voldemort and Snape would seem the likeliest victims of her pen.

Though I still wonder - remember way back in the first book that Ron sacrificed himself for the greater good in Wizard's Chess. Maybe that was foreshadowing?

I said I wouldn't speculate, but I think Ron is a fair guess. Ron dies, and Hermione and Harry end up together, perhaps?