J.K. Rowling apologizes for 'Harry Potter' character's death: 'I didn't enjoy doing it'

LONDON, May 2 (UPI) -- J.K. Rowling has taken to social media to apologize for killing off Harry Potter character Remus Lupin.

The apology came Monday to mark the anniversary of the fictional Battle of Hogwarts, the final showdown taking place in the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, between Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the evil Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters.

"Once again, it's the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts so, as promised, I shall apologize for a death. This year: Remus Lupin," Rowling wrote on Twitter.

"In the interests of total honesty I'd also like to confess that I didn't decide to kill Lupin until I wrote Order of the Phoenix, she continued referencing the fifth book in the series. "Arthur [Weasley] lived, so Lupin had to die. I'm sorry. I didn't enjoy doing it. The only time my editor ever saw me cry was over the fate of [his son] Teddy," Rowling tweeted mentioning Lupin's son.

A werewolf, Lupin was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and became Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He was also a close friend of Potter's parents.

Last year on the same date, Rowling apologized for killing off Fred Weasley during the epic battle. "I thought I might [apologize] for one death per anniversary. Fred was the worst for me, so I started with him," the author said at the time.