JK Rowling apologizes for killing 'Harry Potter' character, reveals why it made her cry

Dear Harry Potter fans, JK Rowling is very sorry that Remus Lupin died.

Once again the author marked the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts by apologizing for the death of a casualty of the dark day. As fans of the series know, Voldemort attacked the Hogwarts castle on May 2, 1998, and the ensuing battle resulted in the death of many beloved characters, including one of Harry's last remaining father figures, Remus Lupin.

In her apology, Rowling confessed that Lupin's death resulted in "the only time my editor ever saw me cry." Lupin's wife and the mother of his infant child, Nymphadora Tonks, was also killed in the Battle of Hogwarts, making baby Teddy an orphan just like Harry.

Lupin "had to die" as a trade-off because another father figure of Harry's, Arthur Weasley, survived the series, Rowling said. Arthur was attacked by a snake in the fifth book but lived to tell the tale, and Rowling said that after that, she knew how the series would end for Lupin.

The first tweet about Lupin's demise received more than 70,000 likes in a matter of hours, with many fans saying that the wise werewolf was their favorite character.

Rowling started the tradition last year when she apologized for killing easy-going jokester Fred Weasley, telling fans, "Fred was the worst for me, so I started with him."

If she plans to cover all of the deceased characters, Rowling has many years of apologizing ahead of her. In the meantime, Jo, we forgive you.