Weasley twins

[melaniem68 at yahoo.com]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C808
From: melaniem68
Subject: Weasley twins
Reply To: [Yahoo! #799] Re: Oh, yeah.
Date: 3/30/00 6:39 pm  (ET)

<My guess for the death "the reader will care about" in Book 4: one of
the Weasley twins.>

I agree. I have heard rumors (only rumors) that it will be George,
but I suspected a Weasley twin before. I'm not sure how "logical" my
reasons are; they have more to do with writers' tricks.

Though I see the twins as strong characters, I have yet to see anything
to set them apart from each other, to make them two individuals, instead
of a set. For example, they both not only enjoy jokes, they enjoy the
same types. Not only are both on the Gryffindor quiddich team, they even
play the same position (which happens to have two and only two players
per team).

If someone from one of my critique groups had written a pair of twins
the same way, I'd think it was a mistake, or simple sloppiness. I'd
urge them to make the twins more individual. Have them enjoy different
types of jokes. Have only one on the quiddich team, or at least give
them different positions. Have one start dating before the other. Have
them part their hair on opposite sides. Anything!

But after reading all three books (so far), I see that Rowling is very
deliberate, and does everything for a reason. If we don't see it in one
book, we'll see it in another. I'm sure that includes the way the twins
are portrayed.

I suspect that something will eventually happen to break up the dynamic
duo, and the death in book four may very well be it. As readers, we'll
still have one twin, but probably a much more sober one. And seeing him
alone will be a constant reminder of the loss.

On a less depressing side note, I often wonder how Harry and the others
know which twin they're dealing with, especially on the quiddich field. Or
do they? Maybe most people don't, but it's just easier to call them
Fred and George than, "one twin," "the other twin," or the ever-popular
"Fred-or-George". What do you think?

How do the rest of you picture the twins? *Exactly the same*, or is
there a slight difference? For some reason I always picture George a
tad stockier than Fred. This is not because of anything Rowling wrote;
just my own associations with the names, I guess.

Just my two sickles (I know that was a little more than two knutes).

Melanie