Introducing myself to the board

[Demelza]

No: HPFGUIDX 5321

My mother was. Graham Greene (I think that's who wrote Poldark) 
supposedly took the name from a village or an area in Cornwall. 

~Demelza 

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Alix Petty" <bel_imperia at b...> 
wrote:
> Hi Demelza and Zsenya - welcome aboard.
> 
> Great names the pair of you have - Demelza, were your parents 
Poldark fans
> by any chance?
> 
> Alix
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Demelza <muggle-reader at a...>
> To: <HPforGrownups at egroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 9:05 PM
> Subject: [HPforGrownups] Re: Introducing myself to the board
> 
> 
> I'm new too. I don't have much to add presently because I want to 
read
> more of the threads before I add my two cents.
> 
> ~Demelza
> --- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, zsenya at y... wrote:
> > My name is Zsenya and I have been lurking here for a few days. It 
is
> > great to see a board like this - I have been searching for 
something
> > like this for a while now.
> >
> > I am a big Harry Potter fan, but only started reading the books
> about
> > 4 months ago.  I was instantly obsessed and have read all four
> > numerous times.  I have been reading the posts with interest and
> have
> > quite a few comments on various things that I have read.  I will 
put
> > them all here although I will follow all the conventions for 
subject
> > lines in future posts.
> >
> > I have to say initially however, that I have a decided feeling 
about
> > the whole series and that is that they are first and foremost
> > children's literature.  It's not that I think that they are not
> > "real"
> > literature, what I mean is that I think no matter how dark or
> serious
> > books 5 - 7 get, JK Rowling is always writing for a certain target
> > audience, and that audience is not 28 years old like I am.   That 
in
> > mind, although the books are amazingly intricate and complex, they
> > are
> > also in many ways (I think) quite straightforward.  I also tend to
> be
> > a bit of a romantic and a Pollyanna, which is why..
> >
> > The Death Pool
> >
> > I cannot see her killing off Ron, Harry, or Hermione.   It just
> isn't
> > done and if she does do so, I would be very surprised.  Dumbledore 
I
> > predict will die in some sort of Obi Wan Kenobi way, and he is 
quite
> > old already.  I do not even think that Sirius or Lupin will die
> > either.  Peter Pettigrew might, as well as Snape.  As far as the
> > students go, I think that Cedric was enough, although I can also
> > foresee that perhaps one of the other Weasley's will go (I really
> > like
> > the theory of Percy going to the dark side), or perhaps even 
Arthur
> > Weasley.  I think Colin Creevey is pretty much a dead man.
> >
> > Neville's Story
> >
> > I think it is highly plausible that the kids of Harry's generation
> > don't know all the details of the past 15 years.  Firstly, it 
seems
> > that a lot of things were going on behind the scenes that not
> > everyone
> > was aware of.  I read an interesting article in a book about
> > Baltimore
> > (where I live) which discusses the loss of mass memory.  There was
> > apparently a big mill worker's strike here in the 20s or 30s, yet 
no
> > one who was alive at the time claims to remember it.  I have to 
look
> > it up for more information, but that is sort of how I feel the
> adults
> > have treated the past 20 years or so for their children.  They 
know
> > about Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in a sort of boogeyman way,
> but
> > they don't know all the details.  Perhaps Bill and Charlie know, 
but
> > they wouldn't have found out until they were older.  The one thing
> > that I wonder is why Hermione hasn't researched all of this.  I
> would
> > think that she would have read up on it, although perhaps the
> > official
> > history books don't mention all the little details and I guess she
> is
> > busy enough as it is!
> >
> > Hermione
> >
> > I love Hermione.  I don't consider her to be a braggart at all. I
> was
> > a "smart" child myself.  More than that, I was book smart rather
> that
> > overly naturally smart, which is I think Hermione's situation as
> > well.
> >  In other words, I learned early on how to please the teachers and
> > that I enjoyed getting good grades (since I wasn't good in other
> > areas, like music or sports).   Hermione studies for hours and 
hours
> > and gets excellent grades, but Ron and Harry study much less and
> pass
> > reasonably well with little effort.  I think that she knows that 
she
> > is bright but recognizes that the others would do just as well if
> > they
> > would study as much as she does.  When you are the type of child
> that
> > pays attention in class and no one else seems to know the answers,
> it
> > is MADDENING to have to sit through that.   Also, I have to 
wonder,
> > if
> > she was a boy would she be treated in the same manner?  She also 
has
> > the usual girl issues (insecure about her bushy hair and big 
teeth),
> > and, given the way she bursts into tears at the drop of the hat, 
is
> > very, very sensitive (and obviously going through some major 
puberty
> > in Books III and IV).  When I look at scenes like the problems 
with
> > the Firebolt, I don't see it so much as Hermione being a 
tattle-tale
> > as her being a practical, responsible child, who cares deeply 
about
> > her friends and will do what she thinks is right to protect them.
> > It's a behavior that took me well into my twenties to learn.
> >
> >
> > Ron
> >
> > I love Ron as much as Hermione and will say up front that I am a
> > total
> > and complete Ron and Hermione advocate.   OK, I have read several 
of
> > the posts re: Ron and his, er, behavioural issues, but as I said
> > above, I think that these books are pretty much straightforward 
and
> > that Ron WILL find something to excel in and he WILL do whatever 
is
> > necessary to deserve Hermione.  I truly can't see him as a 
parallel
> > to
> > Peter Pettigrew.  Sure, he got upset and jealous of Harry in GoF,
> but
> > that is completely natural. I was completely upset and stopped
> > talking
> > to my best friend in 9th grade when she got a boyfriend before I
> did.
> >  14 year-olds get upset over silly things.  He is Harry's truest
> > friend, and a good guy and, if anything, I see him facing 
Voldemort
> > together with Harry.  Also, didn't (sorry, don't have PoA in front
> of
> > me) Sirius get some sort of familiar glint in his eye when Ron 
stood
> > up for Harry in the Shrieking Shack?  Ron has done a number of 
brave
> > things in all of the books and has shown that he will sacrifice
> > himself for his friends if necessary.
> >
> > Harry
> > Well, what can I say? These ARE the Harry Potter books after all 
and
> > he is the star.  He has many faults and a good many issues to work
> > out.   I can't comment any more than that right now, this message 
is
> > already far too long, but I look forward to contributing in the
> > future!
> >
> > Thanks for reading, and I look forward to more wonderful theories
> and
> > discussions!
> > Zsenya
> 
> 
> 
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> HPforGrownups-unsubscribe at egroups.com