Party on the Good Ship R/H

[Kathleen Kelly MacMillan]

No: HPFGUIDX 10764

The R/Hers are out in force!  I could sing!  Welcome aboard one and all!

Rina wrote:
>Hermione's constantly pestering them both, but even more with Ron. Probably
>my Lucy
>Maud childhood rearing it's head, but I think it's similar to Ilse and >Perry 
- all those years it came across like she didn't like him much, but >she was 
actually just pushing him because she loved him and knew he could do >better 
than what he was.
>There's Hermione's reason for the bickering.

I think this is a brilliant insight.  Hermione doesn't let Ron get away with 
laziness or lazy thinking.  Like when she calls him on his comments about 
Percy or about encouraging Harry to sneak into Hogsemead in PoA.  She's 
disappointed at things like that because she expects better from him--and 
knows he can do better.  And that, IMO, is just what Ron needs.  Hermione may 
very well be the one person who *doesn't* think of Ron as somehow less than 
Harry (and she's probably the one who is best capable of making that judgment 
too).  One day Ron will wake up and realize this.

Rina again:
>I guess they're just fun. LOL This sounds totally psycho, but I see H/R/H 
kind of like a triangle - Harry at the tip and Ron and Hermione making the 
base. R/H kind of connect together, and this supports both Harry and their 
three way friendship.

I like this analogy.  And I agree that R/H is just more fun.  (I know that's 
not a well-articulated argument, but it's how I feel!)  But then this could be 
because I'm finding Harry kinds boring lately, as I said earlier...

Rina again:
><shrug> I don't see R&H leaving Harry out if they were in a relationship any
>more than they do now. In book four, at least, there are lots of instances
>where Harry gets fed up with their snipping and leaves to do his own thing,
>and he doesn't seem
>to mind or feel especially left out. R&H already spend a lot of time
>together, and I don't think that would change.

This was my reaction when I read about the "Harry Problem"--what problem?  I 
can see him feeling a little weird initially, but it doesn't ever seem to 
bother him when Hermione and Ron do their own thing now, and they do spend 
quite a bit of time together away from him as it is.  The only time I can 
think of that it bothered him was the first Hogsmead trip, and that was only 
because he couldn't go to the village.

Rina yet again:
>For the most part, when you get an H/R story, it's about H&R and their
>romance. It's not that they don't see
>Harry, it's that the author really likes R&H and is focusing the story on
>them. They *are the story. In the books, the focus will be on Harry as
>always, and the story is Harry's. Even if Ron and Hermione are holding hands
>or hugging or whatever, it
>won't be the focus of the story, scene, etc.

Bingo.  I think there's a big difference between showing R/H and shunting 
Harry aside.  Harry's always going to be the hero, can't change that.  But you 
can show a different perspective.  I'm still not sold on the notion of "the 
Harry problem", sorry.

>Rina
>(Does this mean I can say I wrote some big essay on why my 'ship is so 
important, and get my obsession rating up a little? <g>)

Oh, absolutely, Rina!  That should be worth some good points!

Amy Z wrote:
>(BTW, Ebony: "the R/Hers would never permit a menage a trois"--say what? I
>think Ron/Harry makes [marginally] more sense than H/H. So with an H/H/R
>ship I at least agree with 2 out of 3! LOL!)

I love this!  Actually, I can see Ron/Harry as more plausible than H/H for a 
lot of reasons, which I won't go into now.

Amy Z:
>So what's a shipper? Someone who wants to see a particular pair together
>(sense A)? Someone who thinks two people *are* a couple in canon or will be
>(sense b)? Someone who has a crush on a character and therefore desperately
>wishes to see him/her in a romance to flesh out his/her own fantasies (sense
>C)?

A, B, and C, in my case at least!  But I think that you raise a good point.  
It strikes me that those of us who spend precious hours of our lives going 
back and forth over the issues probably fall more into the A and C categories.
 (After all, both major ships have admitted that we will continue to prefer 
our ships regardless of what JKR writes. But, OTOH, both ships derive their 
positions from canon, so who knows?

Rosa wrote:
>I'm glad to hear it, mon capitaine. Permission to come aboard?

Come on up!  Isaac's serving drinks down in the bar, and Recreation Director B 
Bennett has some wonderful activities planned for later.

Andrea wrote:
>If I were to guess who might be in Harry's future I would say Ginny Weasley.
>Harry's overall arc is concerned with the loss of his family. The Weasleys,
>for all intents and purposes, have been his surrogate family and Ginny will
>not be a star-struck schoolgirl forever. Jo might surprise me, but I think
>that may be where she is headed. We'll see. I'd like to see the Weasleys as
>Harry's actual family someday, and if the Good Ship H/R comes in as we
>expect, Hermione will make Harry a wonderful sister in law!
>Dipping her toes in the shipping waters,
>Andrea

Welcome aboard Andrea!  I also really like this reasoning.  I would really 
like to see Harry officially become part of the Weasley family (which of 
course involves Ginny becoming more developed,etc--usual disclaimers apply).  
Oh, I can just hear Ebony gagging in the background at the mention of One Big 
Happy Weasley Family!  But, whether it's realistic or not, I like the idea.  
(Hey, now I know how HH-ers feel!)  (just kidding! just kidding!)

Kelley wrote:
>Here I am, Captain. Sorry, I was cha-chaing on the Lido deck with Gopher.

My husband is now looking at me strangely because I went into an 
uncontrollable fit of giggling upon readin this.  I think because it inspired 
visions of the Mad-Eye-Moody-dancing-with-a-male-Professor-Sinistra scenario 
that was posted here a while back.  Anyway, welcome aboard, Yeoman Kelley!  
Lunch will be served on the Promenade deck in 1 hour.

Kelley again:
>I've dabbled a bit, myself, though now I'll start a rigorous training
>program. 100% No Fear...

Maybe we should start a rigorous calisthenics programs to get all our recruits 
in shape?  Top Deck 06:00.

Kelley again:
>Personally, I'm just secure in my beliefs. I feel no need to convince anyone
>of the 'rightness' of R/H. Sadly, H/H-ers won't change due to my beliefs.
>You just have to let them go on, then when they WANT help, we offer comfort
>and solace and gentle deprogramming.

...more uncontrollable giggling...

Kelley:
>Not to mention the ghost up in the crow's nest, and gnomes scampering about
>underdeck...

LOL!  I knew someone more creative than I would get this metaphor going!

Kelley:
>There's always room for one more when you're with the Weasleys. (And who
>doesn't want to party with them?)

Mmmmmm, Weasleys.....oh, sorry, where was I? ;)


DrMM wrote:
> DrMM (signing up for the position of ship's doctor on the R/H Cruise)

and First Mate Mo responded:
>Great. We will need a doctor when we are rescuing all those H/H survivors! <
>vbg>

Perhaps we should also advertise for a ship's psychologist to help out with 
all that gentle deprogramming of H/H-ers?


DrMM wrote:
> <shrug> I suspect half the reason why I don't care for the H/H ship as much
>as I do is because I honestly felt the implication that Ron was, in some
>way, shape or form, unworthy of Hermione. It may have been unintentional,
>but I still got that implication (although not as much from you (Penny) as 
others). >And as I've never understood the problems that people have with Ron, 
when >he's a Perfectly Normal Boy (and IMO the most realistic of the three), I
>found that rather annoying.

Right on, DrMM!  I have felt the same way, and since insulting Ron is the 
easiest way to anger me, well...there you go.  (And by the way, welcome 
aboard, good doctor!  It's great to hear from you!)

Ebony wrote:
>Thanks for sharing this, Doctor dear. Do you realize that we had absolutely
>no idea that we were stepping on toes when we implied this? So it was
>surprising to certain H/Hers when our posts about our ship were... well,
>let's just say not very well received at all. While that doesn't change my
>sentiment about Ron, I'll watch how I word my Ron-centered posts in the
>future.


See that you do.  :)
Seriously, I think it all goes back to something Ebony have gone over a bunch 
of times: R/H-ers and H/H-ers just tend to see the characters differently.  As 
one R/H-er said to me recently, "Sometimes I wonder if they're even reading 
the same books we are!"  But it keeps things lively anyway!

DrMM wrote:
>Plus, I still think Ron and Hermione are better suited. I really *should*
>write a comparison between Ron & Arthur and Hermione & Mrs. Weasley someday,
>because I see so many parallels between them, it's amazing.

I must chime in with Ebony and say please write this soon, cause I would also 
love to read your thoughts on this.  (See, Ebony, something else we agree on!  
let's hear it for Intership cooperation!)


Minnesota Girlie wrote:
>Er... hi! Was just floating around in the HP waters, looking for a ship like
>this... I'm glad I'm not the only R/H shipper around (yes yes, I've read
>PoU, DD/DS, ASA, all of those... they're very good, I just don't agree with
>them).  < salutes >  Hmm. "One of the few, one of the proud." It should be
>our motto. What say you, fellow R/H shippers?

Welcome aboard!  As for the motto, I'm all for it as long as we can have Ginny 
Love's "R/H: It just makes more sense." stenciled on the prow.

All these new arrivals--this calls for a celebration!  Butterbeers all around!

Kathy
AKA Elanor Gamgee