Testing the Friendship/Question re: H/G

[moongirlk at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 11021

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Ebony AKA AngieJ" <ebonyink at h...> wrote:

> It's one thing to have the Friendship endure forever as a 
harmonious 
> entity, without any emotional or psychological tests.
> 
> It's quite another to have the Friendship endure forever after 
having 
> been tested to its very limits.  Think of what a statement *that* 
> would be--to have played together, laughed together, dreamed 
> together, fought together, grown up together, adventured together, 
> and then to come to the realization that it's all right if 
everything 
> is not absolutely perfect... to realize that you have someone by 
your 
> side who is not only your strong right arm, but knows your mind and 
> your heart...
> 
> Wow.
> 
> If *that's* the statement JKR is making in her theme of friendship 
> (which is indeed one of her major themes!), I'll be in full awe of 
> her.
> 

I went ahead and snipped the rest of it, where there were some great 
things too, because this part was so nice.  Yet again we agree, 
Ebony!  There's nothing better than to see that it *is* possible to 
have strong, healthy friendships that endure and don't become 
something ugly that only remains out of habit.  I hope you realize 
that even at my cheesiest and most sappy I never would advocate happy 
ever after starting now, with 3 books full of love-fests and 
agreements.  Heck, I'd never want that for them.  When I read the 
fight in GoF I thought 'finally! now maybe they can get past some of 
this pent-up stuff!'  A fight between Harry and Ron was necessary and 
helpful to their growth, as well as inevitable, by that point.  And I 
also agree with your theory that in some respects the boys wish they 
had each other's lives.  It's one of the things that ties them 
together, and it's one of the things that could tear them apart.

There's so much that has to happen (and will have to continue to 
happen) for any of them to be even remotely happy ever after.  Just 
like with all people everywhere.  I wouldn't dare try to circumvent 
that.  But wouldn't it be lovely after all is said and done (and 
maybe there's been 10 or 15 wizard years of healing and growing), to 
see them at that big Weasley table at the Burrow arguing over who 
pulled the best pranks and who really was fooled by Lockhart back 
when they were kids?  I think it would make a lovely epilogue myself, 
whether any of them are romantically involved or not.

Conflict is a part of life, and a very important part of fiction.  
And it does a great job of allowing us to appreciate those rare 
moments of peace, joy, contentment, etc. that, in real life anyway, 
constitute happy ever after.

kimberly