Weight, race, Peeking, Ships, and others...

[M. Barnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 20786

I didn't read my digests for 4 days, so when i finally got to, 
imagine my shock that I had to read about 200 or so messages!  
Instead of responding to each different one, I took some notes and 
will reply to everything I want to in one email.  Is that ok? :)

Weight:  When I first read the books, and even when I reread for the 
umteenth time, I don't think of Dudley as harry's FAT bully cousin, 
but his bully cousin.  It never occured to me that JKR was being mean 
to fat people.  I still don't think she is.  It has been said that it 
was used to show Dudley with an overabunance of everything and Harry 
with an underabundance.  That's my theory.  I didn't see it as JKR 
slighting anyone.  

Race:  It never occured to me that any race was particularly included 
or excluded.  I never really thought about who was what nationality.  
I guess it is because I was raised in New Zealand and had friends of 
all different races/colors and then moved to the States and lived in 
South San Diego (California) and had friends of even more different 
races/colors.  It never occurred to me to think any of them were any 
different because of their nationality.  Now as an adult in my mid-
20's, ok I'm 24, I know that to some race/color/nationality/etc does 
matter to some people.  I'm just not one of them.

Viktor Krum:  IMHO, Viktor is like a child prodigy that just wants to 
be a normal kid.  In the States, children who show a natural talent 
for something (in most cases) are pushed hard to excel at that 
certain thing.  Sometimes it becomes more of a burden.  Viktor is a 
smart guy and a quidditch ace, perhaps he likes it at Hogwarts (and 
with Hermione) because there he isn't being pushed to his limit by 
everyone.  He is allowed to be himself (although he is his schools 
champions) and that is such a beautiful change for him.  

Crushes:  I'm still totally in love with the guy I had a crush on in 
high school.  He's married (not to me) and I haven't seen him in 5 
years.  But, man, he was soooo cute and sweet.  I think Harry can 
carry his flame for Cho and Ginny can carry her flame for Harry as 
long as they want to. :)

Peeking:  I am a firm believer in reading the last page first.  
However, I have given up that habit for the HP series.  It was tough 
to not peek ahead in GoF when I first found out the TriWizard Cup was 
a portkey, but I was so enthralled that I couldn't turn more than one 
page at a time!

Ships:  I guess I just don't understand the joy of putting different 
characters together.  But I think it would be funny if 
Malfoy/Crabbe/Goyle got caught in a romantic triangle with each other 
<eg>  Which brings me to the next topic ...

Homosexuality:  What's the big deal?  The end.

Harry and Neville:  Now there's a ship ... just kidding <dodging 
rotten tomatoes>  ANyway, I think we'll find that in the next books, 
Harry will have an entirely different attitude toward Neville, now 
that Harry knows about Neville's parents.  I think he'll be more 
tolerant and forgiving of his clumsiness / dumb mistakes / etc.  Or 
at least I hope so.

Finally ... Other people:  I read the first 2 books in October, went 
and got the 3rd and 4th, and read them twice each before Christmas.  
Now, I am waiting impatiently for OoP (when does it come out?  I 
heard Nov. 12th, but that it was pushed back).  I have gone to loads 
of HP websites (love the Lexicon) and read the first 4 books about 15 
times each.  Sick, I know.  I'm only 60% obsessed though (sad).  I 
have spent about $200 on merchandise (and only 60% obsessed) and my 
roomie thought I was completely nuts.  Until the first weekend of 
this month.  Then he finally read SS.  Now he understands.  And is 
now reading CoS.  And can't wait to finish it so he can read PoA.  He 
wants to start a quidditch team in our neighborhood, but I don't know 
if the parents will alow their kids to ride their brooms that high.  
I'm going to start reading them to a friend of mine in about a month 
(he's 42).  The point?  I got a solid convert!  From ok, you need 
help to hey, these books ROCK!  He doesn't think I'm quite as nuts as 
he used to!

My most humble apologies for the incredible length of this, but I 
wanted to cover everything I wanted to say.  Ok, so most of it has 
been said before, but if you think about it, everythings been done 
before anyway! :)

thank you for listening to me ramble (did I mention it is 230am?) and 
please don't send me too much hate mail, although if you want to say 
hi, feel free.

Michelle :)

p.s.  a little background ... I'm 24, but you knew that, I live in 
Florida (hi people from Florida), I'm a firefighter, and I am going 
to be one of the crazy people camping out in front of Barnes and 
Noble when OoP comes out and will also be camping in front of my 
local movie theatre to make sure I get tickets to the movie!!  

m :)

***dang this is long***