SHIP: couples 'lasting' in the HP world...

[Kelley]

No: HPFGUIDX 13875

> > Kelley:
> > Actually, I can see JKR have some of the characters in 
relationships in books 5 and 6, and not necessarily keeping them 
together 'til the end of 7 and beyond.  Death would seem to be the 
most likely cause of a relationship ending, but yes, there are other 
ways this can happen, too.  What I would expect, however, is that -
whomever- she puts together as a couple by the end of 7, will stay 
together.
> 
> Carole:
> Again I ask, why?  Because that's the way we want it?   Even if JKR 
ended it H/H I wouldn't presume to *know* definitvely what happens 
post book #7.
> There's just no way. <<<<<<<<<<<

No, not because that's the way we want it; what I mean is, that I 
expect JKR to hint (or even say straight out, who knows?) if any 
characters are going to be together romantically after Hogwarts and 
the Voldy war ends.  Just for the sense of closure for the reader.  
It wouldn't seem likely, to me anyway, that JKR will say "Ron and 
Herm did date for a while, but it didn't work out, then she and Harry 
got together and got married..." or whatever.  From the sense I get 
of JKR's work from the first four books, I expect her to not do too 
much juggling with 'who ends up with whom'.  (I absolutely concede 
that she may shake things up in the romantic arena, I just don't 
~expect~ it.)  And, because, after JKR finishes #7, and if there will 
not be any books to follow, then how she has the characters end up at 
the end of 7 will be how they end up.  How can it be otherwise, 
except in our imaginations?

> > Kelley:
> Divorce
> > hasn't been introduced in the series yet, and the only abandonment
> > we've seen is Vold's father and Hagrid's mother.  Since we haven't
> > met her yet, who can say what she'll be like.  Other married 
couples seem to have been together for quite some time, with no 
impending signs of a breakup.
> 
> Carole:
> Yeah, but how many wizarding couple have we met for goodness sake?  
Malfoys, Weasleys, ummmmm....and how many are there in the wizarding 
world?  Come on use your imagination.  Why wouldn't there be romantic 
break ups and divorces?  Not everyone has the *inner eye* as 
Trelawney likes to say. <<<<<<<<<<<

LOL, well, Carole, sure I can imagine ~anything~, but in the HP 
universe, JKR is God, so I can think anything I want, but I'm 
following her story, you know? ;o)
 
> Carole:
> to quote JKR:  .  "Let no one say my books lack realism."

Agree, she has done an admirable job of creating a world that seems 
so real to so many.  Though at the same time, she's not brought up 
divorce in the HP world, so she is being selective, so far, about 
what realities are in the books. 

> > Kelley:
> >So, to me, if JKR really doesn't want to return
> > to HP, I would think that the couples, if any, at the end, will be
> > intended to give us the impression that their 
relationships/marriages will be lasting.
> 
> Carole:
> Why limit her or the story like that?
 
Well, those are just personal differences in how people approach a 
story.  I would like to see her return to the HP world at some point, 
but I don't want to get my hopes up that she will.  Just because I 
expect her to give the impression that some characters get married, 
work for the Ministry, work at Hogwarts, etc., doesn't mean that she 
will.  But, really, you don't think she'll do something like that?

> > Kelley:
> > I know about JKR pulling the rug out and all that, but this 
usually seems to happen within the main storyline of a single book, 
e.g. the 'bad guy' isn't who we all expected it to be, etc.  It seems 
if JKR tries to do this with romantic couples, while that might be 
fun for her to write, it might seem too out-of-the-blue and 
unsatisfying to the story as a whole.
> > IOW, if she's been leading us one way through half the series now,
> > and maybe even more once we get 5, then to suddenly change the
> > couples around might diminish the story's integrity.
>
> Carole: 
> And why would having matters of the heart complicate various plots 
about good vs evil diminish the integrity of the story?  Has she done 
that yet?

Oh, I don't think matters of the heart complicating the good vs. evil 
plot will diminish the story's integrity, what I was referring to was 
leading us to think 'these two like each other' let it seem to grow 
more and more serious, then in the last chapter pull a switcheroo and 
have them wind up with completely different people.  At this point 
(end of #7), there won't be any more opportunity to flesh out 
the 'new' relationships, and to me, it would be unsatisfying.  For 
her to pull that kind of last minute surprise would seem to diminish 
the story's integrity, if for no other reason than that it would 
wreck closure for lots of readers.  Sort of like Jo ending up with 
the Professor instead of Laurie thing.  Some people were fine with 
it, some were thunderstruck.  If JKR does the last minute switch, 
I'll be in the thunderstruck category.

> Carole:
> Can't we trust her to surprise us?

Certainly.  I just hope that it seems genuine, whatever she does.  
I'd hate for the ending to just utterly disappoint me, as I love the 
books so.  (Not that I think I'll be disappointed at all.)

> > Kelley:
> > I've written enough for now, and if my thoughts are unclear, which
> > would be likely, let me know.  I'll try again.
> 
> Carole:
> Maybe I'm just misinterpreting and I do not intend to sound at all 
snippy. <<<<

Not a bit. :o)

> Carole>  I'm just honestly curious.

I'm that way, too.  I couldn't even begin to list the things that 
people on this list have given me new perspectives on.  Let me know 
if this post doesn't help any. ;oD

Kelley