SHIP: More Comments on Various Threads (lots on Ginny)

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 15529

Hi --

catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk wrote:

> Sorry Penny, I still dispute this.  There is more than one instance
> when Hermione mentions trying to mediate between the boys and makes
> it clear that she has spoken to Ron.  And she isn't described as
> being with Harry all the time.  I've just reread the whole of that
> section and there are numerous times when she isn't with Harry - it's
> just that this gets clouded by the help she is giving him with the
> first task, and that he needs someone to talk to re. the Sirius
> situation.

I think it's a bit more than just helping him with the First Task.  She
also apparently eats all her meals with him (he eats alone when she is
in the hospital wing getting her teeth fixed).  It appears that they
walk to classes together -- at least those that they share.  They sit
together in classes that they share.  They spend time in the library
together.  So, maybe she did spend some time with Ron, but we don't have
that overwhelming impression.  Or, at least I don't.  If Harry
occasionally noticed that Hermione was with Ron or he thought to himself
that he wished she wasn't eating lunch with Ron because now he's stuck
eating lunch with Colin Creevey, then I'd have a different impression.
But, my read says that Harry is either alone or with Hermione.  So,
maybe she's with Ron everytime Harry's alone.  That's possible, but it's
conjecture.

Bbennett said:

> I think we're getting confused on the scene we're discussing. Heidi
> did make a good point on the scene where Harry notices that Hermione
> looks furious; she could very well have already been furious and he
> just hadn't noticed yet. The semi-colon scene is different <snip>
>
You are, of course, right!  :--)  I didn't go back & distinguish that in
my mind before commenting.  Mind you, I still think Hermione despised
Fleur from the beginning & her dislike has nothing to do with romantic
feelings for Ron.  The semi-colon debate isn't all that convincing to me
but ....

> Cassie: (And JKR did say everyone would fall for the wrong people in Book 4. *cough* Ron *cough*).>
>
> Am I remembering wrong? I thought JKR said this specifically in
> relation to Harry (something like "People tend not to fall for people
> who might be good for them; therfore, Harry will not fall for Ginny
> or for Hermione"). I tried to track back through the chats at
> HPGalleries; I couldn't find it,
>
She did say in at least one pre-GoF interview or chat that all the
characters would fall for the wrong people.  The context had something
to do with them all becoming adolescents, hormones raging ... that sort
of thing.  I could dig it out, but it would take time .... time I don't
have.  Under this logic, I suppose there's not much hope for my
Neville/Ginny theory, which I quite like.  :--)

> Penny wrote:
> > But, there've been lots of posts "reminding" us H/H shippers how
> > silly we're being.  Ron *clearly* fell for Hermione in GoF,
> >don't 'cha know.  Hmmmm.......
>
> Bbennett: Penny, I promise I've never doubted most H/Hrs know this, and I think
> I speak for most R/Hrs. I posted on this in the past, but only in an
> attempt to sway someone who stated she saw no evidence of Ron's
> attraction.
>
Oh, I know *you* know that, B!  :--)  I was just thinking about all the
newbies who join the group & say things like "Well, R/H is the way JKR
is headed.  Ron clearly likes Hermione!"  As if the H/H types hadn't
thought of that one already!  I'm anxious for the Romance FAQ to be
uploaded somewhere so that we don't have to rehash the same old, same
old every few weeks as a new upsurge of members join in.

> But I think maybe when Naama says "falls for", she
> means "consciously shows an attraction for". Ron seems to acknowledge
> an attraction for Fleur (or at least be really, really embarrassed he
> asked her to the ball); he doesn't consciously acknowledge that he
> likes Hermione.
>
I agree.  I really am mainly kidding about Hermione maybe being Ron's
"Ms. Wrong" for purposes of Book 4, but there is a straight-faced
argument that can be made on that score.  I suspect JKR meant Cho, Fleur
& Krum to be the "wrong" ones for our Trio.  But, Fleur is a bit
debatable.

I agree with Carole -- I deleted the original post, but we "quiet girls"
are not all passive types!!

Amy Z wrote:

> Thanks.  Flattery will not release you from having to give evidence .
> . . though having 2 weeks 'til delivery might.  I would really like to
> know what you think we know about Bill.  Seems friendly; like Molly,
> unhesitatingly supports Dumbledore and jumps into the fray; breaks
> curses for a living, wears unstodgy clothing; was a good student; what
> else?
>
He seems fun, unconventional, responsible .... Hmm.  Now, you've made me
think.  Here's what I think.  I think Bill is a fully-formed adult
character, whereas Ginny is still very young (not a fully-formed person
yet).  We don't meet Bill or Charlie until GoF, but I feel like I know a
little something about each of them as people.  I have an overall
*positive* impression of both of them.  In contrast, I mainly have an
overall *negative* impression of Ginny.  It's not an impression that
couldn't be changed with some good character development.

Ginny is still a bit shadowy in my mind.  In PS/SS, she's just a whiny
little girl with almost no lines, let alone character development.  In
CoS, she's shy around Harry ... blushing, dropping her elbow in the
butter dish .... then falling prey to Riddle's diary.  She does have
that moment in the bookshop where she sticks up for Harry - this shows
an glimmer of gumption.  But, at the end of CoS, we're left again with
the image of Ginny sobbing in Molly's arms.  In PoA, Ginny turns red
when she sees Harry.  She experiences anxiety on the train in the face
of the Dementor -- probably residual from the Riddle experience.  Is
Ginny ever mentioned again in PoA?  If so, nothing springs to mind.  Oh
yeah, blushing, she brings Harry a singing get-well card at one point.
In GoF, Ginny is actively excluded from the Trio's activities, both at
the Burrow & at the World Cup.  She does indicate she thinks Bill's
earring is cool so maybe a little of fanon Ginny is peeking through
there.  <g>  Then, we have Ginny's one shining moment in the pre-Yule
Ball scene.  We see her wincing when dancing with Neville.  Is she
mentioned again after that?  She's not with Bill, Molly, Ron & Hermione
when they come in search of Harry.  She's not with the Trio & twins on
the train trip home.  If she's seen after the Yule Ball scene, I can't
recall it.

I guess I just focus on negative traits when I think about Ginny.  Maybe
it's my own bias against her faults.  I see some of my younger self in
her actions, and it's a side I've outgrown & don't much care to
remember.  So .... consequently, I don't like her character much.  And,
I definitely don't think she's a strong enough character to be the
love-interest of Harry, the hero.  Not at this point.  She might become
a strong enough character, but I do remain skeptical that this will
happen.  For one thing, I don't know how they move past the fact that
Ginny has had a long-standing hero-adulation crush on Harry.  It has to
move past that for it to be a believable romance, and I think that would
be hard to pull off convincingly.  The crush has been a bit annoying for
Harry at times (the Valentine scene for example).  I don't know -- I
just don't see it.

I find it fascinating that there are people who not only like Ginny but
see all kinds of different things in her character.

Penny




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