Harry, Ron, Percy and Dating/Relationships

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 26535

I actually thought that Harry and Ron were right in character for boys of
the age they were at the Yule Ball.  Most boys that age aren't wildly
interested in dating quite yet; their female age-mates are, but are usually
interested in boys a few years older than themselves, due to the differing
maturation rates between males and females.  At that age, I wasn't
interested much in dating.  Later on, although I was _interested,_ it was an
activity that was right straight out...no money and no car equalled no
status, and therefore, no girlfriend, at least where I grew up. And some
people actually _wonder_ why I am, shall we say, somewhat cynical about the
whole "romance and relationships" thing...(For the record, when I mentioned
this to some of my high school female classmates at a reunion I attended,
they basically said that I'd hit it on the head---one said that she had
always envied me my way with a phrase).  Being at Hogwarts would have made
_that_ rather easier, at least.

As Ron and Harry get older, their dating technique will no doubt improve.
Also, there is nothing about being female that automatically gives
cluefulness about how to treat a partner on a date---my girlfriend and I are
both much older than HP & Co., and she's pulled some classical Code Stupids
dealing with me.  I have very good reason, though, to believe that I'm the
first person to see her as an attractive woman and not just as an incarnate
mind, so I'm quite tolerant.

As for Percy's love life---have you all forgotten Penelope Clearwater, the
Ravenclaw he was so interested in?  To be sure, there's nothing to prevent
Percy from going both ways, but I doubt that JKR would say that was the
case, at least in the books, if only because so many parent-types are
_seriously_ squicked-out by homosexuality, and she already has _enough_
trouble with rabid religious types who think that she's teaching "innocent"
(of what, the Reichstag Fire?) little kiddie-winks to be eee-ville witches
and wizards.

(Parenthetically, if this is so, I feel cheated---I've read the books many
times and can't even cast a simple _Wingardium Leviosa!_  I want my money
back!  I want my money back!)