SHIP: Why Ron is wrong for Hermione; NOT!!

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48711

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jim Ferer <jferer at y...>"
<jferer at y...> wrote:
> We shippers (or those of us who like to get under the characters'
> skins) never tire of this topic.
> 
> I've thought of Ron and Hermione as a bad mismatch.  The reasons
> have more to do with Ron, IMO, then with Hermione. ... ... ...
>
> Ron is struggling to find a place for himself.  
>
> ...big edited...
> 
> Goodness knows everyone has baggage, but I believe Ron's is the 
> exact wrong baggage for a long-term romance with Hermione.
>
>Jim Fere


bboy_mn replies with the whole hearted defense of Ron:

So, you think the Ron we see at 11 or for that matter 14, is the only
Ron there will ever be. That his character and ablilities are fully
developed now, and there is no hope for improvement? I think not.

There is no chance that Ron could go on to win the European and World
Wizard Chess titles? He's already demonstrated that he is better than
McGonagall, who must be good or she wouldn't have chosen it as part of
her protection against the stone.

There is no chance that an older and wiser Ron, could assist his
brothers in building their joke shop into a financial empire?

There is no chance that Ron will get to display outstanding heroism
AGAIN? He's shown outstanding heroism. selflessness, and nobility in
sacificing his life to help Harry protect the Stone. True he didn't
die, but when he sacrificed himself to the Queen, he had every
expectation of dying. He stood on a broken leg against the most
notorious criminal alive, determine to sacrifice himself before he
would allow his friend to be harmed. Sounds like a real wienie to me
(sarcasm).

Perhaps you think that Ron has only mediocre magical talent. But he
was able to levitate a massive wooden club and defeat a full grown
mountain troll at age 11 USING THE *WRONG* CHARM. He used 'levitate a
feather' to levitate a massive wooden club which implies that the bulk
of the magic came not from the enchantment, but from sheer force of
magical will power. Not too shabby in my book.

You think that there is no chance that Ron may have hidden talents
that haven't entered into the story yet? There are many who speculate
that it will be Ron who ends up Captain of the Quidditch team when the
new Quidditch team forms. There are many ways in which Ron hasn't
challenged himself yet. As he enters his teen years, he, like all
teens, is going to become more his own man, more defined by himself
than his family and friends. Ron has tremendous room to develope.
Harry has been forced into being the person he is, or is defined as.
Hermione has chosen to define herself, although, not necessarily
wisely. Ron has the potential to mold himself into who and what he
wants to be. Ron has the potential to discover himself, rather than
have 'himself' thrust upon him. Personally, I have no doubt that Ron
will grow into the greatest Weasley who ever lived.

Ron is the youngest of six brothers, he's allowed to be a kid, he's
allowed to play, he's allowed to not be serious because he has other
brothers to pick up the slack in the more serious areas of life. 

Harry doesn't have that luxury. He has now and always has had to be
serious, because from the day he was born, his life has been
dangerous. He's never really learned to 'play' and not be serious the
way Ron has. Plus Ron has had a lot of fun older brothers to play with
(and NO, I don't mean in a slashy way); experience is a great teacher. 

Hermione maybe a schoolgirl but she has the mentality of a 40 year
old. She is not exactly the type who is able to or knows how to play.
Probably because she his an only child. The extent to which Hermione
(and for that matter Harry) has learned the simple and productive art
of play, she has learned from her association with Ron. 

Where is the fun in either Harry or Hermione's life without Ron? And,
I don't mean that in the sense of comic relief; I mean that in the
sense of the joy of life. The just plain fun in living. Hermione can
be as serious and as successfull as she wants, but how tedious will
that life become with out any fun? ...without Ron.

Ron is not serious. But he doesn't have to be serious, and that is a
wonderful luxury he has by circimstance of life. That is a poverty of
life that Harry and Hermione share. But Ron is not greedy, he is more
that willing to share the luxury and joy of not being serious with his
friends. Very generous I would say.

So in conclusion, NO ONE say Ron is 'not good enough' on my watch.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

bboy_mn, who thinks Ron too, is hero and champion.