Ginny's disappearance in PoA

[erised_straeh]

No: HPFGUIDX 35495

Hello, everyone.  I'm really new to this list, so my first hope is 
that I'll get posted.  I have tried to review previous postings, a 
truly daunting task, but have quickly learned that I can barely keep 
up with current postings.  Therefore, I am at grave risk of posting 
something already mentioned.  So here it goes -- oh and it's a bit 
long!

First, let me say that I am a Ginny supporter.  I don't think Cho 
will ever be more than an outsider that Harry is fond of from afar 
(being good at Quidditch is not everything in a relationship) and 
Hermione and Harry would just end in them always butting heads --his 
fame and inherent abilities against her need to be the best in class 
and know everything. 

Anyway, I cannot believe that Ginny played such a significant role in 
CoS for no reason.  And, as JKR has herself said that Ginny will have 
a more significant role in OotP, I can only expect that that is 
because of at least some connection in OotP to CoS.  I've always 
thought CoS was a step out of the progression we see in the other 
three books, so OotP will be where we see it fall into place I think.

OK, so what about Ginny in PoA?  I've noticed a lot of the Ginny 
debate mentions that she virtually disappears in PoA making one 
wonder how JKR can develop her enough to make here a viable choice 
for Harry. Ginny defenders, on the other hand, point out that it 
often depends on the context of her behavior.  For example, Ginny's 
tears at the beginning of the first book are called immature for a 
ten year old, but some have responded that if you look at the context 
(her last brother going to Hogwart's, she isn't going and is stuck 
home with overprotective mom who won't let her grow up and find 
herself) the tears are justifiable.

I think PoA offers another case of Ginny behavior open to multiple 
interpretations.  Ginny gets all shaky around the dementors because 
she has nasty stuff in her head like Harry has nasty stuff in his.  
Stuff Ron, Neville and Hermione don't have.  (That memory charm on 
Neville must have been really good.)  Ginny has a whole year worth of 
stuff, in fact, a lot of which she probably doesn't normally 
remember.  Now, picture a 12-year old who's had barely three months 
to recover from such a horrible experience, still a little shaky, 
probably quickly learned no one could really understand what she had 
gone through and so on.  Then, along comes a dementor, and it all 
comes rushing back and then some.  So, how does she react?  She 
shakes, she cries, she curls up and then she spends the rest of the 
year in class, in her room with her friends, and studying in the 
library.  She's sure not going outside where those dementors are.  
OK, maybe she ventures out for a Quidditch match, but, next thing you 
know, dementors everywhere, Harry falling off his broom.  That's it, 
she's locking herself in her room and not coming out 'til it's time 
to go home. (That's exaggerated, of course, but you know what I 
mean.) We don't see this because Harry doesn't see it.  Harry does 
lack a little in the sensitivity area, as has been pointed out 
elsewhere, so he wouldn't ask her how she was feeling and she 
wouldn't feel comfortable going to him.  She could have talked to 
Hermione about it, but again, that's outside Harry's ken. Thus, that 
is my rationale on why Ginny disappears in PoA, to be seen briefly in 
GoF and to fully, I hope, reemerge in OotP. (Like a butterfly or 
perhaps . . . like a phoenix? Hmm?)

One more thing, hiding may not be a sign of strength, but I just 
think she was trying to heal and those dementors were constantly 
opening up the wounds.  Recognizing her need to heal actually would 
indicate a great deal of self-awareness on her part. So, there you 
go.  Ginny's disappearance is not a sign of unimportance, but an 
example of a character's absence indicating development.  

K