New thought(!) on H/H (SHIP)-old thought on H/G

[selah_1977]

No: HPFGUIDX 33059

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> wrote:
>   We've noticed that younger people tend to be more persuaded 
> by the H/H evidence than the older listmembers. My fifteen year 
> old is convinced, so are Ebony's classes. What if this is 
> intentional?  What if the situation that's being set up is that 
Harry is going to *think* Hermione has a crush on him? I can see 
> plenty of potential for conflict in that.


I can go one better, Pip.  If Hermione does have a crush on Harry 
(which we don't know yet), if Harry finds out and it's unreciprocated 
(that bit is canon so far), and if Ron then finds out, there's plenty 
of conflict in that.  

Early last year, Amy did an excellent post about what many R/Hers 
dislike most about H/H and/or FITD... and it made perfect sense to 
me.  Perhaps if I get time in the near future, I'll dig it out.  She 
raised some great points, and if her post is not part of the Pairings 
FAQ, it should be.

I also don't really think that shipper preferences are directly 
proportionate to age.  This is because over a year ago, when I shared 
the anecdote of my "shipper conversion" onlist, it was mentioned over 
and over again that American and British teens are likely different 
when it comes to things like this.  So I really can't use my classes 
as shipper evidence, just as backup reasoning for my own convictions.

I think that personality and past experiences play a much larger role 
in your shipping preference (or lack thereof) than how old you are 
does.


>   But I still hold for H/G as the ultimate resolution...that cameo 
at the beginning of SS/PS is otherwise inexplicable. She's not in 
> the book to be the villain, like Quirrel, she's not there to give 
Harry something like Ollivander, she's not a member of the Old Crowd 
> or a clue like Flamel. She's just the first eligible female Harry 
> sees...

No, she's there in that scene as Ron's sister.  :-)  

A thought about shipper prefs and the order in which you first 
encountered canon.

You know, I read CoS first, and I'm not really sure if I got any 
shipper impressions from that at all.  I do remember thinking Ginny's 
crush on Harry was cute but insignificant.  If anything is the H/G 
foreshadowing volume, *that* is... and yet, no one cites it much.  
(Granted, it *is* the majority of the fandom's least favorite book.)  
I didn't see any embryonic R/H or H/H or anything else in that book 
at all.  

I read PS/SS and PoA all in one weekend, back to back... and the 
seeds were planted for my current state as H/H cheerleader.  I had 
what was then the canon to date read, and I remember hearing the 
fourth book rumors and thinking very vague thoughts of "oh Lord, 
anyone but Cho".  At the time I didn't care half as much about 
shipping as I do now, and goodness knows I never thought I'd spend 
this much time in an attempt to justify how I came up with my ship... 
I was active around the fandom for nearly six months before December 
2000 rolled around and I jumped into the shipper fray for good.

What I am wondering now is whether or not readers' pre- and post-
fandom experiences have influenced their shipper preferences, if they 
have them.

As for book five and beyond... I might as well start saying this now 
for the record.  I shall repeat it at regular intervals, whenever 
this SHIP business comes up, so as to alleviate confusion when the 
fifth book comes out.

I do not expect to see any of my ships in the next book.  I fully 
expect to see more R/H development, maybe Harry/Cho, and perhaps the 
foundation laid for future H/G.  I shall lap up Book 5 as hungrily as 
any other fan.

With that said, I must say that I loved GoF, but I didn't care for 
the R--->H subtext.  One can enjoy just about Anything and not like 
Everything about it.  

These are JKR's books.  If she can convince me... 

*folds arms and presses lips together in her best McGonagall-like 
teacher face*

--Ebony AKA AngieJ