Twins/Percy/Ron/Molly

[moongirlk]

No: HPFGUIDX 36096

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "lucky_kari" <lucky_kari at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "finwitch" <finwitch at y...> wrote:
> The twins target on Percy 
> because 
> > he hasn't reacted yet (except by telling them off) - they want to 
> see 
> > if Percy has emotions.
> 
> I can't buy this. Because Percy does react. He chases them around 
and 
> goes into rages throughout the books. He doesn't answer back with a 
> poker face. Instead, he is always described as turning a deep red. 
> They definitely know he has emotions. The reason they continue 
their 
> tricks against him is that they DO get such a good reaction.
> 

I keep thinking it's actually secret option #3 - they are hoping to 
jiggle some emotional variety out of him.  Eileen is right, he does 
fly into rages a bit more often than any of the other good guys, bar 
Snape.  I kinda think initially just wanted to lighten him up so he 
wouldn't take everything so seriously.  After awhile I think it just 
became a habit, and I kind of see what Elkins is saying about it 
having become more of an antagonistic (I wouldn't go so far as to say 
malicious, because I can't see any actual harm in any of the pranks) 
thing, since now it seems like they actually enjoy getting a rise out 
of him.  But I think they'd  be thrilled if one day he shot back a 
clever one-liner or set them up with some great joke instead of just 
being red-faced and angry all the time.  

Oh - while I'm at it... why do people see the canary cream thing with 
Neville as mean?  I am very protective of Neville, he's one of my 
most beloved characters and I hate that the trio leaves him out all 
the time and when McG was so mean to him about the passwords I wanted 
to shake her.  When I read the bit about the canary cream, I though 
it was great because while Hermione treats Neville with great 
kindness, it also seems rather condescending to me.  To me the canary 
cream thing wasn't Fred and George singling out a "weak" person to 
pick on.  I think at best it was them not differentiating 
between "poor weak Neville" and everyone else who *would* be a target 
of their jokes, and at worst it was them putting out canary creams 
and Neville being the one to pick one up, meaning that they had no 
particular target in mind.  What's more, the incident showed Neville 
in a very good light, as I see it.  We see that Neville is a good 
sport who's comfortable enough with himself despite his insecurities 
that he can appreciate a good joke, even if the joke is him.

So those of you who consider it to be mean, why is that?  Did it seem 
like ridicule to you?

kimberly
still determined to like the twins