[HPforGrownups] Re: SHIP: Harry and Cho

[Laura Ingalls Huntley]

No: HPFGUIDX 75523

Kneasy:
>Who said Cedric was loving and very kind?
>He was just the 'boyfriend' of a 15/16 year old >immature girl.
>And from my observations, that doesn't mean a great >deal.
>I think it's a big mistake to ascribe adult feelings >to kids just past pubescence.
>Shock that he's gone, yes, confusion, maybe; but >recovering from a significant 
>relationship? I don't think so.

*raises eyebrows* Yes, because 15 year olds aren't capable of real emotion. Damn straight.

Honestly, regardless of the validity or longevity or "real-ness" of a teenager's love/pain/etc., I know that they at least FEEL real enough to said teenager. ^_~

You call Cho immature. Personally, I found her very mature for her age in GoF, when she refused to shun Harry along with the rest of the school.  Furthermore, I don't think her behavior in OotP counts as a strike against her.  I would go so far as to label it "Perfectly Normal" and even "Predictable". The most telling line occurs on pg. 562 of OotP, US edition:

---
"I thought," she said, tears spattering down onto the table. "I thought *you'd* understand! I *need* to talk about it! Surely you n-need to talk about it t-too! I mean, you saw it happen, d-didn't you?"
---

Cho *is* confused, and while I think she may have been interested in Harry pre-Cedric, I think her main reason for pursuing him in OotP is that she wants to *understand*.  She believes, and *rightly* so, that Harry might need to understand as well.  She's drawn to him because she realizes, intuitively, that they *could* help each other.

It's not her fault that Harry's interest in her is purely superficial or that he can't deal with her as a real person -- imperfections and all.  Neither is it her fault that he's found his comfort in his friends and is unwilling to open up to her the way she needs. Not that it's Harry's fault either.

I disagree with "feetmadeofclay" who says, "Well, you're supposed to hate her (or just dislike her) and think she's ridiculous." I don't think that was JKR's intention at all.

I think her intention was to show how Evil (in this case, Voldemort) can destroy good things and cause GOOD people (because Cho and Harry both are) to hurt each other.  It all ties in with her theme of Evil spreading confusion, discord, and enmity.  The remedy for these things being, of course, Love and all its myriad components (affection, respect, consideration, etc.).

Poor Cho.  She obviously doesn't know how to cope with Cedric's death.  She's hurt, confused, and alone.  I hardly think we can condemn her because of her erratic and emotional behavior.  Harry's really been the same way, hasn't he?  Only he's been taking out his feelings through shouting at his friends, rather than crying on them.

Poor Harry.  He royally screwed up with Cho.  And how could he not have?  It's simply not fair that his first romantic relationship was so doomed by its participants' guilt, grief, and confusion -- not to mention the specter of a dead boy.  It's just too much for a newbie, you know? ^_~

Laura (who would like to make it clear that she is in no way, shape, or form a Harry/Cho shipper.)  


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