[HPforGrownups] Re: SHIP: R/H question for Ebony (was Ron and Hermione do TOO banter!)

[heiditandy]

No: HPFGUIDX 50491


Amy wrote: 
>  I often wonder whether 
> JKR is going to go into the dark, dank territory of betrayal amongst 
> the Trio (e.g. Ron Goes Over to the DEs, At Least Temporarily) or 
> will keep it "all for one, one for all" with only glitches along the 
> way.  I can see predictors for either in "the story so far."


So can I. And to go a little way down the Road Of Making A Canon Point,
I'll point out a few of them:
1. Hermione has occasionally been more concerned with What Is Right than
How Her Friends Feel (the firebolt, for example) - thus, if someone on
the Bad Side like Draco put up a pretense of Moving Towards Good she
would likely be the first of the three to be willing to give him a
chance, which could lead her into a trap if Draco turned out to be Not
So good After All. 

2. Ron has shown himself to have a knee-jerk reaction to follow at least
some traditional prejudices of the wizarding world about house-elves,
werewolves and giants. And really giant spiders, but, well, who can
blame him for that one? Not me, that's for sure. He's also shown that he
can manifest jealousy and transmutate it into feelings of betrayal, as
he did when Harry's name was pulled out of the Goblet. 

3. Harry? Well, it's hard for Harry to betray himself, but he could take
actions, consciously or unconsciously, that make his friends feel
betrayed by him, if he again retreats into himself and doesn't take the
first step to rebuilding bridges if something happens to knock them down
again. While he can be pro-active on behalf of the wizarding world in
general, as well as of his own life (see PS/SS) he's not very pro-active
at working on friendships. Ron came to *him* and his friendship with
Hermione didn't generate, initially, from mutual likes or interests - it
grew out of his being noble and good and brave and wonderful (and Ron
finally getting the charm right (see, I can say nice things about
him!)). 

I do hope that she goes into this territory (and not just because I
think Ron was brainwashed as a child by Peter Pettigrew (it's not a
character flaw, guys! It's like the Manchurian Candidate - he couldn't
prevent it and he can't avoid it now!) on both sides - I'd like to see
some betrayal of Voldemort, other than in the Snape-backstory, because I
think it's a good teaching opportunity for kids and adults alike - it's
the reason I told someone yesterday that if she leaves Draco as a 2
dimensional at-school foil for the next three books, I *will* think
she's missed an opportunity in telling the story. And I'll always wish
she hadn't.


Heidi