OOP: More SHIP than you'd think! H,R,H,G

[Alon van Dam]

No: HPFGUIDX 66136

Dear all,

I'm busy rereading OOP, and am about 70% of the way through. I can't 
believe how much more I'm appreciating the book this time round. I 
suppose that when I read it for the first time, I spent too much of 
it being in a state of constant shock to really enjoy it for the 
great book I now see it is... But you haven't clicked on this link to 
find out how I'm liking OOP the second time round, you want to know 
why I think there's more to SHIP in it than most people have stated.

Plainly speaking, it's just not true that there's little to ship in 
the book, it's just a lot more subtle. I'm not great on quotes, but 
I'll try to support my findings:

RON: Clearly still interested in Hermione: Both times Krum's name 
comes up, Ron gets really jealous. The second one is especially 
telling: "What does she see in Krum?" Ron demanded [...] "Well, I 
spose he's older, isn't he... and he's an international Quidditch 
Player", said Harry. "Yeah, but apart from that", said Ron, sounding 
aggravated. "I mean, he's a grouchy git, isn't he?" (UK-pg.407). 
There's also a couple of other small hints along the way which I 
can't find right now. But so far (I'm at Snape's Worst Memory) I 
counted 5 references to Ron liking Hermione. My favorite is when 
Harry's worrying that he's a bad kisser: "Of course you're not," said 
Hermione absently [...] "How do you know?" said Ron very sharply. :))

HARRY: Is not interested in Hermione. True, he said that he doesn't 
think she's ugly, but that's the limit. The most telling examples of 
this are how completely baffled he is at Cho even considering that he 
likes Hermione (it takes him forever to understand that that's even 
an option) and his response to Hermione upon return to Hogwarts after 
the Date-From-Hell: "Well, wouldn't it have been easier if she'd just 
asked me whether I liked her better than you? [...] Then I could've 
told her that I fancy her [...]". (UK-pg. 505) In no place in this 
book have I found any evidence for Harry having any interest in 
Hermione. (But, then again, the only two bits of 'evidence' I've ever 
found for that are his reaction to the kiss-on-the-cheek in GoF and 
his hand-fondling in the movie of CoS, which isn't exactly what we 
can call canon). I think that Harry was just infatuated with Cho 
until after he realises that he just can't deal with her and is quite 
incompatible with her (not to mention the absolutely boorish way he 
handles things with her) and has had other things on his mind than 
girls.

HERMIONE: Shows partial interest in both Ron and Harry, it can be 
argued. Yes, though it pains me to say it (I'm a real R/H-shipper. 
After OOP, even a OBHWF-er, though I /know/ that JKR won't let us 
have /that/ happy an ending) Hermione /has/ shown evidence of 
interest in Harry in this book (and this book only!) The best 
evidence is on UK-pg. 404/405 - where Hermione seems almost jealous 
at Cho? After rereading the scene thrice, I don't take it as 
seriously as most people do, but she definitely does speak "in a 
businesslike manner", "briskly" and "absently" (the last when saying 
that Harry's not a bad kisser). Her interest in Ron is well-hidden 
but, in my opinion, certainly present. Her blushing when she learns 
that Ron became a prefect and standing up for him then: "No," said 
Hermione, blushing harder than ever, "no it's not... Ron's done loads 
of... He's really...". (I am aware of the fact that it could be 
explained as her embarassment for being so baffled at Ron's 
prefectship, but I think it's some of both) is given as an example, 
as is her sticking up for him in the Quidditch-thing and checking his 
homework for him. What I think is more telling, however, is her 
reaction whenever Ron mentions dealing with girls. She gets 
enormously hyped-up whenever he talks about girls: On UK-pg. 405 most 
notably: "Ron, you are the most insensitive wart I have ever had the 
misfortune to meet.", but, far better is the following (at least, I 
like it): "Harry, you're worse than Ron... well, no, you're not," she 
sighed. (UK-pg. 505) This happens an additional twice throughout the 
book (so far). What I make of this is that she does, in fact, have 
some interest for Ron and is very, very disappointed in his way of 
handling it. Remember how upset she got with what he said about girls 
before the Yule Ball in GoF? I see this as a continuation thereof: 
She'd like him to do *something*: Show interest or whatever. But 
he's, well, a guy ;) I don't really buy into her interest for Harry, 
though it is more pronounced here than before. She seems really 
willing to give Harry and Cho space to be alone together and really 
does seem to want to help Harry. In other cases (which I won't quote 
right now, though a good one is on pg.504) she seems genuinely 
pleased that he's going out with Cho.

GINNY: Ah, I really liked Ginny in OOP. She's growing up to become a 
powerful witch, a good flier and quite the flirt. Ginny has let go of 
the crush on Harry and is now expanding her horizons a bit. First 
Michael Corver, then Dean Thomas. She's just 'windowshopping', I 
think. Enjoying the fact that there are plenty of guys who /do/ like 
her and this is clearly building her confidence. I don't think she's 
seriously thinking of a long-term relationship at this point, but did 
see lingering hints of affection for Harry in OOP. I can really see 
the two of them getting together in book 6 or (more likely) 7. With 
the crush out of the way, the road is clear for them to develop a 
closer bond of friendship. Ginny has shown her value many times in 
OOP and I can only see her getting closer to HRH in the next books 
(just as Neville, actually). As I've stated in an earlier post:

>Best of all: She lost her crush on him! Something which should make 
>her so much more attractive to him. ("Why doesn't she like me 
>anymore?" "Hey, she's supposed to have a crush on me, not date Dean 
>Thomas!", etc. are very likely irrational thoughts in the domain of 
>luv).

I should know: I've had these kinds of thoughts, and I've had girls 
whom I had a crush on have these thoughts about me. (With one of whom 
I later got together and had a wonderful relationship with for over 
two years)

I'd really appreciate any comments and or thoughts about what I've 
written here :)

Goodnight :)
Alon