TBAY: Failure, Fairytales, and Hamlet

[Melody]

No: HPFGUIDX 54484

Looking around her bedroom, a single thought crept into Melody's mind.

"I *definitely* need to install that intruder alert thingy on my door."

One would think a hunting werewolf, a carnivorous bunny, Mel's
invisible sword, Grey's assorted battle axes, a house elf with
attitude, the widely whispered dungeon down in the basement, tons of
surveillance equipment, and that thing Pip does (wink) would ward
these people away, but noooooo.

"Want another smore, Derannimer?" Meg asked extending the bag of
marshmallows to her.  They were both sitting by the hearth building
small villages of smore houses.  Melody always like the fireplace in
her room, but Grey Wolf and Pip never let her play with matches....

Cindy sat kicked back on *Melody's* bed with a pillow propped up under
her feet, and she actually had the courtesy to take off her boots
first this time.  "You know, I could get use to this life."

Melody just crossed her arms but stayed balanced on her small part of
the bed Cindy so graciously left for her.  Even though Melody had a
four-poster queen size bed, for some reason the captain seems to need
the equivalent space of a small European nation.  "So," Melody said a
bit begrudgingly.  "We all agree that Harry needs to fail, right?"

Cindy and Derannimer nodded fervently, but Meg looked up with a slight
pained look on her face.

"Mel, Harry has already felt like a failure before with the Dursleys.
 He does not need it now," she said staring into the fire.

"Meg, Harry felt like he was unloved.  Neglected.  He did not fail
them really.  He did not even fail his parents.  He did not blame
himself for anything.  In fact, when he says his grades in school, he
seems to be mildly pleased with himself at something.  The only thing
Harry *thought* he failed at before Hogwarts was *earning* the
Dursleys love which was an impossible feat.  He never did actually
fail.  Kind of like Cinderella winning over her evil stepmother's
heart.  Who can ever love a pebble in their shoes (1).  Once again, he
*felt* like a failure but he was not.  He knows that now.  He never
failed before Hogwarts.  And he never fails now," Melody concluded.

Cindy looked over at the young girl and gave her a stout nod more to
the fact Melody finally finished than in a statement of agreement.

Meg whispered into the fireplace, "I still think he will take the
failure too hard and it is not necessary."

"But Meg," Derannimer said scooting over to play with Meg's hair,
"Harry has been so perfect until now.  He does kind of need to fail.
He is really doing everything right up to this point.  Don't ya think
he needs to stumble a little?"

"Precisely leading to my point," Cindy said sitting up in Mel's bed
and rearranging *all* the pillows to prop herself up against the
headboard while Melody glared a bit at the captain.  "Harry will fail.
 And it will be *BIG*.  So then.  Banging is in order."

Derannimer perked up and finished braiding the bit she was working on
and started another section.  "Tell me captain, what will we be
banging today?"

Cindy smiled evilly.  "Hermione's death at the failed hands of Harry
Potter."

The room fell quiet.  Meg closed her eyes out of respect for the death
of one she loves so dearly, but Derannimer was outraged.

"*CAPTAIN*," she gasped spilling the bag of marshmallows.

"What?" Cindy batted her eyes innocently.  "Oh come now, I presented
my case a while back.  It is quite sound."

"Yeah, and no one agreed with you then, and no one is now," Derannimer
said resuming braiding.

"Actually," Melody said in a small voice but firmly with a slight
smile, "I am more prone to agree with Cindy here.  If JKR is going to
kill off a trio member, I am more incline to say Hermione is a goner."

"Oh for the love of *Mike!*" interrupts Derannimer, rather
rudely.

"Mike?" Melody asked looking up quick and curiously at Derannimer.

"Yes I said *Mike*," Derannimer continued darting her eyes between
Cindy and Melody.  *Mel*--you cannot actually *believe* that!"

Melody cut her eyes up slyly.  "Well I am a MDDT, anti-SHIPping, Barty
Junior loving, no clever bashing in the safe house kind of girl.
Seems the exact opposite of you in fact.  You are lucky I did not draw
my sword at your little 'love of all things screwed up' comment
against MD earlier.  You heard what happened to the last person whose
tongue was quicker than their better judgment."

"You mean you really did that to....to....*Elkins*?" Derannimer asked
wide eyes.

"It was almost as if I could not help myself," Melody grinned, "but
please relax.  I take my sword off at night.  Digs into my back while
I sleep."

"Well, I keep the good old paddle at arms reach at all times," Cindy
said gently stroking the handle.  Melody noticed it was as well
polished as Cedric's wand.

"Guys, as charming as all this is..." Meg groaned from the stack of
pillows she was lounged on, "I really think we should get back on
track here.  Now come you two.  There is no *way* she is going to kill
Hermione.  None."

"Oh I think there is, and no one had proven me wrong," Cindy said smugly.

"And if JKR wants to kill a member of the trio before book seven, I
see Hermione being the most expendable with the least amount of
roughage," Melody said flatly.

"Roughage?" Cindy asked raising an eyebrow.

"Literary tears.  Dishevelment.  The world crashing down.  I mean we
hardly even know *her* parents," Melody said trying to clarify.

Meg and Derannimer chewed on their bottom lip a bit, but did not say
anything, but they were not in the least bit wanting to agree with
Cindy and Melody here though.

"Well, let's shift this a bit," Melody said hoping for a peace
agreement in her bedroom, "let's look at it from this view point.
What if Hermione *was* to die.  Even if you do not think she will,
just suspend that and wonder how JKR would kill her off.  I think
Harry failing in *her* death would be too hard on him."

Cindy looked at her crest fallen.  "What!" she exclaimed.  Derannimer
elbowed Meg and smiled.

"Cindy," Melody bounced up and sat cross-legged facing the captain,
"Harry failing in *Hermione's* death is like failing his sister.  That
is *too* hard for him.  This is a boy after all.  They seem to like to
protect women.  Comes from the stories they read, I think.  And
failing to protect the womenfolk they love runs number one on the list
of things not to do."

John rolled over on his cot and muttered, "If I caused Melmel's death
I would be beyond inconsolable.  In fact, I would be out and out
suicidal."

Melody smiled warmly at her brother while Derannimer and Meg softened
their eyes to looked ever so compassionately at the sleeping boy while
commenting, "That is ever so sweet."

"So Cindy, Harry failing causing Hermione's death would be too hard a
blow I think.  *That* is going too far.  But she can still die."
Melody said with a shrug of her shoulders to encourage the captain
that she still agreed with her and thusly annoying Meg and Derannimer
more.  "In fact, I really think if she doesn't, then she will be the
sole survivor.  So, do you think this will be a fairytale or Hamlet?"

"God, I hope a fairytale," Meg chimed in first.  "Not in that One Big
Happy Weasley Family sort, mind you.  I can't stand Ginny." She
bristled at the last bit.

"But I thought you liked her," Derannimer said defensively.

"Oh hell no, she completely rubs me the wrong way," Meg said shaking
her head vigorously causing her braided pigtails to hit her face, "she
is weak, a threat to Harry's security, and worse of all, being groomed
by Molly to marry Harry.  But back on topic, not that I do not love
Hamlet, but I do not want *everyone* to die."

"Well," Melody said scooting over to reclaim a bit of her bed, "I kind
of want a Hamlet.  This is a complicated moral tale.  Nothing is as
black and white as it seems.  Why would JKR switch on us and make it
good guys win hands down no questions asked just because they are 'good'."

"These are children's books?" Derannimer offered meekly.

Cindy and Melody shook their heads in unison.  "That is no excuse,"
Cindy said.

"You see," Melody said fussing a bit with her blanket, "the stories
that make you think.  The tales that change lives.  The books that
take your breath back and hit you with the obvious that was always
there but never seen until the precise perfect moment are the ones
that manage to find that perfect balance between real life, fiction,
and moral obligation of truth.  I guess I just want JKR to do that.
And frankly, the stories that have hit me that way have been Hamlet like."

"Seems a lot of hope for these little Harry Potter books," Meg said
quietly.

"Maybe Meg," Melody said looking up wiping her eyes with the back of
her hand, "but I do see the potential there.  The potential of JKR
bowling us all over."

"Mel," Cindy said quietly besides her, "I think you shifted to book
seven on us.  Come back to this pressing issue before you confuse
everyone with where you are going."

"Oh.  Sorry," Melody blushed sheepishly.

"Quite alright," Derannimer smiled.  "So, Harry failing.  We all know
he needs to, but in a death?  In Hermione's death?"

"Yes," Cindy said striking her fist to the pillow in her lap.

"Ok, then *if* she is to die, then I want Voldemort to do it,"
Derannimer stated flatly.

"Oh how *boring*," Melody chided.  "I can see it now.  'Die mudblood
scum' and she falls.  Oh yeah.  *That* is bangy.  I was thinking that
she could sacrifice herself..."

"But Ron is the one that does that," Meg said looking up.

"Yes, I know," Melody smiled, "so no one expects Hermione to do that,
so anyway.  Hermione is captured.  See fairly easy to do in fact.  How
does that song go?  Just a spoon full of sugar lures Hermione away?"

Cindy raised an eyebrow at the girl, but let it slide.

"Anyway...she is held random.  Or rather bait.  And they come to get
her, but then there is a choice that must be made, and she seeing what
has to be done, sacrifices herself to keep Harry from having to make
it.  Come now.  Seems fitting.  Valiant.  Courageous.  All the nice
adjectives."

"And Harry could be in the dark.  Wand raised.  Lit by candles looking
for her..." Cindy said lost in thought.

"Ok, nice there Captain," Derannimer stated, "but that is more book
six or seven.  Not five.  Five is too soon for her to die.  The
dynamic of the books is thrown off too soon."

"Well maybe, yes," Melody said, "but really Hermione is kind of
cursorily to Ron.  "It is Ron that Harry truly leans on.  Hermione's
role is more expendable.  Harry does know how to read for himself you
know."

"Mel, she is too needed," Meg pouted.  "You have been warped by Brian
and the Captain too much.  How can you say this?"

"Meg, it will be boring is all that goes on in the trio is they talk,
something happens to Harry, his life is in danger...again, they go to
Hagrid's hut, they talk some more, Harry moons over Cho, Ron secretly
moons over Hermione, Harry get *another* new broom, Hermione acts like
she does not care or notice boys, they all *talk*, they run to the
library to save the day, more talking, small spat between Ron and
Hermione, Draco bothers them like a mosquito waiting to be swatted,
Harry wanders off and feels isolated once again, they *keep*
*talking*.  Maybe I am getting jaded, maybe I am being a bit to
melancholy and pessimistic about all this, but I do really want them
to do *something* besides wander the school acting like...like..."

"Fifteen year olds," Cindy offered laughing.

"Yeah," Melody said blushing again.

A voice from across the room chimed in again.  "Melmel, fifteen year
old boys do shift hormone wise and do start wanting to have girls
around more.  I think you can safely say that GoF is a turning point
socially for the trio."

Cindy and Derannimer looked over at the curly mass of hair that poked
out of the covers while Meg crept over to the sleeping boy.  "Mel, I
thought he was asleep."

"Oh yes.  He is," Melody said.  "He just can carry on conversations
through his sleep.  My mom loves to mess with him, because he never
remembers any of it in the morning."

"Oh I do that too," Meg said enthusiastically.  "But, Mel, can we poke
him with a stick of something?  I want him to play with us."

"Naw, never wake a sleep boy is my motto.  They are always nicer in
the morning after they have their beauty sleep," Melody said
stretching her arms back and yawning.  She was getting a bit tired.
She could never pull all niters.


Melody

(1) quote from the movie "Ever After".

and realized she finally posted a response to Cindy's tbay two weeks
later.  ::blushing::  Sorry Cindy.