GOF: Ron's a real twit (git)

[meriaugust]

No: HPFGUIDX 110217

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, juli17 at a... wrote:
> I'm rereading GOF, and I've come to the conclusion that Ron is a 
real
> twit (read: git) in this book. I've also come to the conclusion 
that Harry
> doesn't recognize his *real* best friend for who that is: 
Hermoine. And,
> thirdly, so far in GOF, Ron isn't good enough (or at least, not 
mature
> enough) for Hermoine. He's so self-involved and thoughtless--which 
I do 
> know is the definition of your average fourteen year old! Still, 
I'd like to
> smack him upside the head (gently). (In GOF, I'm just getting to 
the
> third task)

Meri: Well, if your best friend is someone with whom you can never 
ever argue with, then how many among us actually have a best friend 
in that definition? I mean, if you can't fight with them what are 
they good for? Besides, sometimes fighting and making up makes the 
friendship stronger. After their arguement, Harry and Ron are closer 
than ever, and Ron is most definately there for Harry in Order, when 
he needs it the most. And remember, it was both Ron and Harry who 
were being stupid about their arguement, Ron for letting his 
jealousy get away with him, and Harry for being to proud to admit 
how much he missed Ron. 
 
> So why is Ron considered Harry's best friend, including by Harry 
> himself? Because Ron's family has taken Harry in several times, or
> because Ron is a boy? I think it's probably the latter, since best 
friends
> are usually of the same sex--despite the fact that Hermoine's two 
best
> friends are Harry and Ron. 

Meri: Actually, I think that Hermione's best friend would probably 
be Ginny. Who knows who Hermione's going to the Yule Ball with? 
Ginny. Who shares a tent with Hermy at the QWC? Ginny. And who does 
Ginny tell things that even her brothers don't know about her? 
Hermione. So, Harry and Ron are probably two of her best friends in 
the world, but I think that Ginny is being undervalued in the BF 
sense. 

Though it's understandable that Harry sees
> Ron as his best friend, I'd love to see him acknowledge at some 
point
> that the one person who has stood next to him through 
*everything,* and
> has proven to be his truest friend of all, isn't Ron, it's 
Hermoine. 

Meri: I think he acknowledge's Hermione and Ron equally, and, like I 
said above, just because you fight or argue with someone doesn't 
mean you should devalue their worth as a friend. And Harry's had his 
tiffs with Hermione, too. In PoA, when she turned in his brand new 
Firebolt broomstick to McGonagal without even discussing it with 
him. That was pretty underhanded, no matter how good her intentions 
were. 

> In the meantime, I have a hard time seeing what Hermoine sees in 
Ron, 
> especially after Molly sent Hermoine that tiny Easter egg. 
Hermoine 
> asks if Ron's mother reads the Daily Prophet, and Ron says "Yep" 
while  
> stuffing his mouth full of his toffee egg. It's Harry who actually 
notices 
> Hermoine's sad expression and quickly brings up another subject to
> take her mind off it. 

Meri: Well, let's think. Ron's tall, good looking (in my 
imagination, anyway), has a good sense of humor, is fun to be 
around, is loyal, sweet (he gave her perfume for Christmas) and a 
good stand up guy in general. So, what's not to like? I mean, yes, 
he's a bit immature, but girls grow up faster than boys, after all. 
And why should Hermione judge Ron's worth as a boyfriend because of 
something his mother does? Not that I think that Mrs. Weasley 
wouldn't be a good mother in law (and she better be, with seven 
kids), but that seems like a silly reason to not have a relationship 
with a guy, because his mom doesn't like you. And remember, Mrs. 
Weasley does like Hermione, she was just clouded by the Daily 
Prophet smear campaign, and I'm not getting into another debate over 
Molly here. 

> These two reactions have been repetitive throughout the books. Ron 
> usually ignores or dismisses Hermoine's feelings, while Harry is 
the
> one who often notices and sometimes tries to alleviate her fears 
or 
> sadness. I don't have strong 'ship preferences for either R/H or 
H/H, but
> I have yet to see any reason Hermoine should go for Ron. (Take 
Harry, 
> you fool, take Harry!). 

Meri: Again, maybe this is just me, but I am a confirmed H/R 
shipper, for a couple reasons. First of all, that is just the 
dynamic that works in these types of stories. You get ther hero 
(Harry), the hero's best male friend (Ron) and the hero's best 
female friend who ends up with the sidekick (Hermy). Secondly, I 
just don't think that Harry and Hermione make a good match. There 
are times when she simply doesn't understand him, and I think that 
someone who has had more similar experiences (like loss of a parent 
(Luna) or a brush with LV (Ginny)) would be better suited for our 
boy hero. And then there's the fact that Harry looks at Hermy as his 
friend, and just his friend. That could change, but I don't see it 
happening. This isn't Dawson's Creek, and JKR has better things to 
write about than love triangles (Harry trying to steal Hermione from 
Ron is a sublot that I can live without). 
 
Anyway, just my two cents.  

Meri