SHIP Calculus--JKR site spoiler

[Richard]

No: HPFGUIDX 119843


antoshachekhonte wrote:
> > I'll indulge my inner adolescent here. I'm not a shipper,
> > per se, but I've always felt that the romantic subplot(s)
> > of the series were important and only likely to become
> > more so as the characters mature.

<snippet-ship>

> > So what have we got left?
> > 
> > If Hermione ends up with Ron, the others will sort
> > theemselves out Ginny/Neville and Luna/Harry.
> > 
> > If Hermione ends up with Harry, then we get Luna/Ron
> > and Ginny/Neville.
> > 
> > If Hermione ends up with Neville, then we have Luna/Ron
> > and inny/Harry.
> > 
> > That's it. No other options.
> > 
> > Of course, they might play musical chairs over the
> > course of books 6 and 7. And they may (as I said) pair
> > up with others. And one or more may die.
> > 
> > Still. Gives one pause, doesn't it?
> 

annemehr wrote:
> For symmetry's sake, I like Hermione/Neville, Luna/Ron
> and Harry/Ginny.  It pairs a primary member with a secon-
> dary member and avoids shipping within the trio, which
> leaves HRH free to remain, always, *friends.*  I like
> their friendship just as it is and see no need to mess
> with it. Unless JKR makes me, of course.
> 
> My sentimental choice is the one with Luna/Harry.  It's
> a ship I've always thought would go well.  But also,
> Harry is so relaxed and comfortable with Hermione now,
> and I'd hate to see him get all nervous around her as a
> suitor, just when he's going to need her help during
> the war.  And, yes he probably would get nervous; that'd
> be him all over.  Ron/Hermione, on the other hand, would
> probably just leave Harry bemused, especially if they
> quit carping at each other.
> 
> Shipping within the Sextet -- quite a fleet you've got
> going, and yes, there's a storm brewing...
> 
> Annemehr

darkmatter here ...

OK, so let's assume for the moment that your options are the only 
viable ones.  (Large assumption, but then simplifying assumptions are 
how one arrives at certain classes of proofs ...)  Further, there is 
much to be said for Annemehr's point of view.  But, there is a kink 
to be unwound: I believe at least one of the trio will die, as will 
one of the secondary trio.

For assorted reasons, I think Ron will die.  Why?  Well, there are a 
number of reasons, but it is hard to see how JKR, who ordinarily does 
deal rather directly with some hard subjects, and with deft 
indirection in certain others, would NOT have a serious, knock-down-
drag-out war without some thoroughly central character dying.  Not 
all heroes survive wars.  We have the scene with Molly and the 
Bogart, and Ron's continuing trend of off-hand comments turning into 
real events, and a host of other things.  Of course, it would not be 
uncharacteristic for JKR to throw us a curve on this kind of point, 
too.  But, bear with me ... and feel free to posit alternatives 
without getting too upset with me.

So, let's say Ron is dead, at the end, and there is some form of 
symmetry between the primary and secondary trios.  So, we should 
conclude that one female dies in the secondary trio.  I can't see two 
front-and-center Weasleys dying, so assuming Ron dies we have Ginny 
surviving ... and one dead Luna.  If the symmetry is a primary weds a 
secondary, there is only one possible set of pairings: 
Hermione/Neville and Ginny/Harry.  Otherwise, it must be 
Ginny/Neville and Hermione/Harry.  Both of these pairings for Harry 
are among the more popular alternatives, either puts Harry with a 
woman (after all, when we are talking about eventual marriages, we 
aren't talking about these children as children any longer) who will 
not be a "and spouse."

Neville is, however, a different matter.  either pairing would, as 
things stand, be "unequal."  However, I think we have ample canon to 
say that Neville will not remain a bumbler.  Rather, he will be a 
force in his own right, and an outstanding herbologist.  So, again, 
we might well expect this to be a marriage of equals.

I've always had a problem with the Ron/Hermione SHIP, even though it 
is clear that there is real chemistry there.  The problem is one of 
experience.  I've known a great many people and couples, over the 
years, and the kind of chemistry I see between Hermione and Ron is 
the kind that I have seen produce wild romances and rotten 
marriages.  This is NOT due to character flaws of the parties 
involved, per se, but the fact that the more things a couple has in 
common the more likely the relationship will be durable.  Opposites 
may well attract to a point, but then they can also repell, and 
generally end up doing so if sufficiently extreme.  In the H/R case, 
I see each as respecting significant parts of each other, but also 
having little or no respect ... even a certain contempt ... for other 
facets.  For example, Ron sure seems to think Hermione is well off 
her rocker when it comes to Elf rights, and Hermione definitely sees 
Ron as, at least at times, incredibly insensitive.  The fly in the 
ointment of all this is, however, that these are children, and much 
can happen to change them for better or worse twixt now (OotP) and 
the fictional adulthoods were romances become marriages.

On the H/H versus G/H fronts, I don't see substantial problems with 
either ... except for Harry himself.  Anyone who grew up as Harry did 
will have emotional baggage that will be hard to deal with.  But, 
both Hermione and Ginny arguably will grow to have the tools and the 
experience with Harry to deal with that baggage.  So, I think either 
pairing is realistically workable.  I couldn't choose between them if 
I had to.

darkmatter ... who thinks JKR is sufficiently attached to realism as 
part of the lessons she imparts that she will not intentionally leave 
us with a SHIP that is in real-world psychological terms "difficult 
at best."