Hermione's Reaction to... Was: Re: Harry's first Kiss (is it a smoke screen?)

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 105870

I, Del, wrote:
> > What I meant was that Ron is always second-best to Harry :

GEO answered :
> Don't forget that Harry still can't beat Ron at chess.

Del replies :
Yep... except that nobody *cares* about that. He's not getting any
kind of honours or recognition out of that.

I, Del, wrote : 
> > Harry's got the money, the fame (even if he doesn't want it), the
> > talent, the better looks, 

GEO replied :
> What better looks? According to the books, fellow has knobby 
> knees and crappy hair and wears glasses.

Del replies :
And Ron is very tall and gangly, with big hands and feet, a long nose
and flaming red hair. None of those (with the possible exception of
the red hair) are considered positive attributes in teenagers. Harry,
on the other hand, doesn't have so many bad traits. Knobbly knees
don't show under wizard robes, unruly hair (not crappy) is often sexy,
and glasses can make someone look good if they are the right type.
Anyway, I wasn't arguing that Harry is good-looking (Pansy doesn't
seem to think so, but then it's Pansy), just that he's better-looking
than Ron, which doesn't seem to be difficult based on the mental image
I get of Ron when I read his descriptions.

I, Del, wrote :
> > and he was supposed to get the Prefect badge.  

GEO answered :
> And you're conveniently ignoring the fact that in the end it 
> was Ron that got the badge not Harry. Besides Ron is the one that 
> has the loving family, probably the friendlier attitude and less of 
> a dark history compared to Harry. 

Del replies :
I'm not ignoring anything, that's even the problem : we readers *know*
that even on the Prefect matter, Ron *was* second-best to start with.
I positively *hated* it when DD said that to Harry.
Ron has the loving family, sure. But we see right from the beginning
that this big family created in him deep feelings of insecurity. In
his family, he's not even number 2, he's number 6 !
The friendlier attitude : what do you mean by that ?
The dark history : Harry didn't ask for it, but it attracts people's
attention. Ron has nothing to attract people's attention.
Let's be honest : Harry is known for himself, for good or bad. Ron is
only the 6th Weasley brother and Harry's sidekick : nobody cares about
him *personally* (outside of his circle of friends and family, I mean).

GEO wrote :
> As something pointed out once, to understand and develop these 
> characters you have to put the characters through challenges, 
> difficulties and heartbreaks. 

Del replies :
I know, but that doesn't mean that the characters have to be put
through every single possible challenge. I would just hate to see Ron
put through *this particular* trial : seeing Harry go out with the
girl Ron fancies, that's all.

GEO wrote : 
> The fact remains that in the story Harry is the hero. 

Del replies :
But that doesn't mean that Ron is "just an ordinary guy". He's not.

GEO wrote :
> He's still a kid. So far most kids start off all wanting to be 
> status symbols of society. No doubt that applies to wizard children. 

Del replies :
Not Harry. Harry is the one who repeatedly, in pretty much every book,
wishes he could just have a normal life, and isn't given a chance at it.
And I don't think that many kids, at age 11, want more than anything
else something they can't get before several years (Quidditch captain
and Head Boy). For an 11-year-old boy, 17 is *very* far away. So to
me, the fact that this is the only way the Mirror can translate Ron's
deepest desire at age 11 indicates that he's got a *very strong*
desire to do something with his life, to prove himself. He doesn't
want a quiet, "normal" life for sure.

I, Del, wrote :
> > and he applied for the place of Keeper on the Quidditch team.

GEO answered :
> That might be because a good number of his brothers have been 
> on the qudditch team, that he's actually a decent Keeper and that 
> there hasn't been a position open on the team since their first year.

Del replies :
Exactly ! He takes the first occasion he's got to prove himself. And
he doesn't take it lightly either : he trains every single night for a
whole week. He *wants* to make it in the team, he *wants* to be someone.

Del