SHIP: Harry and Hermione

[Berit Jakobsen]

No: HPFGUIDX 92355

DJ wrote:
It's probably very unfair of me, but anytime I thought of her 
character, I thought of her crying. I definitely didn't think she was 
strong enough for Harry.
 
I also agree with you about her OOTP development as being 
unconvincing... One line in COS about Ginny talking a lot when Harry 
is not around, does not provide sufficient foundation for the sudden 
appearance of this hex-throwing, great Quidditch-playing, boyfriend-
changing, sharp-tongued girl.  Though I completely agree, I 
think the books are probably heading in a H/G direction.

Berit replies:

When reading the HP books (and I have, several times over), I've 
never found Ginny's rapid development i OoP "unconvincing". After 
all, most of the HP story is written from Harry's point of view, and 
until OoP the only thing he saw of Ginny was a blushing, very shy 
girl. He hardly inter-acted with her (or her Hogwarts peers) at all. 
How could he possibly have seen the "real" Ginny behind her crush? I 
totally believe Ron when he says "You don't know how weird it is for 
her to be this shy, she never shuts up normally-" (CoS p. 35). Ron is 
not lying. It's the "childish" crush and nothing else that gives 
Harry the somewhat limited experience of who Ginny is. When Harry is 
not around, canon suggests she is herself; not unlike her mischievous 
brothers Fred and George!! This is very much supported with the 
little bits of information we get about Ginny in OoP: That she 
secretly has been "borrowing" Fred and George's brooms for many 
years, making them *mildly impressed* when they hear of it! Fred and 
George are also impressed by, and have learned to respect Ginny's 
powers and skills when it comes to hexes. Ginny, not strong enough 
for Harry? Just look at how she won't let herself be bullied around 
by anyone in OoP, not even her former "hero"! She sets Harry right at 
least twice as I can recall.

And Hermione gives Harry a very plausible explanation as to why Ginny 
has stopped blushing and being tongue-tied whenever Harry is present: 
She has left her childhood crush behind; she finally realised Harry 
didn't care for her romantically and made a conscious decision 
to "move on" with her life. Now she's finally able to relate to him 
like a friend, an equal. And Harry finally has the chance to get to 
know the real Ginny...

Ginny's development believable? Certainly. Because she's been 
*developing* all the time, Harry just didn't "see" her for what she 
is till OoP. Ginny has always been a toughie, that's canon :-) As for 
the crying in CoS: Well, what would a believable reaction be if 
crying isn't; when you're being possessed by an evil entity but don't 
know; but have a suspicion something's terribly wrong; people are 
being petrified all around you, and you "wake" up with blood on your 
hands... I don't find "crying" in such circumstances a sign 
of "weakness"; anybody would be scared! AND, Ginny's just an eleven 
year old girl in CoS... Does a few tears and a little worrying as an 
eleven year old make her unfit for a romantic relationship with Harry 
at fifteen or sixteen?

I thoroughly like Ginny, she's developing into an awesome girl. "Ron 
with boobs"; that might be true, but it doesn't make her any less 
interesting for Harry; in my eyes :-) And I agree with you; that the 
HP books are heading in a H/G direction. I don't deny it: I'm happy 
about that :-) 

Berit J
http://home.no.net/berjakob/snape.html