A different and totally serious Harry 'ship

[Marcus]

No: HPFGUIDX 98336

> Del wrote:
> Moreover, it's *high time* JKR finally builds a strong, real, 3-
> dimensional Slytherin kid character. So the fact that Pansy is from 
> Slytherin is actually IMO a good point for her.
> 

Marcus relies:
Oh so true.  That has been the weakest point of the series so far,
IMO.  Slytherins being so 1 or 2 dimensional.  We has excused it as
being the POV of an 11-15 year old.  Well, now Harry is older and it
is *high time* he (we) start seeing some decent Slytherin kids.


> Del writes :
> But wasn't one of the major lessons Harry learned in OoP that people 
> can change ? James was a total jerk at 15, and Lily despised him 
> completely. Yet she started going out with him barely 2 years later, 
> and then married him. Why couldn't Pansy do the same ?

Marcus replies:
I couldn't have said it better.  :-)

> Del writes :
> The adverb "beadily" can mean pretty much anything. It doesn't say 
> that Pansy was laughing, or even smirking. It just says that she was 
> looking at Hermione very attentively. Who are we to guess what's 
> going on in her head ? IIRC, Pansy is the one who's accusing 
> Hermione of being a scarlet woman (I love that phrase :-) in Rita's 
> article, so she's responsible for Hermione getting her hands burned. 
> So of course she's looking at her, beadily or not. But that doesn't 
> mean she's happy with what's going on. For all we know, she might be 
> experiencing strong remorse, and be very sorry for Hermione. After 
> all, Harry tends to act the same way in OoP : do or say hurtful 
> things, and then be sorry when he realises the consequences of his 
> words or actions.
> And we also have to remember that the story is told from Harry's 
> point of view. And at the precise moment, Harry thinks Pansy is all 
> evil, so of course he sees her in a completely negative light.
> 

Marcus replies :
This is my take on this scene.  In fact, Pansy asked Harry what
happened to Hermione that she left breakfast in such a hurry.  We have
always assumed it was Pansy gloating, but what if it was remorse?

> Del writes:
> I'm not saying Harry/Pansy *will* happen, I'm just saying it's not 
> at all impossible as far as I can see, considering what we know now.
>
> Del, who thinks it's quite revealing of Pansy's inner contradictions 
> that she was wearing a pale pink frilly robe at the Yule Ball...

Marcus replies :
Here is something else to think about.  Pansy got nailed with antlers
in OoP -- not horns, mind you -- antlers!  Now I am not usually one
for fore-shadowing.  I generally dismiss it as being too woolly and
inprecise.  I am a Professor Binns and Professor McGonagall kind of
guy.  However, this is just too stunning to ignore!