SHIP: Pirate Ginny

[sienna291973]

No: HPFGUIDX 133373

Adagio said:
"That said, here I go: I feel that these thoughts, or at least, 
Sienna's in particular (and this is in no way an attack, I'm stating 
an opinion about myself just as much as everyone else) are a product 
of inherent bias."

Now me:
Hi Adagio, I understand the reasons you say that but I'd like to 
point out that one thing HBP has clearly demonstrated is that 
everyone brings an inherent bias in one way or another to the book. 
(e.g. the least critical fans are likely to be those who have been 
rooting for H/G to happen and don't care how or why) Which I think is 
ironic, given one the main themes of the book is about the way we 
perceive things to be.

You are correct in thinking that I did not expect (nor want) H/G. But 
that said, I was open to the possibility of it happening. The thing 
that threw me was not that it happened (or that Harry developed 
feelings) but the way it happened, the abruptness with which the 
subplot was delivered, and the way the behaviour of the trio changed 
to allow for it.

Adagio again:
"Let me explain. This book, to me, was one of JKR's greater
achievements in planning."

Me:
I'm beginning to agree, but for different reasons I think.

Again, I reiterate, it is not just the shipping (although I am going 
to do a reread and form my final opinions on that then). Several 
things were horribly out of whack:

* Harry was expressive, eloquent and composed. This, despite it only 
being two weeks between the end of OotP and the start of HBP. 
Sirius's death hardly registers. Why?
* Hermione, where are you Hermione? I can understand hormones, but 
Hermione acts out of character. It is one thing to be 16. It is 
another to go from retiring to aggressive in one book. It is like she 
becomes obsessed very shortly after the potions lesson. It's like 
they all did.
* Suddenly everyone is snogging out in the open. In no previous books 
do the trio ever catch an older student in the common room. There is 
a small reference to Ginny catching Percy and Penelope in the broom 
closet in CoS but that is it.
* Harry kisses Ginny in front of 50 people in the common room despite 
being awkward and embarrassed with Cho just the year before
* Harry should not have been able to take potions but coincidentally 
is able to when Snape gets the DADA job – despite Dumbledore 
admitting he didn't trust him up until then to do it? We are never 
given a reason why. Contrivance or something more subtle?
* There is hardly any talk of classes, many things are entirely 
missing. Things we have come to expect and love about Hogwarts are no 
longer referred to. Where was McGonnagal? We only see her once. Where 
was Ron chewing with his mouth full. In fact, we hardly ever see them 
eating. Ron and Harry don't play chess once.
* Harry's scar doesn't hurt him and barely gets referred to. He is 
not affected when Slughorn stares at it.
* Harry's glasses are not broken despite Malfoy stepping on his face. 
Hermione doesn't even visit him when he is in Hospital after the 
Quidditch match (absolutely the first time that's ever happened). 
>From being the first at his side, her obsession to be with Ron 
suddenly takes over.
* Hermione and Ginny argue over Harry – when have these two ever had 
a foul word? Why doesn't Hermione respond to Ginny's rather rude 
attack? Why does Ginny feel the need to protect her territory?
* Even Hermione and Ron's courting rituals seemed off-kilter.
* Ginny could do no wrong. Her Bat Bogey Hex is referred to more than 
once and she is literally thrown in the readers face. When has JKR 
ever lacked subtlety? It wasn't believeable - it was Mary Sue. That 
strikes me as far too amateur to be right. Everything between them is 
perfect – perfect understanding, perfectly attractive, perfectly 
funny, perfectly popular, perfectly charming. There are purposeful, 
in-your-face parallels drawn between Lily and Ginny. But their ending 
was off-kilter. Why does he not tell her about the prophecy? Why does 
he not protest when Ron and Hermione say they are coming with him if 
he's intent on going on alone? Aren't Ron and Hermione at *more* risk 
than Ginny? Would he care less if they died? Why does Ginny only 
manage a `twisted' smile and not shed a tear over their breakup?
* Lavendar suddenly interested in Ron? Since when?
* Dumbledore
 oh Dumbledore
 so much strangeness here. Why wear the 
ring after damaging your hand trying to destroy the holocrux?

And there is much more. The only thing that makes sense to me is that 
there is something afoul in Hogwarts and that it has been embedded 
with a subtlety that is startling. It has something to do with Snape 
and LV's desire to eliminate Dumbeldore and Snape's knowledge of 
Harry and his friends. The trio are almost entirely out of whack with 
each other the entire year, until the very end. And then, when Harry 
looks forward to spending a peaceful day with Ron and Hermione at 
Bill's wedding, he doesn't have a thought in his head about the fact 
that Ginny will also be there.

Unless you are committed to the ships as they occurred in HBP, then 
you can't help but notice the very many strange things about this 
book. I think it is all too coincidental that there are many 
references to potions (love, luck etc), the Dementors breeding (a 
creature that is all about mind-control), song lyrics about 
cauldron's and love, mist, so much out of character behaviour.

Consider this quote from Snape regarding potions in Book 1: 

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly 
believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the 
beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, 
the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, 
bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses....

Bewitching the mind. Ensnaring the sense. Doesn't it seem to reflect 
what HBP is all about?

I could be wrong. It's happened before. :) And like I said, I think 
it is either a badly written and delivered book or a work of sheer 
brilliance and subtlety.

Sienna