I still hate Ginny Weasley!!! ... She's such a 'Weasley'.

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 131755

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, adesahafford at w... wrote:
> phoenixgod2000 wrote:
> > Instead all we get is Hermione talking about how Ginny changed. 
> > It's clumsy writing. We get implausible stories about her taking 
> > out her brothers brooms to practice alone. 
  
> Adesa: 
> 
> JKR knows how to lay foundations and generally writes her characters
well. So I think she has written Ginny like this for a reason: We are
to be as surprised by her change as Harry is. He hardly notices her in
POA and GOF; when she's finally over her crush, she begins to interact
with him in a normal way. He now notices her because they have normal
conversations and Hermione has become closer to her, thus bringing
more contact with Harry. Wow, he's thinking, she sure has changed.
How'd *that* happen? I think the lack of info during Ginny's
transformation/coming into her own in a family of boys is intentional 
> to make the reader as shocked as Harry must be.  
> 
> Adesa

bboyminn:

So, people say the clues weren't there. Just out of curiousity, I went
back and read an earlier section of PoA to see how Ginny was
interacting with people when Harry was around, and the clues are
definitely there. 

Prior to this, whenever Harry was around, Ginny went completely stoic,
frozen by tension. But in PoA Ginny laughs freely in a conversation
with Mrs. Weasley and Hermione while Harry is at the breakfast table
with them. Later, on the train platform, Harry and Ginny share a
giggle and a suppressed smile at how dorky Percy is acting. Still
later, on the train, Harry wants to tell Ron and Hermione about the
things Mr. Weasley told him (re: Sirius Black) but Ginny is there. Ron
tells Ginny to 'go away' and she replies huffily "On, that's nice."
and stalks off. That's not the response of the shy, mute, inhibited
Ginny we have seen earlier. It shows a boldness and confidence not
previously seen

In GoF, we actually see Harry and Ginny engage in normal
converstation, and see hints of a new comfort level and confidents in
Ginny.

As to why Ginny is moving to the forefront of the story, that should
be obvious, she is moving forward to take the place of Fred and George
who are moving into the background now that they are no longer at
Hogwarts. 

So, the signs that Ginny inhibition around and infatuation with Harry
are fading are actually there very early if you just look for them.
Yes, the hints are small and very subtle, but they are there none the
less. I have to wonder it the real problem isn't that the books don't
give hints, it's that readers have so thoroughly and confidently place
Ginny into their own self-defined compartment that they are shock when
that image is broken.

The reason, I don't have a problem with Ginny's change, is that once
we see her, we see that she is as Weasley as a Weasley can be. She is,
in my mind, exactly who I would expect her to be given the family she
has grown up with. 

He primary Weasely characteristics are pig-headed, stubborn,
determined, quick witted, outspoken, confident, independant, daring,
magically talented, and given that she has 6 older brothers, she knows
how to handle and is comfortable aroung men, and has probably been
effectively wrapping them around her little finger since she was two
years old.

I think too, as Rebecca pointed out, that now that Ginny has reached
puberty, Harry is seeing her in a whole new light; a whole new light
that is illuminated with a nice new set of 'headlights' (nudge, nudge,
wink, wink, - if you know what I mean). This is no longer Ron's little
leave-us-alone shy tag-a-long sister; this is a young confident
self-determined young woman, and like as said, she is a Weasley to her
core.

So, given that fact that she is what I would have expected the
youngest Weasley to be like, I'm not that shocked. And remember, her
growing prominence is there to offset Fred and George's deminishing
prominence.

Yes, her change was sudden, and it catches Harry as off-guard as it
catches us, and that should be a clue in and of itself.

As a side note - I SO PREDICTED Ron's reaction to any guys that are
interested in Ginny. Typical big brother behavior. I still see Ron
acting like this when Ginny is in her 30's, assuming she's not married
by that time. In fact, I suspect if Ginny dated Prince Harry or Prince
William of Windsor, Ron would be so... "Who is this Guy?" "What do we
know about him?" "I don't trust him. He's got shifty eyes." "He's only
after one thing!" ETC...ad infinitum.

For what it's worth.

Steve/bboyminn