Ginny's best friend (Was: Pansy Parkinson (Was: House characteristics))

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 150859

> >>Amiable Dorsai:
> So... Hermione chose, as the only person she trusted with the 
> identity of her Yule Ball date, a casual friend, not someone she, 
> you know, felt any special connection to?
> And the casual friend just sat on the juiciest bit of gossip in 
> all of Gryffindor Tower?
> Without signing anything?

> >>Magpie:
> Oh, I think they're more than casual friends--I've been noting     
> Hermione and Ginny's relationship throughout the discussion.      
> Hermione is one of the important people in Ginny's life and we     
> know it.  I always think of them as sisters-in-law.

Betsy Hp:
I think that's a good way of looking at it.  Hermione is sort of an 
older sister to Ginny.  After all, barring any unfortunate deaths, 
they will most likely end the series as sisters-in-law.  And yes, 
when either is in the mood or has a need for some female 
companionship, they turn to each other.

> >>Jen D.:
> This round and round about "friendship" got me to thinking. It    
> seems that Hermy and Ginny have a great friendship but they       
> understand the boundaries. And has anyone mentioned that Hermione 
> gave Ginny a winning strategy (took years to execute but worth    
> waiting for...) in order to get Harry's notice? Each girl has her 
> own circle and sometimes, many times, they intersect as well and   
> it seems to have grown over the years. That's why it was such a   
> cruel and surprising thing when Ginny snarled at Hermione not to  
> pretend she understood anything about quidditch. 

Betsy Hp:
Eh, I'm not sure I'd call it a "great friendship".  Not with Ginny 
so clearly on outsider status.  Hermione knows *all* of Ginny's 
secrets, but Hermione doesn't share equally with her.  We know this 
because Ginny is so often kicked out of Trio business, and she never 
has the expectation that Hermione will fill her in.

It's just not an equal relationship.  Ginny is too much the little 
sister, even after she started dating Harry. (Possibly because 
Hermione feels she "arranged" for Ginny to land Harry?)

> >>Jen D.:
> <snip>
> If we say the girls are or aren't friends for one set of facts,    
> occuring at one time or the other, we lose sight of the whole     
> organic process.
> Jen D. (wishing she could have been this mature about friendship   
> in her teen years!)

Betsy Hp:
See, that's the thing that's bothering me, what got this whole post 
started, at least from my end.  Because, no, Hermione is not an 
example, to my mind, of a mature and well-rounded girl that little 
girls should strive to emulate.  And her friendship with Ginny is 
not an example of a "mature" view on friendship to my mind.  

There is something sisterly about their relationship, but it's 
sisterhood in the teenage years, when you say ugly things to each 
other, and the power differential can be at its peak. (One thing 
leading to the other, I'd imagine.)  Ginny is there when Hermione 
needs her, but she can be quite safely booted when Hermione is 
playing with her same-age friends. 

Honestly, I think I'd label Ginny and Hermione's friendship as quite 
immature.  Especially if we're supposed to take them as best friends.

But, I think this probably comes down to different strokes for 
different folks, and something upon which I realize JKR and I do not 
see eye to eye.  Which means I'm probably seeing her characters in a 
different light than she means for me to.  (Like the twins, and 
Molly, and the whole Weasley clan, really.) 

Betsy Hp