Ginny in HBP and a little SHIP Harry/Ginny WAS: Re: First potions lesson

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 145977

kchuplis:
 
> You know, I just don't get why some people even read this series 
if 
> such things annoy them let alone spend any amount of time talking 
> about them. 

Magpie:

You don't understand why I read the series and talk about it if I 
say I hated scene in it?  I guess I'm just as baffled by that 
perspective as you are by mine.  Why should I have to like 
everything in a book to want to read it or talk about it?  Actually, 
I tend to participate in fandoms where when I have something to work 
out.  If I'm just happy with a book there's less to say for me.  

kchuplis:

You *hated* that scene? I didn't feel that any of the 
> Harry and Ginny stuff was heavily over shadowed. I guess I'm just 
> dimwitted or something. I hear people yelling about how it came 
out 
> of nowhere as well as now you saying it was all so heavy handed 
and I 
> have to wonder if I am reading the same series as everyone else. 
It's 
> interesting because as I said I thought that little connector was 
> particularly well done.

Magpie:

That's why we can discuss it, because we all have different 
impressions.  Some people thought H/Hr was heavily foreshadowed and 
I never got that.  It's not written completely dreadfully, but it 
does read fairly obviously to me what JKR is doing in the two main 
ships.  I wish I was you in thinking that little connector was 
particularly well done.  It was a serious eye-roller for me.  

kchuplis:

> What was the "change"?? I have now read these books three times 
and I 
> do not see this huge character discrepancy some of you refer to. 
> Please show me some canon where Ginny has undergone some gigantic 
> personality change because I just don't see it and I'd really like 
> some help on where this is written. Some dialogue, some exposition 
> from the books, just something to help me see your point of view.

Magpie:

Well, it's commented on in the text (Oh, is that why she's 
different?  Because she talks now? ) so I don't think I have to 
prove it was there.  Her speech pattern changes significantly 
between her last appearance in GoF and her first appearance in 
OotP.  I've written more extensively about those two scenes 
comparing the two and breaking it down line by line to show the 
different personality put across in the two scenes, but I don't 
think this is the place for that.  Suffice to say I could tell from 
her very first line in OotP that Ginny's going to be different in 
this book and was not wrong--and since this is confirmed within the 
text by Harry noticing she seems different and fandom discussing it 
and the author afaik confirming that yes, she's not shy around him 
any more so now he's seeing the "real her" for the first time I see 
no reason to not accept that the change isn't there, that the author 
didn't do it on purpose.  I just can't reconcile the two 
characters.  In fact, when people reconcile them for me they often 
seem to go against what the author seems to be admittedly going for 
and suggest the reasons for the change.  Rowling says the hint is 
Ron saying Ginny "never shuts up" in CoS, but HBP Ginny isn't a 
chatterbox either.  She rarely speaks more than she needs to.

I think when people say it "came out of nowhere" and others say it 
was heavily foreshadowed they're referring to two different things.  
The second group is referring to hints in the text that Harry would 
eventually see Ginny as his ideal girl, the first group is wanting 
scenes of Harry and Ginny together where they see a real connection 
between them and can feel the relationship along with them. Imo, 
anyway.

Basically, imagine if in the next book Neville suddenly developed 
Zach Smith's personality. That's what reading OotP is like for me 
with Ginny.  I understand that she's supposed to be the same girl 
and I accept it because to do otherwise is to pointlessly fight it, 
but this particular trick in canon doesn't work for me at all and I 
figure I might as well say that. I see both Ginny's as very 
consistent, just not with each other.  I think it's supposed to be a 
comment on boys and girls growing up and I get that part of it, it 
just doesn't work for me at all.  Believe me, I wish it did, because 
I'd enjoy it more, but liking everything isn't a requirement for me.

BetsyHP:

In both PS/SS and GoF JKR clearly tells us that the *winning* House
determines the color scheme of the Leaving Feast. Slytherin went
into the Feast sure that they had won. And Dumbledore snatched it
away from them. Not kind. Not kind at all.

Magpie:

Ah!  I knew there was a reason we all read it that way.



-m