For ever or just till Book Seven-Ships

[brwneil]

No: HPFGUIDX 146339

Has HBP really brought the shipping debates to a conclusion in the 
Harry Potter series or has JKR simply led us all to a false sense of 
finality?  Don't get the wrong idea; I'm not suggesting for a minute 
that a wild turn around is about to take place and that suddenly the 
series will end up H/Hr. Honestly, I must admit that I find them 
better suited as a couple, but my head is still hurting from all the 
anvils it has come in contact with.  Plus, the R/H fans would have 
JKR's head if she were to even consider such a dramatic change after 
the infamous interview.

My question is, are these the final couplings or could changes still 
take place?  No one bothered in the interview to ask Rowling if Harry 
and Ginny will get back together after the defeat of Voldemort or 
whether Ron and Hermione are a `till death do us part' couple.  It 
seems everyone just assumes this to be the case.  I hate to assume 
anything with JKR.

On one hand they are only 16 years old in HBP, odds are against 
finding your sole mate at that age.  On the other hand this is the 
wizarding world and unless you marry a Muggle, you choice options are 
rather limited. Molly and Arthur meet at Hogwarts and remained 
together, as did James and Lily.  

If I were reading a book by any other author, I'd immediately expect 
Harry to save the day and then return to the open arms of his 
sweetheart, Ginny, who would be waiting patiently for him.  Of 
course, JKR isn't just any author and doesn't like the traditional 
endings.  As an example, how often does the sidekick in a story end 
up with the heroine?

Obviously any coupling depends on the character or characters 
surviving the series.  With JKR, this is certainly not a given, but 
lets not even go there. Rather, first let's discuss Harry and Ginny.

They obviously liked each other in HBP and for the two weeks that 
they were together seemed quite compatible.  My biggest problem with 
Ginny is that JKR made her out to be a super groupie in both SS and 
CoS.  She was in `love' with Harry before she ever even really met 
him.  I have trouble seeing the point at which the infatuation turned 
to the real thing.  Another problem is that although she claims to 
have never given up on Harry, she certainly had no problem snogging 
Dean at every opportunity.  Ginny went quickly from one boy to 
another and then to Harry and didn't seem that awfully upset with him 
for breaking up with her.  What has JKR done to show that this 
relationship was special and will last?  We never got to see them 
interact in the book as we had Cho and Harry.  

I hate to see Harry get hurt, but if Rowling really wants to surprise 
us and at the same time add more torment to poor Harry's life, then 
Ginny won't be waiting for him.  She will have gone on to a new 
boyfriend, perhaps several.  Personally I'm into long shots and would 
like to see Ginny eventually wind up with Neville.

Now lets discuss Ron and Hermione.  I saw all the hints and I 
understand JKR wanting to be different and have the sidekick get the 
girl, but just deciding to do something in a book isn't enough; you 
need to get the readers to buy into it.  I realize this isn't a 
romance novel, but how often in a book where romance is involved do 
you find such a heated debate as to who should be with whom.  The 
writer's job is to make the readers buy into the relationships she is 
writing.  I think here JKR failed.  Even many people who saw the 
Ron/Hermione relationship coming will agree that they are not 
compatible.  My own feeling is that Rowling got carried away with the 
bickering and just over did it.  It was funny at times, but at other 
times became hurtful.  As a reader who loves the character of 
Hermione, I often wanted to punch-out Ron.  If Ron and Hermione are 
truly to be together and make it as a couple, one of them is going to 
have to change dramatically and honestly I hate to see either of them 
change that much.  I like their differences, but feel those 
difference are too great for a lasting stable relationship.

Then there is always the possibility that Rowling has no intention of 
their relationship lasting.  They might simply be going to be the 
comic relief for book seven.  Book seven is undoubtedly going to be 
the darkest and most serious of the series.  In book six, I sorely 
missed the twins; the only amusement in the book came from Ron and 
his antics with Lavender.  Without the twins' shananigins or Ron and 
Hermione fighting, there would seem to be little opportunity for 
laughs in book seven.  I wonder at times if perhaps the two were only 
brought together so that we can enjoy the amusement of them fighting 
as a couple and then breaking up in book seven?  Only Rowling knows 
for sure.

A part of me hopes that all three of our favorite characters end up 
the series unattached.  It would be like no ship winning and every 
ship winning and fanfiction writers could battle it out forever 
more.  Only time will tell.  I'd be interested in others' opinions as 
to whether they think H/G and R/H are final life long pairings.  

Neil