JKR and the boys (and girls)

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 162021

Way back on November 14, Betsy replied to my claim that Hermione and
Ginny must be close friends. Nearly two weeks, one busted DSL line,
and an unexpected trip out of town later, I'm finally responding to
her.  Sorry Betsy, for the ridiculous wait.

>
> >Betsy Hp:
> >  But when it comes to Hermione's big secrets, Ginny doesn't 
> >know.
> 
> > >>Amiable Dorsai:
> > You keep writing things like that.  Why do you think so?
> > <snip>
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Hermione doesn't tell Ginny about figuring out Rita Skeeter's 
> secret, capturing her, or her big plan to have Rita write Harry's 
> story up.  Ginny seems to find out about the DA club along with 
> everyone else (after Ron and Harry).  There's nothing to suggest 
> Ginny knew about the contract being hexed.

Amiable Dorsai:
If these are the kind of secrets you're talking about, Hermione isn't
friends with Harry and Ron either.  Hermione keeps her own counsel,
even when she probably shouldn't, on lots of things.  The fact that
this very secretive person treats Ginny as a confidante, at least
where romance is concerned, tells me that there is a more than
ordinary level of trust between the two witches.

As for the DA, Ginny appears to have been one of Hermione's recruiters.  
	
Betsy Hp:
> 
> Ginny wasn't involved at all in Hermione's attempt to save
> Buckbeak, even after Ron and Harry bowed out for a bit.

Amiable Dorsai:  
Too early.  Ginny and Hermione won't have had a chance to spend a lot
of time together until the summer of the Quidditch World Cup.  Their
rather extensive knowledge of each other's lives only becomes apparent
after that.

Betsy Hp: 
> Ginny isn't involved in Hermione's SPEW (wasn't Neville the
>only other person Hermione was able to get involved?). 

Amiable Dorsai:
Harry and Ron did as little as they could manage; apparently, you can
be a friend of Hermione's without being active in SPEW. 

> Betsy Hp:
> I'm not arguing that there's only one way of writing close female 
> friendship.  What I am saying is that I don't see evidence that 
> Hermione and Ginny are *close* female friends.  Whatever the
> manner or means.  In many ways I'd label them "friendly" rather 
> than "friends". 

Amiable Dorsai:
Hmmm.  I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree.  I can't help but
notice this largish anvil of Hermione's trust of Ginny with
information she apparently shares with no one else, though.  

Betsy Hp:
> when it's suggested that Hermione *does* have tons of female 
> friends, I question. 

Amiable Dorsai:
Tons?  I think Ginny's rather more petite than that.

> Betsy Hp:
> Oh no, I think Hermione wants Ron for herself <g>.  But yes, I 
> totally buy Hermoine as a fan of OBHWF.  And I also agree that she's 
> manipulative.  So maybe Hermione is the first H/G shipper.  (And 
> now she has Ginny fulfilling her purpose...) <eg>

Amiable Dorsai:
Or, maybe, she's happy that Ginny has achieved her own purpose.
> 
> > Betsy Hp:
> > And Hermione's attitude during GoF seemed much more
> > "goodness this boy and girl thing is soo silly" than "this is what
> > hopes and dreams are made of!<3!).  
> 
> > >>Amiable Dorsai:
> > You're going to have to fire some more canon at me to get me
> > to accept that--what I recall is a Hermione who took the whole
> > thing very seriously indeed, to the point where she dolled
> > herself up for the first time we ever see, applying herself so
> > assiduously to the task that her two best male friends took a
> > while to recognize her.
> 
> Betsy Hp:
...  And while she did take some time to 
> doll herself up, she was also very careful to point out that this 
> was not her normal behavior.  

Amiable Dorsai:
I am so badly confused: Either it was a big enough deal that she
radically changed her normal behavior for it, or it was no big deal to
her.  How do you manage to have both propositions be true at the same
time?

Amiable Dorsai