[HPforGrownups] Re: Why not Actually Re-Write? Just for fun.

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 180287

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at ...> wrote:
>> So, what if we speculatively rewrite the books, in fact, why
>> don't we all do it right now?
>
> va32h:
>
> Well I've mentioned before that I rewrote the whole darn thing, which
> was really a very fun and therapeutic process.
>
> One of my first changes was letting Hedwig live; Harry sets her free
> with the admonish to take care of herself and come looking for him
> again when it's safe.  I just found it hard to believe that Harry -
> who had been cruelly confined so much of his life - would keep Hedwig
> penned up in a cage once he was free of the Dursleys.

Yeah, I'd keep Hedwig alive too, and have Harry just putting her in the cage 
because they were about to travel, or showing him missing Hedwig because he 
had sent her ahead days earlier.  I'd rewrite it that at least Tonks lives, 
and goes on to raise her son herself instead of leaving Teddy an orphan. I'd 
rewrite it so that Fred lived and the twins would go on to help in the 
rebuilding of the WW through the return of laughter, and have them 
generously fund something, so that Harry's money would come full circle. I'd 
rewrite it so that Snape went through more of a redemptive process with 
Harry, so that there was more of an emotional connection/turn around there. 
I know some disagree with me on this, but I think the way it's written now, 
Harry naming his child after Snape is a mistake- I'd fix it so it was clear 
to all, even Snape-haters, why Harry had such a change of heart. I think I'd 
have Snape die turning on Voldemort- telling him what a fool he's been and 
telling Voldemort off, and then dying for it, rather than as a simple stand 
there and just be bitten like some weak puppet with no backbone of his own. 
I'd actually have Snape go out in a blaze of glory.

The battle would be different. I would actually have a few of the Slytherins 
turn on their classmates to defend Hogwarts, rather than have them all 
blindly follow Voldemort by trying to turn over Harry. Even as kids, I can't 
see them all as young-DeathEaters in the making, none of them able to see 
for themselves the destruction and hardship that Voldemort was causing to 
everyone. (It reminds me of Hitler- in his early days, young people joined 
his cause because they believed it was noble; after the war started and it 
was clear what Hitler's real agendas were, some of the enlightened fought 
hard against being dragged in to fight for Hitler.) So, I'd introduce some 
Slytherins that you once thought you'd never be on the same side with, and 
then have them fighting side by side with the other houses, proving that 
even Slytherins can do noble deeds, and proving that Sorting Hat to be 
correct, that they must all work together.

I'd keep the RoR, Dolby and Creature the same. I'd have Luna's father be 
talking so that you could see his fear for his daughter, so that it was 
clear that he hated what he was doing, but that Luna was his life and he 
couldn't bear to lose her. (The scene would have him in tears, shaking and 
begging them for forgiveness  to understand that he felt he didn't have a 
choice, he was a victim, too, in this situation.)

I'd have to think about the situation of Molly killing Bellatrix- I actually 
liked that scene, but can't see her swearing. I know Ron must have gotten it 
from somewhere, but I didn't think it was Molly, as that would make her such 
a hypocrite.

And someone mentioned PTSD- I would have changed things so that both Harry 
and Cho would have gotten help when Cedric died. I can't believe the WW 
wouldn't have any sort of thing as counseling. Only I might have the 
visiting counselor for Harry be a bit of dud, so that it's clear that Harry 
finds his own way through the situation. Cho, on the other hand, would still 
struggle through the process so much longer than Harry. Then Hermione's 
little speech to Harry about it would have included not only Cho's grief, 
but some measure of wisdom that the counseling Cho got was telling her to 
try and reach out. I think I would have also included later a brief talk of 
Harry to Cho retelling of what happened to Cedric, so that it became a 
healing moment for both of them, and then have them remain distant friends 
but no longer the really awkward split the way Rowling wrote it.

The epilogue would have then included a visit by Uncle Dudley, or mention of 
him, such as note wishing them well on their first day of school. I'd have 
it clear Dudley still keeps in touch with Harry. In the crowd at the station 
a smile and a nod to the Slytherin who had helped to defend the school. Then 
Harry's little talk to his son wouldn't have been such a stretcher as far as 
believability that Harry really didn't mind if his child became a Slytherin, 
because them we would all know that you can be a Slytherin and on the side 
for good. It also would have been interesting if that child had shared in 
Harry's gift of parceltongue, so that placement in Slytherin would have been 
fully appropriate. (Rather than Rowling's musings in interviews that she 
thought that after the whole thing was over the Harry would lose that 
gift??? Which doesn't make sense to me at all....) Luna and Neville would be 
mentioned as a couple, or at least dating later in life, after a period of 
Luna's searching the wilds for creatures. I could see Luna-Neville camping 
trips- he looking for magical fauna and she looking for magical creatures. 
The start of a new school year would have brought them both back to Hogwarts 
to teach classes. (Yes, both of them teachers.)

I'd cut down on the camping scenes in DH. I'd make them more realistic- in a 
past post I had mentioned that it would have been more appropriate to have 
Hermione consulting a book on how to skin a rabbit and have Ron complaining 
that she had missed some hairs or something, and have part of his whining be 
because he missed all of his creature comforts of home that his mom did for 
him. When he came back, I'd have him grow up a bit more radically, such as 
willing taking on chores that he previously bawked at doing. I'd have them 
actually talk to the fellow run-aways at the creek's edge, but a brief chat 
to say that they were all in this together, a brief exchange of information 
that would have given the trio a clue to go further.

I'm sure I will come up with a ton of others. I might even be tempted to 
reread DH, something I had no desire to do before this little exercise, 
because I hated it so much.

Shelley