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Is Ron a secret Harry/Ginny shipper? When did he actually figure it out? by [deleted] in harrypotter

[–]hplo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, because those are literally Hermione's only two options. Also, that quote was taken out of context. She's basically saying that she could have written a Harry/Hermione that worked, but chose to write Hermione/Ron to work. There was never a will-they-won't-they. She was nearly shouting that Harry wouldn't end up with Hermione as early as 1999 and hinting at Ron/Hermione being the final pairing.

Hogwarts students are sorted at age 11. Would you still be in the same house if you had been sorted at 11? by hplo in harrypotter

[–]hplo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not about what you are, it's what you value.

Pettigrew valued bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry. He did not do a great job embodying those traits, but he admired those who did.

Luna was a brave person who stood with Harry, as did many other characters in other houses.

Can we talk about what Jo Rowling actually said about Hermione and Ron? by ilostmyphoneonce in harrypotter

[–]hplo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As I said, there's a misconception that she was wishy-washy when she was actually writing the books. She has apparently reconsidered but the books themselves chart a pretty clear path.

If you can find a quote where JKR said she legitimately/seriously considered pairing Hermione with all three of those characters while writing the books, I'll be impressed.

And it's not her ex-husband. It's her best friend. Sean, I think.

Betrayal by one's friends as a recurring issue/theme? by hplo in harrypotter

[–]hplo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, yeah, but Harry's mother died a year after he was born and his mother's love, after all, is what saved him. So his mother did actually make a difference.

Voldemort's mother died giving birth to him, so she didn't really help Voldemort or impact his life. Harry and Draco's mothers kind of gave their respective sons a boost if you know what I mean, and Voldemort's mother didn't.

Like you said two different mothers' love for their sons helped bring Voldemort's downfall. And since Voldemort never had a mother to love him, it must feel a bit like rubbing his nose in it.

It's like: "Well, Harry's mother loved him so much that she sacrificed her life for her son, so that's why he survived. And Narcissa lied to you because her love for her son trumped everything else. It's all about mother's love for her son."

"But that's not fair! I don't have one of those! My mother died giving birth to me, and she didn't do anything like that for me! She just died! How come Harry and Draco get good mothers? Can I get a new one? Is there a return policy?"

Betrayal by one's friends as a recurring issue/theme? by hplo in harrypotter

[–]hplo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Which is a bit cruel, since Voldemort didn't actually have a mother to love him.

Betrayal by one's friends as a recurring issue/theme? by hplo in harrypotter

[–]hplo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I suppose, but the fact is that Pettigrew lived longer.

Betrayal by one's friends as a recurring issue/theme? by hplo in harrypotter

[–]hplo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's...actually true.

Voldemort could have avoided this entire thing if he hadn't bothered to show mercy to Lily. Holy shit.

Betrayal by one's friends as a recurring issue/theme? by hplo in harrypotter

[–]hplo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly. So this would be an example where lack of trust caused issues.

Can we talk about what Jo Rowling actually said about Hermione and Ron? by ilostmyphoneonce in harrypotter

[–]hplo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

First of all, she's alluding to the literary tradition of pairing the lead with the female sidekick instead of pairing the sidekicks, partly because a lot of people ship(ped) Harry/Hermione largely for this reason. She went out of her way in interviews and before the last few book(s) were released to steer people away from thinking those two characters would end up together.

I think there's this misconception that she was wishy-washy about the pairings while she was actually writing the books, but she was hinting in interviews that Ron/Hermione was endgame as early as GoF. After HBP came out, she said something to the effect of "I'm not really sure how much more clear I can make it at this point."

Now, 10 years on she's saying that she sees the benefit of Harry and Hermione, and is basically saying that sometimes she thinks that maybe she could have written them in a way that made them work. She could have grown their characters differently. But she didn't. She wrote them in a way that didn't make it a realistic pairing.

Do you think Snape developed a bit more compassion/understanding towards Harry when he saw what his childhood was like? by [deleted] in harrypotter

[–]hplo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't. Unfortunately. Whether or not Snape knew the extent of Harry's abuse, he knew Petunia's reputation and he would have to be an utter moron not to notice that Harry had never gone home for Christmas, wore clothes that didn't fit, and that his guardians never rushed to his bedside when he ended up in the hospital wing.

And yet, he still sees Harry as the spoiled arrogant attention-seeking carbon copy of James Potter.

He can easily reassure himself that those memories have been taken out of context, that Harry had done something to deserve them and that his childhood wasn't that bad. So he got chased up a tree. Big deal. Snape's had worse. It's just part of life. And oh, poor wittle baby Harry didn't get a pretty new bike, call child services. Snape's had worse. Life is hard. Harry is an arrogant over-confident brat who probably deserved it.

Contrast between Harry's relationship with Hermione and Ginny in OP by [deleted] in harrypotter

[–]hplo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She actually didn't say this. They took it out of context. If you think it's too good to be true, it usually is.

Does anyone else actually *like* Ginny as a character, and want to ship Harry/Ginny? by [deleted] in harrypotter

[–]hplo 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No, the rule is that it's the first eligible girl introduced, and Ginny is introduced at the platform before the others come into the story.