(no subject)

[hpraremod]

Discussion Question #4
Here is a tough one for you. If you could change one thing in the Harry Potter books, what would it be and why?

Comments

[magic-knickers.livejournal.com]

From an academic standpoint, I love Rowling's parallels. All of the Marauders die in the reverse order of how they're listed on the map, Harry/Ginny (don't even get me started on them both being posessed by Voldemort at one point, because that was a stroke of genius) in relation to James/Lily, the father figures all dying, Teddy left an orphan like Harry--it's all brilliant, I like the ties because that's how I think, but. I don't know. A lot of it felt forced or odd or badly placed. I just feel like a lot of it was sort of unnecessary and heartbreaking. I saw Lupin's death coming at the end of Order of the Phoenix and I was still just torn up about it when it actually happened.

With that said, if I could only change one thing in the entire series, it would be the endgame pairings. A lot of them are unrealistic and forced, for one. Draco/Astoria, Rolf/Luna, and Neville/Hannah make more sense than school sweethearts being happily married for however many years. And to make it so final, what with the epilogue firmly in place, really bothers me. Harry couldn't have gone soul-searching and found some Muggle girl or something equally random? Ginny couldn't have fallen in love fifty more times before settling with Neville? Ron couldn't have dated Pansy or Cho or Gabrielle? Hermione couldn't have fallen for Remus or whoever (oh, I ship Remus/Hermione so hard)? So, I guess I want the epilogue gone.

[theshadowpanther]

Agreed. We just don't see what happens in those 19 years, and then what we do see is too pat to swallow. Argh.

[magic-knickers.livejournal.com]

To this day I can't seem to force the epilogue down. Really, it has not gotten easier.

[nevrafire.livejournal.com]

erm... not everyone has to go and date 20 people before they settle down.
a lot of people maybe, but not everyone.

I definitely dont see harry or hermione on the dating pool. Hermione is high maintenance self'righteous and bossy (but i love her to bits anyway) and Harry would be wondering if the girl want to date him because he's the boy who lived-chosen one-the one who defeated voldemort.

but i totally agree on the others. Neville-hannah? totally random! like they dont even talk to each other in the books, and were supposed to believe they got together like Poof!

[magic-knickers.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying they all should, but it seems equally unrealistic for them to all end up together.
I always liked the idea of Harry alone, oddly enough. Rowling wouldn't have done that, though, and I haven't come up with an alternative I'm totally happy with. On Hermione--I agree with your assessment of her personality, which is why I can't see her with Ron romantically. But let's not turn this into a R/Hr debate. Lol.

[masteroftrouble.livejournal.com]

I think also the "school-sweethearts" thing is world!canon. For the most part, any adult couple you see were also together by at least sixth year (sometime early seventh). Some of them find people after, but the "stable" ones you see (that have been together for years) are still together. And there doesn't seem to be divorce.

That just reminds me that I would have likes to see Neville as the BWL. See if James and Lily would have still been together or divorced. With JKR's world, I highly doubt it'll be the latter, but one can imagine~

[theshadowpanther]

I would have loved to see Neville as the BWL. Although his growth into a hero is not gone into in detail (such a shaaaaame woe ;A;), I honestly feel like Neville was a better choice for a hero than Harry was. Don't get me wrong, Harry has his virtues, but he is appallingly unprepared for anything, and doesn't really think or use his capacity for thinking (which is irritating, I can see why Snape is frustrated with him on that count) until the right moment. Then it's "Presto! I've figured it out!" and it becomes a deus ex machina. So aggravating.

Neville, on the other hand, felt very natural in his growth as a hero, despite (because of?) the lack of attention paid to him. (I think it's probably that his problems and motivations for improving were on a smaller scale than Harry's. Personal motivation rather than "Oh I was assigned this task. Only I must do it. Woe is me. Die, Voldemort, die." Sorry, Harry, but you know it to be true. I want someone to do Neville's backstory so, so much.

[masteroftrouble.livejournal.com]

I have a long, ongoing project that has Neville's backstory... but he kind of turns out to be a Death Eater (with McGonagall) in the end. Oh the stuff I come up with through RPs.

But yes, I do agree that his growth (what we see) is much, much better. Neville FTW.

[magic-knickers.livejournal.com]

On the bit on world!canon--yes, yes, and yes. Arthur and Molly, Lucius and Narcissa, James and Lily. And they're all so solid in their marriages (let's assume James and Lily would have been together forever and ever in love).

Neville as a BWL would have been extremely interesting. The thing about this, though, is that I feel like Harry and Neville really aren't all that different. The way that they were raised, etc., seemed to play a big part on their characters. Neville would have been the BWL since birth, seeing as he's raised by his magical Grandmother, and maybe...well, maybe that would have made him a bit big-headed. And even if it didn't, being possessed by the Dark Lord all the time may have given him some anger issues, too. It's really mind-boggling to think about it all.

[masteroftrouble.livejournal.com]

Oh this sounds so very wrong, but I think losing his parents did Harry some good. Can you imagine if Nev was the BWL and Harry had James and Sirius as role models his entire life? He could give Draco a run for his money in the spoiled-kid category, I think. Losing James and Lily made Harry more humble (even with his anger issues).

[magic-knickers.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, actually. Harry would have been a bit of a self-centered prick if James and Sirius had been his role models, though they did seem to even out in later years (poor Sirius never really got the chance to grow up, and I wonder if he would have had Azkaban not happened). And with Lily as a mom he would have been coddled to no end.
I actually think his anger issues are well-placed. If I'd been born with Harry Potter's life, I'd be much angrier than he was, though he did get frustrating at some points.

[wwmrsweasleydo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, much as I love playing with the Next Gen kids, I prefer an ending where the reader gets to create their own continuation, rather than have the author tell us that that's just how it is going to be because I said so.

[magic-knickers.livejournal.com]

Agreed, with all of it.