(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

[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.