This is written for Harry Potter Festival
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I wanted to write something perfect, that’s the problem. I want
to write something incredible about Harry Potter, one that is a fitting entry
for a great initiative like the Harry Potter festival and frankly, I cannot
think up of a 1000 word article that will come close to explaining how Harry
Potter changed my life, or how Harry potter is the one most remarkable things
that I remember my childhood by. I remember that I was 13 something and very keen
on reading; I had just gotten my very own library card and everything! I was
for all purposes “independent”
When I think of Harry Potter, It reminds me of the various
potter things I did as a child, right from making a pointy hat and pretending
to be a witch to sticking a JK Rowling picture on the wall. I prayed to this
woman, I was touched by her passion and humility, I remember having a file of
all things Harry Potter, I cared for Harry; I lived through Ron and Hermione. I
stuck with Harry until the very end and I was not disappointed. I loved how
even in a very dark and gloomy book, JKR managed to give us a glimpse of some
Disney Magic, because we knew it was for kids except we kids were 18 something,
but so what, we all wanted a few “happy ever afters”.
Then I came across a few posts that spoke about why Ron
and Hermione shouldn’t be together or why Ginny and Harry aren’t the perfect
ship. And yes, the authors made a few good points as well.
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Yes, Hermione is too smart for Ron, you know what, yes she
is smart and yes he is an idiot but then people grow up, it’s quite ridiculous
that you judge Ron and Hermione based on your assessment of a 15 year old version of
them. God knows I was once 15 and stupid. What is your measure of true
love anyway? Is it smart with smart? I can’t see why you think Ron is not
smart, but let’s leave that aside. Hermione chooses to be with Ron, She is not
stuck with Ron, so when you think she is settling for Ron, you are simply
saying that Hermione doesn’t understand what is good for her. Clearly that’s
not the case. If the concept of school sweethearts is difficult for you to
understand, I’m sorry but there are fairly a good number of cases where that has
happened, so for you to complain that it never does? That’s just sad.
When you say Hermione and Harry should end up together, I am not really for
that idea either. When you talk about Harry and Hermione there has never been
any hint of a relationship unlike between Ron and Hermione where it was fairly
clear that Ron will eventually end up with her, remember Ron finally realizes
that Hermione is a girl and he asks her out to the Yule ball, Ron admires
Hermione and has makes it fairly clear on more than one occasion, remember how
he says Harry and he wouldn’t survive two days without her? He admires her, he
respects her, and she respects him too. Hermione is her own person, No, Ron and
Hermione are not a sappy love story, because definitely that is not what the
book is about. If you expect for Hermione’s world to crumble when Ron leaves,
you know as well as I do that it never happens
This is not to say that Ron and Hermione *must have* ended
together; I could totally understand if Hermione ended up with Krum or with
Neville and that’s not a bad thing, but when you say Hermione doesn’t deserve
Ron, you are saying that the foolish girl doesn’t understand her own choice!
You think she should have picked somebody more successful, more powerful, more
intelligent. But you forget she does understand her choice. Ron may not be the
smartest wizard, but he is courageous. So don’t say Harry is a better wizard,
you know what? My adoration for Ron is higher; He stuck by Harry even when he
didn’t. He stuck through the Triwizard tournament to the final battle, that’s
courage. Yes, both those occasions he was angry with Harry he dealt with it the
best way he could, he took his time and came back. If you can’t cut your
friends some slack for learning from their mistake, you are no friend. We’ve
all be stupid and 17 too.
My second issue was with people having a problem with Ginny Harry
Ship, Ginny is a superb feminist character, she has her own personality, she is
pretty bad ass! She grew up with Fred and George, that says a lot about how
awesome she is. Yes, she is unapologetic about who she is, she is shy and quiet
but she is also fierce! I get that the oedipal complex is simply too much from
the Harry Ginny ship and I agree. When Ginny looks exactly like Lily Evans and
when Harry falls in love with her, it gets slightly creepy. But that’s really
all the issue I have with them. Yes, it’s a cliché that Harry falls in love
with his best friend’s sister. I would have lived if Harry married anybody
else, Cho Chang or Parvati, but this is a book, you need to have some closure
for all characters, most writers choose to put two characters together because
it makes sense, you cannot put an unimportant character with the central
figure; you will waste too much time giving them a back story. Not that Harry
and Ginny had any except for the fact that at a time when Harry and Ginny came
together, Harry was probably in the state of mind where he wished someone knew
what being possessed by darkness felt like, agreed it is not a basis to fall in
love, but then what is? If not for understanding and overcoming each other’s
short comings, what is falling in love? Yes, I like you because you are strong
and courageous, I love you because you are as messed up as I was, together we
rescue each other is an accepted foundation for being in love.
I am a closet romantic and nothing upsets me more than when
people say that two people shouldn’t be together because they deserve better
frankly, there are no rules, there is no place for judgment. When you hate
Harry and Ginny as a couple because they weren’t talked about enough, I agree.
If you are saying they aren’t good enough for each other because you have some
high headed idea about love, then I’m sorry. You should always give into the
choices made by love. Always.
