Remus and Tonks, and the Deathly Hallows

[mrstater]

So, the wait is finally over, and Deathly Hallows has hit the shelves, and lots of us now know how the story ends and what the fates of our favourite characters were

Comments

[gububba]

[iamweebles]

Well, I'm quite upset about the way they died and I do feel they got short shrift there, but I also appreciate that JKR has set up a lot of potential for exploring their story by giving us a great many events within this limited timeframe.

One thing I wanted to say was that while I was disappointed in the lack of a true werewolf subplot, from a post-war fanfic view, I'm intrigued by the matchup of Teddy (and yes, I too shall insist on referring to him as Edward!) and Victoire. I see huge potential for continuing to explore the darker aspects of werewolf prejudice because the only two next-generation characters with werewolf heritage have been paired together. Are they together because they are of an age, or because no one else would have them?

[shimotsuki]

I see huge potential for continuing to explore the darker aspects of werewolf prejudice because the only two next-generation characters with werewolf heritage have been paired together.

That's a really excellent point.

I'd read enough Draco-is-a-werewolf theories to think that Voldemort's taunt to him about babysitting the "cubs" was going to be significant, but, apparently not! That would have been an interesting take on post-war werewolf rights.

[codenamelily]

I've never read any draco-is-a-werewolf theories, but I think that would be a really cool story! Do you ever plan on writing a story like that?

[shimotsuki]

Sorry, not me. ;) I just don't feel interested enough in Draco as a character to want to spend time in his head. Anyway, the theories I saw came out after HBP, where Draco was described as "grey" several times and was in trouble for missing classes and detentions. (Getting this slightly back on topic:) it would have been extremely interesting to have a post-war world with surviving!Remus and werewolf!Draco, but alas, that is not to be.

Denial

[anonymous]

Dear mods, I have an idea for your next fic challenge:

the Desperate Denial ficathon - because Remus and Tonks couldn't REALLY have died in Deathly Hallows.

I'm GUTTED, absolutely gutted. I don't want to stop my involvement in the R/T fandom, but I can't pretend it'll be easy knowing their cruel fate, which let's face it, SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I have a feeling that any AU fic where they don't suffer that horrid ending will give me the best comfort.

Re: Denial

[teddy_tips]

I'm in this exact same position. I'm really having difficulty dealing with it, and could not have expressed it better. I second your motion!

Re: Denial

[aurora7865]

Agreed! Please, mods? *makes sad eyes*

[shimotsuki]

I managed to entirely avoid DH spoilers before the release, so I had no idea what was going to happen to any characters, R/T included. What's more, I decided to take two days to read the book, and I happened to stop reading right after Remus came to Shell Cottage to let them all know about Teddy. I went to bed that night very happy

[iamweebles]

I agree with you about Remus - I do think he was in character. I hated how their deaths were handled and Tonks leaving Teddy to go into battle just plain didn't work for me - I had a visceral reaction against it that my mind just had to reject because otherwise I think if I'd really accepted and believed it all my Tonks love would have turned into contempt in an instant. I will need to reconcile that gut reaction before I can deal with it in fic....

On a purely selfish note :P, I will admit that JKR killing them off means that I can no longer kill them off as I please, which is a bit of a bummer (am I known amongst my flist more for elfslash or for killing them off? I wonder....)

[shimotsuki]

I also had a visceral reaction against Tonks leaving Teddy. Thinking of a baby that young brings me back to the newborn days of constant nursing and then cuddling a tiny, sleepy baby who I could not imagine leaving. I was able to rationalize it by considering the fact that their circumstances were truly desperate, and she's never been portrayed as one to sit back and let others fight in the previous books, but then why was she wandering around looking for Remus instead of fighting once she was there?

-R

[katyhasclogs]

I also had a visceral reaction against Tonks leaving Teddy

It's interesting you both felt that, because I felt, when Tonks initially didn't turn up, that her staying behind was a bit OOC.

But I'm not a mother, and so can't really imagine how leaving your baby to risk your life would feel.

Dead or Sleeping?

[anonymous]

I'd like to take a quick poll.

How many of you thought, like I did, that when you first read that horrible, awful little sentence, that Remus and Tonks were actually only sleeping? I don't know what stopped me and prompted me to go back, but I did, and after re-reading it about 3 times and it SLOWLY starting to sink in, the waterworks began.

To me, it was just adding insult to injury. Not only were the deaths of my two favourite characters revealed in such a seemingly-offhand way, but misunderstanding the sentence on top of all that... Cruel.

- ishandtwofourths

Re: Dead or Sleeping?

[mrstater]

Me, me, me! I actually put my hand over my pounding heart and gave a sigh of relief and said, "Thank God!" Then my heart plummeted.

Re: Dead or Sleeping?

[jesspallas]

And me. It took three re-reads of the sentance before it really dawned and that was the cruellest thing of all...:(

Re: Dead or Sleeping?

[shimotsuki]

I thought we (and Harry) were supposed to think they were dead, but until Remus showed up for the Resurrection Stone, I was still desperately hoping for a plot twist, for Harry to find out later that they'd only been Stunned.