H.M.S. Harmony: The Greatest Ship I've Ever Known

[runeharmonic]

My final thoughts about HP and shipping, also posted at HF.

Comments

[kenboy]

Linked here by someone, I honestly can't recall whom.

Why do you all care so much what happens in canon?

I've asked this before, in other places, in both serious and non-serious ways, but, seriously, what's the difference?

a) They're sixteen. If you're over sixteen1, are you still with the person you were with when you were sixteen? No matter how truly in love you may have thought you were at the time?

b) There's a war on, and there's plenty of speculation, based on canon hints, that Ron's going to die in it.

c) Harry has already canonically broken up with Ginny. Granted, there's every chance JKR intends to put them together as soon as Voldemort is defeated, or that she intends for Ginny to follow Harry around against his will and get herself in danger and have all sorts of sickeningly annoying romantic little moments during their adventures together -- but THAT canon is years away from now. There's nothing whatsoever to prevent you from writing fic where Hermione realizes Ron's never growing up, or that the bickering isn't as fun as she thought it would be, or where Ron gets hit by a bus while crossing a street in London, if you want. In all seriousness: there's NOTHING to prevent you from writing post-war fic where Harry and Hermione, for any of a BILLION different reasons, end up married and living happily ever after.

d) I don't agree that Hermione is out of character -- I'm actually not sure how I feel about that concept, but I think I do actually believe an author can change a character so randomly and stupidly that their own canon contains an OOC person -- but I think she's really the same Hermione I've always liked -- she's just, for reasons that have more to do with hormones than logic, in love with Ron right now.

As long as both Harry and Hermione remain living in canon, I really think there's no reason to be this worked up. Hell, I'm annoyed about Harry/Ginny, too, because I thought it was stupid -- "hmm, this potion smells like the Burrow! Hey, it smells like Ginny, that girl I've never been interested in! Oi, Dean's snogging her! I think I'm in love!" I also think having Remus, who is so clearly coded as being gay, involved with Tonks is one of the stupidest, most tacked-on things ever -- but I'm not complaining that Sirius/Remus has been sunk or destroyed or anything.

Characters, just like people, grow and change over time. As long as no one gets killed -- and frankly, in the Potterverse, I don't know that it's fair to say that death is really, truly permanent anyway -- but we'll need to see what the deal is with the mirrors first, won't we -- as long as Harry and Hermione live, they can end up together. Look at it as a challenge.

For the record: I ship good writers, not characters. Ron/Hermione makes more sense to me than Harry/Hermione, but I think both could happen. Including simultaneously2. So could Harry/Luna. So could Ron/Luna. Harry/Ron, I'm less sure about, but if they're drunk enough, sure. In the hands of a good writer, anything is possible. I don't know any of you, and don't know if you write, or if you do, if it's any good, but from the essay I'm responding to, you seem to have plenty of ability. If JKR changes her world in ways you don't like, it's up to you (collectively) to fix it. That's what makes us a fandom, as opposed to just a bunch of people who read the books.

1 It's possible to interpret this as an implication that you're all thirteen. I absolutely don't intend it that way, even if I've jokingly suggested that elsewhere. I simply mean that teenage relationships rarely last.

2 In a "God, I love Ron, but, I love Harry too" sort of way, not in a sweaty tangle of drunken limb sort of way. Er, actually, I'd read either.

[runeharmonic]

Goodness, thank you for the long and thoughtful response.

If you were looking to change my mind, well, sorry. :P

In the end, it's really a matter of personal opinion and personal experience. It's not just because canon got wrecked or my ship was sunk in an interview. I would've stayed in fandom if JKR were respectful, wrote a stroke of brilliance, and sent a positive message to her readers in the OBHWF relationships and the portrayals of her main characters.

I see none of that, and the effort and energy spent by Harmonians online has been openly ridiculed by the author herself.

That gives me no reason to devote more of my time and energy to a poor Mary Sue writer who contrives many aspects of her story.

I wish JKR had written OBHWF well enough so that I could properly congratulate their supporters, but I can't help but see what a shallow deal they've been given.

No thanks. Everyone else can have JKR's world, so now just let me go create my own. :)