H/G vs. Trio in DH
Did I mention that I really, really loved DH? Not sure if I did or not. Just wanted that known.
I loved it so much that I've been lapping up fan fiction again for the first time in years. It's odd. It's that old feeling of not getting enough. Even odder still is that the characters I'm most interested in are Harry and Ginny. I was a little unimpressed with how this pairing was written in HBP, but DH seems to have completely renewed my love for them.
I haven't been able to put my finger on why I fell in love with the H/G pairing again. It's not like there were a plethora of scenes devoted to them. There was really only one followed by fleeting moments and thoughts throughout the year. It wasn't until I was reading an old essay I had written but never posted that I understood why I loved it so much.
The essay was essentially about how the H/G relationship was at odds with the trio relationship. I've always believed that the trio was the most important relationship of the series and would always come first with Harry.
(This is what I wrote in Nov 2005)"I believe that JKR has her own priorities when writing this story. Obviously, the main plot is Harry vs. Voldemort. But when it comes to relationships, there is only one relationship that has remained consistently in the forefront throughout all six books so far. One relationship that I believe she considers untouchable and vital to Harry's very existence. From the troll scene to the pivotal moment before Harry faces Voldemort under the trapdoor in book one, JKR makes it clear what is most important for Harry: friendship. She has Hermione state it outright as she hugs him at the end of PS.
"Books! And Cleverness! There are more important things-friendship and bravery."
Many H/Hrs point to this scene as romantic foreshadowing, but that demeans the true importance IMO. What is important is friendship, plain and simple.
The trio friendship goes through many trials and tribulations throughout the books. Harry fights with Hermione in PoA and Ron in GoF and both of them in OotP. He learns to rely on other friends at the end of OotP. Romance moves into high gear as relationships sprout with members outside the trio. But at the end of HBP, it's made crystal clear what the state of the trio is. Despite the fights and the jealousies and the side romances and the life-threatening situations, the trio is stronger than ever. This time, it's Ron who reminds Harry, and the readers, that nothing will break up the trio. That they're with him whatever happens."
So where does a love interest figure in?
(Again from Nov 2005)"The question that I've had in my head for a very long time, since at least PoA, is how will Harry have a meaningful romantic relationship that doesn't usurp the importance of his relationship with Ron and Hermione? There seemed to be three options for this relationship. 1. Harry would not have a romantic partner. 2. He would have a girlfriend who was not part of Harry's circle of trust (the trio). 3. There would be a fourth member of the trio. (Note: destruction or disintegration of the trio by death or any other means is not an option. This is what I believe and I also feel very strongly that this is the way JKR is going.)
Harry being a confirmed bachelor is certainly an easy option though wholly unsatisfying for the vast majority of fans. Luckily for us, it appears as though JKR is not going down that road.
JKR chose the second option for Cho Chang. Cho was never invited into the trio's friendship. There was never any pretense that she would be. Nobody believed it would last, JKR made that perfectly clear. Obviously, this is not the right option.
That leaves the third option: introduce a fourth member of the trio. Many fans were resistant to this option, as was I. It would completely change the dynamic of trio. The preservation of the trio is a priority according to how I believe JKR is writing the books. So, this is not a good option either. It seemed to me that she was in a lose-lose situation with Harry's love interest. There was really nothing she could do that would have satisfied everyone or well... me. This is why I've always been particularly interested to see how she handled it.
When it finally happened in HBP, I was surprised that she chose some aspects of option two and three. I think, in hindsight, that was the best route she could've taken. I'll admit that it was not all I hoped for. To me, it was a situation that would require an extraordinary bit of magic, but JKR has always been able to come up with that magic in the past, so my hopes were high. I admit that the result did not live up to them.
However, she did do the thing that I considered most important and that was keeping the trio intact and just as strong as ever. All things considered, I was pleased by the end product. The trio is still the main relationship as H/G was conveniently ended. Harry had a nice relationship with a girl who was suited to him (IMO)."
After I reread this recently, I realized why I liked the H/G relationship so much in DH. I liked it mainly because it was on the sidelines and it didn't interfere or draw focus away from the more important relationship of the trio. I was quite wrong about option #2. It turned out to be the perfect way to handle H/G, IMO. It was like a comfort zone that Harry could retreat to in rare moments. Someone who had eyes for him only. Someone who would wait for him and be there for him. Someone who made him happy and made him laugh. Someone who was tough and had a strong personality in her own right. H/G was something to look forward to at the end. But most importantly, it stepped aside so that Harry could have his time with Ron and Hermione.
I've always thought that a fundamental problem of any romantic pairing involving Harry is that it would be in the shadow of the trio's relationship. In DH, I think JKR did the right thing by relegating the H/G to the sidelines. She's been incredibly consistent on this. The trio has always been most important and that's what it came down to in the end. I was incredibly pleased with how she handled H/G and it's only increased my affection for them.
Oh! Forgot to add, if you have any post-DH fic you want to recommend, please do!
I loved it so much that I've been lapping up fan fiction again for the first time in years. It's odd. It's that old feeling of not getting enough. Even odder still is that the characters I'm most interested in are Harry and Ginny. I was a little unimpressed with how this pairing was written in HBP, but DH seems to have completely renewed my love for them.
I haven't been able to put my finger on why I fell in love with the H/G pairing again. It's not like there were a plethora of scenes devoted to them. There was really only one followed by fleeting moments and thoughts throughout the year. It wasn't until I was reading an old essay I had written but never posted that I understood why I loved it so much.
The essay was essentially about how the H/G relationship was at odds with the trio relationship. I've always believed that the trio was the most important relationship of the series and would always come first with Harry.
(This is what I wrote in Nov 2005)"I believe that JKR has her own priorities when writing this story. Obviously, the main plot is Harry vs. Voldemort. But when it comes to relationships, there is only one relationship that has remained consistently in the forefront throughout all six books so far. One relationship that I believe she considers untouchable and vital to Harry's very existence. From the troll scene to the pivotal moment before Harry faces Voldemort under the trapdoor in book one, JKR makes it clear what is most important for Harry: friendship. She has Hermione state it outright as she hugs him at the end of PS.
"Books! And Cleverness! There are more important things-friendship and bravery."
Many H/Hrs point to this scene as romantic foreshadowing, but that demeans the true importance IMO. What is important is friendship, plain and simple.
The trio friendship goes through many trials and tribulations throughout the books. Harry fights with Hermione in PoA and Ron in GoF and both of them in OotP. He learns to rely on other friends at the end of OotP. Romance moves into high gear as relationships sprout with members outside the trio. But at the end of HBP, it's made crystal clear what the state of the trio is. Despite the fights and the jealousies and the side romances and the life-threatening situations, the trio is stronger than ever. This time, it's Ron who reminds Harry, and the readers, that nothing will break up the trio. That they're with him whatever happens."
So where does a love interest figure in?
(Again from Nov 2005)"The question that I've had in my head for a very long time, since at least PoA, is how will Harry have a meaningful romantic relationship that doesn't usurp the importance of his relationship with Ron and Hermione? There seemed to be three options for this relationship. 1. Harry would not have a romantic partner. 2. He would have a girlfriend who was not part of Harry's circle of trust (the trio). 3. There would be a fourth member of the trio. (Note: destruction or disintegration of the trio by death or any other means is not an option. This is what I believe and I also feel very strongly that this is the way JKR is going.)
Harry being a confirmed bachelor is certainly an easy option though wholly unsatisfying for the vast majority of fans. Luckily for us, it appears as though JKR is not going down that road.
JKR chose the second option for Cho Chang. Cho was never invited into the trio's friendship. There was never any pretense that she would be. Nobody believed it would last, JKR made that perfectly clear. Obviously, this is not the right option.
That leaves the third option: introduce a fourth member of the trio. Many fans were resistant to this option, as was I. It would completely change the dynamic of trio. The preservation of the trio is a priority according to how I believe JKR is writing the books. So, this is not a good option either. It seemed to me that she was in a lose-lose situation with Harry's love interest. There was really nothing she could do that would have satisfied everyone or well... me. This is why I've always been particularly interested to see how she handled it.
When it finally happened in HBP, I was surprised that she chose some aspects of option two and three. I think, in hindsight, that was the best route she could've taken. I'll admit that it was not all I hoped for. To me, it was a situation that would require an extraordinary bit of magic, but JKR has always been able to come up with that magic in the past, so my hopes were high. I admit that the result did not live up to them.
However, she did do the thing that I considered most important and that was keeping the trio intact and just as strong as ever. All things considered, I was pleased by the end product. The trio is still the main relationship as H/G was conveniently ended. Harry had a nice relationship with a girl who was suited to him (IMO)."
After I reread this recently, I realized why I liked the H/G relationship so much in DH. I liked it mainly because it was on the sidelines and it didn't interfere or draw focus away from the more important relationship of the trio. I was quite wrong about option #2. It turned out to be the perfect way to handle H/G, IMO. It was like a comfort zone that Harry could retreat to in rare moments. Someone who had eyes for him only. Someone who would wait for him and be there for him. Someone who made him happy and made him laugh. Someone who was tough and had a strong personality in her own right. H/G was something to look forward to at the end. But most importantly, it stepped aside so that Harry could have his time with Ron and Hermione.
I've always thought that a fundamental problem of any romantic pairing involving Harry is that it would be in the shadow of the trio's relationship. In DH, I think JKR did the right thing by relegating the H/G to the sidelines. She's been incredibly consistent on this. The trio has always been most important and that's what it came down to in the end. I was incredibly pleased with how she handled H/G and it's only increased my affection for them.
Oh! Forgot to add, if you have any post-DH fic you want to recommend, please do!