(no subject)
I've been reading all the AS/S I can find, but one thing keeps hitting me over the head: the was James is characterized. In the epilogue, despite teasing Albus, he didn't seem to me to be the RAWR big brother bully type. And while I usually keep my head in the ground and stick to just reading fic, I thought I'd just point out the couple reasons why I think he's being characterized unfairly...
He was teasing Albus, granted, but that seems to be the only thing people noticed! What about the part where he was excited at the prospect of sharing a room with Al if Teddy moved in?
["'Yeah!' said James enthusiastically. 'I don't mind sharing a room with Al--Teddy could have my room!'
'No,' said Harry firmly, 'you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished.'"]
That doesn't strike me as James being a horrible mean older brother. I kind of interpreted it that they get up to too much trouble together, whether it's in the form of tormenting each other and rough housing, or Fred and George Weasley mischief is left undefined.
And then when James is told to give Neville love? How cute was that? ["'...I can't walk into Herbology and give him love...'"
Yes, of course he was picking on Al because it was his first time going to Hogwarts, but think of all the pre-Hogwarts taunting that went on between all the Weasley siblings? Sibling do taunt and goad on another so I don't think James was doing it as maliciously as everyone makes it out to be.
Of course I don't write fic, and I might be sticking me foot in something that I shouldn't but I couldn't help but point it out. Maybe it's my desperate (and un HP related, I swear!) love for the name James, but seeing him characterized that way struck me as not quite right. Of course I'll still read any AS/S I can get my hands on, but seeing James created a little differently would be really nice. This is just my interpretation, and since it seems to be a little different than most everyone else's that I've seen I thought I'd point it out.
He was teasing Albus, granted, but that seems to be the only thing people noticed! What about the part where he was excited at the prospect of sharing a room with Al if Teddy moved in?
["'Yeah!' said James enthusiastically. 'I don't mind sharing a room with Al--Teddy could have my room!'
'No,' said Harry firmly, 'you and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished.'"]
That doesn't strike me as James being a horrible mean older brother. I kind of interpreted it that they get up to too much trouble together, whether it's in the form of tormenting each other and rough housing, or Fred and George Weasley mischief is left undefined.
And then when James is told to give Neville love? How cute was that? ["'...I can't walk into Herbology and give him love...'"
Yes, of course he was picking on Al because it was his first time going to Hogwarts, but think of all the pre-Hogwarts taunting that went on between all the Weasley siblings? Sibling do taunt and goad on another so I don't think James was doing it as maliciously as everyone makes it out to be.
Of course I don't write fic, and I might be sticking me foot in something that I shouldn't but I couldn't help but point it out. Maybe it's my desperate (and un HP related, I swear!) love for the name James, but seeing him characterized that way struck me as not quite right. Of course I'll still read any AS/S I can get my hands on, but seeing James created a little differently would be really nice. This is just my interpretation, and since it seems to be a little different than most everyone else's that I've seen I thought I'd point it out.