Did someone say "Harry Potter Thread"?
Jun 5, 2015 23:57:18 GMT -5
Post by anonymouseliza on Jun 5, 2015 23:57:18 GMT -5
Oh and somewhere back there that I can't find to quote, regarding Fred/George and Hermione - the reason I ship the twins + Hermione is because it strikes me as much more realistic. Some of this may be fanfic steeping in, but Fred and George are frequently written off as pranksters and therefore superficial. But look at what they've actually done - they are powerful wizards (book 6, Fred casually non-verbally transfigures a knife in mid-air that Ron threw at him into a paper airplane), they are genius with inter-related multiple disciplines of magic (primarily featuring charms, transfiguration and potions - which has to necessarily include a healthy dose of herbology, and presumably arithmancy and/or runes, and they pygmy puffs indicate more than a passing familiarity with magical creatures as well). They start to put together their products as early as their fifth year (Harry's third year, Neville is turned into a canary with a canary cream at the quidditch celebration), meaning they were inventing and testing products before that and reaching workable, reproducible items at a very early age - and on presumably limited means.
They put together enough of a plan that by the beginning of their sixth year, they are seriously considering how to set up a joke shop, how to get money to fund it, and how to brand and market it. They score low on their OWLs, but they presumably made good grades prior to that (in book one, Ron says they joke around a lot, but they get really good marks and everyone likes them) - and that in itself is pretty genius if you think they did it on purpose. Clearly, they are using magic at very advanced levels to create their products and achieve their results, but they only score 3 OWLs apiece (per book 5). If they did it on purpose, then they can stay at Hogwarts but maximize their free time and continue product development and market testing in their prime demographic.
Their products are well-received (even if they do have some issues with ethical testing), they are making money even before Harry's investment, and they are doing considerably well even before their departure from Hogwarts - well enough from an owl order business conducted while they are still in school! to secure premises on Diagon Alley, which can't be cheap. And more than that, they take advantage of causing a disruption to market their products to the the students and thumb their noses at Umbridge. They cause a huge sensation with the fireworks, then the portable swamp and then with their brilliant exit - during which they have a massive sale. In book 6, their shop is the only one at which people linger and look and it's completely packed when Harry and co visit. They've branched out in to import/export and into other sorts of product lines, including magical creatures, cosmetics and specialty dark arts defense products. They are making enough money at the end of book 5, before Hogwarts students are even released from school to buy expensive clothes (dragon-hide jackets), t employ people at their shop over the summer, and at Christmas to buy Molly a witches hat studded with diamonds.
My point in all this is that they clearly, for all their joking and pranks and lack of seriousness, have a strong work ethic, big goals that they meet/exceed, and an incredible breadth of knowledge.
I think that is what could work well with Hermione. Sure, they clash in school but that's because of what Hermione is - she is passionate about what she believes is right, even if that maybe isn't quite right or quite the way to go about things (SPEW, anyone?). When she goes against the twins early in book 5, it's for the right reasons, but totally the wrong way - they probably shouldn't be testing on first year students, especially without telling them of the risks. But Hermione can't see past it and is so caught up in proving her point and trying to enforce her power as a prefect, that rather than stick within her role/the limits of her authority (knowing they will be amused by any attempt to give them detention or make them write lines), that she threatens to write to their mother. Completely the wrong way to go about getting her way. But that's Hermione.
Give them both a bit of time to grow up, especially with the war, and I think a twin could do well to help Hermione relax and learn to appreciate some spontaneity, and I think she could begin to appreciate the twins for who they really are, and not just the facade they wear for everyone. You get the hint of it in the first visit to the joke shop, when she mentions how extraordinary their product (The Daydream Charm) is. It's not that they'd never clash, it's that they complement each other in really good ways.
With Ron, I just think they are a bad match. Ron perpetually feels overshadowed by Hermione and her intelligence/knowledge. He is no slouch intellectually himself, but he doesn't think he's as smart as she is, so he tends to get defensive with her really quickly. And Hermione is so eager to be liked by Ron, to be seen as a girl and not just one of the mates. I think she'd be constantly holding back for fear of offending him and he's consistently take offense at being her holding back because he feels inferior (even if she doesn't believe that at all). There is also her drive versus his inherent laziness. I just don't like the pairing. It's a school days crush. Wish fulfillment. There isn't anything I see that makes me think, yeah, this'll work!
So, Hermione/Fred, Hermione/George (hell, Hermione/George/Fred in the right treatment - which doesn't involve incest) for me.
They put together enough of a plan that by the beginning of their sixth year, they are seriously considering how to set up a joke shop, how to get money to fund it, and how to brand and market it. They score low on their OWLs, but they presumably made good grades prior to that (in book one, Ron says they joke around a lot, but they get really good marks and everyone likes them) - and that in itself is pretty genius if you think they did it on purpose. Clearly, they are using magic at very advanced levels to create their products and achieve their results, but they only score 3 OWLs apiece (per book 5). If they did it on purpose, then they can stay at Hogwarts but maximize their free time and continue product development and market testing in their prime demographic.
Their products are well-received (even if they do have some issues with ethical testing), they are making money even before Harry's investment, and they are doing considerably well even before their departure from Hogwarts - well enough from an owl order business conducted while they are still in school! to secure premises on Diagon Alley, which can't be cheap. And more than that, they take advantage of causing a disruption to market their products to the the students and thumb their noses at Umbridge. They cause a huge sensation with the fireworks, then the portable swamp and then with their brilliant exit - during which they have a massive sale. In book 6, their shop is the only one at which people linger and look and it's completely packed when Harry and co visit. They've branched out in to import/export and into other sorts of product lines, including magical creatures, cosmetics and specialty dark arts defense products. They are making enough money at the end of book 5, before Hogwarts students are even released from school to buy expensive clothes (dragon-hide jackets), t employ people at their shop over the summer, and at Christmas to buy Molly a witches hat studded with diamonds.
My point in all this is that they clearly, for all their joking and pranks and lack of seriousness, have a strong work ethic, big goals that they meet/exceed, and an incredible breadth of knowledge.
I think that is what could work well with Hermione. Sure, they clash in school but that's because of what Hermione is - she is passionate about what she believes is right, even if that maybe isn't quite right or quite the way to go about things (SPEW, anyone?). When she goes against the twins early in book 5, it's for the right reasons, but totally the wrong way - they probably shouldn't be testing on first year students, especially without telling them of the risks. But Hermione can't see past it and is so caught up in proving her point and trying to enforce her power as a prefect, that rather than stick within her role/the limits of her authority (knowing they will be amused by any attempt to give them detention or make them write lines), that she threatens to write to their mother. Completely the wrong way to go about getting her way. But that's Hermione.
Give them both a bit of time to grow up, especially with the war, and I think a twin could do well to help Hermione relax and learn to appreciate some spontaneity, and I think she could begin to appreciate the twins for who they really are, and not just the facade they wear for everyone. You get the hint of it in the first visit to the joke shop, when she mentions how extraordinary their product (The Daydream Charm) is. It's not that they'd never clash, it's that they complement each other in really good ways.
With Ron, I just think they are a bad match. Ron perpetually feels overshadowed by Hermione and her intelligence/knowledge. He is no slouch intellectually himself, but he doesn't think he's as smart as she is, so he tends to get defensive with her really quickly. And Hermione is so eager to be liked by Ron, to be seen as a girl and not just one of the mates. I think she'd be constantly holding back for fear of offending him and he's consistently take offense at being her holding back because he feels inferior (even if she doesn't believe that at all). There is also her drive versus his inherent laziness. I just don't like the pairing. It's a school days crush. Wish fulfillment. There isn't anything I see that makes me think, yeah, this'll work!
So, Hermione/Fred, Hermione/George (hell, Hermione/George/Fred in the right treatment - which doesn't involve incest) for me.