My Unpopular Harry Potter Opinions
Nov. 21st, 2004 02:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xerox78I've seen this on a bunch of other LJs so I figured I'd throw in my own two cents.
1) I don't care very much for Molly Weasley. Most Molly fans are under the impression that the only reason anyone hates her is that she is a stay-at-home mother and not a "career woman". Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but she could be the headmistress of Hogwarts or the Minister of Magic and my opinion of her would not change. Why? Because she is a judgmental, narrow-minded, screaming shrew. Imagine being one of the younger Weasley children and having her constantly harping that you don't begin to measure up to her perfect older children. She is syrupy sweet as long as what you say or do suits her fully. Otherwise, it's SaberToothTiger!Molly going for your neck. And I can't remember her ever being called on it. I wish one of her children would grow a pair and tell her to put a sock in it, or even better, give her a taste of her own medicine. I'd love it if one of them compared her unfavorably to Arthur, or criticized her cooking, asking why couldn't she be more like Grandma Weasley. The closest anyone has gotten to telling her to shove it is Percy, and that all happened "offstage" so who knows what context it was in. She has some good qualities, but Lord, I would not want her for my mother.
2) Fred and George Weasley may have started out as "fun-loving pranksters" but right now they are malicious bullies. As I posted on FictionAlley Park earlier today (or yesterday in the Eastern United States), they may have been about what the rest of the fandom considers "harmless fun", but not anymore. Canary Creams and Magic Wands are "harmless fun", Ton Tongue Toffees and Vanishing Closets are not. I don't find it cute and funny to hiss a first year just because he was sorted into an unpopular house or to threaten a fellow student while waving a "lethal-looking instrument". Shoot, I'll just come right out and say it: I think they're not above murder. Hey, lots of killers started out by torturing/killing small animals. (Does Ron's Bludgered Puffskein or the salamander they fed firecrackers to ring a bell?) I don't think it's a coincidence that they are considered to be the successors of James Potter and Sirius Black. Which leads me to...
3) Sirius Black and James Potter's premature deaths were karma. Let's start with Sirius. He spent 12 years in Azkaban with no trial for a crime he didn't commit. I agree that is completely unfair. But it's a pretty good stretch for attempted murder. I'm talking about "Snivellus" Snape and the "Prank". I seriously doubt that Sirius thought that sending Snape to a live werewolf would result in anything other than death. Furthermore, after he breaks out of Azkaban, he makes it clear more than once that his only regret from the "prank" is that he was unsuccessful in getting Snape killed. The result? An untimely death. As for James, no justification will ever convince me that taking off another person's underwear in front of a crowd of people is okay. Or hexing other people simply for one's own petty satisfaction. Not to paint Snape as an angel, I think he's a piece of used toilet paper myself. I guess since James got an attack of conscience and saved Snape's life and grew up enough to win Lily's heart, he got to have a happy little family before he kicked the bucket. Does death seem to be harsh punishment? Nobody ever said that karma wasn't a biotch.
4) I actually like Percy Weasley more AFTER Order of the Phoenix than before. He may be misguided, but he did prove he has a pair. And nobody but Molly could stand him anyway so why are they so angry that he walked out on them? They're all so upset yet no one but Molly ever attempted to patch things up. (One of the few things I like about Molly.) As for the rift, Percy said and did some mean things but I don't think Arthur and the rest of the Weasleys are lily-white themselves. Percy has proven more than once that he cares very much for his family (and even Harry pre-OotP) yet he has never gotten one bit of credit from anyone, including JKR.
5) I LIKE Cho Chang! I realize that 95% percent of the fandom consider being forced to become Osama bin Laden's personal concubine a more attractive option than having Cho live through the next book, but I like her. I think she's a generally nice girl who got thrown a bad curve ball in life and is having a hard time dealing with it, and the only person who seems to have her back is someone who everyone hates even more than her. I guess everyone forgot about what a nice person she was in the previous two books. Oops! I forgot! She was a MARY SUE back then. Apparently, the "Canon characters can't be Mary Sues" argument goes out the window when Cho is concerned. The "DIE, CHO DIE!!!!!!1111" and "Cho the Ho" posts only serve to make me like her more. So take that, Cho-haters! Maybe you'll make me like her less if you pretend to not hate her. Naaaah.
6) Ron Weasley is not stupid, useless, abusive, a future Death Eater, a rapist, or a betrayer. And hopefully not dead. Need I say more?
7) One Big Happy Weasley Family is a misnomer. Percy or no Percy, they seem downright dysfunctional to me. I don't need to elaborate on Fred, George, or Molly. The oldest sons move out of the country upon coming of age and Arthur seems as if he wouldn't mind if the Burrow burned to the ground as long as his Muggle collection came out unscathed.
8) The Tonks shipping is crazy! One of the first things I read when I came back on the boards after completing OotP was how she would make a great girlfriend for Remus Lupin. If I had to ship Tonks with anyone if would be Kingsley Shacklebolt to be serious and Mad-Eye Moody to be funny. However, I wish that in the next books Tonks would introduce her longtime girlfriend just to see the uproar. (I'm terrible)
9) Draco Malfoy will never be a Gryffindor. What I mean is that I don't believe that he will ever be sunshine and roses, becoming friends with the Trio, and being a sweet guy. At best, he'll be like Snape -- on the right side of Voldemort, but still a mean old jerk. Or he'll end up like his second cousin(?), Regulus Black, becoming a Death Eater but wimping out at the last minute and being killed.
Anyone who knows me saw this one coming:
10) I'm a Ron/Hermione shipper who CAN'T STAND Harry/Ginny. Allow me to pimp my new community, Orangeless Trees for those of you with similar shipping preferences. Right now I think Harry will end up solo at the end of the series, if not dead. If he had to hook up with anyone at the end, I'd like it to be Luna Lovegood.
Bonus:
11) On the inside, Voldemort is just a sweet little boy looking for a little love. I'M KIDDING! I'M KIDDING!
Now I'll sit back and wait for the flames to come.
1) I don't care very much for Molly Weasley. Most Molly fans are under the impression that the only reason anyone hates her is that she is a stay-at-home mother and not a "career woman". Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but she could be the headmistress of Hogwarts or the Minister of Magic and my opinion of her would not change. Why? Because she is a judgmental, narrow-minded, screaming shrew. Imagine being one of the younger Weasley children and having her constantly harping that you don't begin to measure up to her perfect older children. She is syrupy sweet as long as what you say or do suits her fully. Otherwise, it's SaberToothTiger!Molly going for your neck. And I can't remember her ever being called on it. I wish one of her children would grow a pair and tell her to put a sock in it, or even better, give her a taste of her own medicine. I'd love it if one of them compared her unfavorably to Arthur, or criticized her cooking, asking why couldn't she be more like Grandma Weasley. The closest anyone has gotten to telling her to shove it is Percy, and that all happened "offstage" so who knows what context it was in. She has some good qualities, but Lord, I would not want her for my mother.
2) Fred and George Weasley may have started out as "fun-loving pranksters" but right now they are malicious bullies. As I posted on FictionAlley Park earlier today (or yesterday in the Eastern United States), they may have been about what the rest of the fandom considers "harmless fun", but not anymore. Canary Creams and Magic Wands are "harmless fun", Ton Tongue Toffees and Vanishing Closets are not. I don't find it cute and funny to hiss a first year just because he was sorted into an unpopular house or to threaten a fellow student while waving a "lethal-looking instrument". Shoot, I'll just come right out and say it: I think they're not above murder. Hey, lots of killers started out by torturing/killing small animals. (Does Ron's Bludgered Puffskein or the salamander they fed firecrackers to ring a bell?) I don't think it's a coincidence that they are considered to be the successors of James Potter and Sirius Black. Which leads me to...
3) Sirius Black and James Potter's premature deaths were karma. Let's start with Sirius. He spent 12 years in Azkaban with no trial for a crime he didn't commit. I agree that is completely unfair. But it's a pretty good stretch for attempted murder. I'm talking about "Snivellus" Snape and the "Prank". I seriously doubt that Sirius thought that sending Snape to a live werewolf would result in anything other than death. Furthermore, after he breaks out of Azkaban, he makes it clear more than once that his only regret from the "prank" is that he was unsuccessful in getting Snape killed. The result? An untimely death. As for James, no justification will ever convince me that taking off another person's underwear in front of a crowd of people is okay. Or hexing other people simply for one's own petty satisfaction. Not to paint Snape as an angel, I think he's a piece of used toilet paper myself. I guess since James got an attack of conscience and saved Snape's life and grew up enough to win Lily's heart, he got to have a happy little family before he kicked the bucket. Does death seem to be harsh punishment? Nobody ever said that karma wasn't a biotch.
4) I actually like Percy Weasley more AFTER Order of the Phoenix than before. He may be misguided, but he did prove he has a pair. And nobody but Molly could stand him anyway so why are they so angry that he walked out on them? They're all so upset yet no one but Molly ever attempted to patch things up. (One of the few things I like about Molly.) As for the rift, Percy said and did some mean things but I don't think Arthur and the rest of the Weasleys are lily-white themselves. Percy has proven more than once that he cares very much for his family (and even Harry pre-OotP) yet he has never gotten one bit of credit from anyone, including JKR.
5) I LIKE Cho Chang! I realize that 95% percent of the fandom consider being forced to become Osama bin Laden's personal concubine a more attractive option than having Cho live through the next book, but I like her. I think she's a generally nice girl who got thrown a bad curve ball in life and is having a hard time dealing with it, and the only person who seems to have her back is someone who everyone hates even more than her. I guess everyone forgot about what a nice person she was in the previous two books. Oops! I forgot! She was a MARY SUE back then. Apparently, the "Canon characters can't be Mary Sues" argument goes out the window when Cho is concerned. The "DIE, CHO DIE!!!!!!1111" and "Cho the Ho" posts only serve to make me like her more. So take that, Cho-haters! Maybe you'll make me like her less if you pretend to not hate her. Naaaah.
6) Ron Weasley is not stupid, useless, abusive, a future Death Eater, a rapist, or a betrayer. And hopefully not dead. Need I say more?
7) One Big Happy Weasley Family is a misnomer. Percy or no Percy, they seem downright dysfunctional to me. I don't need to elaborate on Fred, George, or Molly. The oldest sons move out of the country upon coming of age and Arthur seems as if he wouldn't mind if the Burrow burned to the ground as long as his Muggle collection came out unscathed.
8) The Tonks shipping is crazy! One of the first things I read when I came back on the boards after completing OotP was how she would make a great girlfriend for Remus Lupin. If I had to ship Tonks with anyone if would be Kingsley Shacklebolt to be serious and Mad-Eye Moody to be funny. However, I wish that in the next books Tonks would introduce her longtime girlfriend just to see the uproar. (I'm terrible)
9) Draco Malfoy will never be a Gryffindor. What I mean is that I don't believe that he will ever be sunshine and roses, becoming friends with the Trio, and being a sweet guy. At best, he'll be like Snape -- on the right side of Voldemort, but still a mean old jerk. Or he'll end up like his second cousin(?), Regulus Black, becoming a Death Eater but wimping out at the last minute and being killed.
Anyone who knows me saw this one coming:
10) I'm a Ron/Hermione shipper who CAN'T STAND Harry/Ginny. Allow me to pimp my new community, Orangeless Trees for those of you with similar shipping preferences. Right now I think Harry will end up solo at the end of the series, if not dead. If he had to hook up with anyone at the end, I'd like it to be Luna Lovegood.
Bonus:
11) On the inside, Voldemort is just a sweet little boy looking for a little love. I'M KIDDING! I'M KIDDING!
Now I'll sit back and wait for the flames to come.
