This so fits my story, Harry makes a single step to keep himself safe from Dudley, which tips off a bit of a chain that leads to the Dursley's treating him just enough better that he doesn't hate them, and they don't hate him so much either.

It makes all sorts of differences in who he is.

 

In my opinion, one of the easier ways to change Harry, would be for him to try harder to find info about his parents and to try to imitate their characteristic traits.

In canon, Harry never hated his parents in his childhood and that plus "power of love" were reasons why he never turned into Tom Riddle Mark II. After he was taken to WW, everyone had only good things to say about his parents (maybe except for Snape). I got feeling from books that Harry pretty much idolized his parents.

In this situation, it seems logical to me that Harry would try to imitate his parents in order to "make them proud" or to make sure their sacrifice wasn´t useless etc. In canon, he succeeded partly in Quidditch and troublemaking but it wouldn´t be that much of a stretch for Harry to try in academic matters too.

 

He visited their graves when he was a "wanted" individual with the puppet government at the age of 17. He is the definition of an asshole.

 

I'm pretty sure I read a story that started like that Wizardmon. Diverged in PoA, when Harry stayed in Diagon Alley and began learning about his parents. Can't remember what is was called though, as I'm pretty sure it quickly descended into crap and I left.

 

I think you are remembering Perfect Lionheart's story.

 

Ah yes, Partially Kissed Hero. Man, that story was terrible. It's a good thing I didn't start recommending it - I hear that story has a bad rep on DLP, which is understandable.

 

Yes, it does. I tried reading it a long time ago (and I have a lot lower standards than a lot of the more known DLPers here), and even I thought it was terrible. I quit reading it only a few chapters in.

 

I would have atleast read some books when someone says I am wizard at the age of 11. Harry didn't. This just proves that he is lazy in academic matters before meeting Ron and Hermione.

And also, Harry being an orphan should have wanted to know more about his parents which suggests he is even more laid back than Ron.

BTW, I absolutely hate Ron and Hermione. Prefer JK killing both of them in book 5.

 

I agree with you on this one.

 

If I remember in PS, he did try to read as much as possible at Privet Drive before going to board the Hogwarts Express.

This is a major characterization flaw although the "don't ask questions" behavior battered into him by the Dursleys possibly killed his curiosity about anything . Ideally at the end of PS, when he gets the photo album from Hagrid which shows a lot of pictures of his parents as well as Hagrid mentioning that he had contacted the friends of the Potters for this purpose should have made him notice this fact. Again possibly being given pictures of his parents for the first time ever may have made him too overwhelmed to think about this. Remember his reaction on seeing them in the Mirror of Erised?

Even if we ignore this , the fact that Sirius in OoTP mentions that he had been welcomed by the Potters when he left the Black family should have made him prompt questions about his grandparents.

 

There are an awful lot of "absolute" statements in that paragraph.

There's a funny thing about "absolute" statements... :facepalm

Your proof is somewhat suspect. Harry did read the books he bought, as that is where he found Hedwig's name.

 

Only Sith deal in them.

I somewhat agree that having Ron die that early wouldn't be good for Harry and Hermione's friendship. I could see them awkwardly trying to avoid each other for a while over the summer and the first few weeks/months of school, not really knowing how to deal with it. But I feel that a somewhat-tweaked Chamber of Secrets incident could serve to bring them closer together again and help them sort out their grief/guilt, if an author wanted to use this situation in their story.

 

Ron's death could have redeemed him in canon for all the utter jealous moments that he pulls on Harry and the horrible way he treats Hermione throughout the series.This would have given him the fame he has always desired since PS making him more famous than all of his brothers. The whole of DH reeked about how Ron Weasley became great. And as many have commented it would have spurred on Harry to do better and finish the job properly.

On a side note: Does anyone here think that the book " Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches" that Ron is learning tips from, smacks of more laziness from Ron's side and also looks like an attempt to manipulate women?

 

No, it sounds like the sort of book many teenagers have picked up at some point in their lives...

 

But to have a smart character like Hermione to fall for that sort of nonsense who supposedly is a SI ......
And whats with Hermione saying something about washing Ron's underpants in DH at the Burrow? Turning into another Molly ?

 

Don't we get an example of it somewhere, in Ron's behaviour? And Hermione responds appreciatively.

It's basically a 'be more considerate, value their opinions' sort of thing, most likely. In which case there's nothing particularly for Hermione to 'fall for'.

And, to throw stones in a glass house, I think you're reading too much into it.

 

Are you just now noticing the creepy way in which both Harry and Ron end up with people that bear disturbing resemblances to their mothers?

 

Ginny/Lily resemblance is overplayed in fanon, and I can't see the Hermione/Molly at all. Beyond the red hair and the forceful attitude respectively, what other similarities are there?

 

Something is overplayed in fanon? I'd have never guessed...

Jokes aside, while I'm neither agreeing or disagreeing with the whole oepidus complex theory, I can see the similarities they've picked up on. Hermione and Molly both have (like you said) forceful and dominating attitudes, respect authority like Dumbledore and rules a lot, and worry too much about their loved ones, etc. Ginny has red hair... and well, not too much else similar there, really. They're both in Gryffindor?

I don't know, Lily seemed to be pretty different from Ginny personality wise in my opinion, so I suppose that stems more from their (somewhat assumed) similar appearances. Along the lines of that "all Potter men fall in love with red heads" bull shit.

 

Hermione is also a strong & independent character, not someone who is content to be a housewife like Molly. Sure the bossiness and dominating characteristics do match , but nothing else.
Regarding Lily being like Ginny , Rowling herself said that "Lily was like Ginny;very popular ". Thats the only thing Rowling has used to compare Lily with Ginny which is pretty sickening in itself.

Rowling has described R/Hr's arguing in OoTP as Arthur and Molly arguing which IMO is completely false.