Is it just me or have other people noticed that JKR made Cho's character crash and burn in OOTP just to make Ginny the exact replica of her personality in HPBP...and not just her personality...she has turned Ginny from a stalking celeb-obsessed bitch with no curves whatsoever who puts her elbow in a butter dish into a beautiful, confident and outgoing female (in other words Cho from book 4).

Furthermore Harry realised he was in love with Ginny in the most abrupt manner possible which further adds to my belief that JKR can't write romance to save her life. I mean at least with Cho it was identified correctly as nothing more than a crush not a 'O my gosh I want to marry you even if it is prohibited by law as we are not even 17 yet' type of love.

I think the entire flow of the story would have been better if Harry had a relationship with Cho (a normal relationship...nothing earth shattering) and in that time Harry realises that he may feel something for Ginny(Not the HPBP whore) too(in other word lust) but decides that he is reasonably happy with Cho and doesn't want to risk it.

Then DoM happens...a stray curse hits Ginny, Harry is distraught...he visits her at the hospital.Cho confronts him about his feelings for Ginny and with the pressure of the prophesy fresh in his mind as well as the death of his godfather, Harry snaps and tells Cho that he feels something more for Ginny

Cho can't handle it...they brake up and the setting is fixed for HPBP and a romance that doesn't include 'I just realised in 3 paragraphs that Ginny is in fact my soul mate'

Honestly...don't you think it would have been better?

 

Yes.

I suppose I need to elaborate on that. Yes it could have been done better or even not at all unless it is the power of love... *Shudders* But if it was done better it would have been a more predominant theme in the book. Now I re read HBP a few weeks back to find some of the things I missed first time through and I realised something. It is very easy to miss out the H/G crap in the book and not lose any of the plot (If you can call that a plot). I just jumped the areas describing the "Beast" in Harrys chest and any other crap and found it didn't bugger up the story. So the whole thing could of been left out to no ill effect. Kind of sad to think that JK is reduced to mindless filler to appease the Fangirls/boys.

Now since this is a story about teenagers romance is probably a must (we all experienced it) but it would have been better for Harry to fall for a girl who was only interested in him because he is famous and get burned real bad for it.

 

The sudden, intense attraction after four books with both Harry and Ginny at school together and no dating relationship when combined with the continued focus on potions, including ones for luck (probably out of Ginny's reach through skill or money) and several for romance/lust/love tell me that the Harry/Ginny events can only be the result of a potion (or several). Perhaps Ginny has been taking some potions as well, causing her considerable personality and behavior changes.

Harry and Cho... While there was a bit of something in GoF and OotP, it could have been handled better, either for a working relationship or one that didn't go well. I think, with the Cho that we saw in book 4, that there could have been an interestingly written romance.

As for Harry and Ginny... Well, many people like the pairing, though they don't come here, and many, many people write it badly. I have seen signs since the first book that Ginny would be interested in Harry 'like that' - which is no sign that a relationship could/should occur. Nothing before the chest-monster suggested that Harry would be interested in Ginny 'like that'.

He had a date with one of the Patil sisters, and an interest in Cho. They are all dark haired, attractive, and at least passbly intelligent - nothing has been said about Parvati struggling with her classes, only that she liked Trelawney and is more girly than Hermione. Cho is also interested in Quidditch, and possibly athletic (there are many debates on Quidditch and real exercise and the connection they may or may not have. This isn't the place for more). To me, this suggests that harry is interested in pretty girls with dark hair, reasonably intelligent, good at dealing with people (Cho and both Patils have friends and have never once been described as turning strange colors and running away when greeted or putting parts of their body into butter dishes), academically capable, and - above all else - capable of dealing with problems instead of hiding or calling on the wrath of Mum.

Frankly, I just don't see how a relationship with the Ginny that we saw before HBP could ever have worked. Oh, she would definately made moves towards Harry, but that isn't the same as a relationship. She would have to grow up a considerable amount, and learn to handle stress much better than either her first year or than what Ron can accomplish now. I haven't seen that happening.

Yes, I'll admit that I've read some Harry/Ginny stories, but the ones that didn't make me hit the back button immediately had Ginny growing up mentally/emotionally as well as physically. Harry needs someone that he can count on to be there for him emotionally, and not just get angry, shout and possibly toss hexes, and cook meals. Harry knows how to cook for himself, and if he ever needed help with that, I'm sure Dobby would love the chance.

Honestly, I can't remember Cho in HBP - is my mind blanking, or was there just not enough there to remember? Of course, that might have been a kindness to Cho if she was mostly absent... No, wasn't she nearly killed by one of Ferret-boy's attempts?

 

It's been awhile since I've read it too Luc but I believe she was actually only mentioned once in HBP (Your mind isn't blanking, it was just too short to remember), around the time Harry was getting on the train and the two of them met eyes. She looks away, and well, that's about all JKR said about that. I don't even remember Harry really thinking anymore on it after that. I don't know about anyone else, but when I was that age and had a crush on a girl for nearly 2 years (I believe the first mention was Harry blushing in PoA when Cho spoke to him on the Quidditch field. I wouldn't just up and forget about her even after a nasty breakup. Hell, at that point in my life, a nasty conversation would have lingered in my mind more then a good one.

 

Oh shit, this isn't gonna end well. I'll be in my bomb shelter eating dehydrated food packs if anyone needs me.

 

LT2000, is DEFINITELY going to have some strong opinions. I can't wait to see what he has to say


Ginny is a child, and all these stupid fics where Ginny acts tough by slapping Harry is stupid. Its also indicative of a bunch of girls who I would NEVER want to date (slapping? is that support?) or boys who have a bunch of severe mommy issues.

I like Cho, and I MIGHT have liked Ginny if she wasn't portrayed as a retarded fangirl the first 4 books.

 

I can end this argument in one sentence.

Cho's hot and Ginny's an ugly redheaded whore, comparison ended.

 

Most post ootp fanfics do a better job of handling Harry's breakup with Cho better than JKR. Hell, most of them that deal with a H/G relationship do those better than JKR, at least in most of those they correspond with each other, she comes to see him at #4 or something better than Harry sees her and begins to feel this monster in his chest.

I am still hoping the monster is one of those alien chestbursters that explodes from his rib cage and takes out both Harry and Ginny.

It is interesting to see Cho stick by Marietta perhaps out of her own embarassment rather than apologize to Harry as I had expected. When I first started laying out To Fight the Coming Darkness, Marietta was actually in the role ultimately played by Susan Bones. I still may do a Harry/Marietta fic at some point (*adds to ever growing list of plot bunnies*).

For some reason I haven't been able to really get into Harry/Cho. Aside from a few stories from a couple of posters on this site, there aren't really that many worth reading. Too many focus on her emotional unstableness (ever flowing tears) or feel the need to fixiate on her asian heritage (done with some of the few Harry/either Patil's too). Most don't seem to develop her enough as a character. Hell even the adult stories seem to turn her into some kind of Karma Sutra asian sex kitten. (Not necessarily a bad thing, but still...)

You'd think the Harry/Cho community would be better developed, since she was one of the characters who actually had a chance in Canon.

Jim