Analyzing Ginny

It must be one of the most noticeable personality changes in the Harry Potter series so far. Ginny Weasley not having a crush on Harry Potter? Sounds un-Ginny. Take a look at any Harry Potter reference book or website. Do a search for Ginny, and she is almost always described as Ron's younger sister who has a crush on Harry Potter.

From the first time JK Rowling told us that Ginny seems to be "taken with Harry", the succeeding books consistently showed us a young lady with a schoolgirl crush on The Boy Who Lived. And who could blame her? After he heroically risked his life to save her in Chamber of Secrets, she can't help but exhibit some sort of hero worship for her savior. Initially, it must've felt more like having a crush on a movie star. But with Harry more and more in contact with her and her family, she's starting to get to know more about him... and I bet she likes all the things about him that unravels before her.

During a meeting with my Harry Potter group, Pinoy Harry Potter, last weekend, resident fanfic writer and Harry/Ginny shipper, JennaMae, again brought up the question most readers must have been asking themselves by the end of book 5. Is Ginny really over Harry?

Here's my two knuts.

The drastic change in Ginny can be viewed in two ways. One, she really IS over Harry. Just like that. Or, two, she really isn't over him. She just gave up on the idea of her being with him. My personal take on it? Number two.

I don't believe she really is totally over Harry. You can't like a person for three years and then have the feeling dissipate over the summer as if by magic. But it shows us Ginny's emotional maturity. She has liked Harry for some time, but he seems to consider her only as his best friend's younger sister. He shows no interest in her at all apart from friendship. The way I see it, Ginny decided to... go on a very very very high bungee jump. She's jumped and let go, but she is still tied to him somehow (like a bungee cord), and when she's as far away from him as she could go, that cord will pull her back to him. Whether or not Harry holds on to the bungee cord so she won't be pulled away again, or whether he will let her go, is JK Rowling's decision. She is the writer after all. :) But that's the way I see it. :)

In simpler terms: she likes Harry, but since he doesn't seem to return the affection, she decided to let go of the idea of being with him, and started to befriend more people. This resulted in her dating Michael Corner of Ravenclaw. This also resulted in the change we see in her. I think the following excerpt says a lot about the new Ginny:

'We wanted to talk to you, Harry' said Ginny, 'but as you've been hiding ever since we got back -- '

'I didn't want anyone to talk to me,' said Harry, who was feeling more and more nettled.

'Well, that was a bit stupid of you,' said Ginny angrily, 'seeing as you don't know anyone but me who's been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels.'

Harry remained quite still as the impact of these words hit him. Then he wheeled round.

'I forgot,' he said.

'Lucky you,' said Ginny coolly.

She talks to Harry now, even scolds him, is able to be with him and carry on normally, like what happened on the Hogwarts Express on the way to school. She is able to keep her composure even if she gets caught in bizarre situations which also involves him. She doesn't even bat an eyelash when Cho Chang is around, knowing Harry so obviously is infatuated with the girl. She's smart, funny, spunky --- traits that we wouldn't have seen if she just clammed up around Harry.

But she still obviously likes him. She could have shared a compartment with Michael Corner on the train if she wanted to, or even with housemates in the same year level as her, but she opted to keep Harry company. She still obviously cares a lot about him, showing it in her own subtle ways. (As Hua Ze Lei says in Meteor Garden 2, "she is just finding another method to love him." ) It shows she understands him well enough and is willing to wait and let him be. If he eventually starts liking her, well and good. If he doesn't, then c'est la vie. This way, Harry will at least get a chance to find out just what Ginny means to him. Especially now that, in all outside appearances, she has gotten over him.

Only the last two books will tell if I'm correct. But I'm obviously a Harry/Ginny shipper, so no matter what the outcome is, I would still be rooting for them. Whether I turn out to be right, or whether it turns out that I've read the whole thing erroneously. There are only two things going for me and my analysis. One, in stereotype British boarding school tales, the girl usually ends up with her older brother's bestfriend. And number two... believe me, I know. Haha.

Now the ball is in Rowling's court. :)


.:chronicled by senator skywalker at 9:41:00 PM:.
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