I definitely fall into the Austenite category. Jane Eyre was fantastic. We probably shouldn't talk about my opinion of Wuthering Heights though.

And for me, it's not just that Ginny is a survivor--it's also that there's a chance of redemption, for growth. I don't know that Harry is ever given a chance to make a major meaningful change.

Though the more I write in the Potter world, the more I wonder about JK's world building-- that's a whole orher topic though. I'm afraid I've gotten spoiled on Robert Jordan and Branden Sanderson.

Author's Response: Para! :) So good to see you. Yes, I had issues with Wuthering Heights too... Charlotte was the most talented of the Brontes, IMHO (and she also wrote the most books.) I think that Ginny always had amazing potential, and what bothered me was the way that the possibility of that potential being fulfilled was always held tantalizingly just out of reach. We'd get hints, but that was it. And I want to see more of your fics!!!! Time to update. :) I will if you will.

I think you're spot-on about D/Hr. When I first got into HP fanfic, which just after OOTP came out, I started out reading both D/G and D/Hr, but I eventually stopped with D/Hr because I felt that Draco was so often written OOC in order to make the pairing work. As others have said, I find it nigh impossible to imagine that Draco would ever allow himself to be with a Muggleborn, even if he is heavily redeemed. I do like seeing them as "friends." I had a lot of fun writing them as sort-friends in EOTH, and it felt believable to me that they might come together to work on a problem. We can't necessarily conclude from canon that Draco is super intelligent or anything, but I think he can be quite analytical, and I can see Draco and Hermione connecting on some level in that way. Just not romantically. But then, I'm positively OCD about writing Draco as canonically as possible, so maybe that's just me ;)

Anywho, I'm sorry you lost the rest of the essay and good luck continuing on with it! It's really good and really interesting and I agree with a lot of points. For the most part, I was overall pleased with Deathly Hallows (at least, having resigned myself to the fact that H/G would happen and that D/G never would). BUT, Ginny's character was one of my chief annoyances with DH. She was completely reduced to "Harry's girlfriend." She got no Crowning Moment of Awesome - you look at other characters like Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Neville, Luna, they all got their cool moments and take-downs, and Ginny got absolutely nothing. We were TOLD that she did cool stuff at Hogwarts, but since JKR chose (wrongly, IMO) to basically leave Hogwarts out and follow the trio's boring tramping around in the countryside instead, we didn't get to see any of it. (Seriously, wouldn't the Trio working to find Horcruxes and destroy Voldemort from Hogwarts as a base have been MUCH more interesting? They could have hidden in the Room of Requirement with Neville! That's my other big beef about DH.) The only good to come out of it, IMO, is that you can write fic about Draco and Ginny being at Hogwarts during this hellish year, without the trio present. (Which I intend to do :D)

Author's Response: Thanks! :) I didn't see your review until now, so I hope you read my response at some point. :) I really, REALLY would love to see your take on Draco/Ginny during the final year. I've rarely seen that topic really taken on, and there's so much that could be written about it. (And I'm reviewing your fic very VERY soon!!) Believe me, I don't think that everything about DH was bad, or that it was a completely terrible end to the series. It wasn't Jean Auel's *Land of Painted Caves* (which made me glad that I never really got into the EC fandom.) There were quite a few things that worked very well. The way that the intricacies of the plot were tied up was impressive. Snape's final characterization was great (as much as I think that there were still problematic aspects there.) But I do think that what happened to both Ginny and Draco in DH forms the key to the aspects that DID bother me about it. That's really the theme of the next chapter, which WILL be written, no matter what. (glares at evil drive. Well, it's in California right now, so it's a metaphorical glare!) ;

I am so glad to see someone taking a realistic and critical look at DH. The final book never really sat well with me, even excluding the horrible epilogue. For a series which had so much build-up and planning the final book seemed rushed, contradictory and disorganized. Now that you have mentioned it, I can't help but agree that JKR definitely seems to have cowardly backed away from a darker more adult conclusion. She seems to have a fear of the "grey" characters, instead forcing almost everyone into a role as either good or evil.

Additionally, I thought the sorting hat unity was another "gun on the table" which lent to the D/G subplot but was never addressed. There are many references in the earlier books about how all of the houses must unite. In the OOTP sorting song it specifically sings "For our Hogwarts is in danger; From external, deadly foes; And we must unite inside her; Or we'll crumble from within". JKR set the stage for the Slytherins (or Draco) to make a significant contribution to the final outcome. Instead the Slytherins just ran away. Its one of the loose ends that always bothered me.

I look forward to your continued analysis. Keep up the good work.

Author's Response: Thanks!! :) (Does the Happy Wonderful Review Dance.) I'm SO glad that I wasn't the only one who thought that DH had problems. And I totally agree about the "house unity" issue (you're one of those great reviewers who points out things I didn't think of! ;) It really made no sense at all to throw out the idea of what the Slytherins could have offered to the school (and the entire wizarding world. And the rest of the world, actually.) It just isn't believable for EVERY SINGLE STUDENT who ever went through that house to be the epitome of darkly evil evil-ness. And you're right-- it's not consistent with information we received before.

Anyway, more soon!! I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP-- the fic exchange just started, so it might be a little bit delayed, but soon.

DG are the OTP and always will be. YOU CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND OTHER SHIPPER PEOPLE! Sorry, moment of mild rage there. But yeah.

Author's Response: It's all good. :) You know, I agree, even though I don't necessarily look at pairings in exactly the same way that I did in the past. The thing is that Draco and Ginny have some very important reasons why the two of them *as individuals* fit together as a couple. I've talked about some of them, and some are still to come in the next chapter! :) And thanks SO much for being a reader and reviewer.

Hello there :)
I’ve been a D/G fan since 2011, and during all that time, I’ve read lots of stories but something that captured my attention was the lack of manifestos.

I’m really grateful for this one, because even though the HP saga is finished, a few of us have the same idea about that many things were left developed like Ginny’s character, which is I really would loved to see and I don’t understand why many people dislike her and also with Draco, because people tend to portray him as an evil and bully character without thinking that he had hard times and no one to look for him... :-(

I also enjoyed your theories and the parallels between Snape/Lily/James and Draco/Ginny/Harry and I think all you’ve said might be true because it’s so logical! :)

What is great also is what you’ve written about the others pairings (probably more famous than d/g) and here’s something important about pairings respect, because some ships tend to be quite agressive (*cough cough Dr/H *) and a nice example is that on twitter,that I’ve seen many tweets bashing the D/G pairing but oh well....

I have loved and enjoyed reading every bit of this and I’d love to read more, and as you said D/G is a iconic pairing and that’s why we need more stories to be written :)

And a last thing, I hope soon this site allows Spanish stories (I’ve read this some time ago) because there’s a community of the pairing in Spanish and since this is my native language, there’s lots of good written stories of them. :) Have a nice day!!!

Author's Response: Thanks! :) I know what you mean about the manifesto/overview/"why to ship D/G" thing... there were some back in about 2006-7-8, and then I didn't see any more after that. Now, about D/Hr or D/H... I am trying not to ship bash. ;) It's basically just that I can't see those pairing justified by canon at all, especially not D/Hr. So in a way, it bothers me as a writer to even see those linked it to original canon in the first place. Why not just write three completely original characters?? Anyway. There will be more of this essay!

If HP is really FINISHED... well, nobody knows, but let's just say that's in Chapter 6. ;)

I talked to Lyndsie, and the thing is that we can't add different categories because of the way that efiction hasn't been updated in so long. But I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see fics in Spanish here, and for lots of people to post them on FIA. So here's what I would do. If Spanish fics are posted here, I will do EVERYTHING to spread the word about them (all the social media sites we're on, posts here, posts on the WP blog.) And maybe you can too. And I WILL review every chapter of every one. If I have to use Babelfish, I will! :)

I have been enjoying your essays and thinking about why D/G is my OTP, dabblings in Dramione be damned. I had to think through the history of everything to come to a conclusion.

The HP fandom was one of the funnest things I've ever had in my life, and that is saying something. The night DH was released, we had huge party in the little town I grew up in. Like many places, there were tons of festivities while we waited for the bookstore to open at midnight. I spent my time helping local kids make glittery wands in the pottery store. Then we all got our books, and my entire family stayed up all night reading. We declared ourselves very happy with the way the story wound up, and I went on never to read DH again. Looking back, I can see a lot of the glow came from the large-scale camaraderie, something that doesn’t come along every day, rather than the brilliance of the wind-up. This was experienced world-wide, and it partially explains why more questions weren’t asked about DH, at least at the time.

I think the reason for my dissatisfaction is best summed up with your observation that not one shot from one gun on the Draco-and-Ginny table ever went off. But that isn't the most important gun that was never fired. There had been years of pressure building up around Harry and Snape, and that really needed to be resolved face-to-face. Draco’s behavior in the final battle was senseless, and Ginny just dropped off the map. Tom himself was never examined. We were lucky to get the background on Dumbledore. Otherwise, the story was essentially unfinished. Instead, we got ramblings about wands and the hallows.

Right after I finished DH, I turned to fan fiction, starting with D/G. When a story builds up as much pressure as that one did, it really needs to be resolved or it will bang around in my brain forever. To be honest, none of these characters from Heathcliff on down are JKR’s. As a fiction addict, I have met all of them before, many times. What she did so ingeniously was mash them together. So I have no problem with other people re-mashing the mash up. That is what it is there for, and fan fiction has helped me come to terms with the problems in the original story.

Since reading your article, I have pondered two things. First, why did she go down the road she did with DH? My guess is that you are right, she was trying to configure the ending to match up with the primitive outlines of the epilogue she had devised years before. I also don’t think she fully understood all the characters (they weren’t all hers, after all), and didn’t get their appeal.

Second, why D/G? For me this is pretty simple. With the exception of Snape, who was spoken for long ago, Ginny and Draco are the only sex-positive creatures in the story. Ginny for obvious reasons and Draco because a) he is the hurt/comfortable character; b) his coloring (drawn from White Russians and the Jackal, I would guess) signals romantic intent and c) his tragic situation should have been transformative, which is romantic in itself.

So yes, do carry on with this path you are on. This particular ship has a job to accomplish. It would be too bad to see it descend into fluff. Nothing against fluff, but D/G could be so much more.

Anise, that was absolutely in place! I found myself nodding in agreement almost after every word!

I never really understood D/Hr. I've read a couple of stories but Hermione was just another Ginny in them (another point for D/G). I don't see how this pairing could work - Hermione is very competitive and would always try to prove that she is smarter. This wouldn't go well with Draco. Also she can be very narrow minded (re her attitude towards Luna) and she is very set in her believes. She would constantly criticize Draco's lifestyle and his society circles, etc. And there's the fact that she is muggleborn and there are things about magical community (which is very traditional) that she just can't understand or accept. And no matter how far Draco deviates from his family path (beliefs wise) I still can't see him having a significant relationship with a muggleborn.

Ginny is a pureblood, so she can at least understand Draco's family/society obligations even if she doesn't like them. Also she has a big heart and can be very accepting. Not mentioning the fact that she can help him heal and I know it's a horrible cliche but yes, a cold person needs someone warm and caring who is more open with expressing their emotions. And Draco is the only one in cannon who could understand what Ginny went through with the diary and accept the darkness that still remains in her. And Draco can be the logical one to Ginny's impulsiveness and recklessness.

I could go on about those things for hours, but I just wanted to add to all your reasons for why D/G is an iconic pairing is that they can balance each other like no other and this is a good basis for a real relationship. And the fact that there are several different ways that this relationship could go makes it even more interesting and exciting.

I totally agree with what you said about other pairings and I think H/Hr is amuch more believable or even H/Luna. I also like Ron with Pansy. As for Draco/Pansy - I see them as good friends too. And yes, Hermione needs someone more easy going like George.

Looking forward to what's next!!

Author's Response: Thanks!! :) You make so many good points... some I didn't even really think of, which is why a COMMUNITY of D/G shippers is such a good thing. I agree that D/Hr never really works as it is... one or both of their characters need to be changed so much for this to happen that you might as well substitute anyone else. I think that Draco and Hermione *might* become friends after they've both had a chance to mellow, which would work well if Hermione is Ginny's friend in the future. But there's too much friction between who they are as people, and it's the kind that is so basic that it wouldn't work even as a love/hate relationship. John Fowles has written some great material about the difference between what you CAN do as a writer and what you SHOULD do, and it's very applicable to the two ships.

Anyway... more soon! :)

Anise, you should just rewrite them!. Seriously, this essay is ten times better than DH.

Author's Response: Oh... thanks! :) But... you're feeding evil plot bunnies!! ;) Well, maybe at some point. The idea of a new DH ending is hard to resist.

I agree with you on so many factors. The main factor being I would have [grudgingly] accepted the H/G outcome in the epilogue had J. K. Rowling made it more plausible than just throwing it all together just because those who were into the series on the surface level expected it to be H/G. I would have accepted her decision, just like with Sirius' death and other monumental plot twists that hurt us, if she had gone about it the right way. Just like you said, why paint Ginny as this powerful witch who were closest to the twins (known for being clever and not doing what was expected of them) and completely replace her with someone who wouldn't stand up for herself in the fact that she had been ignored for so long and then finally acknowledged because it just seemed easiest to Harry because she was part of the family he wanted to be a part of and she already "loved" him (even though she never really knew him, because he never allowed her to know him like he did Ron and Hermione). It's two entirely different people. I'm embarrassed for J. K. Rowling with how she did the epilogue. How do you end an incredble series that has reached millions of people with that? She did not bring closure at all, it feels like to me. I guess we're lucky that she says she'll keep that door open and won't say she'll never write about Harry Potter again. Maybe by then, she'll go through her notes, re-read her books, be appalled by her epilogue, have an attack of conscious, and start again with the new generation. Every time I think about the epilogue I want to beat my head against the wall. I felt so let down, not even as a D/G shipper, but as a fan of 15 years.

Author's Response: Thanks! :) I think you pointed out something that is easy to miss--the romantic aspect is only PART of what's so wrong with the H/G pairing. They never had any chance to build a relationship based on friendship. Throughout the entire series, all we ever see are Harry's complex interactions with both Ron and Hermione-- never with Ginny. I don't think we'll ever know all the reasons why the series ended the way it did. But I think that part of it might have been that JKR believed that wrapping up the existing plot points was enough. And that aspect was done very well. The big problem, though, is that if a crucial plot thread has been yanked out, a lot of readers KNOW something vital is missing. It might be difficult to put a finger on it, but we know it's not there and should have been there. And I think that's just what happened with the D/G plotline. And there's an ENTIRE chapter coming up soon that deals with theories about upcoming canon. :) I don't know if everyone is going to agree with that one, but it's food for thought...

I have always, always, always thought that JKR had set Draco up to follow a certain path and then backpedaled on it in order to continue making him a bad guy. It is one of the things that I cannot forgive about Deathly Hallows. I understand she wanted to paint Draco as a cowardly character. Maybe it was solely his cowardice that prevented him from naming Harry at Malfoy Manor in DH, but that doesn't make any sense. He spent the entire sixth book trying to KILL Dumbledore for the glory it would bring him (and, we assume, to help redeem his family to Voldemort). So how hard could it have been to say, "Yes, this is Potter" when presented with another opportunity to redeem his family in Voldemort's eyes? That seemed like such a good sign. Guilt! Draco is feeling guilt! He doesn't want to condemn an innocent man to Voldemort's cruel torture (or DEATH). He's lived in the manor with Voldemort and Death Eaters long enough to know what would happen to Harry, so maybe he couldn't bring himself to condemn him that way. This was such a great thing, and I was so excited about it!

And THEN the Battle of Hogwarts happened, and suddenly Draco is the villain again, trying to earn some glory by capturing Harry for Voldemort. It just didn't seem like him. Not after everything he went through in his sixth and seventh years. Not after the horrors he saw and went through. All JKR was doing was turning him into someone who couldn't be sympathized with. And why? Because Slytherin characters are supposed to be Bad. They don't have individual circumstances and stories that carried them throughout the series to where they are. They are all evil and need to be dismissed from the castle because not a single one of them would fight for what's right. Never mind that fighting for what's right meant fighting against their friends and families! The Slytherins definitely deserved empathy, not derision.

I just wanted to say that because you touched on it slightly, and I agree wholeheartedly that JKR treated Draco badly. I don't know if you've ever seen Avatar: the Last Airbender, but I've always said that the mini-villain, Zuko, was the character that Draco should have been. So much character development! And I thought we were going to get some development for Draco in DH, but, sadly no. Sigh.

You've brought up some interesting ideas I've never thought about before, so I'm looking forward to the next chapter. The only part I'm a little dubious about so far is where you say that Draco could sense in CoS that Ginny and Harry's relationship would develop more one day. I don't know if he actually would have that much insight, but the idea that he bullied Harry about Ginny and not about Hermione is an interesting one. And the fact that maybe Draco was jealous of Ginny because even though Harry had rejected her too, she was still able to interact with him in ways that Draco couldn't. I'd never thought of the Harry/Draco/Ginny dynamic in this way before. The fact that Ginny AND Draco were both rejected by Harry is something to think about.

I like where you're going with this so far, and can't wait to see more!

Author's Response: I TOTALLY agree about Draco. The DH filmmakers actually understood the first plot point you bring up very well; they had Harry spell out that this was Draco's motivation in pretending not to recognize him. And it just doesn't make any sense that this hint was not followed up on... but I talk a LOT about that in the next chapter. And yes, the way that the Slytherins were treated in general was ridiculous. Pansy actually became one of my favorite characters after DH for that very reason-- she was the only one who showed any common sense by pointing out that handing Harry over to Voldy would save everyone else. I never saw Avatar! But I've always meant to, so someday... but I think I have a pretty good idea of the kind of thing you're talking about. Now, the CoS thing is another one where I can see how everybody won't have the same opinion about what Draco thought or didn't think re: the budding H/G relationship. But for me, the most significant thing is that Draco's first words to Harry in Ginny's presence were "Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend." I really think that he saw something in Ginny that Harry didn't see (and really didn't bother to care about.) Anyway, more soon! :)

I think it's very important that you bring up all those themes regarding canon and D/G.

About JKR's writing I want to add something and I hope you are the only one who reads this review, because I don't like rotten tomatoes... I think that lack of character development is one of the central problems with her writing. And it holds true even for main characters. People can't be the same at 17 as they are at 11. yet that's what we get. And it actually looks like Draco and Ginny "got out of hand" in a sense that JKR hasn't planned on them growing as complex characters. I remember an interview where she said that Draco is a bully and it's sad that girls are crushing on him because of the actor who plays him in films (I think credit should be given to Felton for seeing more in this character). I suppose that you will be discussing the epilogue, so I'll share my thoughts about it then.
And i'd like to be Molly and Arthur's advocate- they couldn't figure anything out because they haven't seen Ginny for the most of the year. I don't remember now, but I think that perhaps she stayed in school even during winter holidays. I don't think they could catch anything from her owls because let's not forget that Riddle was very clever and even Dumbledore, who was repeatedly eported as knowing everything about everyone at school couldn't figure out it was her! And about the summer - well, JKR doesn't say anything so we don't really know whether Ginny underwent some kind of treatment or not and Ginny herself strikes me as someone who'd rather everyone didn't discuss what happened to her. And don't forget that they went to Egypt that summer, a rear treat for them and the change of scenery is a very good therapeutic instrument.
And we know that JKR avoids dealing with psychological trauma in the series: who can believe that a boy who spent ten years locked under the stairs turns out more or less normal? So for this reason I think ginny's dealing with what happened in CoS isn't described either.

That's what I think anyway.

I'm really looking forward for the next chapter of your essay!
AND DON'T FORGET SATS!!

Author's Response: Thanks SO much! :) And no, I don't think you'll get any rotten tomatoes thrown at you here... ;) I agree about the characterization issue, and it really is as if both Ginny and Draco tried to escape and develop character on their own.. .and then were ruthlessly squashed. :P And believe me, I know that people will have more than one opinion on certain aspects of this essay. I totally see where you're coming from with the Weasleys and their reaction to Ginny. It's not something I agree with, but we will agree to disagree. :) And don't worry! More SatSD is on its way!! They're running to the train station right now, and Victoria is about to meet Nate for the first time...

I am so looking forward to what and how it all came about. I began reading the D/G fics BEFORE i even read the books. It actually inspired me to read the HP collection (as well as the loss of a friend at the same time). D/G made it dark and interesting and especially explored a lot of areas that were overlooked by some. I love the AU and it cant be that ad can it? :)

Author's Response: I LOVE this review!! I might actually quote this review at the start of the next section. I'll msg you about it...