Snowflake Challenge Day 3

[alisanne]

Day 3

In your own space, share a favorite piece of original canon (a TV episode, a song, a favorite interview, a book, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Last year I mentioned how much I adore sassy!Harry, so this year let's discuss the formation of the Golden Trio.

They are all kids with their own issues and problems when they arrive at Hogwarts. Harry's been neglected by the Dursleys, Hermione's a bit of a swot who's been eagerly devouring books on magic, Ron's one of many who just wants to be recognized as an individual.

They're all Sorted into Gryffindor, but that doesn't guarantee friendship. After all, if we're being honest, in Philosopher's Stone, Ron and Harry begin by being rather mean to Hermione, calling her a bossy know it all where she can overhear, hurting her feelings to the point that she skips a class to avoid them (and we all know how seriously Hermione takes classes).

That all changes when the troll attacks. Hermione and the boys team up to defeat it, and do such a good job between them, they get House points out of it (although only a measly 15), after which they make up in a deftly written scene which, IMO, sums up childhood friendship nicely.

Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.

LOL! *shakes head* You know how later, in GoF, when Ron and Harry make up after Ron accuses Harry of putting his own name in the cup and Hermione is like "Boys!"? Well this scene it like that one. It makes me want to say, "Kids!" *g*

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

Ain't that the truth?

And so the group formed. Harry, the leader - the heart of the Trio, determined, brave, unyielding. Ron, the strategist - the chess player, the one with the instinct for magic woven into his blood that the others don't have because of their Muggle upbringings, he's often the one who has to remind them to 'use sodding magic, FFS'. Hermione is the brain, the brilliant planner, the one who prepares for every eventuality, the reason the others are able to live long enough to track Horcruxes and evade Voldemort so Harry can defeat him.

They're the three-legged stool of the story, and as we all know, there's no more stable structure. They're reason the whole thing holds together. *loves them*

Comments

[lightofdaye]

Nice analysis and theme for the challenge!

I do wish JKR had remember Ron the strategist more though!

[alisanne]

Ah, but thats where fanon comes in. We fix all that stuff for her. ;)

Thank you!

[lightofdaye]

Darn straight it is! XD

[birdsofshore]

Oh LOVE! This has put a big smile on my face!

[alisanne]

YAY! I'm so glad. :)
Just thinking about them made me smile, too.

[nuclearpolymer]

Yes :)
I kind of think that as the books went on, Hermione started being written as having the "figures out how people feel" talent, which in a lot of ways would have made more sense for Ron to have. Since he's from a big family, and as the youngest probably watched people interacting a lot, while Hermione was an only child who didn't have a lot of friends growing up...

[alisanne]

Oh, you make a good point.
I guess JKR felt it made sense for her to do that since she's the girl, but I bet you're right.
Ron should be a decent judge of people's feeling/emotions.

[ineptshieldmaid]

I love that origin story. I love that Ron in particular pivots so fast from ‘insufferable know it all’ to ‘but she’s OUR insufferable know it all’. I think I love it particularly because the bond they form isn’t about what Hermione can offer the boys (like help with homework) or about her wanting to impress them - it’s what all three of them see in each other.

I guess I spent most of my teenage years stuck in the place very young Hermione is in, and that story appealed to me - especially as it’s Hermione who sees the value in Neville (the other character I uncomfortably identified with) first.

[alisanne]

Yes!

the bond they form isn’t about what Hermione can offer the boys (like help with homework) or about her wanting to impress them - it’s what all three of them see in each other.

Brilliantly put.

I actually considered talking about Neville, but went with the Trio instead. Maybe next year... :)