(no subject)

[author_by_night]

Harry Potter characters everyone seems to hate that I don't:

1. Dumbledore. Yeah, the man has shown slight favortism, and some things just confuse me (he didn't bother to tell Moody or anyone who might also know about the Dark Arts about Horcruxes, but, instead, a sixteen year old?), but come on, he's also someone who considers muggles as normal as humans (sorry, Arthur basically patronizes them - not that he's not still a great guy), and it is very clear that his top priority is the safety of Hogwarts. Hogwarts is his world, plain and simple. How can you not love that?

As for his faults... well, I see it as the usual fantasy consensus that Good is Always Right. Plus, even Dumbledore himself admits he has them.

2. Hagrid. I'm not sure how anyone can not like the guy; there is a very good reason that Dumbledore and Harry trust him with their lives (Dumbledore's exact words are "I'd trust Hagrid with my life.") Yes, he can act like a big kid, but he can also be very strong. Read the last few chapters of GoF; there's a line in one of them that he says that I think shows his strong side. As for the animals... Hagrid's not stupid, just reckless. And am I the only one who actually thought he had a good point about bringing Grawp back? His failing was not telling Dumbledore, who actually may have been able to help.

3. Ginny. Yeah, she can be a bit obnoxious, so can Ron, Hermione, Harry, and - guess what - human beings. Plus, there is a civil war going on, and her brother is getting married to someone she hates - her favorite brother.

4. Dobby. Oh come on guys, it's in CoS that he's a Jar Jar Binks, not here. Yeah, he's a bit annoying, but... not useless.

5. Tonks. Everyone who is on my flist, however, should already know that. ;) (And in some cases, I told them enough that they ended up shipping R/T... *coughLindacough*)

Anyone have anything to add?

Comments

[linda-lupos.livejournal.com]

6. Percy. That may have something to do with my aversion to OBHWF, but really, stop being so hard on the guy. He has a backbone, and is not afraid to stick with his ideas, even if we don't agree with them. Also, remember that WE as the readers know Harry is fighting for the side of Good. Percy doesn't see things from a reader's perspective; he doesn't know what's going on but sticking with the Ministry sounds the best choice to him. I can really imagine why he's done the things he did.
Of course, he can be a mayor git (that letter in OotP, anyone?) and incredibly pompous, but that just adds to the charm. ;)

[i](And in some cases, I told them enough that they ended up shipping R/T... *coughLindacough*)[/i]
Suddenly I'm beginning to wonder whether you used Imperio... You do know that's illegal, don't you? ;)

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I forgot

[tunxeh.livejournal.com]

A lot of people seem to (inexplicably, to me) hate Ron.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Then they can just read my argument for Ginny. ;) Yeah, the guy can be a git. Yes, in GoF, he stopped speaking to Harry. Do I wish Ron would've been given less sidekicky lines in HBP? Yeah, but that's not a reason to hate him. And in other ways, he was given very NOT sidekicky lines.

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Agree on all counts. (I've ranted about the others before, but I want to add that I really like Dobby.)

It amazes me that people can expend so much hatred on characters who are genuinely kind, well-intentioned, and willing to take risks for others.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I think sometimes personal feelings play in. Take pre-OoTP Cho, when people disliked her even though we hadn't seen her unpleasant side in OoTP yet. I honestly believe that a lot of people were reminded of the popular girl in school who made their lives a living heck. Now that role has been passed on to Ginny, who while a bit of a snarky girl isn't mean or a Sue.

[tiny-wings.livejournal.com]

... people hate Dumbledore?

I know some people don't like Sirius, but I do!

The funny thing with the HP fandom is that so many people seem to like characters we are not supposed to like, and hate characters we are supposed to like.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I know! It's crazy. And sometimes, those people will like Draco but hate Ron, or think Voldemort is good but Dumbleore is evil... all very strange indeed.

[chocolatepot.livejournal.com]

Seriously, the only characters I don't like are Umbridge, Bellatrix, and assorted DEs. I mean, I don't like Snape as a person, but he's a pretty cool character.

Percy, yeah, Ron. Molly, I love Molly.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I think Molly's a bit pushy, but I also think we have to take into account the times.

Besides, are people not allowed flaws?

[icon-metaphor.livejournal.com]

Nothing to add, though I do like all those characters :). Tonks was kinda weird to warm up to, but I like her. I have to admit that in CoS, Dobby was annoying. However, I hadn't read the books at the time, and now I love him muchly!

~Meg~

P.S. I still don't like Percy :P. He should stop being such a git.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Percy, I agree with. He's a git. But I also don't think he's entirely to blame... it's all a huge mess.

And I guess I can see Tonks being hard to warm up to at first... for me, I just knew I liked her the moment she showed up.

[victorialupin.livejournal.com]

I agree on all accounts. Though, I can understand disliking Hagrid, at least as a character since while he's a good person, some of his storylines aren't interesting to the majority of readers.

[luahoana.livejournal.com]

I don't hate any of them. ^_^

[joely-jo.livejournal.com]

I agree with most of your points, but especially the Tonks one! I think my pet-hate is how some people in fandom portray characters. Sirius, for example. I really like the guy. I think he's clever and complex and it bugs me when most of what I read has him portrayed as a drunk or a fool or both.

[talimeeka.livejournal.com]

I LOVE all those characters, especially Ginny. She's my absolute favorite HP character, I think she represents a vast majority of strong females in America without being a Mary Sue. WTF fandom?

[annie-jaye.livejournal.com]

I've read somewhere where people hate Lily. I was like WTF?! If I can find it again I'll let ya know what it said...

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I blame the Lily hate on fandom's dislike of female characters who dare have one pleasing feature and/or open their mouths at any point in the story.

Seriously.

[ex-jo-blogs.livejournal.com]

I don't hate any of them - even Percy. Slightly off-topic - I've found that writing fics has greatly increased my liking for / interest in characters that previously I'd never really cared for before. Maybe if you're a major Draco fan (for example) and spend a lot of time thinking about him or even writing from his point of view, that would explain why you might develop an antipathy towards Ron (for example). Mind you, Draco and Ron weren't in your list, so no - I have no idea why anyone would develop a strong dislike for Hagrid or Dumbledore or any of the others, even though I agree that they both have aspects to their characters that are a bit irritating...

[ziasudra.livejournal.com]

There really isn't any HP character that I actively dislike. I might not find Umbridge the most personable witch in the world, but I'm sure writing a character study on her would be very interesting. Same with all the characters you listed. It's a matter of having perspective, I think.

[vytresna.livejournal.com]

Well, Hagrid being reckless instead of stupid... okay, that's generally a point of consideration, but it doesn't make me one jot less worried about him, circumstances being what they are.

Wait, weren't you the one who wrote two essays on how Giny was completely different and a Mary-Sue to boot?

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Wait, weren't you the one who wrote two essays on how Giny was completely different and a Mary-Sue to boot?

Nope, not me. She was a little different, and had her unlikeable moment, but not a Sue. Not sure whoyou're thinking of, but I definitely never said that.

[trude.livejournal.com]

I love Hagrid and always have, I love Tonks (ditto), I think Ginny and Dobby have valid parts in the story even if neither one is a big favorite of mine, and I think that Dumbledore is a good, although flawed human being who as a literary character sometimes bugs me.

...because getting some random strangers opinion after two weeks was just what you wanted, right?