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alt_fen2015-09-02 03:53 pm
gwendolyngrace) wrote in alt_fen2015-09-02 03:53 pm
Entry tags:
Changing Courses in the Alternity-verse....
Aliethen asked:
Can you give us a sense of (a few of the) plots which were surprises but worked really well in the end? For example I always had the impression that Terry/Hermione was supposed to be endgame at first but Draco/Hermione ended up evolving organically...was I right? (Was it even known at first that Draco would be in the Order in the end?) Did you always know Harry and Neville would die?
I felt like that sort of thing deserves its own thread, so here. Discuss!
Can you give us a sense of (a few of the) plots which were surprises but worked really well in the end? For example I always had the impression that Terry/Hermione was supposed to be endgame at first but Draco/Hermione ended up evolving organically...was I right? (Was it even known at first that Draco would be in the Order in the end?) Did you always know Harry and Neville would die?
I felt like that sort of thing deserves its own thread, so here. Discuss!
Speaking as Draco's player
Draco began as a snotty little shit, of course. Harry was actually quite clueless, as well. But with so many forces trying to pull Harry away, toward rebellion (Sirius, Hermione, then Snape), I knew that Draco would either follow, or totally turn away from Harry and all that he stood for. For many years I did not know if he would be a part of the Order. But Harry and Draco's bond remained so strong (and was strengthened by the addition of Hermione) that I did not see how Draco could abandon him. In a way, this is what he had been trained to do since childhood: always stand by Harry.
The fact that Harry always stuck by Draco meant that Draco followed (followed while trying to lead, mind you)...but he went dragging his feet, that's for sure! And then he had to encounter his own prejudices, and work through the self-loathing that followed.
I can honestly say that if Draco had NOT become a fugitive at the end of Y6, he may not have been able to complete his journey into a full-fledged, 100% committed member of the Order.
Draco/Hermione was not planned, and for some time I thought it might even be an unrequited, one-sided situation. I was aware that Flourish, Hermione's original player, was attracted to the idea of that pairing, but that was so early on, where I couldn't even fathom Draco/Hermione happening.
I started to think differently around the time that Draco and Pansy were dating. Something about the pairing didn't click for me - this is NOT any sort of criticism of Pansy, mind! But I realized that Pansy was not the person who was going to push Draco to be anyone other than himself. She embraced his every flaw and didn't judge him, much like she did with Lucius.
And then Gwen took over for Hermione and made her a bit more crisp and aggressive. She and Draco started locking heads a lot and it hit me that THIS was what Draco needed. He needed someone to call him on his bullshit. Harry wouldn't do it. Pansy wouldn't do it. But a muggleborn dared to.
At first it annoyed him, but Hermione was so clever and SMARTER than him that in time he started to value her opinion, even if he didn't show it.
And it was all downhill from there! But yeah, I didn't really ever know if Hermione would ever return his feelings. There were so many issues of power imbalance to navigate, for starters. And the whole "forbidden" aspect, as well. If they had both remained at Hogwarts for Y7, I am quite sure it would not have happened.
Re: Speaking as Draco's player
When we started plotting the Gringotts' bank heist, I knew that she was going to snog him immediately after they got off the dragon. I just didn't tell Rene that until it happened!
Likewise, I didn't know for sure when she was going to actually say "I love you" but I knew I wanted to find a moment, and find it I eventually did.
Re: Speaking as Draco's player
Re: Speaking as Draco's player
Re: Speaking as Draco's player
Re: Speaking as Draco's player
Re: Speaking as Draco's player
He actually believed Hermione wrote that note (he was drunk at the time, so there's that), which is just so funny it hurts.
I also like that moment because it shows just how crafty Teddy could be, and how insightful he was. Other than Sally Anne, he was the only one who figured out that Draco had a Thing for Hermione.
Re: Speaking as Draco's player
Re: Speaking as Draco's player