H.M.S. Harmony: The Greatest Ship I've Ever Known

My final thoughts about HP and shipping, also posted at HF.


Even after a few hours, the news still stings quite a bit.

For all our efforts in trying to explain away JKR's ridiculous plot holes and unforgivable character assassinations in HBP, it turns out that JKR really is a shallow, short-sighted, and highly irresponsible writer. Ironically, Harmonians have always been the ones to defend her work. We're the ones who dove deeply into her world, found richness buried between the lines, and applauded what appeared to be JKR's inspiring perspective on relationships.

We were wrong.

H/Hr had developed inadvertently in canon; the bond between Harry and Hermione was purely an accident, a result of the character of Hermione "wandering" from JKR's original intentions.

This is nothing short of incredible. To think that JKR does not see the gold mine that was Hermione's character, the amazing relationship she could have written between the hero and once beloved heroine... all in favor of fulfilling her frail ego with a glaring Mary Sue that makes her an amateur writer of the lowest degree.

If JKR had sunk Harmony in a more respectful way, as she did D/Hr and N/L, I would have had no problem, because that would simply mean JKR's ideal relationships are OBHWF. I cringe at the shoddy way OBHWF was written in canon, and I do not see how OBHWFers can be so pleased with the non-existent development and abusive behavior JKR has fed them.

Of course, I extend my sincerest congratulations to OBHWF supporters, but they need to bear in mind that they have been fed the most shallow victory ever handed to a ship. JKR couldn't even sink Harmony in canon; she had to do it in an interview. It's a strangely fitting end for us, and an appropriate beginning for our rival ships which relied heavily on quotes instead of the text itself.

Even at the end, Harmonians were still right all along. In order for OBHWF to happen, we've maintained that Hermione's character would suffer the most, and suffer she did. JKR might as well have written a new character in Hermione's stead, so harsh and drastic were the differences from OotP to HBP. The Hermione we grew to love in the first five books was murdered.

At Hermione's expense, Ginny Weasley, the most obvious Mary Sue in modern literature, took the place at the forefront of Harry's consciousness. At Hermione's expense, the Hr/R relationship gained ground in abusive bickering and petty, horrifying displays of jealousy. Harmonians have known all along that Ron is not Hermione's equal, because she had been portrayed as the series heroine in books 1-5. Hermione's complete destruction for OBHWF's sake was not an entirely unexpected tragedy, but that does not make the crime any less atrocious.

But for JKR to openly laugh at Harmonians? Singling out and mocking a group of people that has endured, for her sake, years of bullying and degrading arguments from OBHWF sycophants and blind worshippers? People who wrote so many brilliant essays and came up with countless imaginative theories that gave JKR and her series depth she could not afford?

This is rude, despicable, and inexcusably tasteless behavior.

This shows that JKR never deserved the praise, never deserved the credit attributed to her by so many Harmonians. This shows that JKR values her pride, her ego, and her money much more than her work or her readers. Is she furious with us for seeing something in her characters that she failed to see? Is she furious with us for bringing up valid criticisms of her work, instead of obsequiously bowing to everything she writes as others do? What is so inherently bad about the ideals represented by Harmony that its supporters deserve such nasty, public derision?

She even agrees with the baseless and hypocritical accusations about Harmonians hating Ron, forgetting the fact that most OBHWFers loathe Hermione with a passion.

I deeply regret ever comparing Rowling to Jane Austen, an author who did have admirable values about love and a proper grasp of human relationships. JKR has neither the talent nor the vision to follow the enormous potential of her characters. She never realized why her characters seemed to wander away from her plans--specifically Hermione. JKR does not even reread her past work, and she has the gall to tell us to reread her books, after we have read between the lines for years.

To keep to her master plan, JKR needed to destroy her characters. We were willing to give her the benefit of a doubt--surely she could see that her characters were acting in ridiculous and unbelievable ways? But there is no depth in her work, and there never has been. In this way, we have been delusional; we have been delusional to believe that JKR was writing with depth, with a greater purpose.

My time in HP fandom is over. I see no value in even marginally promoting the misguided ideals of a shallow, conniving Mary Sue author who got seriously lucky with her first novel. I will not, however, abandon the ideals of Harmony because those are the ideals I cherish the most, second only to my religious beliefs.

Respect, trust, understanding, compromise, equality, maturity, friendship, and love.

Those are the values that Harmonians uphold, and before JKR's character assassination and displays of derision, we believed that Harry and Hermione were the epitome of this ideal. H/Hr will never pass, and I will never again address JKR's work, but I shall not abandon the H.M.S. Harmony. I refuse to abandon my shipmates and friends.

There are more worthwhile things out there, things that represent the values of Harmony. Not only should we search for them; we should create them for ourselves.

So if you're an artist, draw. If you're a writer, write.

But whatever it is that you do, be proud that you are, and forever will be, a Harmonian.

ETA: I didn't realize people would get into an uproar over something as simple as my renouncing JKR. It's fascinating how one opinion out of thousands could generate this much silliness. I've explained my views repeatedly, and I have no further interest or patience in clarifying my position.

I've moved on, thanks. I recommend you do the same.