Has anyone heard JK Rowling’s “Women of Harry Potter” speech yet? It’s amazing. I never realized women were so powerful in her stories. I mean, I knew they were there, and I knew they were just incredible people, but never really thought “Crumbs, they’re such a driving force.” They are.
Hermione, take Hermione, she’s this girl, and that’s quite important, and she’s not stunning, she’s not everyone’s friend, she’s this huge know-everything bookworm. And she’s a heroine.
Ginny. Ginny’s this little girl, and I think that’s how we see her most of the time, and she grows up kind of behind Harry and the crew, and she has a lot of drama, but she ends up being this great person. I’m just like “Wow, where’d she come from?”
Luna is incredible, not for those reasons, but because she is herself. Not what someone else wants her to be. Luna (in the words of Jo) “Doesn’t give a damn.” She believes in herself. I think that is part of the reason why Evanna was so wonderful for Luna. Luna’s here, not giving a damn about how others see her, and Evanna had troubles with self-image. That’s not to smash on her. Who hasn’t looked themself in the mirror and thought something awful? I have. You have. But we can learn.
Even Molly. Molly Weasley is this sweet, nice lady who wants to be the mother of everyone. Wants everyone to have a wonderful family life. But even through that, she’s got some mettel. She is family and love.
Speaking of love, there’s Lily and Narcissa. Lily, we don’t see her much, but she starts this whole story. She loves Harry so much. She saves him and is a force through everything. She’s there for him in the end. Narcissa is much like Lily. A shadow of her, maybe. Narcissa is willing to sacrifice everything on the off-chance Draco is still alive in the castle. She loves him so much that she leaves Voldemort. And runs away. Sometimes you have to know when to run away.
There’s McGonagall. She’s my favorite. I love her. She’s strong, right from the get-go. She sticks to her beliefs, rather like Luna. But unlike Luna, she isn’t holding to the self-image ones. She’s holding to the morals. The rights and wrongs of her life. I don’t think she’s immune to words, like Luna is. I’ve read the Pottermore stuff, but even before that, she’s just had this feeling that was like she cared, and she knows it. She loves people, but she’s hiding it, she’s hiding her great admiration/respect/love for people under her “obey the rules or die” shell. She’s this great rock. She’s always there, after Lily’s gone, Lupin, Sirius, Dumbledore, Snape. She’s ready to go and stand for her right. Not in the “Might is Right” sort of sense, but “Right is Right,” if you understand.
The Potter women are a huge force, and I never really knew. This really raised my respect for Jo, higher than ever before. It brings her on par with Tamora Pierce. In case you don’t know, Tamora Pierce is… well she created the shero, from my view. Her women are strong, kick-arse, and ready for everything. They are a bit more than real maybe, but it’s okay. Now I have real and not real. (Haha, Hunger Games reference!)
