Mischief managed, but too often offstage

[mollyringle]

In re-reading Prisoner of Azkaban, I've just gotten to Fred and George presenting Harry with the Marauder's Map*--a big moment disguised as a small scene. And I can't help daydreaming, as I do most times Fred and George pop up, about how different the series might have been if they were the center of things instead of Harry. It probably wouldn't have the same darkness and poignant-tragic overtones, and I can appreciate the value of that brooding atmosphere. But I'm also a person who places comedy above nearly all else, so I suppose it's natural that my affections are settling in the long term on the twins.

Imagine it: getting to see all that managed mischief firsthand instead of from the sidelines or in dialogue summary afterward! Would one of them be the Chosen One in my scenario? I don't know; perhaps. If they were the focus of the series, that might be inevitable. Maybe it would also be good to turn one into a girl, to balance things out, while not losing any of the mischievous cheer.

This would of course make a certain event in book 7 all the more heartbreaking if it still took place as written. Then again, if it were up to me and my comedic bent, I probably wouldn't allow that. Dumbledore and the swirly dream-state between life and death would send that troublemaker right back again to the living.

* I kind of wanted to write " Marauders' " rather than "Marauder's," because it was originally created and used by four marauders. But it does say "Marauder's," and I guess the singular works, in the sense of "any interested and qualified marauder."

Comments

[sopdetly.livejournal.com]

The fact that it is "Marauder's" caused a lot of strife for a while in the MWPP side of the fandom. People would call the four boys "the Marauders", because of the map, but others would point out that was a singular marauder's map, not a number of marauders' map. Luckily, JKR finally confirmed that yes, those four lovable idiots called themselves The Marauders.

This has been your random babble by a Marauders fan who has to comment about them every time she sees them. :D

Oh, and to connect back to your talk of the twins, a thing wot I did write about Remus Lupin and the Weasley Twins.

I should stop futzing around now and go back to work. *sigh*

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Bhahaha...awesome choice of Latin! (Though I had to follow its Wikipedia link to understand it, of course.) Ah, marauders. Such fun. They do deserve more screen time.

This reread is making me appreciate Lupin more too--and likely Sirius, when I get to that part. Which is also saddening, when one looks ahead. Argh, Rowling, why?

Yeah, almost as soon as I posted this, I thought, "I bet that Marauders'/Marauder's thing has been hashed out quite thoroughly in the fandom already." Because at this point, what hasn't?

I'm also wondering (since I don't remember if this comes clear later) how Fred and George knew how to make the map work. They actually do say things like "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" on a regular basis, I'm sure, so it might've been dumb luck. :)

[archersangel.livejournal.com]

I'm also wondering (since I don't remember if this comes clear later) how Fred and George knew how to make the map work. They actually do say things like "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" on a regular basis, I'm sure, so it might've been dumb luck. :)

i was thinking about that just the other day!
i imagined that they took turns saying stuff to it to get the map to come up & then they had to find the phrase that would make it go back.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

The internet search I did on the subject suggests that it did take place about like that. And I'll see if the book enlightens me further as I read more!

[avari-maethor.livejournal.com]

That would have been amazing. And yes, very heartbreaking.

I still want Rowling to write the Marauder's story. I'd love to see all the antics they got up to.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

It would be great to see, though sad since we now know how the Marauders all end up.

Also, they should've kicked Pettigrew out and invited Snape to be a Marauder, but that would've solved way too many problems. :) (And surely has been done to death in fanfic.)

[avari-maethor.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it has, though I've never looked for it.

I'm almost 99% positive that there was some Remus/Sirius in the past :P

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I'm so used to the idea of Remus/Sirius from my shipper friends that I can't even doubt it anymore. :)

[avari-maethor.livejournal.com]

Haha! Yes! We are winning!

[ashenmote.livejournal.com]

Well, there would be a lot of "No, he is the chosen one. I'm the other one." opportunities in that scenario, both of the silly and the actually life-saving variant.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Heheh. Exactly. Many a fake scar, I'm sure...

[maidenjedi]

It would definitely give a "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" tone to the series. Interesting idea!

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Hopefully she'll at least give more focus to the funny side in whatever she writes next. Though going dark and relatively tame (in terms of focal character) hasn't hurt her any.

[kali-kali.livejournal.com]

I would've loved to see the world through the twins' eyes! The Harry filter is one of my biggest problems with the series. I lovelovelove the setting that JK Rowling has created, I just hate Harry and would much rather see the setting from someone else's perspective.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

I can sympathize with the every-man feel of Harry, and of course have some pity for his orphan origins, but yeah...why not try out the angle that's got to be the most fun?

[kali-kali.livejournal.com]

I'm just not a fan of characters that are "destined" to be something, because more often than not, they end up being whiny little twits about it. And, in the case of Harry, get their sidekicks/allies to do all the dirty work for them so they can stay "pure" and unblemished (witness in HP how Harry avoids casting the worst of the curses, and won't shoot to kill, but everybody else does).

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's hard to get away from prophecy and destiny in paranormal fiction, but it's also hard to make the subject of the destiny not be whiny about it. Even Buffy got that way a little, sometimes. And argh, yeah, really didn't like how we're supposed to think Harry so noble for not shooting to kill, when it only meant his sidekicks had to fight dirtier to keep their side alive.

[naill-renfro.livejournal.com]

AND getting lots of his friends killed by Death Eaters Harry had the opportunity to kill, but didn't. Yeah, Harry, Cedric, Lupin and Tonks sure appreciate your taking the moral high road. (I just can't keep quiet on this subject, I know.)

But I like Harry. When we first meet him he's spent all but the first year of his live being woefully mistreated, yet still mouths off to his abusive relatives whenever an opportunity for humor presents itself. Go Harry.

Ron, on the other hand...

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Yet he tried to kill or maim Snape (completely without success) upon the fall of Dumbledore...what are we to make of that?

Still, as you say, it's good to see he's got spirit in the face of a life of Dursleys. Ron does behave the whiny youngest child. You'd think he was. Ginny doesn't exactly have a personality, so maybe she doesn't count and that explains his behavior.

[naill-renfro.livejournal.com]

1. There's a lot of Dark Side in Harry - that's one of the things I like about him. His fondness for the Cruciatus Curse, too, even when other spells might do him more good - it's these imperfections that make him real, as opposed to his Lawful Stupid imperfection where killing the bad guys is concerned, which just makes him annoying.

2. No personality? Ginny Sue Weasley? Created for no other purpose than to keep Harry from getting with any or all of the characters with whom he actually has some chemistry? Cho, Hermione, Luna, Ron?

Yeah, I guess not.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Ginny Sue! Hee. Love it. That's her new name. Hmm, I bet "Harry Sue" has been tossed around a bit as well.

I wouldn't have minded a touch more personality in Cho too, actually. Most of it seemed to manifest in crying over Cedric. A bit dreary. Now, Luna would have been fun. And really not such a stretch for a fandom already so full of geeks (if you count Luna as a geek, though she kind of goes beyond that into just plain eccentric).

And of course it is good to see a straight man advocating Harry/Ron. :D