Wizarding Games: What if

[theaeblackthorn.livejournal.com]

What if...


Details: What if one slight decision at any point in the Harry Potter books had been different? What if Dean Thomas' father had told Dean's mother why he left the family to protect them? What if Ariana was standing one foot to the right had never been killed? What if Ariana had decided to stay indoors instead of going outside and meeting those Muggles in the first place? What if Kreacher had gone crazy and killed the baby Regulus meaning Sirius was the only child of the Blacks?

Have a think and a debate/disscussion about how small/big a change could have changed something ridic big/not at all. Uh. Be creative! try to find something different or interesting to change, you can use the ones above if you must.

Steps:
1. Pick a thing from HP to change
2. Explain how you think this would have changed the way the story unfolded, and if it'd change the outcome at all. Maybe the differences in the world once the story was over? (min 100 words)
3. Discuss/debate with other people about yours and theirs. Do you think it wouldn't have made the changes they think it would? Explain why. Do you agree and see some other changes that would have occurred, let them know :) (min 30 words and you can't just wholeheartedlyagree and gush at them)


Rules:

1. Don't pick the same one as someone else. If someone has already picked something then reply to their comment discussing/debating
2. Don't cause drama. Prove you can all civilly debate and discuss stuff.
3. Take heed of the word limits (100 words for first comment, 30 words for additional replies with a point that add to the discussion/debate)
4. Try not to make it a silly thing e.g. Harry ate some toast one morning instead of cereal and therefore the world ended.

Points: 10pts for your 100 word comment, 2pts per 30 word comment with a point. 30pts cap. 10pts for any crystal ball if you earn over 15pts. Dont' forget to register your bonus items in this post.
Deadline: 26th November 5pm UTC Converter
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First comment
<b>Thing you're changing:</b> <b>How do you think this would have affected the outcome of the books?</b> min 100words for this section



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Comments

[deirdre-aithne.livejournal.com]

Thing you're changing: Hermione Granger's sorting.
How do you think this would have affected the outcome of the books? Although she's brave and suits her house well, Hermione (in my mind, at least) just as easily could have been sorted into Ravenclaw. If that had happened, I'd say the story would have been extremely different, from year one and on. Without Hermione, I don't think Harry and Ron would have tried getting past Fluffy at all in first year, let alone made it through all the trials to reach the Mirror. So Voldemort wouldn't have been split off from Quirrel that year, and may have returned to teach in their second year. No Hermione to brew Polyjuice potion for them means no using Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and therefore never discovering the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Even if Harry and Ron had still made friends with Hermione through sharing classes, her impact couldn't have been nearly as great if she didn't share a house with them, so that one small thing would make a huge difference for the story.

Stephie//Slytherin//161 words

[faeriesfolly.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Harry and Ron would have died several times over without Hermione's help. I think Hermione as a character is even written much more as a Ravenclaw than a Gryffindor. Personally, I think JKR only includes her in Gryffindor to keep her hero alive and round out the trio, but forgot to make her fit Gryffindor's traits more than Ravenclaw's.

Morgan//Slytherin//6

[naushika.livejournal.com]

I've had some, ahem, heated arguments with people over this before but yeah, I agree with you. I always wondered how it was Hermione ended up in Gryffindor. Usually the opposing argument I hear is that she had Gryff traits that wouldn't emerge until later, but then - why Dumbledore's remark about sorting too early? I think Hermione's more Gryffindorish traits were more of a result of being surrounded by Gryffindors all the time. If she had been sorted into Ravenclaw, I just can't see Hermione getting involved with Harry and Ron at all. Perhaps later, with the DA, but not before.

Noelle // Slytherin // 5

[pinksonia.livejournal.com]

I've always thought it is because you are not necessarily sorted based on the qualities you have, but the qualities you value. So you could have no natural intelligence what so ever, but if you thought learning was the most important thing you could do, you would still be a Ravenclaw (you would just have to work super hard).

So Hermione's line in SS/PS "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things -- friendship and bravery." is really the biggest clue to her sorting. She may possess and use the intelligence of a Ravenclaw, but she values bravery more.

Allison/Ravenclaw/1

[ivory88s.livejournal.com]

That's a really interesting point about what qualities you value more than what qualities you have. There was some debate in an above thread about Crabbe and Goyle not really personifying a Slyterin but being sorted into it. This is a good explanation - they valued those traits, even if they, themselves, weren't exactly ambition or cunning.

Malory//Ravenclaw//5

[anbyrobanby.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, the big diffraction point would have, in my opinion, happened even earlier than these. At Halloween in their first year, the thing that bought H,R and Hermione together was them saving her from the TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS. I doubt she would have even been in the girls' bathroom had they not driven her there. Even if they'd shared that charms class, odds are the Claws would have drawn ranks around her, supporting her against those bullish Gryffindor assholes. And they'd be right. I suspect it's because Hermione was their housemate was what got to her so much: she had nobody to turn to.

Also, Harry would never have learned the Summoning Charm ahead of the dragon task in the Triwizard cup. Cue crispy won-tons.... from the Chosen Won.

rob/gryff/1

[slumber.livejournal.com]

I agree with this--had Hermione been in Ravenclaw, I don't think Harry or Ron would have gone out of their way to befriend her... not that they did, but they wouldn't have had enough classes with her to get annoyed by her, and so they wouldn't have made her cry. They wouldn't have had that bonding experience with the troll and none of their adventures would have really gotten much traction because then Harry would have died the first time he tried to do anything without Hermione's help. :| especially since it took Harry all of four years before he got even remotely interested in any sort of house unity.

Evy//Ravenclaw//5

[mmailliw.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't see Ravenclaw as Hermione's secondary house at all - I see her as more of a secondary Slytherin (she views knowledge as much more of POWER/a means to an end if you ask me)! And placing Hermione in the dungeons would either prevent the trio from ever forming (leave that Slytherin to die) or give Harry a completely different attitude of Slytherins by the end of year one...

William//Slytherin

[naushika.livejournal.com]

Admit it, you just want to claim Hermione for the dungeons. ;) The books would have been odd if Hermione was sorted Slytherin. With Harry's intense hate for all things Slytherin, he definitely would have not become friends with her (nor Ron). It might have forced Ron to stop being so carefree about school and stuff since she wouldn't have been there to hold his hand throughout his entire time at Hogwarts.

Noelle // Slytherin // 6

[capeofstorm.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think that if Hermione was sorted into Ravenclaw she wouldn't have stayed at Hogwarts. She found it extremely difficult to make friends and Ravens weren't exactly the most friendly bunch out there (the disappearance of Luna's things? Yes, that's bullying. And no, that's not acceptance of creativity and eccentricity or whatever other BS Pottermore has in that introduction speech). I think that after a while, she would have realised that even though she was the smartest witch out there, it meant nothing without friends. While it would have definitely hurt her and her ego, I think Hermione would have asked her parents to withdraw her from Hogwarts. And I think she would have chosen another school, or maybe even private tutoring in magic while she also attended Muggle school. Because our Hermione is just that over-achieving ;)

Lena/Gryffindor/8

[everythingshiny.livejournal.com]

I do enjoy seeing the different aspects of sorting in gryffindor house (we see ravendors, slytherdors and gryffinpuffs) and it would be interesting to see from those perspectives in other houses, but i won't ramble.
But yeah, They would last a day without Hermione.

Tash//Slytherin

[ivory88s.livejournal.com]

In addition to all those wondering about Hermione herself, I wonder what this would have done to Harry in regards to Dumbledore's plan for him. He always had this plan for Harry and Hermione was always a key player. Would Dumbledore forced their friendship? Or found someone to play that role for Harry? Because, as it's been said, he couldn't have done much on his own. I would be interested in who her "replacement" was.


Malory//Ravenclaw//6