What if...

Dumbledore once said that the consequences of our actions are so complicated that it makes predicting the future very tricky indeed. I dunno if that's word for word, probably not, but my book's downstairs and I'm upstairs so tough.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting (and fun) to discuss the possibilities had one thing in the books been different. I mean, one word meant the end of Snape and Lily's friendship - what would it have been like if he'd not said it, or she'd forgiven him?

What would it have been like if Voldemort had chosen Neville, instead of Harry?

I won't go on, because the list is endless, but one I've really been pondering over the last few days is what would have been different if Harry had been a girl? Now before you laugh, yes, it's all very funny, and yes, we know the name Harriet exists and it's the girl's version of Harry, but seriously now. A few points I was thinking of -

Would Petunia have treated a girl more like a daughter than she treated Harry like a son? Because Harry was basically a second son, but Petunia already had a son to fuss over. If she had had an adopted daughter, would she have enjoyed a more mother/daughter relationship with her? I think very possibly.

Also, would a girl (no claims of sexism, please) have been able to deal with everything Harry dealt with? Girls are, as a rule, much more emotional than boys, and Harry was uber emotional in 5th year - would a female version have been moreso, and unable to deal with everything laid before her?

Would Ron have been friends with a girl straightaway? It sounds silly, but we all know how fantastically immature boys are at that age.

I'm sure there's loads more to discuss on that particular subject - but I won't bombard you with my opinions, because this is for any 'what if's.

So yes, there we are - discuss.

OK, I was young back then, so keep that in mind. But after Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban had been released and I was all upset because Sirius was my new favourite character but everyone still thought him a criminal, I really wanted the wizarding world to have some mass revelation and then he'd be all innocent and he could teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. I just thought that'd make a nice happy ending.

Yeah, can completely identify with that. I just wanted Peter to mess up his apparating and apparate into the Ministry of Magic while Fudge was standing right there.

A female Harry Potter would be so weird in the last movie. O_o

But think of all the female Harry Potter/Sirius Black fanfics!

That would be sick and wrong. She's his goddaughter!

Sirius/Hermione, on the other hand, I'm all for.

Flaming Phalanges!:

That would be sick and wrong. She's his goddaughter!

Sirius/Hermione, on the other hand, I'm all for.

Being someones goddaughter doesn't make you blood related to that person.

I really wanted Peter to get killed by Sirius in PoA and I really wanted Harry to learn occlumency in OotP.

I know it doesn't make you blood related, just like your uncle or aunt (who married your one of your parents' sisters or brothers) isn't blood related, but it'd still be more than a little bit wrong to have a relationship with them.

What if Snape turned out evil? XD
I can't bear to think about that one.

I can't picture Harry as female...the story's dynamic would just be totally different.
What if Sirius somehow blamed Harry for James' death and disliked him immensely?
It's a bit of a stretch...but that's all I could think of really.

If Harry were a girl, the book would've had less fame. Not sexist or anything but people like to hear a boy as a the main character.

I just mean how things would have been different in the actual story.

I'm really curious as to how that would have changed things.

If Harry was a female...Voldemort would have been destroyed when Harry's boobs appeared. I'm kidding, of course.

What if Harry let Sirius and Lupin kill Wormtail?

I mean Wormtail wouldn't have had a debt to pay to Harry so Harry may have been in danger in the future, but then Wormtail would never have resurrected Voldemort. Lupin and Sirius would have probably been in great trouble for doing so, but yeah... what would have happened if Harry had let them?

Flaming Phalanges!:

I just mean how things would have been different in the actual story.

I'm really curious as to how that would have changed things.

The books are written by JK Rowling, not Jo Rowling. The editors said that women writers sold less than men.

Meski:

Flaming Phalanges!:

I just mean how things would have been different in the actual story.

I'm really curious as to how that would have changed things.

The books are written by JK Rowling, not Jo Rowling. The editors said that women writers sold less than men.

You're completely missing my point. I'm talking about how the PLOT would have changed, not the sales, not the physical book itself, but the plot of the Harry potter books, because obviously a girl wouldn't have gone through the same troubles as a boy would have.

And what you said is not true, the publishers asked her to be J.K. Rowling so the story would appeal to boys, because if something's wiitten by a woman, boys, being the immature sods that they are, will automatically turn their nose up.

I think if Snape turned out to be evil, the whole triumph over the dark lord would've been pissed up really.

Bloodraine:

I think if Snape turned out to be evil, the whole triumph over the dark lord would've been pissed up really.

Yarly.
The fact that he was good had a huge involvement.

Misanthropist:

Bloodraine:

I think if Snape turned out to be evil, the whole triumph over the dark lord would've been pissed up really.

Yarly.
The fact that he was good had a huge involvement.

Harry wouldn't have gotten the sword to destroy the horcruxes.

Billie's Willie:

Harry wouldn't have gotten the sword to destroy the horcruxes.

They would have done if they'd broken into the Lestranges' safe anyway, though.