The Tragic Death of Fred Weasley

[bunn]

After watching the final Harry Potter film, philmophlegm speaks  "What was all the fuss about?  He's hardly Boromir!"

This is true.  Fred Weasley and Boromir have .... almost nothing in common. But now I am wondering about an alternative world where Boromir disappoints Denethor by refusing to go into the army, but instead sets up the first joke shop in Minas Tirith.

Comments

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

It would be Faramir's fault, somehow.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

My first thought, too. No matter how Boromir argued he did it of his own free will, Denethor would always think Faramir made him do it.

And meanwhile Faramir would just be sad, because having to be the grand high commander of Gondor's army cuts into his reading time even more.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Does Faramir go around with his current scroll pasted to the inside of his shield, do you think?

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Ha! I hope so! But he might think that's a bad way to treat a scroll.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

My first thought, too. No matter how Boromir argued he did it of his own free will, Denethor would always think Faramir made him do it.

And meanwhile Faramir would just be sad, because having to be the grand high commander of Gondor's army cuts into his reading time even more.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Poor Faramir! I'm not sure he would even take Ron's delight in having an older brother with a joke shop! Faramir is so *serious*.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Denethor would definitely think so. :-D

[skeptic7.livejournal.com]

I can't quite see Boromir being other than the perfect soldier, the perfect son, the heroic older brother and the expected heir to the Steward. Tolkein's Gondor seem to have that old fashioned aristocratic attitude where shopkeeping isn't quite respectable and a member of the snooty class should be a soldier, or doctor, or scholar.
Fred might not be a great hero, but he was Ron's brother and Harry had known him since the first trip on the Hogwart's express. Cedric might have been the first close death, but he was in a different house and older than Harry. Harry saw Fred almost every day for 4 or 5 years, and shared Xmases and birthdays and quidditch practice with him.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

The movies short-change Fred and George a bit - I think they do end up as pretty minor characters if you haven't read the books (Pp hasn't). But they would be awfully long movies if they dealt with every thread in the books!

I'm sure that Gondorian culture would not be *at all* open to high ranking nobles going into trade - let alone opening a joke shop! I am amused by the idea of it as Boromir's secret ambition though. :-D

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

That's a story I'd like to read LOL.

I find Fred Weasley's death especially tragic because he is a twin and leaves a severed half, so to speak.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Something makes me think that joke shops might be more of a Mordor thing than a Minas Tirith thing. You can just imagine orcs buying whoopee cushions and falling about laughing.

[adaese.livejournal.com]

Aragorn was singularly unimpressed when, surrounded by marauding orcs, he discovered his trusty sword had been switched for a joke one with a broken tip.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

*chortle*