In defense of Ron

[Susan McGee]

No: HPFGUIDX 5069


> 
>    Actually, the incident I referred to came at the end of SS/PS 
when 
> they were discussing going through the trap door.  Harry reminded 
> Hermione and Ron that they could be expelled if they went along 
with 
> him and she was explaining how she could go along free from the 
> danger of expulsion.  She seems to be rubbing it in a bit that she 
> did so well and it could be seen that her comment was aimed at Ron 
> who was included in Harry's warning.
>    As I mentioned, I don't have anything against Hermione.  I think 
> she gains her self-esteem from academic success and I can easily 
> identify with that but in this case she doesn't use good judgement 
by 
> disguising a boast as a reason to risk being thrown out.  I still 
> don't believe that if all 3 were caught, the professors would 
choose 
> who to expel based on their grades.


I don't know if Hermione was right or not, but I don't think she 
was "rubbing it in". I think she was being descriptive about her 
grades. When women/girls are descriptively positive about themselves, 
they are sometimes seen as "showing off" or "bragging" because some 
people
are used to socialized female deprecation (I know this sounds stupid, 
but.......or don't you think that?)

Ron and Harry are singularly unimpressed with her good grades and 
time in the library, so they wouldn't be too good an audience for 
boasting.

She's offering to do a daring thing, with some risk. She's convincing 
the boys to let her do it. We don't even know if she believes she 
will get off.

Susan