[HPforGrownups] Hermione, Dueling

[Vicky Ra]

No: HPFGUIDX 20187

Amy:
> I think Hermione stands up to intimidation pretty well.  Holding
> Lucius's stare at the QWC, keeping on with SPEW when most of her
> classmates (including her best friends) think it's laughable,
> withstanding the ridicule that came along with the Daily
> Prophet/Witch Weekly articles, taking on Rita Skeeter . . . What do
> you see that makes you think she's easily intimidated?

You have excellent points. I could never have kept up with SPEW. However,
she ought to have asked the house-elves what they thought. Her intentions
were good, but I suppose she always has a "wiser-than-though" attitude. As
far as the ridicule from the Rita Skeeter article goes, I think she could
take that because she knew it was a lie. I'm not sure what was so brave
about catching Rita. I personally would have killed her. Well, maybe I
wouldn't if I knew she was human. Then again, I did want Pettigrew dead.

Amber: I mean, who else would take on tons of
extra classes and live longer than 24 hour days?

Definitely not me.

Amber: In summary, Hermione is a powerhouse of will; nobody get in her way,
she'll mow you down!

Agreed. Sometimes, she's too stubborn, to the point of disregarding her
friends' feelings. What I wonder is why she didn't try to clear her name
with Molly, and why she never confronts Snape on his horrible treatment of
her and other Gryffs. I'm kinda hoping for a confrontation between the two
of them in a later book. Also, she and McGonagall both seem afraid to say
"Voldemort," and I say Voldy has an advantage over them if they fear him.
Then again, I'd probably fear him, too, unless, like Sirius and Lupin, I had
some reason to be upset with him, and my anger overrode all rational
thought. In short, you guys are right that she has moral courage, to stand
up for ridiculous ideas. However, I believe she's afraid of failure, and
she's afraid of being wrong, and so, whenever she is, she doesn't admit it.
Her self-worth seems to depend on her cleverness, which could work against
her.

On another topic, have any of you noticed that there are almost no scenes
with women duelling? I know there was the dueling club scene, but then, that
seemed to have devolved more or less into a cat fight. I want to see
something where Hermione actually gets to show some of *her* power, instead
of Harry and Ron always doing the fighting.

Vicky