Similar, but divergent characters (was Snape's love)

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 18478

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., lady.nymphaea at f... wrote:
> About Snape being similar to Hermione: it appears to me that Harry, 
> Ron, and Hermione all have similar "mirror" characters on 
the "other 
> side", if you will: Harry's obvious mirror being Tom Marvolo 
Riddle, 
> down to appearance and some of the family background (both orphans, 
> both from Muggle families from recently in the family tree). Harry, 
> unlike Tom, didn't resent his background and so far has been able 
to 
> overcome any supposed disadvantages from it. 
> 
> The mirrors for the other two are a bit less obvious, but just as 
> interesting. Hermione's mirror is Snape; at the beginning, she was 
> outcast from the rest of Hogwarts to the point of going to cry in 
the 
> toilet on Halloween. As Catherine said, both Snape and Hermione are 
> rules nuts. As for where Snape's and Hermione's paths diverged: 
> Hermione picked up great guys like Ron and Harry for friends soon 
in 
> her school career. Snape got in with a bunch of future Death 
Eaters. 
> The text isn't clear on how this group of 'friends' got along, and 
> whether or not Snape was best buddies with the bunch or just was on 
> the periphery of their circle. 
> 
> Ron's mirror is Draco. Both are from established wizarding 
> families; both tend to feud with each other both with words and 
wands 
> in much the same way. However, the main divergence is the amount of 
> money each family has, and the boys' reactions to it.
> 
> Meril

I agree with almost everything, except with this:

"As Catherine said, both Snape and Hermione are rules nuts. As for 
where Snape's and Hermione's paths diverged: Hermione picked up great 
guys like Ron and Harry for friends soon in her school career. Snape 
got in with a bunch of future Death Eaters."

When Snape entered Hogwarts he already knew more Dark Art stuff than 
most of the other students. He obviously had a leaning towards the 
dark side then. His having DE friends was a symptom, not a cause, of 
his leanings. In the same way, Hermione became friends with Harry and 
Ron BECAUSE (or, also because) she's on the good side, not the other 
way around. I don't think that Hermione needs any guidance in Light 
vs. dark Choices. Of the three, I'd say she has the strongest and 
most developed sense of right and wrong. 



Naama