Hermione's Knowledge of the Longbottoms

[b.jebenstreit at biologie.uni-bielefeld.de]

No: HPFGUIDX 26773

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., catherine at c... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., cynthiaanncoe at h... wrote:

Knowing, however, the amount of research Hermione 
> does - after all, she knew all about Harry from her pre-Hogwarts 
> research, it wouldn't surprise me if she had read something about 
> Neville's parents and put two and two together....


 
> If this is the case, it just shows what a discreet and sensitive 
> person Hermione is.  She, like Dumbledore, would appreciate the fact 
> that if Neville wanted to share this part of his life, he would do 
> so.  It reinforces the what we already know - Hermione is very good 
> at keeping secrets, and knows when to reveal things she knows - such 
> as delaying telling Ron and Harry about her capture of Rita Skeeter, 
> knowing that Harry in particular had other things on his mind to 
care.
> 
> It is also possible that Neville confided in Hermione - she does 
seem 
> to have a good relationship with him, which may or may not go beyond 
> her propensity to champion the underdog and collect lame ducks.  
> (Aside to Heidi - perhaps the time she doesn't spend with Harry is 
> spent with Neville, not Draco?)...

Neville telling her and Hermione finding out is both possible, at the 
same time. Hermione being thoughtful and polite towards Neville, 
because she has found out about his parents. And him confinding in 
her, because she has always been friendly to him (after all, he asked 
her out for the ball before Neville did).

> 
> Cindy's post also raised other issues about the way Neville is 
> treated.  I am sure that the staff know his unfortunate history - 
> they were, after all adults when the Lestranges and Barty Crouch jnr 
> were brought to trial, and the case did generate a great deal of 
> public feeling.  I find it interesting how, therefore, they behave 
> towards him.  Snape - absolutely inexcusable.  There have been 
> attempts to explain Snape's behaviour as trying to "toughen" Neville 
> up.  I don't buy this - particularly because, after four years, he 
> should have realised that it isn't working....

One of the reasons I like Snape, is because he has all the failings 
real humans do. I agree - treating pupils that way is unexcusable (I 
hope I will do better some day).
But from both the point of a pupil and a college student trying to 
become a teacher - I know that there are teachers who believe they 
help their pupils by treating them that way. Sure, it is not likely to 
succeed. But they try anyway. My guess is: they are helpless, because 
don´t know what else to do with such pupils.
Don´t hit me, but I think Snape will become DADA teacher at the end of 
the series. He has the knowledge and the skills. And the way they are 
using them up, there is bound to be an opening for DADA teachers. But 
only *after* he has done his part of learning. How to treat students 
like Neville, for example.

> 
> One more thing on Neville - it has been postulated before (and I do 
> agree with this) that Neville's bad memory is akin to Bertha Jorkins 
-
>  ie. he was traumatised in some way by what happened to his parents 
> and had a memory charm put on him.  I am wondering if his near-
> squibness is also related to this.  The trauma of his early life 
> having the opposite affect it had in Harry's, in that he suppressed 
> his magical ability somehow?  

Interesting thought. I am undicided on the trauma issue. But even for 
an absend minded person Neville *is* unbelievably absent minded. And 
like it is with Harry, magic comes to him, if it is necessary. It is 
not for luck of skill, that he keeps failing. It is because of lack of 
memory and nervousness and confidence.
Ethanol