Hermione Under Cross-Examination

[Eric Oppen]

No: HPFGUIDX 47882

One of my learned HP4GU colleagues (I disremember just which one and I get
the list in digest form; please forgive me) countered my earlier statement
that twelve-year-old girls are not known for their fortitude under adult
cross-examination by pointing out that Hermione _did_ lie successfully to
Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall after the Troll-In-The-Loo incident.
Were I a certain politician, I would point out that at this time, Hermione
is AFAIK _eleven,_ and I was referring to _twelve_-year-old girls...but that
would be casuistical.  Instead, I will focus on the situation.

Hermione wasn't questioned at length after the Troll-In-The-Loo incident
because she had just been through a terrifying experience, and her
reputation for truthfulness and rule-abiding was quite solid.  (Had she been
one of the Weasley Twins, they'd have all but been bringing in the bright
hot lights, methinks---can you _imagine_ what those two would do with a
troll?)  However, if she were caught in the act of theft of magical potion
supplies, she'd have a lot harder time hiding behind her reputation, and I
somehow doubt that Professor Snape would be as impressed with her perfect
record as Professor McGonagall was; he's also got a track record of not
being as lenient as other teachers.

Now, _if she's been caught in the act of stealing,_ she's in fairly bad
trouble to begin with; I don't think that stealing is considered as venial
as a few easily-reversed curses and hexes, and any school I've ever been to
would consider stealing a very bad thing to be caught doing.  Stealing a
teacher's personal, expensive supplies would have landed _me_ in Deep, Deep
Kimchee, believe you me!  And, unlike me, Hermione's a girl who _wants to_
be good.  She _believes in_ adults.  Harry's justifably wary of them, and
Ron's probably got _years_ of experience with the backwash of
Gred-and-Forge's pranks, but I don't see Hermione as the sort of girl with
years of experience dealing with angry adults.  While I yield to none in my
admiration for her, _she is twelve years old,_ people!  (At least at the
time of the Polyjuice Incident)

Now, a _different_ Hermione...one who grew up on the wrong side of the
tracks, one who was used to defying or ignoring adult authority, one who
maybe had abusive or semi-abusive guardians or parents the way Harry
did/does, would probably be a lot harder nut to crack.  Or, an older
Hermione, one who felt herself less at the mercy of adults.

I stand by my earlier statement that Hermie was _very_ lucky not to be
caught.  And that, barring canon to the contrary, it would have been a great
deal easier to just owl-post to the place in Diagon Alley that sells
supplies and _buy_ what they needed.  If nothing else, this would also
prevent Snapiekins from going through his supplies, noticing what was
missing, and getting a pretty good idea of what might be going on.  (My best
pal's the son of a chemistry teacher, and his dad _knew_ what things could
be used for...made home production of Certain Things a tad more difficult,
that did, at least till I got my hands on  the Edmunds Scientific
catalogue).  IOW, they were not only taking a chance of Hermie getting into
Deep Kimchee or suffering a Fate Worse Than Death (expulsion!  Get your
minds out of the gutter!) but of Snape deciding to play detective.  Now, if
_Lockhart_ had been Potions Master, they could have asked him to give them
the ingredients so they could make up a "Gilderoy Lockhart, Super Wizard"
potion, and he'd probably be prat and phony enough to believe them.