[HPforGrownups] Re: Hermione

Laura Huntley huntleyl at mssm.org
Sat Mar 2 04:58:27 UTC 2002


No: HPFGUIDX 35952

mmm...this is me, defending Hermione from all attacks...
Can't help it..I just like the girl.

Shannon said:
>Are there any instances mentioned where Ron and Hermione do
>something together, that's not about helping Harry?

As a mentioned (I think?), in a previous post, during GoF, when Harry and Ron were fighting, Harry specifically mentions that Hermione goes back and forth hanging out with the two of them (all the while trying to get them to forgive and forget).  Plus, we've got to remember, we *are* restricted to Harry's POV, therefore, we see H/R alone/quality time and we see H/H alone/quality time, but, obviously, no R/Hr alone time cause Harry isn't there. ^_~ They do fight allot, though, that's true.  But girls and boys their age generally are a little bit snappish with each other. *shrugs* Don't ask me.  Natural phenomenon.

Catherine in Cali said:
>The cat is her responsibility.  I don't think it was at all unreasonable of 
>Ron to ask her to keep her cat under control.  For the smartest witch of 
>her grade, she shows an amazing stupidity in this case.  The darn cat even 
>follows her into the boys' room.  She makes little effort to do anything to 
>control the beast.  Surely, the smartest witch of her grade should be able 
>to make up some kind of spell that would keep him in her room or perhaps 
>exclude him from the boys' side of the tower.

eesh.  I really have to stress the fact that Crookshanks is a *cat* here.  In *allot* of fantasy books, cats are very often portrayed as being immune to magic, if not magical themselves -- this isn't just a coincidence.  Cats are *really*...cat-ish...*at a loss for words*...  
*Any* attempt to make a cat do something/be somewhere it doesn't wish to be usually ends in disaster.  I can't see how magic would help this at all.  Anyway, supposing there was some way to control an animal in this way, don't you think Hermione would have employed it to help Neville out with the frequently MIA Trevor?  She certainly tries to help him whenever she can.  

Shannon said:
>As I recall, most of the incidents we see occur either in Ron's dorm, the
>common room, or on the Hogwart's Express. It's not like he's carrying him
>all over the school

Actually "carrying him all over the school" is exactly what Ron does.  When Crookshanks goes for Scabbers in the common room the rat is in Ron's backpack, which certainly suggests that Ron has taken him to class with him.  Imagine keeping a live animal in a back pack.  My books hardly make it out alive in mine.  Ron must be *really* careful about swinging it up to his shoulder and setting it down and making sure Scabbers isn't crushed inside it.  Definitely not the place for any rat, let alone a sick one.

Also in PoA, there is a passage that goes like this:
" A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air."

This also suggests that Ron usually carries him around in his pocket, even once he is sick.  (We *know* he does when the rat isn't sick)  Hey, I guess it's better than a bookbag. 

However, Hermione *was* wrong to bring Crookshanks in on Christmas.  I think at this point she is still stubbornly refusing to believe that Crookshanks is after Scabbers, and is trying to prove a point.  However, after the incident, Hermione, although mad at Ron for kicking Crookshanks, *does* lock him up in her dormitory.

Also, Crookshanks makes no attempts on Scabber's life on the Hogwarts Express, just BTW.
And in yet another attempt to prove to you all that Hermione is not heartless and insensitive, I provide you with the following example:

"Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely.  Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away. "Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers..." she sobbed. "Oh -- well -- he was old," said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now.""

Not only does this show that Hermione *was* truly remorseful for "letting" Crookshanks "eat" Scabbers, Ron's reply leads me to believe that the whole fiasco was more about Hermione/Ron tension than anything else.  Ron's biggest problem seemed to be that Hermione wouldn't admit Crookshanks ate Scabbers.  In fact, right after Peter fakes his death again, Ron's attack on Hermione focuses on the fact that she wouldn't concede that Crookshanks was kitty-evil.

And, frankly, Ron (while I don't doubt he *did* like Scabbers) is quite well..abusive of him.  Always picking him up by the tail (excuse me, but isn't that like, the No. 1 rodent-care no-no?) and the like.  Pretty careless with him as well -- and always insulting and complaining about him.  I almost think that Peter *did* get punished for betraying the Potters.  Imagine spending over a decade as the pet rat of a couple of young boys.  Karma is like that. 

laura - "winning arguments by simply repeating her opinions over and over in a bull-headed and obnoxious way, until everyone is just too brow-beaten to argue anymore."


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