[HPforGrownups] Re: Hermione

[Shannon]

No: HPFGUIDX 35963

At 11:58 PM 3/1/2002 -0500, Laura wrote:
>mmm...this is me, defending Hermione from all attacks...
>Can't help it..I just like the girl.

I like her too! 

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

I didn't say that....not that it matters. Just thought I'd point that out.
:) However, I did say...


>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.

I'd forgotten those things.  Scabbers is probably quite adept at keeping
from being crushed by now, after all those years with Percy and now
Ron...life in the Burrow has gotta be dangerous. :)  At any rate, Ron
probably figures it's safer to carry around a sick rat than it is to leave
it in the dormitory, where Crookshanks is more likely to get at him.  


>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.

Isn't there an incident when Hermione is undoing the clasps on the basket
that she has Crookshanks in, and Ron protests that she's going to let him
out when he's there with Crookshanks?  I thought there was some sort of
altercation then. Maybe not.  I can't get easily at my copy of PoA to check.


>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.""


I certainly don't think Hermione is insensitive or heartless. At least, not
in general.  But she's surprisingly stubborn in the whole
Crookshanks/Scabbers drama, even when all the evidence is against her.  


> 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.

Frankly that was my biggest problem with her during that period as well.
After numerous instances of Crookshanks trying to get at Scabbers, she
STILL simply will not admit that the probability is that her cat killed
Ron's rat.  We all know of course that's not what happened, but in any
ordinary circumstance it probably would have been exactly what happened.

>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.

Well, that's just Ron being Ron.  It would be out of character for him to
be affectionate.  We all know he did care about Scabbers, and he probably
loves Pigwidgeon, too.

Shannon