Hermione, the Not All Powerful (was: Re: Re Power of Magic)

[drmm_fuuko]

No: HPFGUIDX 56035

Well, after a two year absence (which means that perhaps 1 or 2 of 
you remember me) I've decided to rejoin this list ... I'm really 
looking forward to OOtP, although since I'm in Japan, I'll probably 
have to wait two or three weeks to get it (wahhhh!).

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tom Wall" <thomasmwall at y...> 
wrote:

<<> One instance (which might not be all that fair to her) in which 
> Hermione wasn't able to use a spell properly comes in PoA, Ch.20, 
> 383, when she couldn't use the Patronus Charm to help Harry. 
Granted, 
> Hermione hadn't practiced the spell, so I'll give her the benefit 
of 
> the doubt here. But still, she couldn't do it.>>

 
> Again, I'll refer to the Patronus Charm here. Harry is repeatedly 
> foiled by the difficulty of the Charm, and he knew the words 
`expecto 
> patronum' before his first attempt. What Harry seems to get are 
> moments where he is `in-the-zone' and able to use magic that's 
beyond 
> his normal level – at other times, he's stumped by the simplest 
> spells, like the Summoning Charm.>>

In my opinion, the Harry's ability to summon the Patronus Charm has 
more to do with confidence than anything else. After the charm he 
tells Hermione: "'I knew I could do it this time,' said 
Harry, 'because I'd already done it ... Does that make sense?'" Harry 
believed he could do it, so he could.

Now, Hermione is a different story. Hermione couldn't perform the 
Patronus Charm. Why not? Is it because she's less powerful than 
Harry? Perhaps, but it's shown in-canon that she is able to do magic 
above her grade level. She made the Polyjuice Potion in her second 
year; she knows a lot of spells that her classmates don't know. 

I see Hermione's inability to do the Patronus Charm as a symbol of 
her lack of confidence. She knows that the Patronus is advanced 
magic. She knows she's never practiced it before. Therefore, she 
doesn't think she's able to do it -- and she isn't.

I've always felt that Hermione's desire to shine and her constant 
studying is her way of dealing with low self-confidence. She's in a 
new, magical environment. She knows that a lot of people will judge 
her because her parents are Muggles. What can she do to show people 
she's not weak? She can work hard and she DOES work hard.

Tom said:

> Hermione is different – she studies chronically. And in her case, 
> studying pays off, because I believe she's naturally gifted. In 
> PS/SS, Hermione is the only one to get the levitation charm to work 
> without massive difficulty. We see it again in GoF, when McGonagall 
> says: "Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has 
> managed to turn a pincushion into a satisfactory hedgehog." (GoF, 
> Ch.15, 233)
> 
> And now, take your suggestion and apply it to the other cases we've 
> seen. If Hermione's the only one who can transfigure a proper 
> pincushion by the beginning of her fourth year, it's not because 
she 
> knows any more than anyone else - presumably, McGonagall is 
teaching 
> them all the same way.>>

In my opinion, the reason why Hermione is the only student able to 
turn a pincusion into a hedgehog is because she practiced it 
beforehand (or something similar). We know that Hermione works hard. 
While I don't doubt that she's a strong witch, I think her hard work 
is what seperates her academically from her classmates. I've never 
thought that Hermione was naturally more talented than most of her 
classmates (read: Ron) the way some people propose (*cough* some H/Hr 
fans *cough*). I can honestly see Hermione practicing every single 
spell from her textbooks for HOURS the night before class. Therefore, 
she's able to shine in class.  However, when she's faced with a spell 
that she's never been able to practice (e.g. Patronus), she fails.

As Hermione grows more confident with her role in the wizarding 
world, I have no doubt that she'll relax a bit more (a bit) and study 
a little less (a little).

DrMM (the person responsible for the Harry Potter Obsession Quiz: 
http://www.fuuko.com/hpquiz.html that really needs to be updated)