Hermione, Krum, and Durmstrang

[Diana]

No: HPFGUIDX 87587

Janet wrote:
> Speaking of Durmstrang:
<snip>
 > But I wonder if Hermione doesn't suspect (especially after 
Karkaroff's 
> disappearance) that it might be important to know *exactly* where 
Durmstrang 
> is -- and that's why she's spending so much time on correspondence 
with 
> Krum?  If anyone can figure out its location from clues she gets 
out of 
> Krum, Hermione can.
> 
> When the day comes that someone's been kidnapped, or something's 
missing 
> that they really need, or some other reason comes up and they 
really need to 
> get to Durmstrang, Hermione may be the one who can produce the 
clues to its 
> location -- if not the location itself.
 

Diana L. writes:
Do you really think Hermione would string Viktor along like that 
just to pump him for information about the location of Hogwarts?  
Even if she genuinely liked him only as friend, I can't see her 
becoming his penpal with the hidden agenda of getting Durmstrang's 
location.  And if she didn't like him at all, I don't believe she 
would bother to write to him, let alone with a hidden agenda.  
Granted, us readers don't get to see what's in the letters that Krum 
sends to Hermione, but I would guess he's still fond of Hermione in 
a wants-her-for-a-girlfriend sort of way.  
Hermione seems interested in Ron, given the many hints thrown at us 
by JKR, but Ron hasn't acted on his feelings for Hermione in a 
positive way - not even as of OoP.  By positive I mean Ron asking 
Hermione out for a walk or on a visit to Hogsmeade (a la Harry 
asking Cho).  His jealousy toward any other male that is interested 
in Hermione is all that seems to show right now.  Hermione, like 
every girl is at their ages, is much more emotionally mature than 
Ron or Harry, so she sees that another young man is interested in 
her in a romantic way and he's nice to her and flatters her with 
attention, and he's intelligent and fun to talk to (probably) as 
well (and he just happens to be a famous Quidditch player).  It's 
not hard to see why, despite her attraction to Ron, Hermione's 
interested in Krum as well.   
Hermione doesn't strike me as someone who would disregard Krum's 
affections in order to wait for Ron to actively persue a romantic 
relationship.  Krum's attention has greatly flattered her and she 
genuinely likes him and she is probably still working out exactly 
how much she likes him and in what way.  Sure, Krum makes Ron 
extremely jealous, but that's just a small bonus; she's not going to 
be throwing away a good boyfriend candidate just because Ron has his 
head up his arse.   Remember, Hermione did tell Ron that she thought 
he had the emotional range of a teaspoon. Ron's got a ways to go 
before he becomes a true boyfriend candidate for Hermione and she 
knows it.  Ron or no Ron, Krum will do nicely is what I believe 
Hermione is thinking.

Diana L.