Why did Hermione lie?

[ggershman77 <ggershman77@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 51542

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "errolowl <nithya_rachel at h...>" 
<nithya_rachel at h...> wrote:
<snip> 
> "Please Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me"
> "Miss Granger!"
> Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last. 
> "I went looking for the troll because I – I thought I could
> deal with it on my own – you know because I've read all about
> them"
> Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger telling a downright lie to a 
> teacher?
> "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead by now. Harry stuck
> his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They 
> didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish
> me off when they arrived."
> Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story was not new to 
them. 
> "Well, in that case.." said professor McGonagall staring at
> the three of them, "Miss Granger you foolish girl, how could you 
> think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"
> Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last 
> person to do anything against the rules, and here she was 
pretending 
> she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started 
> handing out sweets. <g>
> 
> <snip>
> "Good of her to get us out of trouble like that". Ron
> admitted.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Recall that until now, Hermione had strongly been opposed to any rule-
breaking, lying or anything against the rules.

If Harry and Ron had not disobeyed the rule to go back to the 
dormitory, Hermione would have been killed.  She realizes that 
sometimes the rules need to be broken, and to show it, she lies to 
McGonagall about the troll.

And, as we see later, this is what cements the friendship.

"But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There 
are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, 
and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."

Of course, this fits into the greater theme of the book, which is 
power and how we use it.

Greg
http://hpprogs.blogspot.com/