Hermione's other friends

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 49830

Sunffles comments;
<< There is very little mention of Hermione having any other friends but 
Harry 

and Ron. >>

Little direct mention, true. But it's there if you read between the lines. We 
don't get much mention of it because Hermione's other friends are over in 
Ravenclaw.

Take another look at the conversation between the trio when the subject of 
the Yle Ball first comes up. One of the first things Hermione does is to make 
a half-hearted effort to fix Ron up with Mandy Brocklehurst. Mandy is a 
Ravenclaw from their own year. 

Now, at this point we don't know that Gryffandor has ever shared *any* class 
with Ravenclaw. (They may have, but we've not been told of it.) So how does 
Hermione pull Mandy's name out of her hat, unless she and Mandy know eadh 
other outside of the classes that she shares witrh Harry and Ron. The two of 
them may both be taking Arithmancy, or Runes. Or they may simply have met and 
"clicked" in the Library. (And how much of the time does Hermione spend in 
the library *with* her friends from Ravenclaw? Hm?) 

If you look back over the course of the series; Hermione probably was 
solitary, or only associated with the boys during book 1. This was a whole 
new world for her, and she is not particularly outgoing. She also probably 
did not spend a lot of time with students outside Gryffandor. Unless a 
secondary theory of mine has some grounds, that she tagged along after Percy 
-- who we saw being kind to her at the start of term feast -- and he 
introduced her to an informal, interhouse study group largely composed of 
Ravenclaws who hang out in the library. Canon support for this possibility is 
the fact that when the Basilisk caught up with her in 2nd year, she was in 
company with Penelope Clearwater, who is at least three years older and a 
Ravenclaw prefect. She must have known Penelope well enough to be aware that 
Penelope was also Muggle-born, and to be confident of being able to aproach 
her with her warning and explain her belief that the monster they were 
dealing with was a Basilisk without being rebuffed. This becomes readily 
explainable if she knew Penelope through Percy.

During book 2 she spent a good third of the year either furry or petrified in 
the hospital wing. (Might even have made some contact with other students 
outside her House there.) By the time she was petrified it is clear from the 
circumstances that she already was at least known and trusted by some of the 
Ravenclaws. Given Percy's [perfectly understandable] skittishness about 
letting his relationship with Penelope be generally known, he is likely to 
have introduced Hermione to a group of Ravenclaws, rather than just to his 
own girlfriend. But, then, I suspect that Percy has also always hung out with 
the 'Claws.

During book 3 she was taking every elective course that Hogwarts offered. 
Each student appears to be required to take at least two elective classes. 
The elective classes appear to be interhouse. Consequently, she will have met 
every other student in her year at some point during book 3. If she had not 
already formed friendly relationships with some of them before this point, 
there was opportunity to do so during this year. Year three was also 
[understandably] the year that Hermione really appeared to be "living in the 
library". With her friends outside of Gryffandor.

Year 4 was the year that I think she put much of her own social life on hold 
for Harry's sake. After the Goblet spat out his name he was largely persona 
non grata throughout the school and his best friend was conspicuously not 
speaking to him.  In addition to the S.P.E.W. campaign, Hermione pretty well 
devioted herself to keepng him company and coaching him to survive the First 
Task. After the First Task, and the breech with Ron had been healed over she 
still was his first line of defense on researching spells for the other 
tasks. Once he and Ron were back on best-buds status, she had a bit more time 
for her own social contacts, and, once again, these took place in the library.

It was in the month between the First Task and the Yule Ball that Victor Kurm 
entered the picture. I suspect that Mandy could also claim some degree of 
aquaintance with Krum. In fact, I find myself wondering whether Mandy has a 
crush on Ron, and, knowing that Hermione was going to the Ball with Krum, 
asked Hermione to put in a good word with him for her.

In short, while I wouldn't say that Hermione has a broad, rich, social life, 
she does *have* a social life. It just happens to be outside Gryffandor tower.

-JOdel