They're not Idiots, they're Kids.

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50231

"They're just 14 year old boys." Well, it's true, they are just 14
year old boys. As far as 14 year old Hermione, we are seeing the
classic girls mature faster.

Harry and Ron are 14 year old boys, and more important, they are not
especially sophisticated, knowledgable, mature, or experienced 14 year
old boys. 

Harry has lead a very sheltered life. He has no role models for
functional relationships. He's never had any friends before. Having
been abused, he is very introspective, emotionally guarded, and
because it's safe, somewhat of a loner. 

Ron has slightly better models for relationships in his parents, but
farm life is somewhat isolated. Even for modern farmers (meaning
people who live out in the country) the kids who are availabe for you
to play with are your brothers and sisters. You don't get a lot of
exposure to other people, or outside influences. This would seem
reasonably true of the Weasleys. Transporting a pack of wild kids to
'play dates' is not easy or likely, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley don't
seem to have a huge social life. Country kids are generally not as
sophsitcated as city kids. Country kids don't have the same range of
exposure to a larger more complex world and they don't get same level
of knowledge and experience as a city kid. That's life, always has been. 

Hermione is tettering on the edge between playground relationships and
 'high school' relationships. Harry and Ron are still entrenched in
playground relationships including playground crushes. There behavior,
especially Ron's would certainly qualify as childish.

Hermione, who is slightly more mature, isn't stringing anybody along,
she is just going through her normal life and taking it as it comes.
Although, she is somewhat embarassed when the subject of a /boy/
liking her comes up.  

Victor approached her, and she reacted normally (in her polite
reserved Hermione way) to that approach. I'm sure she felt some pride
that she of all girls had gotten the most famous and desirable guy at
the school, and all she had to do to get him was be herself. That had
to be gratifying.

As far as Hermione and Ron, Hermione is not stringing Ron along. Other
than being a '/boy/', Hermione doesn't have a clue what's going on
with Ron until the very end. I'm sure she is starting to see that he
is acting strange, but I don't think it really hits her why until that
blazing row after the ball.

If either Ron or Harry had ask her, I'm sure as a friend, she would
have loved to go with either, but considering Ron's typical immature
14 year old boy actions (best troll who will have him), and the fact
that he didn't ask Hermione until he was desperate and scrapping the
bottom of the barrel, that probably and rightly didn't make her feel
too good. Besides, she already had a date with the best boy in town.
After that ego boost then having her best friends treat her as a last
deperate resort, I think she reacted pretty normal under the
circumstances.

Ron on the other hand, is in playground mode. He is in deep denial of
his feeling both toward Hermione and in general. When he sees Hermione
and Viktor together, he is angry and he doesn't know why, or at least,
refuses to admit to himself why. Certainly, we have all seen people in
our lives who were angry about one thing, and refusing to admit it,
found all kinds of other reasons and excuses to express their anger.
That's all Ron did. He was angry and he groped for any excuse he could
find, except the real one, to express it. He expressed his feeling of
anger in the only way his playground mind would allow. He acted like
an immature 14 year old boy, because that's what he is.

Harry is attracted to Cho, we all know that, but Harry, like Ron, is
still in playground mode. Why? Because he's still affaid to admit it.
When guys cross the threshold from 'playground' where they are afraid
to reveal their attractions into 'high school'; they sit around in
groups for hours talking about all the girls (or guys) they thing are
hot. They talk about them the way they talk about all the hot new cars
(or brooms in this case) they would like to have. If a man is....
well, it a girl is lucky, at some point the men in her life cross
another threshold where women cease to be hormone drive commodites,
and become real people. Sadly, I must say that some men never mature
enough to cross that threshold; but the guys who do make great lovers.
They're not selfish and self-centered.

Preliminary conclusion-
Harry is a kid. Not ready for relationships yet. 

Ron is a kid. Not ready for relationships yet, but has a monster crush
on Hermione. If you read the books, once they become friends, Ron has
always expressed greater concern for Hermione than Harry. It's
expressed subtly, but having read GoF, when you go back and reread the
series, it stands out.

Hermione is entering 'high school' relationships, although she isn't
completely there yet. Right now she is just going about her life
taking it as it comes. Most certainly, Viktor's interest and affection
was a big boost to her womanly ego. Perhaps even the first time
Hermione allowed herself to view herself as a woman rather than one of
the guys. I'm sure that was a strong push toward the threshold.

To those who speculate that Hermione is 'playing' anyone, you will
never convince me of that. Hermione isn't that premeditated in he
emotions or relationships. 

Final conclusion-
They're kids. They are going to go through a crazy confusing
infuriating adolecent struggle of complex on and off relationships
that change faster than dirty socks. Everyone will be infatuated with
someone else, and too blind to see who is infatuated with them. Once
the smoke has clear, and the hormones have mellowed, they will all be
friends again, and life will go on.

That 'Kiss', that fateful kiss at the train station. So what's up with
that? Hermione had been holding in a secret, a secret that was ready
to bust out of her, but he held it back. On the train she revealed it;
she caught Rita Skeeter, and Rita would never hurt Harry or anyone
else again. (or so Hermione thinks) Once again, Voldemort had tried to
 kill Harry and failed. For the first time, Harry was able to talk
about it on the train, and relieve himself of that burden. Harry,
against all odds, had won the Tri-Wizard's Tournement. With the
excitement of cursing the Dark-Trio for their insulting remark toward
Cedric, Hermione was positively giddy by the time the train pulled in
the station. In her bubbling 'we did it again' excitement, her thrill
that Harry was OK now and had won, her capture of the nasty Rita
Skeeter, she kissed him on the cheek in front of Ron and all her other
friends in a train station filled with people (and parents); hardly,
what you would call romanic. I think it was an excited kiss that
celebrated the fact that once again Harry was OK on all fronts.

Realistically, JKR is not going to get deep into the intimate parts of
relationship, not even the superficially intimate parts. Don't expect
to see Hermione and anyone snogging in the closet. The play on
relationships is the confused tormented and troubled times of
adolesence that we all look back on and laugh. 

Turbulent adolesence for a while, friends forever. 

That's my story and I'm stick to it. REALLY!

bboy_mn