Hermione is a sarcastic person

[pippin_999 <foxmoth@qnet.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50627

Penny asked:

>>Who is she sarcastic with
*besides* Ron? I really don't think she is a sarcastic person. I 
think Ron is, and I think he likely gets a charge out of it.<<

I admit, the first two books seem to bear this out. There isn't 
much evidence of Hermione's sarcastic nature at first. She 
doesn't show amusement at Ron's sarcasm in PS/SS and I 
couldn't find any instances in of her being sarcastic herself. In 
CoS, she gets sarcastic for the first time, with Malfoy:

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to *buy* their way in," 
Hermione said sharply. "*They* got in on pure talent."

That's sarcasm, though you have to remember that Malfoy *is* a 
talented flyer to grasp the irony.

In Book Three, however, things change. Up until then, it's always 
been Ron who does the teasing, and sometimes makes fun of 
Hermione for being overserious.

But in chapter 6, we have this exchange.
=======
Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but 
didn't start.
"Harry," he said, in a low, serious voice, "you *haven't* seen a 
great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have," said Harry. "I saw one the night I lift the Dursleys'"
Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.

"Probably a stray," said Hermione calmly.

Ron looked at Hermione as if she'd gone mad.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's--that's bad," he said. 
"My--my Uncle Bilius saw one and--and he died twenty-four 
hours later!"

"Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some 
pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to 
get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone. "They 
see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the 
cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid 
enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket 
then!"

======
Sarcasm is such unexpected behavior from Hermione that Ron 
is speechless, but Hermione goes on...
=====
"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her 
page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron 
hotly.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry 
it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.

[There are several levels of wordplay here. The contrasting 
adverbs,"hotly" and "coolly" are a narrative wink, and Hermione, if 
she didn't deliberately set Ron up for the sheep remark, certainly 
takes instant advantage of it.  They're doing well--but of course 
Ron blows it.]

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just 
don't like being bad at something for a change!"

He had touched a nerve.
======== 

Hermione and Ron are starting to tease one another, and like 
any new game, it's going to take a while to iron out the rules so 
that no one gets hurt. But Hermione has served notice that she's 
not content to be Ron's straight man any more. Two can play.

Now, is there anything in the text to tell us why, after two volumes 
of reticence, Hermione suddenly shows her teasing side? Yes, 
there is. It's on the previous page, where Professor McGonagall, 
one of the people Hermione admires most, first reveals a gift for  
sarcasm herself. 

=========
"You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me 
if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, 
you need not hand it in."

Hermione laughed.
=========

That's the first time we ever see Hermione laugh at a sarcastic 
remark. Up to then, I have the feeling she wasn't sure it was 
allowed. She's been holding back, IMO.  But one page later, 
she's teasing Ron. You  can't tell me we're supposed to think 
she never wanted to do it before. <g>

But Hermione really turns loose in Trelawney's class, ch. 15.

===
Hermione snorted.

"Well, honestly...'the fates have informed her'...who sets the 
exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not 
bothering to keep her voice low. Harry and Ron choked back 
laughs.
====
So, yes, I think Hermione is a sarcastic person and does enjoy 
using it for  teasing, though she's well aware of its potential to 
wound. It's something she can't do with Harry very well. It's too 
easy to hurt him. Even Hagrid doesn't tease him very much. 


Pippin