Hermeione's Abilities

[zebco606]

No: HPFGUIDX 68523

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jsmithqwert" 
<jsmithqwert at h...> wrote:
> > 
> Does anyone else find Hermeione slightly unbelievable as a 
character. 
> I mean, we have all known know-it-alls, but now that she is 
> displaying a little more emotional maturity, it seems that 
Hermeione 
> is just too perfect. She learns all the spells, potions, and 
history 
> way faster and way better than anyone else, >  I had really hoped 
that the author 
> would have people catching up to Hermeione academically by now, 
and 
> her cool understanding of the emotional turmoil of everyone around 
> her was infuriating. Can anyone show me her faults, because if JKR 
> doesn't start writing her with some, I may lose interest.

Reply;

Well first I think that Hermione is vital to the plot of all the 
books in the HP series. How could Ron and Harry get up to all the 
things they do and still achieve anything scholastically if it were 
not for Hermione. That would be truly unbelievable.

Second, I think Hermione does have faults. In her single minded 
determination with SPEW she displays a total lack of regard for the 
wishes of those she is attempting to help. The house elves at 
Hogwart's are happy because they enjoy their jobs, are well treated 
and fully capable of asking (and receiving) a sock any time they 
choose. But these are the elves Hermione focuses her efforts on. 
Since she is blackmailing Rita Skeeter (not so lily white huh?) she 
could have been much more effective by having Rita do a series of 
articles on those house elves that ARE mistreated until legislation 
was passed to protect them. If anybody could have dug up (and 
embroidered) tales of the sad plights of tortured house elves it 
would be her. This would have forced some of the wizarding world to 
better treatment of their elves for fear of having their dirty 
laundry (or how they're getting their dirty laundry done) to the 
world at large.

She is good picking up on the emotional turmoil of those around 
her...sometimes. Even though Ginny has become her closest friend, 
she apparently had no clue Ginny was being posessed by Tom Riddle. 
And she seems clueless to how much she occasionly gets on Ron and 
Harry's nerves.

As I (and others) have discussed, JKR doesn't give us perfect 
heroes. Hermione is brilliant and extremely good at deductive 
reasoning, but not always quite in tune with those around her. 
Just like a lot of my real life friends, I'm sure she's not always 
easy to have around. But I'd sure still like to have her on my side.

Dorothy
(Is anyone else as curious as I am about her relationship with 
Viktor?)