Hermeione's Abilities

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 68546

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jsmithqwert" 
<jsmithqwert at h...> wrote:
> Much of this is a repeat from many other threads, but 
altogether is 
> asking a broader question than they do.
> 
> 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, explains 
the complex  psychology of those around her perfectly, and 
demonstrates her  independence and tenacity to boot. Harry is 
supposed to be the hero 
> of the series, but he is always being one-upped by Hermeione. 
She 
> vanishes her snail on the third try when Harry doesn't get it all 
> lesson. She sees strait through Voldemort's little plan to lure 
Harry  to the Department of Mysteries. And she handles all the 
stress of  OWLs and prefecture in stride. Really, if Rowling is 
writing complex characters, where are her faults? <<

Hidden in plain sight <g> As you say, Hermione's infuriating. She 
thinks she understands the psychology of someone twice her 
age, she spouts off with advice when she's asked for it, but also 
when she isn't, and even her best friends find her *extremely* 
hard to take. Ron fights with her  and Harry sometimes just goes 
and hides. 

Of course she's right a good deal of the time, but as we see, 
when she's right and  unable to convince people she's just  as 
useless as Fudge, who has the opposite fault.  She nags Sirius 
about Kreacher--if she really understood Sirius she'd realize how 
counterproductive that is. What good does it do her to see 
through Voldemort's plan if she can't manage to change Harry's 
mind about going to rescue Sirius? She tries to use logic with 
Harry, and that's generally a mistake. A nice solid Petrificus 
Totalus would have been better.

Hermione thinks all she has to do is point out how right she is 
and everyone will fall in line with her thinking. It never occurs 
to her that there's more to the art of persuasion than just being 
right.

Pippin