Hermione SHIP question

[Emily]

No: HPFGUIDX 79467

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Kathryn Cawte" <kcawte at b...> 
wrote:
>  
>  Can one of the Hermione/Harry SHIPpers out there explain it to 
me? I don't see any clues towards it in the books at all. I've 
always thought that it was 'obvious' that the Viktor thing was a 
brief fling brought on because she was flattered at the way he was 
paying her attention while Ron takes her for granted and that 
eventually she and Ron will end up together. It seemed to me that 
that ship was obvious and that there are *no* hints at all of Harry
liking Hermione as more than a friend or Hermione liking him.
> 
> I'm not trying to put the people who like this ship down - I just 
want someone to explain it to me - what is it that makes you think 
this is a possibility? >>>


Emily (that's me) says (kind of long):

Well, I would consider myself very much a H/Hr shipper. And it's 
often hard for me to admit, though I have always admitted it, that 
Ron and Hermione are more obviously attracted to each other and I'm 
pretty sure that they will get together. But, hey, a girl can dream 
right? Now, while Ron and Hermione are the obvious couple, I believe 
(doesn't mean that it's true) that there are very, very subtle hints 
in the series that point to the possibility of Harry and Hermione as 
a couple. Bear with me, however, as I tend to stretch possibilities 
and clues, take it as you will. But please lets not make this into 
an argument over who should end up with who, in fact I'd be fine if 
Ron and Hermione get together. 

But...on with the clues.

One thing that I noticed most throughout the books are the gifts 
that Hermione gives to both Harry and Ron. So far, she has given 
Harry pretty wonderful gifts, while she has given Ron rather simple 
ones of candy and what not. Specific examples:

In their second year, Hermione gives Harry a luxury eagle-feather 
quill. From that point on throughout the books it seems to be that 
JK Rowling has made it a point to mention Harry pulling out that 
same eagle feather quill at least once to write with it. In PoA, 
it's used in the beginning (sorry can't remember what page) In GoF 
it's also in the beginning on p 22 of the American hardback edition. 
It's mentioned somewhere in OotP I think though I'm not sure exactly 
where, also somewhere near the beginning of the book.

Now I know that you can argue against this,I may not be be saying 
much. But why does Harry always pull out the eagle-feather quill. He 
could just as easily use some non-specific,non-sequiter quill.

Other gifts of note that Hermione has given Harry include his Broom 
Servicing Kit, which he uses to this day. And the Quidditch Teams of 
Ireland and Britain. Basically, she has given him gifts that are in 
a word, perfect, for Harry. And he still uses all of them. What she 
is offering him and giving him is lasting.

Moving on, another clue that I found that is extremely, extremely 
subtle occurs in Book 4. This is in Charms class when they are 
practicing Banishing Charms. On p 481 of the American Hardback ed of 
GoF it goes as follows: 

["I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance if he's 
on his second one," said Harry grimly, and his cushion, to his very 
great surprise, flew straight across the room and landed neatly on 
top of Hermione's.]

Here, JK Rowling (without knowing?) uses the cushions in a rather 
interesting way. It is almost Shakespearean in nature. As I read it, 
it could be taken as a sexual symbol. You could say that here the 
cushions could representative of Harry being on top of Hermione. 
Now, I'm not saying that they're going to go out and have sex or 
anything, they're too young for heaven's sake, but the symbolism is 
there. Rowling is not one to waste details and I think that this 
particular instance is one of those times that she didn't waste 
them. Again she should have just as easily said, Harry's cushion 
landed perfectly in the box at the front of the classroom, but she 
didn't.Could it be her attempt at making us think that if Harry 
falls in love with Hermione it will take him completely by surprise? 
(An aside: Ron's cushion sent his cushion soaring into the window.)

Another clue to Harry and Hermione's possible (yes only possible, 
not inevitable) romantic relationship is presented in Buckbeak the 
Hippogriff. In Greek mythology, hippogriffs are representative of 
romantic love. In relation to PoA we can possibly take Harry and 
Hermione's flight on Buckbeak's back as the beginning of their 
romantic journey. However, Buckbeak's role in hinting at a H/Hr 
relationship does not end their. In fact, it comes back in OotP. 
When Harry is at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, locked away in another 
room, Hermione is the only one who is able to coax him to open the 
door. Appropriately enough, Buckbeak is present in the room while 
they are talking. Perhaps Rowling is trying to hint at a 
relationship beyond friendship again here.

There are some little things to look at as well, like when Hermione 
wrapped Harry's 
bleeding hand in one of her handkerchiefs after the bowtruckle 
stabbed him.(p 261 OotP American Ed.)

Or it could even as been as simple as when Hermione told Harry that 
he could help her with her knitting, "her eyes shining with glee" (p 
278 OotP American Ed). Harry however left her "looking slightly 
disappointed after him." (also on p 278)

Those little gestures, ironically, I think, are harder to prove as 
clues to their possible romantic future.

There are other ones, that I think that most people have caught up 
on like when Harry is practicing occulemency he sees some events in 
his life that he hated and even feared at times

1)His jealousy of Dudley getting a bike
2)Ripper chasing him up a tree
3)The sorting hat almost placing him in Slytherin
4)Hermione in the hospital wing after she had the polyjuice potion 
(why did he see this and not Ron's stint in the hospital?)
5)Dementors
6)Kissing Cho Chang (as it was an unpleasant experience for him)

There's much more and many things I'm sure I didn't catch up on, 
that I'm still looking for. But I think the thing that I want to 
emphasize most is that JK Rowling is never obvious, so there will be 
no obvious clues in canon that Harry and Hermione are going to be 
together. This is why can't speculate about anything. Even her clues 
about Ron and Hermione being together aren't absolutely obvious, 
though they are certainly more obvious than H/Hr clues. That in 
large part is why I don't think Ron and Hermione are going to get 
together, because she's making it too obvious. For all we know, 
Hermione could be really madly in love with Viktor Krum to which we 
have no subtle clues or allusions to at all and then Rowling will 
have definitely not have gone with the obvious. 

Right now, none of the Ships are wrong or right...yet. Until we have 
a definitive in your face answer (no not from Rowling's lips, 
themselves, b/c I've learned NEVER to trust what she says in an 
interview)in the TEXT, I mean, is the only time we will truly know 
who is to be with whom. And until then, I'm still gladly lounging on 
the HMS Pumpkin Pie and I have a feeling that I always will! :-P


~Emily~ 

P.S. Sorry for the incredible length.