McGonagall a Muggle? (Was: Did I Miss Something?)

[jessrynn]

No: HPFGUIDX 81535

I wrote:
> It has always seemed to me that Hermione has as close of a 
> relationship with her parents that someone in her situation can 
have. 

I guess I should have clarified here a little more. Of course her 
relationship with her parents has changed, some of that is the 
condition of her living in an entirely different world, but not all 
of it. I think some of it comes from living at a boarding school, and 
how that changes the relationship that you have with your parents. I 
don't, however, believe that Hermione has disassociated with her 
Muggle upbringing or her parents.


Fred wrote:
> I agree with Doriane more than I do with Jessryn.
> Yes, in the beginning Hermione had a close relationship with her 
> parents, but canon does not support that anymore. 
> In the first year, PS/SS, Hermione went home to see her parents as 
> much as possible, (for christmas and summer holidays). In the 
>second year, CoS, she stays at school for christmas, same in the 
>third year, PoA. By the time the forth year arrives, she not only 
stays at school 
> for christmas but we also see her not staying home during summer 
> vaction. She goes to Ron's house, and we are not sure how long she 
> was there before Harry gets there.

I don't really see any of this as Hermione distancing herself from 
her muggle heritage or her parents. Part of the reason is that in all 
these situations Ron, the only other person in school for whom we get 
detailed information about holiday plans(you could go ahead and add 
Ron's siblings to that), also stays at school, and most would say he 
is still close with his parents. 

Most of these situations also have extenuating circumstances in which 
Hermione simply has to face divided loyalties. Unlike when she was a 
child she no longer just loves her parents, but Harry and Ron too. 
They are her family at school. Most of what she does in staying for 
the holidays is done for Harry's benefit.

In CoS both Ron and Hermione stay, because over the holiday break is 
when they are going to use the Polyjuice potion. In PoA they both 
stay, because this is right after Harry finds out about Sirius 
Black's "betrayal" of his parents and they don't want him to be 
alone. In GoF, the Yule Ball is over Christmas break and that 
provides a reason to stay, because it is a special event.

When we get to the summer after GoF all I have is speculation. It is 
possible that Hermione stayed with the Weasley's for her own 
protection. Harry is protected with the Dursleys, Hermione is not 
with her parents. At this point they don't really know what Voldemort 
is after, so Hermione could arguably be a target. Ron is with his 
parents only because they can provide protection and are involved in 
the movement as well. 


> And in OotP, we are not sure if she even goes home for the summer 
> holidays, she cancels her christmas vaction with her parents and 
> walks away from her parents at the train station to stand with the 
> rest of the witchs and wizards to "bully" the Duersleys.
> So, I think that in 5 years we can see how a "muggle-born" witch 
can 
> change how she feels about muggles she loves (not saying she 
doesn't 
> love her family, just that she feels separated from them), just 
think 
> how someone that has been a witch for over 60 years would feel 
about 
> muggles.

In OotP it is about the greater cause of stopping Voldemort(helping 
both the WW and Muggles), which would explain why Hermione would 
cancel her Christmas with her parents, she wants to be useful. Also 
there is the aspect of protection. As for the scene at the train 
station, she greets her parents lovingly, and does not walk away from 
them to join the wizards and witches but to support Harry. 

Separation from her parents may be there, but it comes more from her 
expanding relationships than from anything muggle/wizard.