Marietta and Hermione (was JKR's Messages ) (was Re: Hermione In Trouble?)

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 120880


In 120815 Del quoted:
>>*at the beginning of the meeting:
"Cho had just smiled at him and sat down on Ron's right. Her friend,
who had curly reddish-blonde hair, did not smile, but gave Harry a
thoroughly mistrustful look which plainly told him that, given her
way, she would not be here at all".

*But the worst is during the first DA lesson:
"She laughed. Her friend Marrietta looked at them rather sourly and
turned away.
'Don't mind her,' Cho muttered. 'She doesn't really want to be here
but I made her come with me. Her parents have forbidden her to do
anything that might upset Umbridge. You see - her mum works for the
Ministry.'"<<

Alla wrote:
> "Marietta forces Cho to leave, not vice versa. Something tells me 
> that if marietta REALLY did not want to come. nothing of what Cho 
> said would have made her."
 
Del replied:
> Let me re-quote the first episode, at the beginning of the meeting:
> "Cho had just smiled at him and sat down on Ron's right. Her 
> friend, who had curly reddish-blonde hair, did not smile, but gave 
> Harry a thoroughly mistrustful look which plainly told him that, 
> given her way, she would not be here at all".
> 
> Notice the "given her way". Marrietta would not have been here if 
> Cho hadn't insisted, even Harry realises that. Moreover, as I 
> already said, when she accepted to come, Marrietta didn't know 
> what the DA would *really* be about. She might not have been 
> enthusiastic about a not-forbidden DADA practice group, but an 
> illegal anti-Umbridge group was another matter entirely!
<snip>
> Marrietta never wanted to belong to the DA, but she followed Cho 
> because she is her friend.


SSSusan:
I haven't agreed with everything Del has said in this thread, but 
for me she has hit the key points about Marietta & the DA.  When I 
read the stuff Del has highlighted the first time through OotP I 
know I thought, "Uh-oh!" about Marietta.  Surely many others did, 
too.

IMO, first, Cho should never have badgered her friend into joining a 
group with such an IMPORTANT & SECRET FUNCTION.  It's not like it 
was a Wizarding Chess Club or Hogwarts Howlers Cheer Block, after 
all.  

Second, Marietta should have told Cho in no uncertain terms that she 
really wasn't interested – especially because of her mother's 
position.  Maybe she did say that before the first Hog's Head 
meeting?  If she did, Cho should have backed off.

To join something like this simply because of a friend is stupid.

What really surprises me in this whole situation *isn't* that 
Hermione placed the hex that would identify any snitch.  What 
surprises me is that someone – Hermione, especially – didn't 
*notice* Marietta's reluctance at the HH and really WANT to check 
out her interest in the group.  "Are you sure you want to be here?  
We only want people who are REALLY interested and TRULY committed to 
this group & its purpose."  

If I were Harry or Hermione, I think I would've been frightened of 
the signs she was showing.  I mean, if she didn't want to be there, 
then why LET her join?

Earlier in this thread I said that I was more bothered by the 
Hermione hex of Marietta for some reason than I was of her leading 
DJU to the forest.  Part of it is that the DJU situation was a 
REALLY desperate one.  But part of it is that I think I fault 
Hermione for not really ascertaining every single potential signer's 
level of interest in joining.  It was too important a contract to 
take anyone who was wavering, and let's face it, SHE didn't 
personally invite all those who came.

Siriusly Snapey Susan