Centaurs and Goblins and Elves, Oh My ! (WAS: Hermione's Hats

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 89107

Debbie wrote: 
Interestingly, goblins are another intelligent non-human species 
that Hermione appears not to have any use for.  From GoF ch. 24 in 
response to Ron's joke about Hermione getting into the goblin 
protection business:  "Goblins don't need protection.  Haven't you 
been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about 
goblin rebellions? . . . Well, they're quite capable of dealing with 
wizards . . . . They're very clever.  They're not like house-elves, 
who never stick up for themselves."  Even though they *must* be 
learning in Binns' classes that the goblins don't have the same 
rights as humans despite centuries of rebellion (including their 
attempt to disrupt the Wizard's Council in the 14th century), 
Hermione seems decidedly uninterested in them, or perhaps she simply 
has them pegged as enemies of wizards.
 
Does anyone else find it odd that a Muggle-born like Hermione, who 
champions the cause of the house-elves who won't stick up for 
themselves, would be so insensitive to the rights denied to other 
magical non-humans?  Is it because Hermione wants to be a crusader 
for the oppressed?  Hermione talks about the us vs. them nature of 
the house system in OOP, but I don't recall her speaking about 
reaching out to other species.  Did I miss something?

vmonte responds:
Hermione is a child. She is just begining to become aware of social 
injustices in the wizard world. It makes sense that she would take up 
the elf cause because it is something that she sees everyday in 
school. (It's true that she needs to look at the elf issue not from 
her "priviledged" point of view but through the eyes of elves.) 
I think we need to cut Hermione a break.  She is after all a smart 
girl--and she will learn.