a bit o' R/H analysis

[dorapye]

No: HPFGUIDX 89411

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister" 
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
> 
> Geoff:
> I don't see any rudeness on Ron's part in the /first/ meeting. If 
> anything, Hermione is rude in her dismissive comment about Ron's 
> spell.
> 
> "'Are you sure that's a real spell?' said the girl. 'Well, it's 
not 
> very good, is it?'
> 
> (PS "The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters" p.79 UK 
> edition)
> 
> She then rabbits on about having tried a few spells, learned all 
the 
> set books off by heart and then tells Harry that he's in all the 
> books.
> 
> "'Am I?' said Harry, feeling dazed.
> 'Goodness, didn't you know?'"
> 
> (same page)
> 
> 
> ..which is a trifle patronising if anything.
> 
> The only comment Ron makes at this point is that he hopes that 
> Hermione is not in the same house as him - and that is /after/ she 
> leaves the compartment with Neville in tow.
> 
> It is on the second occasion, she comes back in and starts trying 
to 
> organise and Ron asks her to leave while they change that he 
scowls; 
> but she hasn't exactly been reading "How to Win Friends and 
Influence 
> People" has she?

dorapye:
I agree - Hermione does not come across well on their first 
encounter, she's bossy, intrusive, nosy, shows off and her comments 
to Ron asbout his rat-spell are more than a little condescending.

 I only meant that her comment about him having dirt on his face was 
possibly in response to Ron's unsubtle effort to get rid of her, as 
a kind of 'huh!' and yet, for me, that's never really rung true.     
I couldn't understand what response she might be trying to elicit 
from Ron with that comment.  

It's not strong enough to really insult him, or to humiliate him. 
And surely she doesn't say it because she wants to save him the 
embarrassment of having a dirty face when he arrives at Hogwarts and 
meets all the other students? She's only just met him, so I can't 
believe she'd really care.   And most 11 year old boys wouldn't be 
that troubled about a dirty mark on their face. 

So, this particular line always seemed rather clumsy and pointless 
to me. It puzzled me as it seemed inconguous with the rest of her 
comments; the only thing that perhaps connected it with the portrait 
of Hermione at this stage *was* the fact that she was repeating 
something that Ron's mother had been fussing over as she said 
goodbye to him at Kings Cross.  

Hermione has often since that first meeting taken on the 'mother' 
role in the trio (homework, History of Magic notes, conscience, 
toast, counsellor...). I just wondered if this Mrs Weasley-shadowing 
in Hermione was meant to persuade us that these two are destined to 
be paired together, or to convince us that they will definitely not 
(that's assuming we are meant to make an Oedipal reference here)

I have to admit, when I saw The P/S film, I was surprised that they 
kept that particular line, yet chopped so many much more interesting 
ones.

Just my thoughts.
dorapye