Prof. McGonagall's biscuits

[Berit Jakobsen]

No: HPFGUIDX 92537

Pip!Squeak wrote:
Harry's refusal of the second biscuit is classic sulky teenager - 
which is why McGonagall tells him not to be ridiculous. He's 
signalling that he wants to reject the good advice she's just given 
him, by refusing something that he actually wants. At least, I never 
knew a teenage boy that *wasn't* a bottomless pit when it comes to 
accepting biscuits [grin].

Berit replies:

Good point (and that goes for Geoff's post #92530 too :-) I've got a 
third explanation, which (by the way) doesn't rule out the two other 
ones:
McGonagall seems to be the kind of woman who doesn't easily show 
emotion; she usually comes off rather brusquely. "Stern and strict" 
is her thing. Now, of course she HAS to scold Harry for being 
reckless, opposing Umbridge so blatantly, because the situation is 
potentially very dangerous. But I get a strong feeling from reading 
the passage that her insisting on feeding Harry ginger biscuits is 
her way of showing support; a subtle way of telling him she is in 
fact a little proud of him, standing up for the truth even if it 
hurts... It's McGonagall's way of showing she cares :-) I've had that 
impression ever since the first time I read the passage.

Berit J
http://home.no.net/berjakob/snape.html