Hermione flinching at LV's name

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 94345

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ellendvlmaas"
<ellendvlmaas at y...> wrote:

> 
> I recently reread SS and am currently rereading OotP (this group has 
> inspired me to pull them out again!). I have been wondering, if 
> Hermione was muggle born and raised, then why does she flinch at 
> Voldemort's name like those raised in the WW? 
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> Ellen


bboy_mn:

Hermione flinches or at least react to some extent, but for different
reasons than wizards do. 

In the wizard's world words are very powerful things; you can, in
fact, kill a person with a word or two. Then there is the old general
religious concept that to speak the devil's name is to call him to
your side. Although, the point of speaking the devil's name is the
same, word are powerful and dangerous things.

Hermione on the other hand is reacting to social conditioning. She is
very preceptive, and it certainly doesn't take her long to figure out
that saying Voldemort's name is a very very big social blunder. So
when people say the name, she response to their social blunder,
whereas in the same situation, wizards react to the dangerous power
this world /might/ have.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn