[HPforGrownups] Re: Clues for SHIPS and for the plot

[Erika L.]

No: HPFGUIDX 98807

Del wrote:
>And finally, I'd like to remind >everyone that the girl *already has a
>boyfriend* ! Viktor Krum is in love >with her, and we don't know that
>she doesn't reciprocate that feeling. >We do know, however, that they
>write to each other, which is the >closest to going out together that
>they can do under the current >circumstances. And the final touch is
>that she doesn't seem to talk about >Viktor to *anyone* : not the boys,
>but not Ginny either it would seem. >Ginny knew Hermione was going to
>the Yule Ball with Viktor, but she >never lets out any piece of
>information about Viktor or Hermione's >relationship with him. Hermione
>is keeping that part of her life >completely private. The best reason
>she would do that is that it means A >LOT to her.

I have to disagree. It's clear that Viktor has strong feelings for Hermione, but I don't believe she returns them. I think she's flattered, of course, to have been noticed by him, and she seems to find him pleasant company, but I think there are indications that she does not feel nearly as strongly as Viktor does.

Two main bits of evidence here. First, she seems to spend an inordinate amount of her time with Viktor talking about Harry. Viktor says she "talks about [Harry] very often" (479 UK), enough that Viktor feels threatened by Harry and confronts him.

The other thing is the scene after the second task. Though Harry doesn't hear this at the time, we find out later (chapter 27) that, after getting her out of the lake, Viktor invited her to Bulgaria and said that "he'd never felt the same way about anyone else" (446). So there's Viktor baring his heart and meanwhile what's Hermione doing? She's congratulating Harry:

 "Harry well done!" Hermione cried
[...]
Harry had the impression that Krum was drawing her attention back onto himself; perhaps to remind her that he has just rescued her from the lake, but Hermione brushed the beetle away impatiently and said, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry..." (438 UK)

And then, after Harry is awarded points for "moral fibre," putting him in a tie with Viktor:

"Fleur was clapping very hard, too, but Krum didn't look very happy at all. He attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering Harry to listen." (440)

This to me suggests that she isn't feeling a whole lot for Viktor. He bares his heart and she's "too busy" to respond. As an H/Hr I feel that her intense focus on Harry is a clue to a developing ship. However, even if you don't accept this and, instead, believe her interest is strictly platonic, it remains that that platonic friendship took up far more attention that Viktor's advances. That doesn't bode well for a V/Hr ship IMO.

As for Hermione not talking about her relationship, whatever its nature, how can you know she hasn't said anything to Ginny? There's no evidence as to whether she has or hasn't; either way it's pure speculation at this point. And even if she doesn't talk about it, why should one assume that it's because she harbours deep feelings for Viktor? Couldn't it just as easily be that she wants to have her privacy and doesn't want to be pestered about the whole thing? After all, Ron has pressed her so often about the status of her relationship with Krum that she could just want to make the point that she can do as she pleases and that it's her own business-- a sort of assertion of her independence in the face of Ron's jealous possessiveness. I really don't think the fact that she keeps it private is indicative of her reciprocating Viktor's feelings.

Just my two knuts,
Erika (Wolfraven)

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