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

[Erika L.]

No: HPFGUIDX 98810

Geoff said:
>'Hermione's lip trembled and she >suddenly dashed at Harry and threw
>her arms around him. "Hermione!" "Harry >- you're a great wizard you 
>know"'(PS "Through the Trapdoor" p.208 >UK edition)

JR retorted:  
>This is not a scene where Hermione was >trying to find an
>excuse to hug or kiss Harry. This is a >scene when they are
>11 years old and Hermione is simply >showing emotion towards
>her friend in a critical situation. I >don't think that
>anyone would think of this as a shipping scene.

Gina asked:
>I do. How many times has she ever done >that to Ron compared to the
>times she has done so with Harry?


kitten replied:

>At least once that I remember off hand >(so it's a tie)....

>"Hermione flung her Arms around Ron's >neck and broke down 
>completely."page 292 in the American >paperback

>This is during the scene when Ron tells >Hermione that she will not  
>have to work on buckbeak's appeal alone >anymore.

>I can safely bet all my money in my >pocket against all the money in 
>your pocket that you probably won't >consider this a "shippy moment" 
>so...round and round we go ;) it's what >makes shipping so much fun!

Round and round indeed! Let me mention a couple more hugs which were forgotten. After the first task when Harry and Ron make up:

"Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given them both a hug" (314 UK)

So there's a point for each ship, which I'd say cancels it out. Ship neutral then, okay?

But what about this from OoP?

"then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and his vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair. Hermione had thrown herself on to him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat" (60 UK)

Now that's a hug! ;)  She doesn't even let go till halfway down the next page when Ron tells her to let Harry breathe.

To sum up, I think the H/H side may have one more hug. Is it shippy? Well that's another matter. I would like to make it clear that in no way do I think Hermione tries to find _excuses_ to hug, kiss, or otherwise touch Harry (BTW she kisses Harry in GoF and Ron in OoP so I maintain that it's one all on that front). I do, however, think that there's a lot of physical contact between Harry and Hermione in the series, an increasing amount even. Just look at their interactions in OoP, particularly in some of the later scenes such as when they meet Grawp together. Their interactions in that scene are very physical. Harry catches her before she falls at one point (607 UK), he pulls her away from Grawp when he grabs for her (614); she clings to him (614). Here's a good bit:

    "One of the giant's massive hands reached down. Hermione let out a real scream, ran a few steps backwards and fell over. Devoid of a wand, Harry braced himself to punch, kick, bite or whatever or whatever else it took as the hand swooped towards him and knocked a snow-white centaur off his legs" (668)

 Harry's standing over Hermione with no wand, facing down a giant. He's very protective of her in this scene, much as he is at the DoM. Hermione keeps close to Harry (and not Ron) throughout the scene: she's standing next to or just behind Harry when they are facing the DEs, close enough that he can hear her moan in his ear and hear her intake of breath when he steps on her toes (692). When they run for it, Harry grabs Hermione's robes:

"He seized a handful of Hermione's robes and dragged her forwards"  (694 UK)

Now think about this for a second. It's life and death here and who does Harry reach for? Not Ginny, not Ron. When it's comes down to a snap decision on who he should protect, a decision based on instinct rather than on rational thought, it's Hermione he reaches for. To me that says a lot about Hermione's importance to Harry. Either way, I think we do see quite a lot of physical interaction between these two. I know some R/Hrs argue that Hermione's contact with Harry only shows that she feels more comfortable with him since they are only platonic friends, whereas with Ron, she would not be comfortable due to her feelings for him. However, I think the pre-Quidditch kiss she gives Ron makes that a rather feeble argument. Either she has no feelings for either of them at this time or she is in fact comfotable kissing or otherwise touching someone she has feelings for.

So is there physical contact between Harry and Hermione? Yes, clearly. Is it shippy? Well that all comes down to interpretation, doesn't it? As Kitten said, round and round we go  ;)

Best,
Erika (Wolfraven)

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