Chapter 18: Dumbledore's Army

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 99446

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Amy Z" <lupinesque at y...> wrote:
 
> 1.  Proposition: Hermione, by fretting about the restlessness and 
> recklessness that will in fact do Sirius in, is shaping up into an 
> insufferable know-it-all and JKR had better bring her down a peg or 
> two or we'll really hate her (Hermione, not JKR) before the series 
> is over.  Discuss.

Marianne:
I wouldn't call her a know-it-all.  She is often right in her 
assessments and judgements.  The problem I had with her in OoP is 
that she never seems to doubt herself. Or to think that her life 
experiences as a 15-year-old do not necessarily put her at the same 
level of experiences as the adults in her world, yet she feels like 
she understands everyone's personality and motivations perfectly.  I 
can buy it when she's talking about teen relationships, but in other 
cases, she hit some some wrong notes, at least to my ear. 

I won't go into the whole elf liberation thing, where I think her 
heart is in the right place, but she seems to have blinders on. I 
found her assessment of Sirius' reaction to the successful outcome of 
Harry's hearing at the Ministry curious.  As the time comes close for 
the kids to leave for school and Sirius' mood darkens, Hermione says  
it's because he's being selfish because he was really hoping that 
Harry would have been expelled and then they'd both be outcasts. 
She also thinks he's been lonely for a long time, but, not to worry, 
he'll have company because he's living in the Orders headquarters.

I think she's right in her assumption that Sirius has been lonely.  
But, she then thinks that loneliness shouldn't be a problem because 
other Order members will be around.  She doesn't see the nuances in 
personal relationships. It never occurs to her that perhaps Sirius 
would be less lonely if the people hanging around are people he cares 
about, and not simply any warm bodies that walk through the door.  

Hermione has a lack of empathy towards others that I find a little 
off-putting.  Maybe she's simply at that stage in her teen life where 
she thinks she knows it all.  Maybe she's still over-compensating 
because she's still trying to prove herself in the Wizard world. Or 
maybe JKR is using her to tell us things we need to know about other 
characters because it's quick way of getting information to the 
reader. I'll be watching Hermione in the next book with this in mind.

 
> 2.  Harry reads about a potion that creates confusion, recklessness 
> and hotheadedness.  Just when a reader might think "hmmm . . . 
> Sirius," the text explicitly draws the connection, thereby 
> undermining the red flag–but is that drawing of attention itself 
> misdirection?  Is Snape (or someone) actually giving Confusing and 
> Befuddlement Draughts to Sirius, or to Harry himself?

Marianne:
I know others have postulated that very fact.  And that Sirius' mood 
always seems to be better when Kreacher is nowhere to be found.  It 
seems a bit too obvious for JKR, doesn't it?  But, then again, maybe 
she figured it was time to simply hit us in the face with something, 
knowing we'd probably not believe it...My head is starting to hurt.

 
> 5. And one to take to OTChatter: If you found the Room of 
> Requirement, what need would take you there and what would you find 
> in the room?


Answers.  I need answers.  I'd find the complete versions of Books 6 
and 7 waiting for me.  

Marianne