CHAPT. DISCUSSION: Chapter 25, The Beetle At Bay

[hannahmarder]

No: HPFGUIDX 111883

Debbie: 
> > > I don't think so.  To be honest, there's something very 
> unsettling  about the fact that she assembles a pair of people she 
> has little or  no respect for (Rita and Luna) and gets them to do 
> her bidding.  
> >> > 
> > 
Potioncat:
> But parents have the authority to make and enforce rules.  
Hermione 
> had no such authority.  Had Lucius Malfoy done something like this 
> we'd be very upset.
> 
> In fact, I've said it before, except for the unfortunate 
> circumstances of her birth, Hermione would make a good Slytherin.
> 
> Potioncat who thinks Gryffindors and Slytherins have a lot of 
traits 
> in common.

I agree with Potioncat in that Gryffindors and Slytherins have a lot 
in common, and that several of our favourite Gryffindor heroes 
would, as the sorting hat would say, 'do well in Slytherin.'  The 
members of  Slytherin encountered so far in the book are not, in my 
opinion, typical of that house.  Out of necessity for the plot, the 
Sytherins we meet are 'bad,' while the Gryffindors are all fine 
upstanding citizens.  We know that this can't possibly be true 
simply from knowledge of human nature.  If you consider the evidence 
of what is written about members of Slytherin in the books alone, 
all Slytherins would have to be ugly, cowardly, lazy and stupid.  
But the Sorting hat, who knows as much about it as anyone, seems to 
suggest that Slytherins are in fact often brave and clever.  It 
surprises me that a pair of such servile and unintelligent clods as 
Crabbe and Goyle ever got sorted into the house meant for those of 
great ambition.  
When we meet the young Severus Snape in OoP, he rather reminded me 
of Hermione, desperately writing reams and reams in cramped 
handwriting, and on leaving the exam poring over the question paper 
rather than celebrating.  We know Snape is brave, as he risks his 
life as a spy, and we have to assume that he isn't purely bad 
either.  He's also a very talented wizard, supported by various 
feats of his throughout the books.  And in PS/SS Hermione is able to 
solve his logic puzzle, and even appear to enjoy doing so, although 
she states that few wizards would be able to.  
With view to Herminone's behaviour towards Rita Skeeter, I agree 
that were she a Slytherin, we would consider it in a very different 
light, since we are conditioned to think all Slytherins act or the 
worst, all Gryffindors for good.  
Perhaps part of the difference lies in whether Hermione enjoys 
exercising this power, or whether she uses it without really 
thinking about the ethical consequences it implies.  Although she is 
clever, Hermione is still only 15, and lacks the experience to 
identify and fully understand her behaviour.  I think she is so 
carried away with the idea of helping Harry out, that she doesn't 
give a thought for if it is right or wrong to use Luna and Rita like 
this.  Whether this is better or worse than continuing with full 
realisation is another matter.