[HPforGrownups] Re: Is Luna Lovegood the anti-Hermione?

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 113604

Jo said

Perhaps Hermione's cleaning up of the draught could be more 
accurately called presumtuous, rather than misreading Harry's wants 
and needs.  I don't think that even "those who insist on over-
analyzing everything" ;-) would criticize her for not cleaning up 
after him in Potions class.  It's not really her job, after all, and 
the one time we hear about her doing it, it ends up hurting Harry 
rather than helping him.  My point was that she sometimes misreads 
his needs and sometimes oversteps her "place" (for lack of a better 
word)in his life.  He doesn't seem to like it when she does.


Sherry now

This was what I was trying to figure out how to say.  I genuinely like
Hermione most of the time, but there are moments, when I get frustrated and
irritated with her, because she does overstep her bounds.  She didn't need
to clean up after Harry's potion and was rather presumptuous in doing so.
As a disabled person, I was raised to be extremely independent.  I can't
even begin to tell how it feels to have people try to do every little thing
for you, when you are quite capable of doing it yourself.  Different
situation, I know, but when this particular incident occurs in the book, I
felt anger for Harry.  I currently live with dear friends, a whole family of
people, who know me well and don't presume to do things for me that I can do
myself.  For instance, they don't drink coffee, so I clean my own coffee
makers and other coffee items.  I'd be offended if they started doing it for
me.  

I believe that all of the friends in Harry's life play a very important
part, but once in a while, Hermione needs to back off a little and let Harry
make his own mistakes or not.  As much as I love her, she's the one with
whom I'd have to have a very serious talk about letting me take care of
myself.  Yet, I believe she is an invaluable friend to Harry, and he
couldn't have gotten so far without her, as he couldn't have without Ron or
Ginny or any of the rest of them.  One of the most important things I get
over and over out of these books, and what I tell people who haven't read
them is that even magic doesn't solve problems.  It's the people in your
life, the friends and loved ones, the lessons of loyalty and friendship that
get Harry through everything, even though he has to face Voldemort alone
time after time.  

Sherry
email and MSN messenger:
sherriola at earthlink.net