Unconcerned parents

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 128130


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Donna" <donnawonna at w...> wrote:
> 
> I'm relatively new here so be patient with me.
>  
> I'm a parent and I've wondered about Hermione's parents letting 
> her go to the WW with all the ugly stuff going on.  I'm wondering 
> if Hermione is keeping things from her parents.  If they are aware 
of the goings 
> on, they sure don't seem too concerned about the possibility of 
> losing their only child.
>  

In OOP, Chap. 9, when Hermione learns that she has selected to be 
prefect she asks:

Erm - Harry - could I borrow Hedwig so I can tell Mum and Dad? 
They'll be really pleased - I mean *prefect* is something they can 
understand.'

This passage implies to me that to some extent, Hermione's parents 
keep themselves willfully ignorant about the WW, that Hermione has 
tried to talk to them about Hogwarts (though probably not the 
deadlier episodes) only to be met with varying levels of 
incomprehension. (see Mordicus Egg's classic text, "The Philosophy of 
the Mundane: Why Muggles Prefer Not to Know.")  When Hermione became 
prefect though, that was one of the few things Hermione felt her 
parents could relate to. (Although they are sufficiently attuned in 
the ways of magic that Hermione is comfortable communicating with 
them via owl).

Also, remember that in their sole appearance "on-stage" (in CoS, 
Chap. 4), the Drs. Granger are described as "nervous" when first seen 
in Diagon Alley, and they exit "shaking with fright" (having 
witnessed Arthur's brawl with Lucius). Given Hermione's headstrong 
nature, they must certainly realize that they could never keep her 
away from the WW. That may explain in part their studied neglect of 
the particulars of Hermione's academic career.

   - CMC