Christmas present pattern...

[templar1112002]

No: HPFGUIDX 131786

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "rosered2318" 
<rosered2318 at y...> wrote:
> I couldn't find whether or not this had been discussed but did 
> anyone else notice an abrupt change in Hermione's presents to 
> Harry?  
> 
> Book 1:  Chocolate Frogs  (yummy - and he collects the cards)
> Book 2:  Luxury Eagle Feather Quill (practical, but with a 
pleasing 
> appearance)
> Book 3:  Birthday - Broomstick Servicing Kit (woah!), Christmas - 
> don't find out (fiasco with a Firebolt)
> Book 4:  Birthday - A cake (perfect for our starving Harry) 
> Christmas - Quidditch Teams of Britian and Ireland (a book but at 
> least its about Quidditch)
> Book 5:  Birthday - Honeydukes Chocolates  
> 
> and here is the drumroll....
> 
> Christmas is, of course, the ever-so-annoying homework planner.
> 
> 
> It seems to me as though this is the perfect kind of present 
someone 
> *thought* Hermione would give.  It is very practical and has to do 
> with school, but it doesn't match up with her previous gifts.  
Those 
> gifts were all personal and enjoyable on some level, but a nagging 
> homework planner?  It doesn't fit....
> 
> I have seen the stuff on Hermione being controlled by the 
imperious 
> curse, but I just don't want to buy it.  It seems to...easy.  Can 
> anyone offer an alternate explanation?


**Marcela: Theories follow.

1) Hermione likes Harry.  Hermione had doubts -toward the end of GoF-
 about the nature of her feelings for Harry (Viktor's chat before 
they boarded the train, and then her kiss on the cheek to Harry).  
Then in the post-wet-kiss scene in OoTP, she finally realized that 
she wasn't comfortable with Harry kissing Cho, she stopped being pro-
active to match them up and switched to 'explaining' mode, which 
didn't help Harry much, to be honest, as she never suggested to him 
what to do next but what he should have done.
So, what does a girl give to her two best friends for Christmas?  
Especially when she harbours feelings for one of them (whom is 
already into another r'ship) and the other one is harbouring 
feelings for her?  She gives them the exact same present, no 
preferences and feelings revealed.  Jo made sure to let us know 
this, when Ron made the disappointed comment about her gift. Did 
Harry notice the change?  Yes, because he had always liked her 
gifts, but this time he was tempted to throw it to the fire.

2) Hermione likes Ron.  We don't know if Hermione has given Ron 
better gifts than Harry's.  So, there is no way we can compare, but 
I'm sure that if Jo would be hinting at a R/Hr r'ship, she could 
have added this in the books (two or three more words in a sentence 
doesn't take much space, after all).  What I find difficult to 
explain is that if she really liked Ron, why wouldn't she give him 
some other present, a bit more 'personal' perhaps? in OoTP, just 
when Ron started showing his interest in her?  Harry was already 
involved with Cho, so what was stopping her from showing a bit more 
preference for Ron in the gift department?

Jo was asked about presents in an interview, 

"...Q: Ron and Hermione give Harry gifts... does he ever give them 
birthday presents? 
JKR: Yes, Harry does buy presents back! But I've never focused on 
their birthdays yet --there hasn't been room! ..." America Online 
chat transcript, AOL.com, 19 October 2000.

So what was significant about the notebooks in OoTP, the longest 
book of the series?  That they were not personal and were identical 
to both boys, as opposed to the choice of the boy's presents for her.

Marcela