Am I the only one...

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 135015


> Milz responds:
> Exactly and that's what limits her in terms of intelligence and sets
> her in a different league than HBP and Fred and George. Fred and
> George are able to invent new jinxes or devise things by practical
> application of their magical knowledge. Even Hermione has to admit 
in
> HBP that some of the jokes and jinxes are use a very advanced magic.
> Yes, she can recognize it's advanced magic, but that's about all.

zgirnius responds:
Actually, she does more than that. In OotP there is the scene where 
F&G are demostrating the Headless Hat (or some such, hat that makes 
your head invisible.) Hermione observes this object, asserts that 
they have cleverly extended the physical range of some invisibility 
charm (she sepcifies which one, I do not have my copy with me...), 
and goes on to predict (correctly) that the effect will not be very 
long-lived. Sounds to me like she knows exactly what advanced magic 
was used, how, and can use her theoretical understanding of how this 
must have been done to make a correct prediction. Not regurgitation 
at all. I also think that if F&G had consulted her about their 
problem with the nosebleed nougats, they would have saved themselves 
weeks or months of research. (Lee Jordan eventually suggested they 
try essence of murtlap...which he learned of from Harry, which he 
knew from Hermione...) Not that she would have helped them, mind you, 
but it;s not becasue she lacks the *brains*. She just doesn't value 
it.

I agree that Hermione is less *something* than Fred and George, but 
it's not scientific creativity she lacks. She lacks any marketing or 
entrepreneurial savvy. If someone convinced her that the creation of 
one of F&G's novelty items was worthwhile, she could come up with a 
way to execute the idea magically. But it would not occur to her on 
her own to try.

She is, however, able to create new magic to meet her own needs. The 
prime example I would cite is also from OotP, the "Sneak Spell", if 
you will. This is a bit of magic that is new, and seems to involve 
three different sorts of spells. First, a charm or something on the 
piece of paper, which has the effect of creating something like a 
binding magical contract among the signers of the paper without their 
knowledge or consent. This contract/whatever, once created, has a 
life of its own in that it can determine if the contract is breached 
and apply the penalty automatically, without any further conscious 
effort by the caster. Finally, the penalty itself is a jinx. We do 
not know the name of this jinx, and I assert that is because the jinx 
*has* no name, it is Hermione's own invention. Why? Well, possibly 
Dolores does not have the savvy to counter any known jinx, but would 
you want to bet Marietta did not visit St. Mungo's over the summer? 
They couldn't help her either. Hence, I claim there is evidence to 
suppose this was a novel and potent jinx. Note also that jinxes and 
hexes are studied in DADA, which is Hermione's weakest subject. 
(Actually, I don't believe this is so. I would bet the E in DADA was 
the result of a flubbed practical. The practical does not ask for 
creativity, but steady nerves help...this *is* an area of weakness 
for Hermione.)

  Milz responds:
> Hermione's examination of the book was merely a spell. However, it
> would have shown a more `answer seeking' side of her if she had 
indeed
> tried to figure out why HBP notations worked. But we don't get that
> from her. Instead we get the "follow the rules, if it's not in the
> official version, the information isn't valid" attitude----

zgirnius:
The spell was not about the contents of the book, but its nature, I 
imagine. After SS, Hermione was naturally suspicious. I think 
Hermione was concerned the book might be more than just a book. The 
spell was to ascertain that no, it was *just* a book with some notes 
in it.

I think she did not want to investigate the book further for the same 
reason posited by another poster, ie ego. Also, it's Harry's book and 
he certainly has no interest in figuring out why it works.
 
> Milz responds:
> Way back in PS/SS, Rowling
> teaches us the use of a bezoar.  Does Hermione retain that
> information? No. A person who "really knows their stuff" will be 
able
> to recall small details like that and apply that knowledge.  

zgirnius:
She certainly still knows what a bezoar is, she even knows when she 
learned about it (Snape's first lesson). (SHe points out to Harry he 
did not need the HBP to tell him this-he *should* have already 
learned it from Snape). In the antidote lesson, she was not pressed 
for time to save someone's life-she was engaged in practicing the 
application of Golpalott's third law to the creation of antidotes for 
mixed potions. A skill that is not useless, a bezoar does not save 
one from *all* poisons. Slughorn (justifiably) gave Harry the benefit 
of the doubt in that class, but this does not make Hermione's 
solution *wrong*, or even uncreative.


> Michal:
> as for the fact that she seemed to struggle a bit in the advanced
> potions class, i can speak to that. 

zgirnius:
There are *two* big differences between Sluggie and Snape as Potions 
teachers. Sluggie is much more pleasant, of course, but he also 
teaches straight out of the textbook-students look up, and then 
perform, the potions. Remember how Snape did it? He was always 
writing the instructions out on the board. Now that we know who the 
HBP *is*, well, maybe Hermione is "struggling" (ha! she's easily the 
second best student) because she is accustomed to receiving better 
potions instructions...

But I really think how Hermione does in Potions, amd what opinion 
Snape has of her, is beside the point. She is always taking a large 
number of classes, and Potions is not a favorite. To really judge 
Hermione I am afraid we would want to know what she is doing in her 
Arithmancy classes, and how Professor Vector views her abilities. 
(PoA, her stated preference. It is her most difficult class, but also 
the most interesting.)