The textbook and the diary (Re: Am I the only one... )

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 135144

Iris:<snipping>
> It's only my opinion, but I think that, through Hermione's 
negative 
> reaction, JK Rowling is warning the readers; she wants them to 
> understand there's something strange concerning that textbook. 
> Obviously, we can draw a parallel between the Prince's book and 
> Riddle's diary.
> Let's see:
> •	Both books come from the past and belong to someone who was 
> a Hogwarts student before Harry.
> •	Both times Harry gets them unwillingly.
> •	Both book's owner seem "friendly" at first sight (Tom, 
> because he made Harry believe he was there to help him, and the 
> Prince, because his corrections did "help" Harry in a difficult 
> subject).
> •	Both books turn out to be dangerous (the diary contains a 
> part of Voldemort's soul, and the textbook contains the
> Sectumsempra hex).

Jen: Not to mention Ginny's outrage to find out Harry is 'listening' 
to an unknown source after her own dreadful experience with a cursed 
book.

There are differences between the two books, though. Mainly, the HBP 
did not intend that book to be seen by anyone else. He may have 
shared some of his hexes with companions, and they passed them on 
throughout Hogwarts as Lupin suggested, but the rest was Snape's 
private property.

We see this most clearly at the end, when Snape rounds on Harry and 
rages at him for 'using his own curses against him'. We know this 
wasn't the first time it happened, either. Unlike LV, Snape doesn't 
want his personal property in anyone else's possession. Thus hiding 
it in his dungeon, where it appears only when someone else is 
teaching Potions. Snape would not have made the mistake of handing 
his own book over to Harry (of all people).

This is evidence for me that the book was not cursed or would bring 
bad luck to the user or anything like that. Even the dark nature of 
some of the spells can be seen as a glimpse of Snape's power as a 
wizard and the direction he's headed, rather than an attempt to lure 
others.

Iris:
> So, I don't call Hermione's rejection of the Prince's helpful 
> corrections "depending on books" or lack of intelligence or of 
> intellectual curiosity. She loves books, she uses them, but she's 
> also able to question them and she doesn't trust them necessarily, 
> precisely because she's intelligent and wise. 
> It takes intelligence to think out of the box. But sometimes, it 
> takes wisdom to resist the temptation of thinking out of the same 
> box.


Jen: Hermione is also struggling with the green-eyed monster in HBP, 
practically everywhere she turns. A bit of her concern is pure 
jealousy. And a desire to be right as well. She researches the HBP a 
little too thoroughly for my taste ;), while at the same time 
rejecting Harry's very real concern about Malfoy. Hermione wasn't up 
to her usual standards this time around and I think most of it had 
to do emotional development & good ol' hormones. 

Besides the fact, Harry came to his own understanding about the 
book. He realized when he hurt Malfoy that the book wasn't always 
helpful. And he needs this discernment for the journey ahead,  to 
choose who and what he listens to *very carefully*. Learning that 
wisdom for himself will go much farther than merely listening to 
another important Hermione admonition.

Jen