"Erm.." in OOtP (Vampire!Snape whose side you on NOw?)

[antoshachekhonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 125384


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "M.Clifford" <Aisbelmon at h...> wrote:
> 
> 
> Ok now knowing that JKR *wrote* the "Erm.. I don't think so." answer 
> to Vampire!Snape I decided to do a little research.
> 
> So far A quick skip through OOtP reveals TWO meanings of Erm... in 
> JKR's writing.
> 
> So here it is folks The OOtP verdict on "Erm.. I don't think so."
> 
> Jo is either VERY nervous.
> 
> Or
> 
> She is ummm telling a little white lie.
> 
> Look below to see the evidence for yourself.
> 
> Valky
> 
> 
> 'Harry?' said Hermione tentatively.
> 'Well done, Hermione,' said Harry, so heartily it did not sound like 
> his voice at all, and, still not looking at her, 'brilliant. 
> Prefect. Great.'
> Thanks,' said Hermione. '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.'
> 
> 
> Cho had called him brave
 she did not hate him for being alive

> Of course, she had preferred Cedric, he knew that
 though if he'd 
> only asked her to the Ball before Cedric had, things might have 
> turned out differently
 she had seemed sincerely sorry that she'd 
> had to refuse when Harry asked her

> 'Morning,' Harry said brightly to Ron and Hermione as he joined them 
> at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.
> 'What are you looking so pleased about?' said Ron, eyeing Harry in 
> surprise.
> 'Erm
 Quidditch later,' said Harry happily, pulling a large platter 
> of bacon and eggs towards him.
> 
> 
> 'Harry,' she said timidly, 'don't you see? This
 this is exactly why 
> we need you
 we need to know what it's r-really like
 facing him
 
> facing V-Voldemort.'
> It was the first time she had ever said Voldemort's name and it was 
> this, more than anything else, that calmed Harry. Still breathing 
> hard, he sank back into his chair, becoming aware as he did so that 
> his hand was throbbing horribly again. He wished he had not smashed 
> the bowl of Murtlap essence.
> 'Well
 think about it,' said Hermione quietly. 'Please?'
> Harry could not think of anything to say. He was feeling ashamed of 
> his outburst already. He nodded, hardly aware of what he was 
> agreeing to.
> Hermione stood up.
> 'Well, I'm off to bed,' she said, in a voice that was clearly as 
> natural as she could make it. 'Erm
 night.'
> 
> 
> 'Er,' said Hermione, her voice slightly higher than usual out of 
> nerves. 'Well - er - hi.'
> The group focused its attention on her instead, though eyes 
> continued to dart back regularly to Harry.
> 'Well
 erm
 well, you know why you're here. Erm
 well, Harry here 
> had the idea - I mean' (Harry had thrown her a sharp look) 'I had 
> the idea.
> 
> 
> 'Well, I on'y jus' got back,' said Hagrid, waving an enormous hand 
> at the haversack. 'Maybe someone came ter call earlier an' I 
> missed 'em.'
> 'There are no footsteps leading away from your cabin door.'
> 'Well, I
 I  don' know why that'd be
' said Hagrid, tugging 
> nervously at his beard and again glancing towards the corner where 
> Harry, Ron and Hermione stood, as though asking for help. 'Erm
'
> 
> 
> Oh, don' you worry abou' that, I've got a great load o' lessons 
> planned,' said Hagrid enthusiastically, scooping up his dragon steak 
> from the table and slapping it over his eye again. 'I've bin keepin' 
> a couple o' creatures saved fer yer OWL year; you wait, they're 
> somethin' really special.'
> 'Erm
 special in what way?' asked Hermione tentatively
> 
> 
> Hermione had tears of fury in her eyes now.
> 'You hag, you evil hag!' she whispered, as Umbridge walked towards 
> Pansy Parkinson. 'I know what you're doing, you awful, twisted, 
> vicious -'
> 'Erm
 anyway,' said Hagrid, clearly struggling to regain the flow of 
> his lesson, 'so - Thestrals. Yeah. Well, there's loads o' good stuff 
> abou' them
'
> 
> 
> And what do you think of them?' she said, waving her stubby hand at 
> the horses, who by now had stripped a great deal of the carcass down 
> to bone.
> 'Erm,' said Neville nervously, with a glance at Hagrid. Well, 
> they're
 er
 OK
"
> 'Students
 are
 too
 intimidated
 to
 admit
 they
 are
 frightened,' 
> muttered Umbridge, making another note on her clipboard.
> 
> 
> 'Yeah, not bad,' said Harry.
> 'Mine was pretty quiet,' said Cho. For some reason, she was looking 
> rather embarrassed. 'Erm
 there's another Hogsmeade trip next month, 
> did you see the notice?'
> 'What? Oh, no, I haven't checked the noticeboard since I got back.'
> 
> 
> 'I've been meaning to ask you for ages
 did Cedric - did he - in - 
> in - mention me at all before he died?'
> This was the very last subject on earth Harry wanted to discuss, and 
> least of all with Cho.
> 'Well - no -' he said quietly. There - there wasn't time for him to 
> say anything. Erm
 so
 d'you
 d'you get to see a lot of Quidditch in 
> the holidays? You support the Tornados, right?'
> 
> 
> The wrap:
> 
> Nervous = 5 times
> Lying = 4 times
> 


Antosha:

Actually, I make that:

Trying to think of something to say when nothing polite or appropriate comes to mind=9 
times

In each of those cases, the speaker (usually either Harry or Hermione) is having an 
emotional response--either to what is being discussed or to something else that's going 
on--but doesn't want to vent. So they say, "Erm..." and veer slightly.

My read on the "Erm... I don't think so" quote  was that she was biting back a far more... 
vivid response, along the lines of "Give it a break, people! You've got to be #*&$#* kidding 
me!" But then, that's just me.