boggart-fighting (was: Hermione and Snape).

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 128458

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Karen Barker" 
<karenabarker at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "a_svirn" <a_svirn at y...> 
wrote:
> > 
> > > 
> > > Pippin:
> > > We have canon that Snape is a better teacher for Hermione, in
> > > the sense of helping her reach her potential, than Lupin. Lupin
> > > doesn't  teach her to fight her boggart. 
> > 
> > a_svirn:
> > 
> > An interesting point about this boggart of Hermione. Just WHY 
> Lupin 
> > didn't let her tackle the boggart? It couldn't have been 
anything 
> > other than deliberate. And I don't buy the story she made up 
about 
> her 
> > boggart being McGonagall telling her she's failed everything. 
For 
> one 
> > thing, she couldn't have been THAT much worried about her 
results, 
> for 
> > another – a blood-curdling cry is not a likely reaction to such 
> news. 
> > She must have encountered something really horrid out there and 
> for 
> > some reasons felt compelled to conceal what it was. I wonder 
what? 
> > 
> > a_svirn
> 
> I beg to disagree here!  
> 
> Don't forget that this was not a lesson, it was an exam.  Part of 
> the exam was to confront a boggart and in this part Hermione 
> failed.  No teacher would say "Never mind, Dear, I'll show you how 
> and you can have another try" in an exam.  Would you expect Snape 
to 
> give Neville a second chance at a failed potion in an exam, or 
> McGonagall to give Dean another shot at changing a hedgehog into a 
> pin cushion?  
> 
> I also think a hysterical scream is a very typical *Hermione* 
> reaction to the news that she had failed all her exams.  I don't 
> believe that McGonagall is the significant part of the boggart, it 
> is the news that is significant.  To Hermione, who values 
intellect 
> and learning above any material thing, failure of exams would be a 
> total catastrophe.
> 
> IMHO!
> 
> Karen

Sorry, I obviously wasn't quite coherent. I was speaking about the 
two episodes. One was the lesson, when Lupin didn't allow Hermione 
to have a go at the boggart. Harry and Hermione were the only two 
pupils who didn't fight the boggart in the classroom, and since with 
Harry it was deliberate decision on Lupin part it seems likely that 
with Hermione it was also the case. 
The second episode was the exam. I don't think that Hermione's 
boggart took the form she claimed for the reasons I already stated. 
You said:  "I don't believe that McGonagall is the significant part 
of the boggart, it is the news that is significant". I never claimed 
it to be otherwise. I further agree that a total failure would be a 
catastrophe for Hermione. But why, why she would be afraid of it 
that much? She seems to be quite a confident young lady. She might 
have been especially nervous in her third year, but for it to be her 
worst fear? Not likely. Besides, as I mentioned already, why would 
she scream upon being told that she failed? It is totally 
unrealistic reaction. Tears – yes, fainting quite probably, but 
screaming? I don't think so

a_svirn