[HPforGrownups] Discrepancy of skills

[Miles]

No: HPFGUIDX 147823

allies426 wrote:
> Two topics in the area of magical skill do not add up for me.
>
> 1.  Hermione Granger, most talented witch of her age, able to
> perform well on both written and practical exams, able to master
> complicated spells in a single lesson, able to produce a Patronus in
> one D.A. session... achieves only an E on her DADA Owl????

susanbones2003 wrote:
> 1. Hermione is a wonderful student. Give her a book, she'll read it
> front to back and memorize it mostly. She performs to standard and
> her standards are high so she'll always get good grades. But she
> needs the security of studies to be successful. DADA requires as she
> says, bravery and quick-thinking but it also seems to require an
> innate ability that Harry possesses but she does not.

Miles:
In my opinion, susanbones is wright and wrong at the same time.
She is absolutely right, because DADA really requires bravery and cold blood
in a critical situation, so Harry will indeed perform much better than the
theorist Hermione. BUT - this is only right in a critical situation like the
one in the Ministry (by the way, Hermione did quite a good job there), but
surely not in an OWL examination. As far as it is described, the DADA exam
is quite similar to the transfiguration exam, so Hermione should perform at
her usual (that means: the highest) level.

> Deb (djklaugh) wrote
> I agree Jen. As I see it Harry has learned his DADA so well it's
> become instinctive... he does not have to think very hard to know
> what would work best in any given situation - he just does the thing
> that seems to be the best response to the situation at hand.
> Hermione on the other hand still has to think things through before
> taking action.  Plus... as far as his OWL grades are concerned...
> Harry got extra credit for performing the Patronus spell and proving
> to everyone that he can indeed invoke a corporeal Patronus.

Miles:
I do not buy this one. This would mean, that the examiner failed to give the
most extraordinary witch in the year the chance to gain the best mark. I
can't believe that, do you? In any oral/practical exam I attended (at school
and university), the examiners tried to find out whether they could give me
top grades when they realised that my knowledge was above average. And I do
not doubt that the examiners for OWLs and NEWTs would act in the same way.

I think JKR wanted to point out Harry's outstanding talent here - but she
did it inadequately concerning her own plot.

Miles