Discrepancy of skills

[Miles]

No: HPFGUIDX 147877

susanbones2003 wrote:
> What I can say in JKR's favor is that Hermione has a history of
> choking during her DADA exam. Remember her disastrous final with
> Lupin where her bogart turned into McGonagall and gave her a zero on
> a homework paper? That was my first thought when you all pointed out
> the best student of the year couldn't possibly do less than
> an "outstanding" in all her exams.

Miles:
This was ONE incident with a much younger Hermione. And as far as we have
seen the OWL exam, there was no similar task at all. The exam was similar to
Charms or Transfiguration - that means both student and examiner sit at a
table, and the student has to perform jinxes and spells. That is exactly the
kind of exam that Hermione would always master, isn't it?

Deb wrote:
> Reads to me like Harry went from an E-exceeds expectations to an O-
> outstanding on the basis of his Patronus - just my interpretation of
> this passage.

> Becky replies:
> I think it is absolutely disgraceful that
> an examiner would seek to give someone top
> grades just because they believed them to
> have above average general knowledge - the
> point is surely how well you perform in the
> exam, not for examiners to help you cheat.

> zgirnius:
> I think you are misunderstanding Miles' point, I do not think he was
> suggesting the examiners would, or ought to, cheat to help Hermione.
> The examiner would give Hermione the chance to get the best grade by
> providing her the opportunity to 'show her stuff', such as possibly
> asking her to perform more advanced spells than would be asaked of
> other students, if she is able. (As in fact we see Harry's examiner
> do, by having him demonstrate the Patronus spell).

Miles:
zgirnius got my point correctly. I agree with him (?) and Deb, that Harry
achieved his "Outstanding" for performing the Patronus - I think this is the
only way to understand canon at this point. But given (speculation standing
on very solid feet) that Hermione had performed as well as Harry up to this
point in her exam, I'm quite sure that every examiner would have given her
the chance to perform something special as well, so she could achieve an
"Outstanding" like Harry could. We know that Hermione can produce a Patronus
as well, and surely she is able to perform any other spell as well that is
required for the OWL examination.

Yes, maybe it is nice to have her one "E" in her OWLs, but this one is
against overwhelming odds.

Miles