Evil Hermione Was:Re: Evil Snape

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 154581

Amiable Dorsai:
> Granted, that Hermione pulled a bit of a Gandalf, but she did it 
> with Harry's permission:

<snip quote>

SSSusan:
Yep, and I acknowledged in my last post that he did not argue against 
Hermione when she suggested that anyone who wanted to learn should be 
allowed to learn, when she brought it up days before the HH meeting.  

OTOH, either before they left Hogwarts that day, or right there in 
the Hog's Head when he asked how many were expected, she had the 
chance to tell him the number she expected.  Even if more came than 
what she expected, she didn't have to say "A couple of people."  She 
knew better than that and did Harry a disservice to not admit so, 
imho.


Amiable Dorsai:
> For that matter, the number of invitees quickly spirals out of 
> Hermione's control:
> 
> "`Who are you?' said Ron, rather rudely.
> 
> `Zacharias Smith,' said the boy, `and I think we've got the right to
> know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back.'
> 
> `Look,' said Hermione, intervening swiftly, `that's really not what
> this meeting was supposed to be about -'
> 
> `It's OK, Hermione,' said Harry.
> 
> It had just dawned on him why there were so many people there. He
> thought Hermione should have seen this coming. Some of these 
> people - maybe even most of them - had turned up in the hopes of 
> hearing Harry's story firsthand."  (All quotes from "Order of the 
> Phoenix")


SSSusan:
Not sure how you're sure it spiraled out of her control from that 
quote.  Do we *know* that she didn't know how to contain the number? 
that she was totally surprised by how many came?  

Also, I guess I look at that bit at the end of the quote as support 
for why I think Harry FELT let down (whether he "should" have or not, 
I'm arguing simply that he DID).  It says, "He thought Hermione 
should have seen this coming."  IOW, he was annoyed that she did not 
see it coming.


Hickengruendler:
> To me, it seems likely that it was a mouth-to-mouth thingy.
>
> Hermione told a few people, let's say Neville, Luna, Cho and Ernie,
> because they openly stood by Harry, plus Lavender, Parvati and Dean 
> and of course the Weasleys. Then Ginny told her classmate Colin, 
> who told his brother Dennis. Fred and George told it their 
> Quidditch mates.  Parvati told her twin sister, Cho told Marietta, 
> and Ernie told his friends. Ginny probably also told her boyfriend 
> Michael, who told his friends. And we knew that Zacharias overheard 
> Hermione telling Ernie.  IMO this makes more sense, then Hermione 
> randomly telling people, she hardly knows, about a secret group. It 
> was trust thing, and everybody told this a few more people they 
> trusted with the secret.
>
> Hermione seemed as surprised by the number of people as Harry did.

SSSusan:
But see, this is exactly where I think Hermione failed Harry.  While 
I'm not convinced she was as surprised as Harry by the number, I do 
think things likely happened the way you suggested -- word of mouth, 
so & so inviting so & so.  But what I'm saying she should have done 
is invited a select few (such as those you mentioned) and telling 
them that, FOR NOW, they were keeping it small -- no further 
invitations.

Why couldn't she have done that for Harry?  Surrounded him with those 
he knew & trusted, sorted out what they wanted to do, then 
*discussed* whom else to invite?

I realize that I'm acknowledging Harry didn't tell her "NO! Don't 
invite anyone who wants to learn!" but it's also clear that Harry has 
reservations about the whole thing and that he's worried about too 
many people coming.  He expected Hermione to handle things with HIM 
in mind, I think; to have thought things through; probably to have 
invited only people he knew & trusted -- that's clear from the text 
when he's angry with her and when he thinks that she should have seen 
this coming.  


Amiable Dorsai: 
> Should she have warned Harry?  Probably, but Harry had been 
> imitating a skrewt with PMS all term, I can't say I blame her too 
> much for not wanting to set him off yet again.


SSSusan:
LOLOL!  Now *that*, AD, is the *one* thing I've read which makes me 
seriously consider cutting her some slack here!  I'm not surprised it 
came from you. ;-)

Siriusly Snapey Susan