CHAPDISC: HBP11, Hermione's Helping Hand

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 149014

 
> 
> Geoff:
> This brought up a thought I have had in the past and never voiced.
> 
> Why did JKR introduce McClaggan into the book? To me, he doesn't seem 
> to add anything valuable to the advancement of the story and seems to 
> be a bit of a spare part.
> 
> Anyone agree?
>

Hickengruendler: 

Yes, I agree 100%.

As for the reason why she introduced him. She said that she saw the 
name Mclaggen somewhere and wanted to use it, because she liked it so 
much. But of course this doesn't mean that he had to be such a big 
character, instead of simply someone who was just mentioned in a 
passing reference.

Therefore I suppose the character existed already and she just decided 
to give him the name McLaggen. I personally can not find anything 
interesting or important about him, but I am biased, because he is 
connected with exactly the two things I find least interesting in Harry 
Potter: The romance storylines in HBP and Quidditch (which, thinking of 
it, might be another reason for why I do not much care for Ginny). I 
suppose he was introduced as a semi foil for Ron to stir some problems 
both with Ron's place in the Quidditch team and also with Hermione, but 
I found him really boring and unnecessary and everytime he appeared I 
kept thinking that we could have gotten a scene with Neville or 
McGonagall or Luna or a character I actually care about, instead.

Hickengruendler