CHAPDISC: HBP11, Hermione's Helping Hand

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 149068

> >> Ginger:
> CHAPTER DISCUSSIONS: HArry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,      
> Chapter 11, Hermione's Helping Hand
> <snip of summary>
> Questions:
> <snip>
> Nonverbal spells are now expected, although Harry notes that      
> others are having as much trouble as he is.  Could this be a part 
> of the reason Snape is later annoyed by Harry's inability to cast 
> them by the end of the book?

Betsy Hp:
I think part of Snape's frustration is that of a teacher towards a 
gifted but lazy student.  Harry *should* be able to do nonverbal 
spells by the end of the year.  Plus, as the one expected to take on 
Voldemort, it's a bit disconcerting that Harry can't do this one 
little (respectively) thing.  Personally, I think Harry is blocked 
on the nonverbals like he was on the Accio in GoF.  He just needs to 
work until he breaks through the block.

> <snip>
> What do you think of Hermione's casting the Confundus?

Betsy Hp:
Ooh, I *hated* it! For a couple of reasons. First, it was incredibly 
hypocritical of Hermione to out and out cheat, especially after 
praising Harry for being such an awesome truth teller earlier in the 
chapter.  Second, and this is the big one, she totally and 
completely disrepects Ron here.  Actually, leading into the try outs 
Hermione is *terrible* to Ron.  She either treats him with disdain 
or ignores him.  Ick, not good behavior on her part.  And it leads 
right into Ron's anger when she openly expresses her opinion that 
he's crap at Keeping.

The interesting thing to me is that the Confundus was completely 
unecessary.  Ron *is* a good Keeper.  He proved it in OotP (when 
Harry and Hermione were off on their "Grawp" adventure), and he 
proves it again when Ginny (and I appreciate this about her here) 
gives him a difficult save.

Actually, Hermione disrespects Harry here as well.  She undermines 
his ability as captain to figure out who'd be best on his team.  
Hermione, unfortunately, has bought into her hype.  She's so 
confident in her own cleverness she overlooks the abilities of her 
boys.  Not a good side of Hermione being shown here at all, IMO.

> Stan Shunpike is arrested.  Other than the trio's say-so, do we   
> have any evidence that he is actually innocent?  Their meetings   
> with him have been brief, and the Dark Lord doesn't seem to have a 
> pre-entrance IQ test for his minions.  It is pretty well accepted 
> that this is JKR's way of showing the corruption/ineptitude of the 
> WW government, but how do we, the readers, know that he isn't      
> actually a DE?  How does the trio?  Are we all reacting merely on 
> faith and the narrator's say so?

Betsy Hp:
We don't know about Stan really. We do have to take a bit on faith 
so JKR could write a big twist where Stan turns out to really  be 
guilty.  But I think that would add an extra story line where one is 
not really needed, so I think it's reasonably safe to see Stan as an 
unfortunate scapegoat of the Ministry.  

> <snip>
> He is also boastful of his abilities.  He says that he didn't try 
> out last year due to eating a pound of doxy eggs on a bet and      
> being hospitalized.  One of our brighter listees (and I wish I    
> could remember who so I could give credit) wondered once if F&G   
> hadn't made that bet to help Ron.  We did see them with doxy eggs, 
> and it seems in their nature.  Do you think they did this?  Would 
> Cormac have made the team last year instead of Ron?

Betsy Hp:
I can *totally* see Fred and George placing that bet, though *not* 
to help Ron.  (Did they even know Ron was going to try out?  IIRC 
Ron kept it a secret from most everyone.)  I think they'd do it just 
to keep Cormac off the team.

I'm not sure how necessary that was, however, because Angelina is 
quite open about choosing based on personality as well as talent.  I 
doubt she'd have wanted Cormac on the team either.  Even if he were 
a gifted Keeper, he's not a good team player.

> There is lots of SHIPping foreshadowing in this chapter:          
> Ron/Lavender, Ron/Hermione, Cormac/Hermione.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
It was nice to see Ron being fangirled for a change.  I thought JKR 
handled this relationship rather well.  The giggling and whispering 
and sort-of flirting from Lavender, the confusion and dawning 
appreciation from Ron.  Pretty realistic I thought.

The Ron/Hermione was pretty realistic too, unfortunately.  Hermione 
made the rather common mistake of taking Ron for granted.  I hated 
to see it, but it reads true, I think.

Good questions, Ginger!

Betsy Hp