Hermione's Crimes and Punishments

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 149556

Debbie wrote:
> I suspect if we polled the list, the same people who are troubled 
> with Hermione's vigilanteism were troubled by, for example, the Ton-
> Tongue Toffee incident.

SSSusan:
I totally agree.  I'm one of the ones who openly laughed at the 
TTT... and the pig's tail... and Montague in the toilet... until 
others pointed out how horrible these incidents could have been or 
were.  Now I snigger quietly. ;-)

Anyway, I'm much less bothered by what y'all are calling Hermione's 
vigilanteism than are some members of the list.  While I think she 
HORRIBLY mishandled the DA start-up and membership and could have 
avoided the whole Marietta thing by having thought a little harder 
about it and by being more honest with Harry, the fact that, in the 
end, Marietta ended up with S-N-E-A-K on her forehead didn't bother 
me much.

In real life, I'm a very compassionate person, and one very 
disinclined to engage in or desire retribution or vengeance.  No, 
really, I *am*!!  But in the HP books, I do find it FUNNY.  So, 
Debbie, count me in as "evidence" of your theory.


Debbie:
> In addition, she seems unnerved by Harry's success at potions, even 
> though she knows it's a result of the secret tips in his book.  
> Perhaps her determination to stick to the official instructions 
> ultimately begins to undermine her confidence in books.

SSSusan:
And she can't HANDLE that because, if not books, WHERE would she 
turn??  I'm being dead serious, too, because for Hermione, the world 
has been opened by books, problems have been solved through books, 
and she's risen to her position as top student in large part because 
of books.  If books are failing her now, what does she DO?


Debbie:
> And when she accuses Harry of not thinking girls are as clever as 
> boys (HBP ch. 25) appears to be a victim of typical female self-
> doubts that often arise in the teen years as girls get a
> better understanding of how male-centered the world really is.

SSSusan:
I think this is more her overall frustration talking than her true 
belief, about Harry anyway.  Harry has *always* considered her 
brilliant, and I'm sure she knows it.  I think she's just frustrated 
beyond words at what's happening in Potions, and this is just what 
tumbles out of her mouth.


Debbie:
> She has also bandoned her attempts to free the house elves, which 
> can be read as further evidence that she's questioning herself, her 
> cleverness, and her efficacy.

SSSusan:
Now that's an interesting proposition!  I wonder whether this is 
so....  Is she questioning her cleverness, or did she actually 
*realize* something about her incomplete analysis of the house elves' 
situation in the previous two years?


Debbie:
> All this adds up to a Hermione that seems a lot different from the
> overconfident and successful Hermione we saw in OOP.  This appears 
> to be a step backwards, but I see it as part of a growth process 
> that will result in a Book 7 Hermione who is much better prepared 
> to give Harry the help he needs in Book 7.

SSSusan:
I agree that she seems different in HBP.  I wonder if some of that 
isn't also due to the situation with RON.  Up `til now, since it's 
mattered anyway <g>, I think Hermione's been able to read Ron's 
feelings for her better than he's ever been able to admit them.  But 
this year, when they fight (and there's certainly a history of that), 
he not only turns away from her, but he turns TO another girl.  This 
obviously hurts & frustrates Hermione, and I don't think she 
anticipated this nor knows how to respond.  

So, I propose that she *is* feeling a little more vulnerable this 
year, a little less confident, a little more tentative about always 
having THE right answer or approach.  As to whether the year has 
brought her to a place where she'll have grown and will be better 
prepared, more insightful (not just book-y), it certainly seems 
likely.  The way things came together at the end of the year, with 
the relationship repaired with Ron, with DD's death reinforcing the 
need for Harry & his inner circle to be focused & very careful to 
plan exceedingly well, and with her & Ron's commitment to be right 
beside Harry, I do think JKR is leading us to the possibility that 
Hermione will be different again in Book7 from Book6, just as she was 
different in Book6 from Book5. 

> Debbie
> who thinks Hermione should turn her talents to developing an 
> antidote for Marietta, who also has had punishment enough for her 
> crime

Siriusly Snapey Susan, 
who agrees with this, for even though I found it amusing at the time, 
I didn't expect it to go on *this* long