Hermione's parents (was Re: A Sense of Betrayal / Unforgiveables)

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 174360

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Bruce Alan Wilson" 
<bawilson at ...> wrote:
>
> How do we know that Hermione did this to her parents as an ambush? 
> She may have sat down and explained the situation to them and what 
> she proposed, perhaps using the well-known phrase from countless 
> spy novels, 'what you can't know you cannot be made to reveal.' 
> If she had done a good enough job in explaining matters to them 
> -- perhaps bringing in one or more adult wizards whom they knew
> well enough to trust--they might have agreed to it, much as people 
> in the real world agree to go into the Witness Protection program.
> 
> Bruce Alan Wilson


Leah:
We don't of course know for sure, but:

(i) It would have taken hardly any page space to have Hermione 
say "We discussed it and this is what they agreed". That would have 
added poignancy to Hermione's own loss, I think.  If Hermione is 
behaving in a proper and moral way let's see it, it shouldn't be 
left to us to imagine it off page.

(ii) Discussion and explanation isn't how Hermione operates when she 
believes she is doing the Right Thing.  The hats for the House Elves 
were hidden under rubbish until Ron cleared it away.  DA had no 
warning about what would happen if anyone betrayed them to Umbridge. 
People don't get a clear view of what they're choosing when Hermione 
knows best.  Not consulting her parents is entirely in character 
with the Hermione of the later books.

 (iii) No parent IMO would agree to such a thing. You might agree to 
be hidden away under witness protection, to give up your old life, 
but not to give up every memory of your child for your own 
protection.  (It is not as if the Grangers could give any useful 
information about Hermione's whereabouts etc).  They weren't just 
been given new identities that they had to pretend were theirs as in 
witness protections, they actually had new identies. They were kept 
alive by Hermione but as different people.  Who would actually agree 
to that?

Leah