Hermione & patronus (was Re:Malum in prohibendum vs. Malum in se)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 174671

Sali wrote:
> 
> I think that Hermione has a problem with the Patronus charm mainly
because it relies on a very strong emotion. Not to say that Hermione 
doesn't experience strong emotions but she is very much a scientist'.
Her ability at magic is related to her intellect and she needs proof 
before accepting something as fact. The Patronus charm requires the 
strong emotion primarily (and then magical ability) whereas Hermione
is used to relying on her innate magical ability, perhaps a more 
quantifiable resource than the more nebulous think happy thoughts.
> 
> Umbridge takes such pleasure in the pain that she causes that she is 
> able to produce her Patronus by using that happiness. Warped though 
> the emotion is, it is still very real and strong.
> 
> I don't see the Patronus charm as necessarily being good. It is 
> generally perceived as good more for it's dementor repelling effect 
> than for any intrinsic quality. The fact that it can be used for 
> other purposes (such as communication) underlines, for me, that 
> it is just another tool.

Carol:
I think that even a Dark witch or wizard can use good magic just as
even a good wizard like Harry can use Dark magic (much as I hate that
idea). Snape tries to use Dark magic (Sectumsempra) against a Death
Eater. (He does save Lupin's life but hits George by mistake, perhaps
luckily for him. Imagine his status in the DEs if he'd succeeded in
cutting the DE's hand off.)

Even though Umbridge is casting her rather weak Patronus (conjured
through theory, like Hermione's?) for evil reasons, it is nevertheless
protecting people, including Hermione and the invisible Harry, from
the despair created by the Dementors.

Even a ruthless witch like Umbridge has a spirit guardian, and it's
not surprising that JKR, who hates cats, gave Umbridge that Patronus.
(I do still wonder what it says about McGonagall that hers is also a cat.)

As for Hermione, I'm not sure that she relies on magical ability so
much as an intellectual understanding of what a spell is intended to
do and how it works. ("I know the theory," she says before casting
Obliviate for the first time.) IIRC, she wasn't very successful with
the Boggart-repelling Charm, which involve making your Boggart
humorous, either. She blew that portion of Lupin's DADA exam in PoA
and got an E rather than an O on her DADA Owl for the same reason, IIRC.

Carol, who agrees that intellect, not emotion, is Hermione's strong
suit and wondering if she'd have been less resistant to Umbridge's
theoretical approach to teaching DADA if she hadn't been friends with
Harry