Another angle on Hermione's parents

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 175375

 
> Magpie:
> We assume it because it wasn't a short-term measure if Hermione died. 
> She specifically says that it's possibly forever. If she dies, her 
> parents will never remember her again and never return to their own 
> life. (Something I can't believe they would have agreed to 
> themselves, even if Hermione wasn't trying out her first memory charm 
> and didn't have a record of preferring to just take care of things 
> herself because she knows best.) This is why Hermione gets ferklempt 
> about it, because she might die and they won't remember her.
> 
> -m (still amazed that the "Not Much Bothered By It As A Plot Device 
> But In General Anti-Mindwipes for Middle Class Dentists" position is 
> considered unreasonable by anyone)

Pippin:
If I understand your argument, you're thinking the worst case scenario 
for the Grangers is that Hermione will die and they'll never mourn their 
daughter or return to their previous life, and you can't believe they'd 
agree to it. They'd prefer the risk of dying under torture.

But  dying isn't the worst of what might happen if they were discovered.
The worst would be betraying  their daughter and her friends before they 
died. Because unfortunately Hermione's told them quite a lot about her
life and about Harry's, enough that she's worried about their being
interrogated.

Lily was willing to die for her child, but you don't think the Grangers
would risk their careers and their memories to save theirs?  

 I can see where you might think Hermione should have turned to
the Order instead of doing something on her own. But then she'd have to 
explain *why* her parents are going to need special protection, and oops! 
nobody is supposed to know that. 

It's not like she's pulling a young Dumbledore, (or a Lupin) yearning to 
have adventures and save the world when she should be thinking of her 
weaker family members. There really was a danger, and there really 
wasn't anyone else who could have stepped into her shoes if she'd 
refused to go with Harry in order to keep her parents safe. 

Maybe you're thinking  the Grangers would be just as resistant under 
torture as their daughter. But the Hermione of DH is very different from 
the girl we first met in PS/SS, the one most influenced by the Grangers. 
She had a good heart. But she  was completely paralyzed by the troll 
attack. It took seven years to make a warrior out of Hermione. Her
parents haven't had that kind of schooling, as far as we know. 

Pippin