Another angle on Hermione's parents

[Adan]

No: HPFGUIDX 175466

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "tetsubinatu" 
<tetsubinatu at ...> wrote:
>
> When I first read that part of the book I assumed that Hermione's
> parents had agreed to the whole relocation and new identities,
> including the mind tampering. I am surprised that everyone assumes
> that Hermione did this by force.  The relocation and new 
identities is
> quite logical, and if Hermione explained the mind tampering as an
> additional precaution for their (and her) safety, they might well 
have
> agreed.  After all, it was only a short-term measure.
> 
> Yes, we can see with 20/20 a totally different picture, but for the
> Grangers it may have been like entering a Witness Protection 
program,
> with the promise that after the criminal was finally dealt with, 
they
> could return to their normal lives.
> 
> tetsubinatu
>
Adan, who doesn't post much:
Like some others, I didn't really think much about all of this.  It 
never crossed my mind that Hermione would have done this without 
discussing this with her parents.  I can see what others are saying, 
though I still think she would have talked it over with them.

However, and I haven't seen this mentioned so pardon me if it has 
been, I've come across a bit of a hiccup/conflict:

Ch.6 The Ghoul in Pajamas, pg 96:
"I've also modified my parents' memories so that they're convinced 
they're really called Wendell and Monica Wilkins and that their 
life's ambition is to move to Australia, which they've now done..."

Ch. 9 A Place to Hide, pg 167:
"We just need to wipe their memories," said Harry. It's better like 
that, it'll throw them off the scent.  If we killed them it'd be 
obvious we were here."

"You're the boss," said Ron, sounding profoundly relieved.  "But 
I've never done a Memory Charm"

"Nor have I," siad Hermion, "but I know the theory."

She took a deep, calming breath, then pointed her wand at Dolohov's 
forehead and said, "*Obliviate*."

At once, Dolohov's eyes became unfocused and dreamy." ....

So:
1- It's effed up
2- Her parents didn't undergo a true memory modification, but 
perhaps some other type of spell... though I don't know what.
3- Hermione had outside help.  Perhaps someone else helped to modify 
her parents' minds, so she hadn't done the spell alone/without aid 
before.  Ron had help adjusting the ghoul, even without revealing 
what "The Plan" was, perhaps an Order member aided Hermione.

I also wonder about the efficacy of the modifications themselves.  I 
would have thought they'd done both Dolohov and Rowle at the cafe, 
but later Rowle is tortured over letting Harry get away.  Was it a 
matter of them hitting their mark before having them netted, as 
Aberforth warns against later?  Or did they not stick?  And if it 
didn't, I wonder what Hermione's parents thought about waking up in 
Australia so suddenly.  

Obviously, I haven't got it all sorted yet. 

Adan, probably making things harder than they are, as is often the 
case.