CHAPDISC: HBP 29, The Phoenix Lament

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 164260

Ceridwen:
> > They weren't gullible. Snape was a teacher, and an Order member, and
he told them that Flitwick needed help. Hermione and Luna are not as
suspicious as Harry and wouldn't react in an automatically
suspicious way.

Dungrollin:
> I'm replying to Ceridwen, though most people seem to have answered
this question similarly, so I'm not picking on her...

In response to all this insistence that Hermione and Luna were not
gullible, perhaps we could agree that they were at the very least a
little slow?

Ceridwen:
You know, I tried to post that two days ago.  It's only now showing 
up.  *gah!*

I think you're not taking into account that Hermione and Luna are under 
duress.  Sure, they waited hours outside of Snape's office.  Yes, they 
gave the map to Ron, who would probably have more need of it given 
where he was stationed.

But after waiting several hours, things happened quickly when they did 
happen.  Flitwick came hurtling down the stairs, spoke to Snape, 
collapsed or was hexed, Snape comes out and orders the girls to take 
care of Flitwick...

They reacted automatically.  I've read speculation before that 
Hermione's very good at book learning but not at thinking on her feet.  
If so, her brain just shut down and she followed directions.  She's 
always been the one to defend Snape to Harry, and there is indication 
that she wanted to say something when Harry talked to them in the 
portion I snipped, but Harry cut her off.  She may have wanted to 
mention that Dumbledore trusts Snape, or something similar.

I think JKR writes things like this realistically.  It's a temptation 
to make Our Heroes think things through in the blink of an eye, but 
it's not that way in Real Life.  I think they were not gullible, only 
doing what they could at the time with the information they did have.  
Flitwick did need help as it turned out, for whatever reason.  And 
since there was only one death - a Death Eater's - and Bill was the 
only Order member who was injured badly, their presence would not have 
made a difference, in my opinion.

Still, it's something to think about.  We might see something to make 
us reassess this in DH.

Ceridwen.