CHAPDISC: HBP 29, The Phoenix Lament

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 164269

> dungro9llin:
> So the *entire* reason Hermione and Luna were waiting around for 
> hours and hours while nothing happened was to keep an eye on Snape. 
> Finally, at the moment they learn that Harry was right, that there 
> really is something big going, that there are in fact *Death 
Eaters* 
> in the castle - they stop keeping an eye on Snape at precisely the 
> moment it would have been most useful, and docilely follow his 
> instructions.

zgirnius:
This is, of course, after receiving confirmation that Snape, 
apparently, has absolutely no idea the Death Eaters are there (he 
just sits in his office, seemingly engaged in some mundane activity 
like sleeping, preparing lessons, or grading papers, until Flitwick 
comes running). And after hearing Snape's help is needed by 
McGonagall.

It is true that Harry asks them to watch Snape, but he does not do a 
very good job of explaining why this is necessary. (He makes a far 
better case for watching Draco, he tacks on Snape as an afterthought, 
as the quite I snipped shows). Nor does Snape behave in a manner that 
would cause an unsuspicious Hermione (or Luna) to suddenly 
think, 'Aha! Harry was right after all!'.


dungrollin: 
> Do you think that if JKR had put Ron on guard duty outside Snape's 
> office that *he* would have dumbly gone inside to help Flitwick? 

zgirnius:
No, but that is because Ron and Hermione have opposite opinions of 
Snape, not because Hermione is 'dumb'. Presumably Felix would have 
arranged for Snape to take Ron out in a fairly benign manner as well. 
<bg>

dungrollin:
> Similarly, do you think that if Hermione and Luna had been outside 
> the Room of Requirement, they might have come up with a nifty trick 
> to use against the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder? Is it Harry's 
> fault for letting them `work out the finer details for themselves 
> later'? Do you think that what I am seeing as gullibility is simply 
> there for plot reasons, to make Snape's entrance on the tower work 
> retrospectively with everyone else's positions?

zgirnius:
While I had never considered the matter before, yes, for plot reasons 
it was simplest for the Snape watchers to agree to take care of 
Flitwick. But this is why Rowling had the kids arrange to put 
Hermione in charge of guarding Snape - I find it completely in 
character, and not at all gullible of her, to have acted as she did. 

If Rowling had made Ron guard Snape, and had made Ron believe him, 
now *that* would be strange. Adn yes, perhaps we might expect 
Hermione to come up with some clever way to counteract the Darkness 
Powder (though perhaps not, it is not as though she has time to think 
about it or research it).