JKR Cut Ron & Hermione Like a Movie Edit ...UNbelievable! ?

[Sara]

No: HPFGUIDX 173331

"Sara" wrote:

> How could Hermione or Ron possibly
> strip themselves away from Harry at
> this ultimate crisis point?

Eggplant replied:

It's easy to get separated from your companions in the chaos of war,
especially if you just found out your brother was killed.
***

Sara:

They already knew Fred was dead.  (pg.637-639)

The fighting had stopped.  (page 659-660)  JKR writes:  "Lord
Voldemort is merciful.  I command my forces to retreat immediately. 
You have one hour.  Dispose of your dead..."  (Then Voldemort gives
his ultimatum to Harry.)

JKR continues:  "Both Ron and Hermione shook their heads frantically,
looking at Harry.  Don't listen to him, said Ron.  It'll be alright,
said Hermione wildly.  Let's -- let's get back to the castle, if he's
gone to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan --"

Then, it is Hermione that leads the way, then Ron, and Harry follows
them to the castle.  JKR emphasizes that Ron & Hermione are "ringing
in their heads" Voldemort's one hour deadline.  They are leading the
way for Harry without any interest to do what Voldemort suggests: 
"Dispose of your dead...  Treat your injured."  Give me Harry or else.

So how is it possible that JKR then irrationally flips the storyline
opposite "Voldemort's" way?...

Then, upon arriving at the castle Great Hall, JKR says Ron & Hermione
just walk away without a word to Harry!  (To do what Voldemort
suggests!  Note what Ron and Hermione just said above.)  I don't buy
it!  I don't believe it!  It was an easy way, a lazy way, for JKR to
ditch Ron & Hermione to transition like a "movie edit" the narrative
out of their context to make-way for the storyline switch to Harry. 
Precisely here, at this point, is what's unbelievable.  There were
vastly more intelligent ways to transition the story for Harry and Ron
and Hermione for the reasons I posted.  This was perhaps the most
important separation point of the entire seven book series, and I
can't grasp how or why JKR could do it this way that's justifiable.

Kathy K wrote:

"Or perhaps
knowing the history Snape had with Harry they sensed that those
memories were for Harry alone, he certainly didn't invite them to
watch them with him."

Sara:  See what Ron and Hermione said above.  Keep the context in mind
with Voldemort too.  What he says to do.

Kathy K wrote:

Harry is a very private person, he always has
been, he doesn't share all his thoughts with his friends. And after
Harry had viewed those memories he took pains not to meet his two best
friends again because he knew they would use force if necessary to
stop him from doing what had to be done. No weepy goodbye scene for
Harry, he's just not the type.

I'm sorry but I'm quite certain that it was *Harry* who slipped off
and "abandoned" Ron and Hermione (if you want to look at things that
way). And Harry going it alone is not at all out of character, IMO.

Sara:  Agreed, but this is after "the facts" of what Ron & Hermione
were already doing by leading Harry with them as a team.  JKR had to
transition this differently if following my points & JKR's narrative
hold true...  "Both Ron and Hermione shook their heads frantically,
looking at Harry.  Don't listen to him, said Ron.  It'll be alright,
said Hermione wildly.  Let's -- let's get back to the castle, if he's
gone to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan --"

Kathy K:

There was not much conversation between the three of them as they
returned to the castle from the Shrieking Shack. Harry shared no plan
to immediately find Dumbledore's portrait or the Pensieve . Instead,
the three all went to the Great Hall, where everyone else was
gathering and met with their loved ones mourning some more loved ones.
Understandably, IMO, Ron and Hermione joined the Weasley family.

Sara:  That's what Voldemort basically said to do!  Honor the dead
and injured.  It's not what JKR was already having Ron and Hermione
doing.  ("Both Ron and Hermione shook their heads frantically, looking
at Harry.  Don't listen to him, said Ron.  It'll be alright, said
Hermione wildly.  Let's -- let's get back to the castle, if he's gone
to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan --")

Kathy K:

Harry, who "could not bear to join the Weasleys, could not look into
their eyes, when if he had given himself up in the first place, Fred
might never have died," was the one who left Ron and Hermione and the
Great Hall behind without a word as to where he would go or what he
would do.* At that point, he just wanted to escape from those whose
suffering he felt responsible for. Harry wanted to be alone, away
from even his own thoughts. He went to the Headmaster's office and
plunged into Snape's memories.

Once Harry learned what he had to do, allow Lord Voldemort to kill
him, he was certain this was something he had to do alone. He made no
attempt whatsoever to find Ron or Hermione. In fact, he was
determined not to see them or discuss this with them, using the
Invisibility Cloak to move through the castle unseen. Harry made the
choice to go it alone. Even if Ron and Hermione *did* want to find
him (which we would not see, anyhow), they would not be able to.

Sara:  I totally agree except for the one crucial point I'm making. 
Ron & Hermione would not do what Voldemort just suggested.  JKR
simplistically and flippantly got Harry away to transition the
storyline, which was "now" out of "their context" of Ron & Hermione
letting Harry out of their sight even for an instant!  It certainly
had already crossed their mind Harry might make a run for it straight
to Voldemort to save everyone!  JKR just strips Harry away from Ron &
Hermione, when they knew Harry might try to get away.

Kathy K:

Sara says above, "...storyline where Ron & Hermione were forced to
allow Harry to go on alone without any other choice or option they
could have taken." I believe that is exactly what JKR accomplished by
keeping Harry, Hermione and Ron completely in character. Harry
decided for Hermione and Ron that they could no longer accompany him
on this journey.

Sara:  I agree except that Ron & Hermione could never be distracted to
let Harry get away at this point.  It's "not in context" to allow
Harry to go on alone the way she wrote it.

Kathy K:

Sara, I'm curious what you mean by a "fully reasoned approach" to this
flaw you perceive? I am having difficulty thinking of another way
Harry going it alone could have been handled. Because this bit as JKR
wrote it really works for me.

Sara:

As I wrote:  My criticism is that JKR should have placed some
believable storyline where Ron & Hermione were forced to allow Harry
to go on alone without any other choice or option they could have
taken. Even a physical barrier or blocking mechanism would have
sufficed...

For instance, Ron & Hermione looked back to see Harry leave or note
his disappearance and now can't follow for any number of reasons. 
Perhaps the stairs Harry uses cave-in, and the castle is too destroyed
to follow another way.  Just that simple act "of blocking" allows for
believability that Ron & Hermione could be separated from Harry again.
 Or, it's noted how they try to follow but just can't find him.

As I also wrote:  ...though a fully reasoned approach would have
enhanced the story wonderfully for many interpretive standpoints of
why Harry had to go on alone without them. (Then Ron and Hermione
could still have remained behind with good reason to mourn the dead
and comfort the living.)

Well, this is where one can speculate a better way to write this.  I'm
sure I could think of many creative ways to enhance & transition this,
and still allow for Harry to go it alone exactly as JKR wrote that
part... just after a proper separation from Ron & Hermione...

For instance, Dumbledore or Snape or Voldemort could have set a trap
to only allow Harry to go forward at some point.  It would have been
cool to see a "memory spell cast" or some instruction given, while
Harry was inside the pensieve "memory hole" that Snape or Dumbledore
somehow planted to unfold.  It could have been Snape's last unspoken
words to Harry at his point of death now coming from the memory hole.
 (More healing & understanding for all.)

Heck, even the funny Hermione trick that she used on Neville would
have worked with Harry doing it to Ron & Hermione.  JKR stated how it
showed such great character in Neville to stand-up to his friends; to
do what's right.  Harry could have stopped them in a similar but
obvious way of preventing them.  Even some humorous method would have
lightened the story with all the warfare.  (Great for stressed out
kids & parents!)

This just had to be documented in some way.  It was not the place for
a passive solution!  I just can't accept how JKR chose to let Ron and
Hermione turn away from Harry the way she did it.  It's an impossible
sell and just too unbelievable for me, & it's a great loss of meaning
(what could have been) especially considering Ron's hero return and
Hermione never leaving Harry's side.  The three were one.

I certainly do appreciate your ideas and comments.  Thank you Kathy K.
and Eggplant!

Luna sends her love...  Maybe I'm a bit "out there" on this one with
Luna too.  ;-)