The Malfoys WAS: Wizarding kids and their parents

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 183976

> Magpie:
> "Magic" is Hermione's life.

Pippin:
Friendship and bravery are much more important to her.

In any case, she's eighteen in DH,  and old enough to enlist in the
British army if she wanted to whether her parents consented or not.
According to a website I just checked, with consent she could have
joined at sixteen. So it's hardly unheard of for a girl of her age to
be a soldier, and she is fighting for Britain, even if it's a part of
Britain most Muggles don't know about. 

Magpie:
> Not that any of this is necessary anyway because there is no story 
> about the Grangers being in danger.

Pippin:
Um, it's a bit late to take precautions after you've been attacked.
Neville's Gran is threatened and so is Xenophilius. The Weasleys and
the Dursleys have to go into hiding. I think it's well established
that the families and friends of people Voldemort is looking for are
in danger.

I thought the point was not so much to drum up sympathy for Hermione
but to show just how determined she was to accompany Harry. He wasn't
going to be able to put her off by pointing out that her parents would
be in danger if she went with him. 

Magpie:
(But then,  she'd be dead so it's not like she'd be experiencing that.) 

Pippin:
But she would, or at least she thinks so.  She believes in the
survival of the soul. She tells Ron it would be quite unhurt if he
died, and he should find that comforting. The souls we see all seem to
be up on current events, and deeply anguished about those whom  they
think they wronged in life. 

Magpie:
> Hermione's situation is presented as tragic and sacrificial, but
they  themselves become one last Muggle joke. If we are supposed to
think  that her parents agreed to this, it's not important enough to
mention it. 

Pippin:

Joke? Who's laughing? You think it's supposed to be comic relief how
far Hermione went to protect her parents?

I would think if they disagreed, that would be important enough to
mention. If they agreed, why waste the ink? It's all about the conflict. 

The Grangers' feelings are important to Hermione, who was wearing
braces on her teeth rather than flout their wishes. Take it from me,
if you've never had braces, I can tell you it's no picnic. 


> Magpie:
> You're assuming Rowling considers this something they would loathe 
> her about anyway, and I wouldn't assume that. If she sees it as 
> Hermione making some big sacrifice just the way lots of readers do, 
> why think Rowling thought it? 

Pippin:
Now I'm confused. If we're positing that Hermione's parents wouldn't
find it objectionable, then who are we to say they should?

Magpie:
> Imo, the Grangers just should have been left out like they usually 
> were since their pov isn't being presented anyway. 

Pippin:
I think they're important earlier in the story as a contrast to show
what role the Dursleys could have played if they'd been supportive.
Later Molly and Arthur can do that, but in CoS Harry still thinks of
Molly as his friend's mom, not a personal friend (and a sometimes too
eager protector.)  I suppose JKR could have just killed the Grangers
off. Would you have liked that better?

Pippin