CHAPTER DISCUSSION PS/SS 11, QUIDDITCH

[Augusta]

No: HPFGUIDX 188400

> 1.  Per the narrative, "Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it" [US hardback, p. 181].  Please discuss the notion of being more relaxed about rule-breaking translating into being a nicer person, either in general terms or re: Hermione specifically.

Augusta:

Hermione is such a snot at the beginning of the story, I would imagine that she started life as a pampered, precocious, only child and developed her superior attitude as a defense mechanism for her lack of social skills -- in other words, she learned early to play to her strengths in intellect and suck up to teachers by knowing and enforcing the rules since the other children didn't like her anyway. Once she realizes that breaking a rule to protect the boys has won her their acceptance, she is smart enough to know that trying to see things from their point of view (i.e., not beating them over the head with every minor infraction) will keep them around and make her life more fun.  

> 
> 2.  Is Harry correct that Snape made up the rule about no books outside school on the spot?  Or do you believe it truly was a Hogwarts rule?  Is this yet another example of Snape picking on Harry unfairly, or is it yet another example of the trio assuming negative things about Snape unfairly?

Augusta:

Of course, Snape was making up the rule and picking on Harry unfairly. Aside from his hatred of Harry's father, Snape was trying to cover his involvement with the three-headed dog by distracting Harry with unfair treatment. And, of course, the trio is assuming negative things about Snape -- but maybe not so unfairly since their assumptions prove to be at least partially true. 

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> 3.  (snip) Is he the kind of person about whom one could rightfully say "I'd never put anything past him"? Or is he to be trusted never to go against something Dumbledore has asked of him?  Was JKR thinking that far ahead at this point??  Do Harry, Ron and/or Hermione ever change their basic opinion as expressed here at any point before the final reveal on Severus Snape?

Augusta:

At this point in the story, I would have said, yes, I'd never put anything past him. But, of course, later, on the Astronomy Tower, Snape proved that he could be trusted to never go against *anything* Dumbledore asked of him -- including killing Dumbledore. I do think JKR had Snape mostly sketched out for the entire series at this point. And Ron and Hermione mostly hang onto their initial reactions to Snape until the end, but, although he couldn't admit it even to himself, I think Harry had begun to doubt his assessment of Snape by the time he went through Occlumency lessons and saw Snape's memories.  

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> 4.  Okay, harken back.  The FIRST time you read this, did you have any inkling that the broomstick jinx *wasn't* Snape's doing, or that it *was* Quirrell's?

Augusta:

Nope, not a clue. Didn't pick up on it at all.