Wizarding Top Ten

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 188184

> Montavilla47:
> > Or, [Hermione] just goes ahead and [non-Memory Charms] her parents 
> > without having to go through
> > the trouble of convincing them or asking any questions about her
> > competency.  She just waves her wand.
> 
> 
> SSSusan:
> I guess when I first read the book, I assumed:
> 
> 1) Hermione did NOT get their consent; 
> 2) She did act out of a belief that she knew best and wasn't sure her parents would agree or see her POV;
> 3) Her goal truly was to keep them safe; BUT
> 4) She was afraid if she didn't take the action without their knowledge, they would refuse and would try to either prevent her from going with Harry or go find her, which she believed would be very, very dangerous to them... and possibly to Harry
> 
> I'm not even getting into the rightness/wrongness of this possibility; I'm simply asking whether others think that perhaps this is likely?  That is, that Hermione acted as she did because she believed her parents WOULDN'T go into hiding and/or go along with her plan to accompany Harry?
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan
>

Montavilla47:

I agree with you on all four counts.  That was my entry point 
into the discussion.  I'm really *not* all that concerned about
the  rightness or wrongness of what she did.   (At least, not
for the purposes of this discussion...)

To my mind, it only makes sense for Hermione to go to the
trouble of whatever it was that she did (since it wasn't a 
Memory Charm) if her parents weren't going to agree to move
to Australia.  If they were likely to agree to that drastic a 
step, then they could do so without having their memories
altered.

And, arguably, it would be safer for them that way, since
they would be quicker to recognize any signs of being
followed or spied on--like someone walking into their
practice looking like they just stepped out of a Renfair.

Why JKR thought this was a good plan, I really don't know.
It obviously doesn't bother some readers, but it does 
bother some.  And if Hermione had simply said, "The Order
put them into a safe house--like your relatives, Harry," we
wouldn't need to have this discussion at all.

So... I guess my question would be, what do people 
think this moment really says about Hermione as a 
character?

To me, it says that Hermione thinks ahead, doesn't 
trust others, and thinks she has both the right and the
obligation to make decisions for her Muggle parents.

And I have to say, she does sound a lot like Dumbledore.