CHAPT DISC: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 13: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 190022

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "nikkalmati" <puduhepa98 at ...> wrote:
> > ...
> > 
> > I didn't mind the conversation though, because I think 
> > Rowling planned this confrontation partly to show how the
> > kids will grow up, and partly in her theme of emotions 
> > and misdirection.
> >
> Nikkalmati
> 
> I still hold to my belief (or interpretation) that JKR intended for us to see that Trelawney is always right - just like Cassandra, she is not believed or she is misinterpreted, even by herself.  It is a little twist that adds a bit of irony to the story.  In this case the reader is expected to side with Hermione as to the validity of the prediction, but as the books go on we are supposed to see the pattern.
> 
> Nikkalmati
>

Steve:

Relative to Hermione being sympathetic, I hold with my original
stand that Hermione would have been plenty sympathetic, if the
event, or prediction of the event, hadn't been attributed to
Trelawney.

But that is a point about the characters within the story. 
However, you bring up a completely different point about how we
the reads are suppose to react to and interpret the story and
characters.

We see, or at least I see, that while Trelawney does have the
give of foresight, as with all things like this, interpreting
what she sees is corrupted by a best guess as to what it
means.

She righty sees Sirius in his dog form many times, but 
misinterprets the vision as a Grim. She see someone leaving
the class, and Hermione leaves the class. Her 'foresight' in
reading the cards in the 6th books are scarily on point, but
she is mystified in interpreting what the cards are telling her. 

The same is true of the prediction of tragedy in Lavender's 
life on a particular date. Yet, what vision did she really see
to lead her to believe that? Did she see Lavender crying and
grief stricken on a particular date, and assume it represented
tragedy on that date? 

I think that is precisely what JRK is trying to show us. 
Despite giving Harry's Prophesy, which we know is both very 
real and very very subject to interpretation, she gives minor
predictions all the time. And, those predictions turn out to 
be right but only within a certain context. 

As Hermione argues her case, about the rabbit not dying on that
day, and so forth, she is looking at this as pure logic, and as
list of facts. But, as I said, we only heard Trelawney 
interpretation, we don't know precisely what vision or intuitive
feeling lead to that interpretation. 

I suspect this is always, or with extreme frequency, the 
trouble in intuitive senses, visions of foresight, crystal 
gazing, card reading, tea reading, palm reading, prophesies, and
everything else; they are all subject to misinterpretation. 

Hermione is trying to resolve an intuitive sense or prophetic
vision as a list of facts, but that is not at all what they are.

Steve/bboyminn