[HPforGrownups] Ginny (was Re: Why it took Percy so long to be with the good guys.)

[Philip]

No: HPFGUIDX 192082

Scott:
<snip>
At the start of the Battle of Hogwarts Ginny was left in the room 
of requirement to guard their rear exit, aka keep the room set to 
that particular setting so they could escape if necessary. When 
Harry and Hermione needed into the room to find the diadem he asked 
Ginny to step out of the room. As soon as she could she ran off to 
do what she wanted leaving Harry and Hermione to be trapped by Draco 
and the Butt boys. If she had stayed where she belonged she could 
have warned Harry and Hermione of the coming problem and evened the 
odds in fighting, but no... she abandoned her post - in a battle - 
and nearly got them killed. 
</snip>

Philip:

Hmm, my reading of the situation differs substantially and in any case, abandoning a post to fight a different battle on the same side is barely betrayal.

Ginny wasn't asked to stay in the RoR to guard the rear exit. It's just a classic case of Molly's protectiveness of her younger daughter (something that is first visible in PS when she's not allowed on the platform). See also "That's my daughter" and the fury of Molly vs. Bellatrix later on.

So when Harry tells her to wait outside it's not to guard the room, which I doubt he has the tactical acumen to think about. It's so that she can go back in when he's done (he's obviously protective of her and of course wouldn't want to cross Molly. He doesn't want her in the fighting at all.

Her running off to join the battle is an escape to freedom from protection, a desire to help the fight and not a betrayal.

"The Butt boys" is also a fairly limited approach - certainly in the first few books it was Draco calling the shots, but by now it's either Goyle or Crabbe (I forget which - the one that parries away the 'must mean' thinking by Draco).

Implying that she is responsible for them nearly getting them killed - it is 3 vs. 3 in any case, a fair fight in a battle in which Voldemort's followers likely outnumber the Order, seems somewhat far-fetched.

-Philip Whitehouse