Updates at Jo's site -- interesting throwaway line on Hermione

[quigonginger]

SSSusan (quoting JKR's site):
> "...and Hermione Granger (cleverest girl in the year and the only
> person in the class to know all the uses of dragon's blood)."

SSSusan, not quoting JKR's site:
> Huh.  Does this surprise anyone else that Hermie KNOWS the 12 uses?
> I thought only DD knew them all -- or at least that none of our main
> kid characters did.  So far we readers only know a couple of them,
> right?  Oven cleaner, for instance.  I wonder why Hermione hasn't
> mentioned more of those uses along the way?

Ginger, quoting JKR's books where noted:

That got me going.  I was sure I remembered the line "reciting the 12 
uses of dragon's blood" somewhere in the books.  I searched, gave up, 
went to the Lexicon, and found the quote from PS chapter 14. (US 
paperback):  "It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting 
the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements."

In context, this was during Easter break of their first year, and 
Herm had begun studying for exams.  If Herm knows them, and was 
reciting them for exams, and Harry and Ron were finding it hard to 
concentrate with her recitation, how is it that Herm is the only one 
who knows them?  It seems that they were given as a possible exam 
question, and certainly Ron and Harry heard them enough that they 
knew what they were.  Unless JKR means that Herm is the only one who 
remembers them, or got them right on the exam...

If this is from the first draft, then either she changed her mind and 
it is not a clue, or she decided to hide the clue better by making it 
more vague.

A thought?  Anyone?

Ginger, wishing Dreamy Remy a Happy Birthday