Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Hermione: Defender of the Downtrodden
Having just finished Prisoner of Azkaban, I'm struck once more by the way Hermione leaps to the defense of those in trouble. She is the one who really works tirelessly to put together a defense for Buckbeak; Ron and Harry pitch in, but she definitely takes the lion's share of the work. All three are horrified at the thought of him being executed, but she seems to be the most intensely invested in Hagrid's plight, to the point of smacking Malfoy heartily when she hears him gloating yet again over Hagrid's misfortune. In Goblet of Fire, she's the one advocating on behalf of the house elves, trying to give them fairer working conditions. And of course, her skills as a researcher have helped her solve many of the mysteries floating around Hogwarts over the years. I can't recall now if she's said what she wants to do after Hogwarts, but it seems like she would do very well as a defense attorney or something along those lines, allowing her to use her intellect to help those who aren't really in a position to speak for themselves...
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2 comments:
Yes, and it's Hermione who figures out that Lupin is a werewolf -- and doesn't say anything to give that information away. She's devastated when she first thinks Lupin has betrayed their trust. I hadn't fully realized till this time around what an important role she plays in the "revealing" scene in the shrieking shack. Her willingness to keep the conversation going, to continue asking questions, to even entertain the possibility that what Lupin (and therefore Sirius) is saying might be true, helps move all of them toward the truth.
I think Hermione would make a great defense attorney. But I'd also love to see her in a teaching role at Hogwarts, stepping into, say, McGonagall's shoes. She's skilled at everything, but seems especially adept at transfiguration.
You're right, she really does play a major role in keeping that conversation going, keeping her wits about her when Harry and Ron are so stunned they can scarcely think straight. And I could definitely see her as a Hogwarts teacher too...
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