NT #43 - Hermione’s Punishment

Discussion for the North Tower #43 - Hermione’s Punishment (http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/thenorthtower/nt43.shtml).

great editorial she has become a lot more nasty but she's a teenage girl and they can be very mean and cruel she sort of reminds me of sirius and james in the penseive i think that she will mature in the next book and that when she hooks up with ron he'll keep her in check lol.

Pretty brave of you, Maline! :) I'd have to give you that... Hermione's really not my favorite character now (I'm regretting my user name), but she's really not as bad as you've painted her either. True, I disliked her for wanting to be always above the rest (e.g. Potions in HBP: Migod! Girl, would you stop bringing one of your bestfriends down?!), but you've taken some of her personalities and tendencies out of context. In the end, what it comes down to is that Hermione did those things for what she thought was right. Don't we all do that? ;) I do agree with you that she'd meet some form of "punishment;" however, it's quite a given as she is one of the lead characters. :)

Very brave editorial. I must disagree on a few points:

GoF: If she hadn't blackmailed her, she wouldn't have been able to get her to interview Harry for the Quibbler. Not to mention that she deserved it.

OotP: Umbridge was going crucio them. It was life and death. Not exactly death but pretty close.

HBP: Can't defend her there.

Still loved your editorial.

....well wow. This is new.

It sounded pretty good at first - "ruthless" is a good word to describe her a bit I suppose....but I totally disagree with the points about Umbrige. She is seriously the nastitest git I've ever read about, and I think that Hermione was COMPLETELY justified in leading her into the forest - especially because by doing so she was trying to help Harry save Sirius's life!!!

As for Rita, I think she did the right thing there too. Rita was breaking the law, and if Hermione had turned her in, she'd have gone to Azkaban in all likelihood, which would be FAR worse than not writing for a year - and after what she did to Hagrid too!

And as for her actions towards Ron....well she DOES act a little differently than what we're used to seeing her act like most of the time, true, but sending canaries at him was pretty restrained of her in my opinion :D especially having been in a similar situation myself. Just because she and Ron weren't technically "together," I think at that point it was pretty obvious to both of them that they fancied each other - and when he went and ruined it all she was pretty upset.

And the house-elves - no comment! I can't even believe that!

Basically all my rambling means is that Hermione has grown up, but has not become evil, or even mean, really - she has a more agressive side like all of us. What about Harry and his ALL CAPS? and Ron's jealousy? All the characters have minor flaws, which is why they're realistic.

I think if Ron and Hermione are together in book 7 and they stop arguing I think she'll become a much nicer character. But maybe they won't be together properly. I can see them putting their relationship pretty much on hold if the trio has to bond together to go up against Voldemort and the DEs. But I agree that something bad might happen to Hermione in book 7. If the trio confronted Voldemort he might kill her first just for being Muggle-born. Also, Umbridge might want to seek revenge on Hermione.

I think you make some excellent--albeit scary--points about Hermione's character. I'm just hoping that it's in the same vein as the Harry from OotP, something that she will grow out of in book 7.

While I think that was a very thought-provoking article, I feel that after reading the red hen link, it was really a summary of that article with some post-HBP additions. I look forward the the North Tower and check often to see if a new one is up, but I feel sort-of let down by this one. The link at the end of the editorial makes it obvious to me that this was not an original idea. I feel bad complaining about the usually great North Tower but I am pretty disappointed in the lack of originality with this one.

I love Hermione now more than ever. You editorial had potencial as it touched up on some great subjects but didn't back them up well. Hermione wanted to help those she loved/cared about when she did those mean things. The Rita Skeeter incident shows that she is usually affected more by things thatn she leads on. Yes she reacted harsh to the article on Hagrid, but the ones about herself hurt her more than she did lead on. This is something JK I doubt will specifically look into but I think more character development from Hermione is going to happen in book seven that will put her previous actions into another light.

Did you mentiion that it was Hermione's idea to start the DA? I don't think you did. I also don't think you mentioned the scene in the DoM where the DE got caught in the bell jar. When he emerged, he had a baby's head. It was Hermione that stopped Harry from attacking him because it's not right to attack a baby. Even under the pressure of battle, Hermione is showing her compassion for another person.

Yes, Hermione cursed the sign-up sheet for the DA which caused the word SNEAK to be etched across Marietta's face. But Kingsley Shacklebolt carried it further when he modified her memory. He knew drastic action was called for. Marietta wasn't just being a tattle-tale. Her actions could and did cause serious repercussions in the wizarding world.

Umbridge was about to use an unforgivable on Harry and had also admitted that she set the dementors on him. This wasn't just a detention or the possiblity of being expelled. Her other friends were also in danger from Umbridge, not to mention the Inquisitorial Squad. Hermione knew she had to act quickly, and if there's one thing she's learned from being Harry's friend it's to get out of trouble fast. The kind of trouble Harry gets into is very deadly. Hermione did what needed to be done to save her friends and herself. And remember, her's was the only voice of reason when Harry wanted to break into Umbridge's office again.

Hermione's attitudes towards Ron in HBP are understandable. Hermione is older than Harry and Ron, so in that sense, she is more mature in many ways. But Hermione has not gone through the teenage girl/first crush stage until she's well over 17 years of age. She's acting out feelings she should have had when she was 12 or 13. In that sense, Hermione is a late bloomer, and if you don't realize that, it's easy to condemn the things that she did.

In the end, she says they've had plenty of time to turn back, and once again, this remarkable young woman is willing to put her life on hold (her budding relationship with Ron, her education) and follow her best friends into danger.

Hubris? I don't think so. Gryffindor? Absolutely.

I think Maline's right, but I also think Hermione isn't becoming a "vindictive" person exactly, she's just reacting to the war and she's growing up. Everyone's making enemies. But i thought this was a very original article, and certainly interesting from the standpoint of hermione's character development, whether or not she is eventually "punished."

I don't think you mentioned the scene in the DoM where the DE got caught in the bell jar. When he emerged, he had a baby's head. It was Hermione that stopped Harry from attacking him because it's not right to attack a baby. Even under the pressure of battle, Hermione is showing her compassion for another person.


Hubris? I don't think so. Gryffindor? Absolutely.

that's a good point--i liked maline's article, but the fact that she protected the "baby" was a sign she is not completely self centered...nice ending line...you should make it a persuasive speech :-)

Hermione has always been one of my favorite charactars (dont worry this isnt a hate message) because she is really smart and when they have seen some type of questionable activites her reactions are usually similar to mine. she usually comes to the same conclusion.

i agree she is not a perfect little angel anymore but that was the kind of hermione that kind of annoyed me if anybody here reads the new jedi order series of starwars you'll know what im talking about when i say she reminds me of Borsk Fey'lya for those of you who dont read that series he is a polititian Chief of state prime minister whatever hes got the top job but he was the kind who refused to act or hesitated about bending a law to save billions of lives and as a result billions were lost and he eventually died because of his poor military actions the capital was taken and he with it (punishment).

I liked hermione when she started to break rules not like harry and ron with about 1 a day but she didnt hesitate anymore when it was necissary. When she blackmailed Rita Skeeter and put her in a jar I cant blame her after what she did to hagrid harry and hermione herself i would have done the same thing because the media is influencial and i knew that book 5 would be a tough time for harry because his story was really far fetched though true. and i would want payback i cant stand to see my friends hurt or in a situation where they cant do anything about a bully and no one else will help <i dont take_____(use your imagination)> .

now in OOTP about leading umbridge into the forest even if Umbridge was acting on what she believed right using an unforgivable curse is way too far, and forcing someone to write in their own blood rather cruel dont you think. then there is the fact that umbridge wasted about a full year of very important magical learning for a good many students at a very crucial period.

HBP i cant exactly defend her actions the smith and mclaggen thing was too far in my opinion, the airbourne attack was pretty cruel as well but, teenager, hormones , love very confusing and emotional. what can you say. In my opinion Ron was being rather ruthless with hermione anyway but thats for something else.

ok well i practically wrote my own editorial! lol. im just saying that when you pile everything up like that yeah she sounds rather evil but not all of it was unjustified. the causes were (Ron, Umbridge, Love, and yes revenge). Oh ya and i really did like the editorial the north tower is my favorite! im serious i loved this one these are the kinds i like though provoking ones where you have to think deeply not just the obvious answer thats what really makes me enjoy these editorials.

well that got me thinking...I don't know..I mean I never tought about Hermione that way..I would like to see in what does punishment consists..oh well,marvelous editorial and I'm really sorry u can't write more often
NT rules!

I think that was a great editorial. I have to say that I've never thought of her that way, but, as with so many things, when put together side by side it makes perfect sense. I did find myself a little annoyed with Hermione in HBP because she just had to have the last word. At the end I thought...she can't seriously be saying that she was sort of right about the Half-Blood Prince. Anyway, very intriguing and it has me wondering what her comeupance will be. I don't know if it will be as harsh as death, but she may have a falling out with those she holds dear or possibly lose her parents in the war.

On a side note, I wonder what your major is. I assume you're in grad school b/c you mentioned teaching and professors, but you know what assuming does.... I've guessed some psych related field b/c of your use of moral development. But that's just a guess. I'm in grad school too, so I understand totally what you're going through if my assumption is correct.

I look forward to your next installment.

I think that Hermione will be punished before the series’ end, in the sense that something bad will happen to her as a direct result of her actions in the earlier books. She has always been a know-it-all, but in the last two books, I personally think that the confidence she has in her abilities and her tendency for moral relativism and vindictiveness are getting a little too close to the Ancient Greek sin of all sins: hubris. She’s a bit too sure of herself and is playing a bit too much with other people’s lives not to have somebody’s wrath come down on her, in my opinion - at least if JKR wants to keep some kind of moral to her story. Just because you’re on the “right” side doesn’t mean that you can behave however you want. The end doesn’t justify the means. We’re already had Crouch Sr. as an example of that. I’m not saying that Hermione will go the same way, but I do belive that her past “triumphs” will have consequences. Bad ones.





I have to say that JKR has stated many times that she did not set out to write books that stated a moral. As far as a punishment for Hermione, I would concider the fact that Ron hooked up with Lavander punishment. As JKR has said, "they are in the middle of a war, and war isn't nice." I am not saying that rule breaking and manipulating is all well and good. Actually, I am appauld at how much the 'good' guys get away with. I have to have talks with my children about not talking back to your elders, not lying, not being deceitful and following the rules that are set to keep them safe. But they see the 'bad' guys and want to make sure they don't win. The truth is that nobody wins in situations like these, but most of us know that the "real" world isn't neat and tidy and black or white. It is many shades of grey.

Yes, Hermione has changed her tactics and her motives. And, yes, she is growing up. Remember, this girl hasn't spent much time with her parents since she started at Hogwarts, her moral instruction has suffered. She is not soley apart of a single child home anymore, but of an entire wizarding world at war. She has changed, but I believe, she is still and remains essentially Hermione.

Ok, I think the first thing we have to look at is that Hermione is a teenage girl. Please, girls out there, tell me you wouldn't have shot birds at Ron for acting the way he did? I think her behavior in book 6 can just be blamed on hormones and high stress. Let's face it: they're at war. who isn't extremely stressed?

With that said, Hermione, like all the other characters, has changed a lot over the years, yet I don't think she's as ruthless and proud as Maline is making her out to be. I think that Hermione knows that she isn't very good at Defense Against the Dark Arts and that's another reason why she's very emotional in book 6. That is the one subject that is going to benefit them during a war and it's the one subject she didn't get an outstanding OWL in. It's like she said in the first book, everything isn't about books, and fighting is one thing that Hermione can't learn out of a book.

I also don't think Umbridge should be given as much credit as Maline gives her in this article. Her actions are not justified and Hermione had a right to protect herself and her friends from Umbridge by leading her into the forrest.

So, here is what I think about Hermione: she's scared. She's scared about what might happen to Ron and harry. She's scared that she might not be able to defend herself properly when it comes time to fight. She turned to her two best friends in book 6 for comfort and, i guess we can say that one was not always there for her, at least not until the last scene in the book when Ron comforts her.

Punished? I'm not so sure she will be punished by the end, but I do think that if Ron dies (which I think he will) that's going to deeply affect her. Will it punish her? No, but we need to all have a little more faith in Hermione. Sure she may not be able to fight like harry, but she does have the one thing that neither harry not ron has: she's book smart. In the end, that is going to be crucial in helping harry.

I think that Hermione sees her actions as perfectly justifyed. I agree that she has become more cruel, though and she has started using her brains in a manipulative fashion. I do love that bird scene in HBP though.....

very good article, i can see where ya coming from, typical teenage girl, with a little more power than we have/had! :P i mean, me armed with a wand growing up= disaster!

Great editorial! Hermione's obviously grown more and more ruthless as the story goes on, but your outlining the things she did really showed that she was changing...in a bad way.

"In the first chapter of this book, Dolores Umbridge sends two Dementors after Harry. This is attempted murder, or at least entrapment to get him expelled and perhaps even thrown into Azkaban. Further along in the book, she gives Harry a permanent scar on his hand by forcing him to write lines in his own blood. Now, Umbridge claims she does this to protect the Ministry and I actually believe her. I think she actually does believe Fudge and thinks that Harry is out to destroy the Ministry. From where she stands, she’s doing the right thing, protecting the things she believe in."

I don't know about this part, though. Those things were pretty darn sickening, and pretty much illegal. I do not believe that she is a DE (that's a whole other topic), but to go as far as to attempt murder on a boy who's simply trying to get his freedom of speech? It's not just censorship, it just seems like she was a bit too obsessed with having Fudge control the world. And if she thinks Fudge is correct on every, single thing, then why would she be so desperate to shut up a teenager who she thinks is just raving and telling lies? But I do agree on your saying that she's just trying to protect the Ministry.

well OK she really is changing but as i see it she didnt do any wrong i mean if i were her i would give just the same punishments to those people .... its not being bad but its more like giving them what they deserve. but in HBP she really seemed a little selfish but think about it!!! she was used to being best in positions (acctually she is used to being best in many school subjects) and harry was getting ahead . and not by his own talent or effort but with help of a old book .. i think that didnt seem right to her!

but again you are right about the list of people wanting to hurt her its getting larger every book... honestly i expect more from her in the last book

Hi, I am a bit dissapointed in this editorial - as was mentioned earlier it takes much inspiration in red hen. You have summed up a bad things about Hermione - some of them were really not nice of her (picking on Harry because of the potions), some were quite justified (Umbridge to the forrest, stopping Rita Skeeter), some understandable (jealouisy on Ron). Some, as the hex on DA paper or confounding McLaggen were maybe a bit on the edge, but both were a quick way to solve something. It is for a long debate. But there are good things she continues in and you didn't mention - reading over Ron's and Harry's papers, correcting all the misspels and spilled ink from Rons essay, going through all of the library trying to find out things for them. Alsi she is very crucial in knowing and remembering things and in contrast to boys she is able to listen and hear to what people say (I loved the line where McGonagal said something like "at least you listen to Hermione Granger").

So she is not that bad as you put her. And if there was a question of punishment, well, this book is full of erring people, I don't see anybody there who shouldn't be punished for what they done or not done, if punishment is what you think solves the problem. And, as they are in war, I don't think there will be anybody who wouldn't suffer.

I think that your link summed it up much better.

"What is more, the most prominent other character who we have watched deploying the same kind of ruthless methodology of deciding what other people are going to do, and coolly making it impossible for them to do anything else is Dolores Umbridge. This is not a comfortable observation."

This is a far more accurate way of describing it. She is certainly not an Umbridge-lite. Red Hen also debates why she will get her "punishment":

"For that matter, how much does Lucius Malfoy know about how it was Hermione who single-handedly unraveled the riddle of the Basilisk? This is information that Voldemort may have been given via Peter Pettigrew.

And Hermione is so sure that everyone is gunning for Harry that I seriously doubt that she is watching her own back."

Summed up, as that editorial about the giants attacking, this is a rip-off of Red Hen.

I`ve always liked your editorials, and this article isn`t an exception. You`ve got your point, and it`s pretty good and strong, but everybody can justify Hermione :) I don`t deny that she`s a little bit arrogant and haughty, just like James at 15. But, unlike him, she doesn`t hurt people for nothing, and everybody around her deserves what she gave them. I agree that now she`s got a lot of enemies, but she`s a clever and strong girl, she can "take care of them" :) :) :) (I`m joking! :p )
I didn`t felt pity for Rita when Hermione put her in a jar. And I was glad when the centaurs took care of Umbridge too. In fact everything that Hermione does turns out good. If it hadn`t been for Umbridge and the certauns Sirius wouldn`t be dead, of course, but the Ministry wouldn`t have believed that Voldemort had returned. And if Hermione hadn`t put Rita in a jar, we wouldn`t have had that great article and... who knows what would`ve happened. If Marietta hadn`t seen her pustules Harry and Co would`ve got into Azkaban. Pity. If it hadn`t been for Polyjuice Potion Harry could`ve not pass his Potions OWL ;)

So I really do hope that everything will be OK with her in the last book, I don`t reckon she deserves terrible things. In my opinion Ron is much more vulnerable then Hermione (though I`m pretty sure that everything will be OK with him too... I hope so at least :)) We`ll just have to wait and see. Anyway the seventh book is gonna be great, no matter what will happen in it. It`s Harry Potter! :)

I'd been wondering what this article was going to be about. This, I hadn't thought of. You're right, Maline, that Hermione's a far cry from the what-will-the-teachers-say girl we met in PS/SS. And you're quite right about her reaction to Harry's using the HBP's book in Potions; that's just jealousy. Here we see that she's moved quite some distance from the girl who, in PS/SS, responded to Harry's "I'm not as good [at magic] as you" with "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things--friendship and bravery and--oh Harry--be careful!" (Am. paperback p. 287). One other important stage in her movement here: in PoA she (and Ron and Harry) use Expelliarmus on Snape in the Shrieking Shack. Had they not, no one might have ever known the truth about Peter and Sirius and Buckbeak would probably not have survived.

She has become less responsible to authority and more cruel than I had noticed before reading this editorial. Nevertheless, I'd like to point out that her enemies are the right people. Rita Skeeter smeared Hagrid (and Dumbledore for hiring him) in the Daily Prophet, hoping to get him fired; she also smeared Harry, which made it difficult for many (like Seamus' mom) to accept the truth that Voldemort was back. That's a dangerous state of affairs for the whole wizarding world. Hermione acted as a loyal friend and good citizen by trying to stop her. Rita was using her Animagus form to get illegal interviews; there's a kind of justice in her being trapped in that form. Should she have allowed her to continue to publish her smears and lies? The Ministry was on Rita's side.

I'm not sure that Umbridge really does buy the official story that Harry's crazy and Voldemort's dead dead dead. I think she's ambitious and knows how to please her superiors. But even if she does, that doesn't excuse her utter ruthlessness. She tried to destroy Harry at the beginning of OotP--with no concern for other victims like Dudley who might also have been Kissed. As others have pointed out, she's getting ready to Crucio Harry when Hermione takes action against her. Remember that it hadn't been that long since Hermione learned what happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom and saw the apparently permanent results of their being Crucio'd when she was visiting St. Mungo's. And she knows that Harry believes Sirius' life is at stake and that no one else knows it, so getting away from Umbridge is critical for him as well as for Harry. Leading her into the forest wasn't nice; what should she have done instead? It is war and I can't say the stakes weren't high enough to justify that behavior. When Umbridge is willing to do anything in furthering her goals, it's hard to stop her without being ruthless as well. This is often the cost of war--and it is a high cost. As U2 have sung, "You become the monster so the monster will not break you." But is it better to keep your hands clean and let innocent people be destroyed? It's a question without an easy answer.

Malfoy and Voldemort are also on Hermione's enemy list. Good girl! I don't think her actions against them have shown the kind of moral ambiguity Maline points up in Umbridge and Skeeter's cases.

If Hermione's going to get punished, why not Harry? His refusal to even try to practice Occlumency meant that Voldemort was able to plant the vision of Sirius at the MoM in his mind, which led to Sirius' death. I think that's far more serious than anything Hermione has done.

Really thought-provoking, Maline. Thank you!

I've always liked Malina's editorials, but I too was a bit dissapointed in this one. Not only because of the unoriginality of it, but also because it was quite obvious in a way. Hermione's never been my favorite, but I've never really disliked her either and I must say she's easier to like now as she's not so uptight anymore - she's more real. She has grown up and, as many have already written, they're at war. Hermione hasn't been very nice in the last few books and I disagree with many of the things she's done (Rita Skeeter in a jar being one of them) but who can blame her? Everything around her is changing, why shouldn't she be changing too?

interesting.... not nearly as "offensive" as it was made out to be, although I felt some of the conclusions were being overly critical of Hermione's character, also don't quite see how the Hermione punishment conclusion was reached I think that Hermione will be punished before the series’ end, in the sense that something bad will happen to her as a direct result of her actions in the earlier books.while on one hand this makes a tone of sense. she can be too smart for her own good and is greatly disliked by all the "bad people" who must want to kill her off, but people aren't cosmically rewarded or punished for their actions like the god of karma is wafting for you around the corner when you make a mistake, Harry is had more than his share of punishment (as has Neville) and neither of them seem to have done anything to deserve it.

also, I worry when people make statements like thisat least if JKR wants to keep some kind of moral to her story... as if the author of this editorial has conclusively figured out how the rules this world, and this story work, and that JKR better abide by them or else the entire thing will collapse like a house of cards because I know better than she does... Also. does it need to have a moral, like Aseop's fables? also what kind of moral do you think that sends? is it that people are punished when they make mistakes? and how is it that you know more what the moral is, and should be than the author does?

sorry, didn't mean to end so negative cause it was a pretty good editorial

I don't know, I just can't agree with anything in the North Tower articles anymore since Maline started relying so heavily on Red Hen. Everything I've ever read on that site is just so off base as far as where the stories are going and what's happened so far and who the characters are and what their motivations are that it doesn't even make sense. For heaven's sake, the Red Hen person has Sirius having been an alcoholic practically since he started at Hogwarts, and Molly Weasley a tyrannical control freak who has her husband and children afraid of her.

I think the editorial presents one way of looking at Hermione's actions, but almost every example Maline gives could also be seen in a much different light. Umbridge was going to use the Cruciatus Curse on them--the Centaurs probably occured to Hermione as a last-ditch effort, it's not like she planned it the entire time, and I doubt she thought they'd actually do much more than rough Umbridge up a bit, which is, in the end, what happened. Rita Skeeter is a repellent woman who deserved anything she got, from Hermione or anyone else. Being shut in a jar (in beetle form, mind you, which is probably annoying but hardly life-threatening) is preferable to being handed over to Aurors and probably put in Azkaban, don't you think? Besides, blackmailing her into writing the article about Harry the next year was hardly self-centered on Hermione's part, as she was helping a friend.

In HBP, Hermione is hurt, and confused, and acts like a teenage girl who has been dumped by one friend in favor of a girl not half as clever or talented as she is, and has to watch that friend, who is also the object of her affections, snog his new girlfriend passionately at every opportunity. I think I'd be just a little hurt, and jealous, wouldn't you? When you really like someone, and they don't seem to return your feelings, especially when it's someone you probably assumed kind of liked you back, you don't act rationally or normally. Besides, while Harry could see that Ron and Hermione were acting the way they were to try to hurt the other one and make them see how silly they were being, the two of them really didn't seem to see that for themselves.

Anyway, that's just my two cents. Feel free to agree or disagree.

Hermione has definitely changed and grown over the years. But instead of thinking that she has become more selfish and hardend I think that she has just gotten more loyal to Harry and Ron. She seems to be more willing to do what is right, especially of helping Harry against LV, instead of just following school rules and authority figures. And she is using her school learning and native intelligence to figure out how to use magic to do what is right, to help Harry defeat LV, not for any personal gain or revenge. I don't think JKR has any particular punishment for Hermione in store, other than what is going to happen to all of them when they have to have the final battle with LV.

I actually think Hermione hardening her character is the right way to go about it. (Think if she had one wizard parent she might have landed in Slytherin by the way your painting her! And Hermione is no Slytherin, magic blood or no!)

She realises the only way to fight some people is to use their tactics against them. She ain't gonna be effective in battle if she worried about the rules. She is kickin' butt know-it-all style. She can't fight the way Harry and Ron can yet she can be sneaky about it, (like Draco Malfoy!) She knows that to win a war you've got to be ruthless and vindictive even if the person doesn't truly deserve it.

She will help Harry win but she will be behind the door handing out nasty hexes to Harry for Harry to use, I don't think she's the one who deserves the comeuppance, there are people far more worthy of that honour, (Umbridge and Bellatrix to name but two!)

This is somewhat random but I've learned something about life just from reading Harry Potter editorials and it's to respect other people's opinions. I have my own though, regarding Hermione. I think that she has been changing for the better. If anyone is to imitate Barty Crouch Sr. it's Percy, not Hermione. I think she is putting her knowledge and her loyalty together. All the people she has harmed (with the exception of Ron who I'll mention in a minute) were terrible people who had commited crimes and were rightfully punished and Hermioine helped with that and supporting the good. As for Ron, she was love-sick and we know how such people can get (especially teenagers). I think Hermione has changed to a more independent, logical character who has simply chosen her loyalty and is fighting for the good. It almost seems that your intention has become that Aurors and people fighting against the bad guys are bad people themselves, when really they are just doing their job and bringing about justice. But I agree with you that Hermione has a lot of people out to get her now (that's what taking sides does) and that she will most likely be harmed in the next book by a few of these enimies she has formed. Good editorial though, you used good support and I like hearing other people's opinions, especially the extreme ones.

Fantastic article, and indeed, very brave of you. ;)

well OK she really is changing but as i see it she didnt do any wrong i mean if i were her i would give just the same punishments to those people .... its not being bad but its more like giving them what they deserve. but in HBP she really seemed a little selfish but think about it!!! she was used to being best in positions (acctually she is used to being best in many school subjects) and harry was getting ahead . and not by his own talent or effort but with help of a old book .. i think that didnt seem right to her!

but again you are right about the list of people wanting to hurt her its getting larger every book... honestly i expect more from her in the last book

"Giving people what they deserve" - from whose point of view? Who is Hermione to decide what these people's punishments should be? She's just a teenager. She has no right to punish any of these people. That's the task of the proper authorities. Remember that when she put Rita in that jar and blackmailed her, she wasn't doing it for the greater good - she was doing it because she didn't like the articles about her, Harry and Hagrid. Instead of taking it in an adult and mature way and just ignoring it (she's always telling Harry and Ron to ignore Malfoy, after all - yet she can't even do it herself. Hypocrisy, anyone?), she launched a campaign of petty vindictiveness against Rita, breaking the law in the process. She is self-righteous to an almost astonishing degree.

And good point about Hermione always trying to prove that she's right. Did anyone notice the irony at the end of HBP? Hermione tried to pretend to Harry and Ron that she had got it right about the Half-Blood Prince, that he was related to Eileen Prince after all. What Hermione "forgot" to apologise for was the fact that, for the last two or three books, she has been defending Snape and wailing "Dumbledore trusts him!", while all along Harry and Ron suspected him of being on the dark side. Whatever your feelings about Snape's loyalty, it seems everyone in the Order and all the kids now believe he is evil, including Hermione. Could she bring herself to apologise for all the insults ("shut up, Ron!") she hurled at the other two for suspecting Snape? No. Her intelligence is only matched by her arrogance and stubborness.

Fantastic article, and indeed, very brave of you. ;)



"Giving people what they deserve" - from whose point of view? Who is Hermione to decide what these people's punishments should be? She's just a teenager. She has no right to punish any of these people. That's the task of the proper authorities. Remember that when she put Rita in that jar and blackmailed her, she wasn't doing it for the greater good - she was doing it because she didn't like the articles about her, Harry and Hagrid. Instead of taking it in an adult and mature way and just ignoring it (she's always telling Harry and Ron to ignore Malfoy, after all - yet she can't even do it herself. Hypocrisy, anyone?), she launched a campaign of petty vindictiveness against Rita, breaking the law in the process. She is self-righteous to an almost astonishing degree.


She has every right to decide what punishment they get. Maybe if there was time to decide what to do with Umbridge but if you dont remember Umbridge was about to perform the Crucio curse on Harry!
Hermione had to act fast, she have time to sit and call an adult, which incadentally, there werent many left of. She was being squashed against the wall by I be live Millecent Bulstrode. Umbridge deserved what she got I'm sorry Melissa. I always love reading your articles but suddenly they just got wildly weird...I agree that Hermione has many enemies, she's a muggleborn and a brilliant one at that. Some of the death Eater population already hate her, and she didnt even meet that many of them yet...
Rita was writing terrible things about her, sometimes you cant ignore things, although Herminoe did ignore the article on herself, she was more into the fact that she was doingsomething without permission, that Hagrid was in solitude because of the article. She put Rita in a jar for about a week, she let her out when they got to london.Rita preferedthat than to being told on.
it was still a good editorial.
*sorry im tryingto do this with a baby in my hand...*

A lot of people are saying that Hermione was justified in sending the birds after Ron. She wasn't. It's true that her feelings were hurt, but that doesn't mean she can attack Ron. Ron didn't attack her when she went after Krum or McClaggan, so why can she attack him when he goes after Lavender?
Great editorial.

Nice points made, I've never seen anything remotely-near this concept before. Now all that's left for us to ponder is.... what will be Hermione's punishment and who will be the one to do it?

I have to agree with what others have said: that this article was very brave. Yet, that doesn't mean it was fabulous. It's hard when a favorite charcter is pitted out to be not-so-great and even, as in this article, vindictive. While I can see where Maline is coming from in this article I don't really agree with all her points.
Especially that Hermione is now under the "umbridge light". Hermione is still set out to do good, and while I appreciate the connection betwen Umbridge and her (umbridge did terrible things becuase she thought they were for the good of the ministry, Hermione does terrible things because she thinks they're for the good of the overall wizarding world/good for her friends) I still think that as the reader, we are shown that what Harry sets out to do IS good, and that Hermione is helping him on this path. You can't get worse than Lord Voldemort, and I'll always favor Hermione cuz she is helping the forces that are trying to stop him.
And maybe I don't think this article is fair to Hermione because i don't WANT to. As a reader, I am apt to like and care for Hermione because she is main character on the 'good' side, and has never really been presented in any other light.
ok i'm out.

Good editorial, though you can read pretty much the same at RedHen(I think). I agree with this characterisation of Hermione. After OotP I still thought it might be more or less coincidental, that perhaps JKR didn't realise the ambiguity of Hermione's behaviour, but since the theme was kept in HBP, it's probably intentional. (I'd love to know JKR's detailed thoughts on her characters...)
As to her punishment, I don't think it will be something huge and epic, but it'll happen in some way that makes her realise the 'error of her ways'. Or maybe she'll mellow once she gets her boy.

Well you've made some pretty interesting points but I have to say that I think you're taking it a bit too far. Hermione had to have her flaws, no one is perfect in the HP world, not even wise old Dumbledore.

I also believe that if Hermione was to be punished in book seven, JKR would have made a bigger point of her moral slip-ups by now.

Still, I'm keeping an open mind about this.

I guess I don't see Hermione as any more "morally" compromised or endangered than any of the other Gryffindors who've been putting themselves on the side of good in the fight against Lord Voldemort and his minions. As far as I can tell, Hermione hasn't Crucio'd, Imperiused, or Avada Kedavra'd anybody in the series which is more than we can say for dear Dolores Umbridge who was getting ready to do one of those to Harry, just in case you've forgotten. As for inviting retaliation from enemies, well the wizarding world is at war. Enemies are everywhere, n' est-ce pas? But Hermione isn't the only one who's got them. Ginny Weasley could come in for her share of "punishment," too, for example, for that Bat Bogey hex to Draco Malfoy, not to mention the fact that she's a "blood traitor" and from an early age is known to have been a thief--breaking open the family broomstick shed and zooming around on George and Fred's brooms. Now that is a bad girl! Hermione Granger pales in comparison. :p

i think you have looked to shallowly at Hermione's character and the reasons she does the things she does.

Every time she has done something you mentioned as wrong she had a very good reason for it (except wihen she sent the birds at Ron. That was just jeolousy).

With the house elves she just cant see why they wouldn't want to be free. She was brought up in a society were any form of slavery is considered a terrible and unjust thing. She cant help that narrow mindedness, its all part of being human.

She puts Rita Skeeter in the jar b/c of all the pain and hurt Rita caused not only her but her friends. And franklly there is a vast amount of people out there who would have done the same (me included).

When Hermione takes Umbridge into the forbidden forest it is to save her friends from exteame pain and as far as she knows to save Siriuses life.

The ruining Mclaggens audition is b/c she fances Ron and whants him to be happy (being on the quddich team would make him happy). shes a girl in love you cant blame her.

How can even try to justify what Umbridge did? She attempted to MURDER SOMEONE. Then as if that wasnt enough she then forces a teenager to engrave their hand repeatedly. She then felt she was above such things as law and was going to use a unforgivable curse on a defensless group of teenagers, without the tinyest bit of feeling.Not to mention the facts that she tried to send him to prison (Where he would have gone made and suffered dearly b/c of his past memories and she prevented the students of hogwarts from getting a proper DADA education, which is highly important for them b/c they are now at war. UMBRIDGE IS A HEARTLESS COW!!!

At the end of the day everyone learns to be a little manipulative (particually girls) and its human nature to protect ourselves, families and our friends.

FaceofBoe, the "authorities" were the ones who were lying about Voldemort and sending a teacher to Hogwarts who was willing to use Unforgivable Curses on the students. What "authorities" should Hermione have allowed to deal with the situation. "All that is required for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing."

As far as the shipping stuff in HBP, Ron doesn't treat Lavender very well at the end (pretending to be asleep when she comes to the infirmary, not telling her that he wants to end the relationship). We probably all had adolescent love flaws that we're ashamed of.

I would be interested to know what Maline or other posters think Hermione should have done in Umbridge's office. Should she have allowed Harry to be Crucio'd?

I agreed with some of this, but not all, and the main thing I have to object to is this...She ruins Maclaggen’s audition for Keeper to make sure Ron gets the part. Yes, this was a selfish thing to do, but she didn't confund McLaggen just so Ron would get on the team. If that were the case, she would've caused him to miss at least more than one target. She said herself that he had insulted both Ron and Ginny badly. Even though it wasn't right of her to do this (she just seemed to have perm PMS in this book ^^; ), it still shows she's a loyal, good friend.A lot of people are saying that Hermione was justified in sending the birds after Ron. She wasn't. It's true that her feelings were hurt, but that doesn't mean she can attack Ron. Ron didn't attack her when she went after Krum or McClaggan, so why can she attack him when he goes after Lavender?
Great editorial.IMO, I don't think it was entirely intentional. The attack on Ron was spontaneous. I doubt she was planning to attack him when she saw him. IMO, she just kind of snapped when she saw the object of her affections enter the classroom with his new gf to do who knows what.

She was bound to react in some fashion and if she hadn't, that would've been out of character since Hermione's character is quite emotional.

Every example that you have mentioned in this editorial, except one that I have also been thinking about for some time, can be justified and does not display the lack of balance that you suggest can only be restored by a certain amount of retribution. Whether it was her treatment of Rita, or her interfering with McLaggen's performance at the tryouts, or really any other example you mentioned, Hermione was actually restoring balance, albeit in an unconventional way. Perhaps you can make the point that one should never take the law into one's hands in Rita's case, but that is an entirely different issue, and a debatable one in Potterverse. Otherwise, Rita suffered much less than she would have in Azkaban, as she only spent a few days in the jar, the rest being a year spent without writing, and she was simply blackmailed to write in a single article the truth without twisting it in a harmful nasty way. In the case of McLaggen, Hermione cheated, but restored balance again. What she saw was that a team player is not just someone who can do his task well, but who can interract well with the team. As the tryout did not include playing a full fledged game, McLaggen's personality could not be tested. Why did Hermione interefere? She said, you should have heard him talk about Ginny and the rest. And as we saw when McLaggen played, Hermione knew what she was talking about. The goal she had him miss made up for the bad character he had. Ron, on the other hand, saved every goal, and she did not interfere to help him.

Basically, when we get down to the nitty-gritty, there is usually equilibrium in what Hermione does.

But now, about the one action of Hermione's that did seem out of balance, the cursing of the parchment. When Cho told Harry that it had been a very mean trick of Hermione's to curse the parchment, in fact, she did not protest against the cursing itself, but rather against the fact that Hermione told no one that the parchment was cursed. It is that aspect that throws out of balance what Hermione did. Perhaps far fewer people would have signed for the DA then, but I think some still would have, like Fred and George. Hermione had people enter a vow without telling them it was unbreakable. Eloise would not have signed, but maybe also she would not have felt the need to sell all the other students, because she would not have been an active participant. Cho forced Eloise to come, and after many meetings, I am sure Eloise could stand it no longer. It would have been better for everyone had Hermione not used that trick. In fact, it wasn't just Eloise who was punished, but everyone else, through Eloise's betrayal, which may not have happened had Hermione been upfront. Or if someone had betrayed them anyway, they would have known they had it coming. But the balance has in fact been restored with the ceasing of the DA meetings. What I do expect in the seventh book is only something concerning the Eloise incident. I think Hermione should think of an antidote to the damage, and that she should apologize to Eloise for not telling her the parchment was cursed.

EDIT: Not Eloise, Marietta. (Thanks to BublGumPnkHar).

Personally, I think all the examples you have given show not so much hubris as a spirit of justice and determined will to bring it into the world, even when it involves going against written laws. I think Hermione's being against the use of the lucky potion shows that it is not cheating that she is after. Bascially, Hermione, perhaps sometimes in immature ways, makes the law. Rather than requiring a punishment, I think they are an indication of Hermione's future interests, which will be in the writing of the wizarding laws. For some time now I have thought that she will be a prominent figure on the Wizengamot, and that she should be a judge. A good judge does not just blindly apply the law, but also understands the equilibrium of each situation. I am sure she still has a lot to learn, but that is where I see her.

How scary would it be for all of us to have all of the mistakes and people we've hurt in the past 6 years listed for everyone to read? Wouldn't we all look like mean, arrogant people? That said, I don't think that everything Hermione did was a mistake. The wizard world is at war, and Hermione's best friend is at the epicenter. Strategies and tactics are performed in every war and it doesn't seem that Harry is really all that proteced by the government (MOM-Fudge,etc.) or the school (Umbridge) so he has to rely on the help of his friends who unfortunately have to grow up fast and make some adult decisions. Maybe there were better choices for how Hermione chose to help Harry but she's a kid and kids aren't always great at making adult decisions!

Bottom line is that for Harry to live, they are going to be involved in very grown-up, very dangerous situations where the line of good and evil is going to be very gray. Unfortunately there are casualties in every war and I for one would rather Rita Skeeter and Dolores Umbridge be punished than Harry, Ron, or Hermione. They have their hearts in the right place and are trying their best to compete with some really evil, sick-minded people. They are fighting for their lives here and all the while are growing up having the same feelings and hormones every other teenager has! I have a hard time believing that Hermione is evil and deserves to be punished for protecting her friends' lives or getting jealous over a boy.

Excellent post Magic Lantern! You made some very good points...I like how you pointed out how what Hermione does restores the balance and that she is writing her own rules. It seems that the government is corrupt and that to really do what is right, Hermione is forced to make decisions that a good government that could be trusted could have handled.

I was thinking about another character from the series that was apart of a trio very similar to Harry, Ron, and Hermione- Lupin. I wonder if he too started off very in his books (facts and info given by himself, Siruis, and Snape's pensive) and then really turned into a maurader. Because why did James and Sirius keep around if he didn't worship them (like peter did) or did their homework? Probably the reason Harry and Ron put up with Hermione...

MagicLantern - very good, but Cho's friend was named Marietta Edgecombe. The rest was "spot on".

I read this editorial and at first thought that this was another article by Rita Skeeter! Boy do you hate Hermione!!! From the editorial it seems like RS, DU, DM and SS were all angels badly hurt by Hermione. Harry and Ron have broken rules several times too, but surprisingly it is Hermione who will get punished. I wonder why.........

Anyway, in my view Hermione is shown as more human in HBP, nothing more. She does not have the maturity of McGonagal to take the high road like her. So even if she is as intelligent, she still has the emotions of a teenager and will react accordingly.

I am surprised that the article completely missed the part where Hermione displayed loyalty, compassion and fairness.

On the whole a great editorial if you view it through a Slytherin filter.

How scary would it be for all of us to have all of the mistakes and people we've hurt in the past 6 years listed for everyone to read? Wouldn't we all look like mean, arrogant people?

I think that quote about sums things up. Both Harry and Ron have done things and acted out in ways just as questionable... I mean, come on! She's like Umbridge? I don't mean to get too passionate here, but that is pretty ridiculous. Umbridge thought she was doing all the terrible things she did because she thought it was good for the ministry? That's just...a bunch of bologna. I must ask why, that in this editorial, you are much more sympathetic to Umbridge than to Hermione. It seems that, you have a bit of a bias towards Hermione, resulting in an editorial which takes her actions out of context and neglects to mention that the other "good" characters have done and said things just as "bad". Harry himself, in OotP, was pretty questionable as far as morality was concerned. He "didn't feel sorry at all" that he had sent Hedwig with orders to physically hurt and peck Ron and Hemione. He has disobeyed Dumbledore and other teachers on several occassions, thinking he was right. Same with Ron. So why is Hermione getting all the flack?

Anyway, in my view Hermione is shown as more human in HBP, nothing more. She does not have the maturity of McGonagal to take the high road like her. So even if she is as intelligent, she still has the emotions of a teenager and will react accordingly.

I am surprised that the article completely missed the part where Hermione displayed loyalty, compassion and fairness.

On the whole a great editorial if you view it through a Slytherin filter.

I have to agree. Some good points were made in the article about Hermione's developing character, but they were ALL put into a negative light. I also feel the need to say that I have loved Maline's editorials---in fact they have been some of my favorites on Mugglenet. But the last few have been much to influenced by Red Hen authors and it shows. The last few have seemed pretty negative, biased, and lacking in evidence and points from all sides of the equation.

The editorial was beautifully written, as usual, I just personally thought it trite and biased.

That was a risky topic, since NEARLY everyone loves Hermione...but you've got a point. I was a bit astounded but, as others here have said, I think that its just sort of teenage-girl stuff. Certainly malicious though, and I don't think that there will be any "punishement". But it was a really insightfull (and brave) look at Hermione's changing character.

well, brave of you. I think umbridge got her just desserts from hermione, but i cant really disagree with you about HBP. who knows... hopefully shell get better

I hate to say it, but I am somewhat disappointed in this editorial. She did not seem to put as much thought in it as she normally does and it was much shorter. It is just not up to the normal North Tower standards. I'm sure she is really busy, and I guess it makes me a little sad that she is unable to put as much effort as she normally does. I just hope that her life gets a little less stressful, not for the sake of myself as a reader of North Tower, but because I simply care about her wellbeing, because I respect her editorials and look up to her as a writer.

I agree with the person upthread who said the Red Hen articles make no sense. They're poorly researched and are often just flat-out bizarre.

I read this editorial and at first thought that this was another article by Rita Skeeter! Boy do you hate Hermione!!! From the editorial it seems like RS, DU, DM and SS were all angels badly hurt by Hermione. Harry and Ron have broken rules several times too, but surprisingly it is Hermione who will get punished. I wonder why.........

Good question. Perhaps Maline will address that when she writes an essay that is her own material and not lifted from someone else.

Maline sure has guts, I must say. All those people who will send her (more) hate mail!

Although she does have some good points there. However, I think that Hermione's actions were only based on being a teen and all of those raging hormones. Also, if say, she were in love with Ron (and I mean real love), that would also prove to be a major factor.

I think that if Hermione does get punished, it won't certainly be death. Sure, she's made some selfish decisions, but in all, she's still a good person, and every good person also has faults like everyone else.

I made a topic about Hermione's making enemies a couple of months back. I was thinking about how she was to the Centaurs and the House Elves, and what could become of it.

I'll ask this here; do you think she'll learn from those mistakes or do you all feel she already has?

I think Hermione knows when she's made a mistake, because she tends not to make the same mistake twice. The only time she seems to be repeating herself is with Ron, and that's only because she (in my opinion) really likes him, but has no clue how to go about getting his attention other than to give him a taste of his own medicine. He starts dating Lavender, so she goes out with McClaggen. Ron is a git, so Hermione is a git (can a girl be a git?) right back to him.

However, as I said before, I don't think a lot of Maline's examples of Hermione's "mistakes" can really qualify as mistakes if you look at them more closely. Nothing she's done warrants a "punishment" as severe as the editorial makes it sound.

wow lol...well, i actually liked Hermione throughout the whole series. I ;ll admit she is a little grouchy durring the last book, what with her being jealous because Harys is out doing her in potions, but, he wasnt really doing it fairly. Hermione could have copied off the half blood prince just as easily as Harry as long as she could read the writing unlike Ron, but she thought it was wrong and unfair to do so...so you cant really say that she is morally declining because there are plenty of incidnces when she is more moral than either Harry or Ron. When Ron takes the frisbee for his own se, she does the right thing and takes it from him to be disposed of. also, when Ron takes a first year out of the best chair in the common room just so he can have it himself, she takes Ron out and gives it back to the first year.

i personally think that what Hermione did with McClagen was totally justified. Ron ditched her for Lavender, so she went out with someone else who would annoy Ron. Her sense of revenge is justified in my opinion.

i think that taking umbrige into the forest was justified as well. umbridge deserved it for hurting her friend and hogwarts and she didnt have too many other options. she has no wand, no adult to help her, all her friends are incapable of helping her, and she knows the centaurs will "take care of her" because she knew that umbridge would spout rascist nonesense at them.


while i dont agree with barely ne thing you said, it was still a good editorial and kudos for the courage factor.

Brilliant insight, Maline! I never would have noticed that in a million years! I am totally convinced.

Great Job, I congradulate you heartily.

Sorry Maline but I was a bit disappointed. I was expecting (and anticipating) some kind of the usual genius revelation you submit in your articles and basically you said you believed she would be punished but did not suggest how and the why, I think, was below your usual standards. Just from the suggested topic we could sumise you thought Hermione would be punished and you just didn't back it up.

I had begun, starting with Ootp, to really dislike some of Hermione's bossier and know it all traits and by the end of HBP she was really getting on my nerves. Not that she isn't a realistic representation of some teenage girls, on the contrary I have two daughters and am one of 5 sisters. I didn't think the bird passage was all that bad. With Hermione's abilities she could've done a lot more damage.

I also beleive the Umbridge scene, though drastic, was a life or death situation. Umbridge hadn't thought about the consequences of Harry not being able to overcome the dementors or the harm that could be done to muggles in the area. That would have resulted in 2 murders. She would use the unforgivable simply to get what she wanted - information. Umbridge didn't act in the best interest of the MoM and couldn't have cared less. She needed to silence Harry because she was concerned with losing her status and power i.e. the scene where she accuses McGonagall of wanting to overthrow Fudge with DD and then McGonagall taking Umbridges place. She changes rules and sets punishments just to prove her reach of power and because she can, not out of some misplaced loyalty to the safety of preserving the MoM. Even JKR says she's not done punishing Umbridge yet.

I think Hermione learned a big lesson at the end of HBP when Harry proved to her that he was right about Malfoy and Snape(?) and that she needs to expand her shortsighted view. Harry has seen many more evil things than Hermione. He has not told her or Ron all of what he has seen and heard and so they cannot know. Even still at the end after she knew he had been right and she had been wrong, she couldn't admit fully she was wrong put one more dig in there to say she was right about the book. I believe Hermione will be "punished" because of her inability to see that her logic can be fallible. She can't stand not being perfect and right and therefore thinks others will act and react as she believes they should or will. In the end her punishment may be that due to her inability to act or react at a crucial time because she can't see the possiblity that people or situations may be other than how she sees them will cause the death of someone she holds dear.

Your right, the hate mail for this will be horrible! Anyway, the article made some excellent points, but I don't know. I've thought about this but seem to be incapable of coming to a decision! I'm leaning slightly towards that everyone deserved this, but I'm not saying Hermione wouldn't be punished for it... I really don't know!!!!

I loved this editorial!! your work is sooo good. I never realised how bad hermione got throughout the series maybe because it was such a gradual change. i agree that hermione will probably get the punishment she deserves in the 7th book -- i dont think its very JK-like to just have her change her ways and be like she used to be.

MagicLantern - very good, but Cho's friend was named Marietta Edgecombe. The rest was "spot on".Oops, thanks. I figured out how I confused them. Hermione described the effects of the curse as something that would make Eloise Midgen's acne look like a couple of cute freckles...

I think that Hermione did everything she did because she cares very deeply for her friends, and she does what she thinks she needs to do.
The Rita in a jar? She had it coming, and it might have been worse for her if she turned her over to the aurors.
Umbridge? She sent the dementors on Harry, tried to get him expelled, and forced him to carve into his own hands, crucio'd them, and she was trying to help Harry save Sirius! It was completely necessary.
Ron and the birds, well if you've ever been in such a situation, it seems fitting.
And as for HBP, her intelligence and knowledge is what she is known for. It is pretty much all she is known for, besides being Harry's friend. She's used to getting the attention and praise from the teachers, and when Harry unfairly steals the spotlight from her in the one area she excels, she naturally gets jealous. It's not the most reasonable way to react, but who can blame her, really? Although she doesn't show it like Ron does, she too has to live in Harry's shadow, and her grades are what makes her shine. So when he takes those, what does she have left?
No, I think Hermione is really just a girl growing up, and doing what she has to do. I like her much better than I did in the earlier books.

Great article. I think it might be a little harsh on Hermione in the earlier books, but it points out something in HBP that scared me: the hexing of McLaggen. Hermione has repeatedly groaned about the importance the boys put on Quidditch; even if the outcome of the tryouts was important to them, she ought to have had the sense of perspective to see that Quidditch wasn't important enough to break the rules for. The "helping hand" seems less about helping Ron than hurting McLaggen; what justification does she have for that? Hermione has become too used to rule-breaking as an out, too used to being the supreme judge of what is right in a situation. I just hope her errors don't grow to be as bad as Dumbledore's error in keeping away from Harry all through OotP...

I can see where this is getting at. Hermione not that much of a goody-goody anymore. She manipulates the rules to suit her own needs and uses them as weapon against others. So basically, it's her way or the highway, and sooner or later she's going to get what's coming for her.

Yeah, but crushes make girls do crazy things.
All's fair in love and war......

As usual I enjoyed the article, Maline. It's a very interesting take on Hermione's character. However, for the first time I believe the actual base of your article to be a contradiction. By your analysis Hermione's rule breaking was "ok" in SS, CoS and PoA, but she spiralled down into moral relativism by Gof, OoP and HPB; however, your entire essay is based on what you feel is morally unacceptable and deserving of punishment. Cursing Neville was not a punishable crime, but cursing Ron or even McClaggan is? As for Skeeter, isn't being trapped in a jar a metaphor for what she was doing to Harry? You seem to think the "greater good" was enough reason for her to curse Neville, but not to save them from Umbridge who was violently out to get Harry to the point of using unforgivables and dementors? I'm not trying to imply I believe what she did to Umbridge was right, but it's a slippery slope to expect punishment for moral relativism based on.....moral relativism.

Also, the enemies paragraph is weak. Death Eaters are her enemy? She's a muggleborn, they were already her enemies.

Hermione is scary. I think she has an interesting place in the next book, but I would be suprised if punishment was forthcoming.

Mel

Remember when Maline wrote a fake rubbish editorial as a critical thinking exercise, later revealed as such in her "Trashing a Theory" essay? I think she's testing us again! We've been Punk'd, yall!

At least, I hope that is the case. Otherwise I'm highly disappointed in the quality of this article and frankly in all of the articles Maline's written since she started relying so heavily and blindly on those ridiculous Red Hen essays. I would have thought Maline's own critical thinking skills were better than that.

So basically your article was based on pure speculation, not based on any real proof. You just wrote what you thought sounded neat without giving any thought to whether or not it makes any sense. There was a lot of jumping to conclusions, and little consideration for what JKR actually mentioned/implied in the books.

As far as I'm concerned, the above quote - from Maline's own "TaT" article - applies to the whole Red Hen website.

Anyway, as for Hermione, she's not my favorite character. She doesn't even make my Top 10 list (none of the Trio does), but she's hardly the demon Maline makes her out to be. She should be punished? For being an attempted voice of reason, rescuing Harry from a violent sadist (Umbridge) and trying to save people's lives? Laughable.

Her work with SPEW show good principles (that slavery is bad), but completely ignores the ways of the Wizarding World (i.e. that the elves don’t want to be free). Hermione simply doesn’t care about what the elves themselves want, because it’s not what they should want according to her.

That same argument was used by pro-slavery advocates in the US a century and a half ago. It's just as sick and offensive in regard to house elves as it is about African Americans.

Hubris? I don't think so. Gryffindor? Absolutely.

Yes.

Bang on-target article! Been harbouring similar feelings for a long time that I knew indeed would be contraversial. Only thing I would disagree with Maline is about Umbridge, I think Hermione's actions there were completely justified due to the situation, but that doesn't change much overall.

That reminds me of when in one books JO mentioned how Hermione went on to "vanishing kittens" in transfig class...that seems sorta like animal cruelty, aka killing cats. I have heard nothing of "un-vanishing" objects so I think I'm right. Or could that be just another one of HP's 'immoralities', I.E acid pops, and not related to Hermione specifically?

I liked your editorial very much and though I do not like to think that Hermione will be punished for her sins I have noticed that she does have a nasty temper and she is one person that you would not like to get to get on her bad side. In PoA she punched Draco for laughing about the imminent death of Buckbeak and as you mentioned she trapped Rita Sketter in a jar, deliberately let Umbridge be taken of by cenatuars and attacked Ron with birds that she conjured just because she was jealous. She has changed quite a bit and I think that is now following her heart instead of her head.

I love Hermione. She's my 5th favourite character after Dumbledore, Harry, Ron and Snape. I definitely agree with some of your points but the Umbridge one just totally spoilt the essay.

1. You're correct in saying that Hermione was very vindictive and malicious with the Rita Skeeter thing. She's a 15 year old girl who kept an adult woman who has a life (arguable) in a jar for a very long while. That's a bit inhumane. Harry also noted that Rita looked worse for the wear during OotP because of what Hermione had done to her and Hermione sipped her soda without a care in the world. All Rita did was act the journalist and write terrible stories about Harry. I don't think she deserved that.

2. Hermione was very insensitive to Ron when her cat "ate" his rat. She was not a good person at all during that time. She also shouldn't have gone behind Harry's back and told McGonagall about the broomstick. She should have told Harry about her reservations and then gone to McGonagall not before. She was also insensitive to Lavendar and to Luna. She's little insensitive overall but she's not that bad because she can be a little understanding at other times.

3. Leading from point 2, Hermione suffers from tunnel vision in many situations. She believes she is right and listens to no one else (well other than teachers). This is very arrogant. Her quest to save the houselves proves this. She has no thoughts at all for their views on the matter, only her own and she's very manipulative in the way she goes about trying to free them.

There are more but you can see where I'm going with this. Hermione can be very vindictive and arrogant and is probably not the easiest person to get along with which is why only Harry and Ron and later Ginny are her friends. I'm sure the twins would not like her if she weren't their brother's friend.

All that being said, the Umbridge situation is entirely different. Umbridge was about to crucio her best friend plus Umbridge is a little _________ that deserves whatever she gets. I thought that Umbridge should have gotten much worse that what happened to her and I hope JK rectifies that situation in book 7. Yes, it's not Hermione's task to right wrongs but this situation was certainly different.

Despite all of Hermione's bad qualities which aren't that bad but human really, she has such outstanding good qualities that they make the bad irrelevant just like it does with Ron and Harry. She cares very deeply about Ron and Harry, she's very clever and brave and most of the times every evil thing she does comes from having a good heart. JK is not going to punish Hermione for any of the bad things she's done because none of them were intentionally evil. If Hermione dies, it will be for other reasons than because she has been so "bad" in the books. Hermione isn't worse than any of the other good characters. She is simply human and those bad things are simply a part of her personality.

Cheers :tu:

This was an interesting editorial and gave me another perspective of Hermione. (I really enjoyed the Red Hen editorial but then I always enjoy reading on that site. He thinks out of the box.) They reminded me of the poll on Mugglenet a few months ago that asked which character would die by the end of the series...interestingly Hermione received the fewest votes. However, after reading both these articles, it will be miraculous if she survives. It seems everyone will be gunning for her...eliminating the brains of the golden trio.

This editorial was very slanted. It was trying to prove a point and interpreted those actions to prove the point rather than truly analyzing each incident. It also concentrated on only Hermione's mistakes and bad qualities.

I wasn't crazy about Hermione in HBP just like I wasn't crazy about Harry in OotP or Ron in GoF. Maybe JK is doing that on purpose so that all the characters get to show their good sides and bad, their strengths and weaknesses, before the final battle.

Maline's editorials have been compared to Red Hen several times lately. I don't read Red Hen, especially since it was the birthplace of the crazy Changeling Hypothesis, but if she does, it isn't helping her.

Umbridge was going crucio them. It was life and death. Not exactly death but pretty close.

It very well could have been.

Sirius was living at the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Because of the fidelius charm, only Dumbledore, the organization's Secret Keeper, could reveal its location. Harry, even if tortured, could not. Every time Harry would have yelled, "I CAN'T" she would have upped the intensity of the curse higher and higher. I have no doubt Umbridge, determined to force Sirius' whereabouts out of him at all costs, would have Crucio-ed Harry to death, or into insanity like the Longbottoms.

You're correct in saying that Hermione was very vindictive and malicious with the Rita Skeeter thing.

After Rita wrote a terrible article about her that resulted in Hermione receiving Howlers, violent hate mail, and envelopes containing curses, at least one of which burned Hermione's hands with an acid-like substance? Rita not only deserved to be left in the jar but launched off to Mars.

This article really took me by surprise, since I am not a Red Hen reader. I, like most people, thought that Hermione's punishment was going to be more along the lines of depending too much on running to the library rather than being a bad person and making enemies. (I also think that, as a student of Harry, she has decided that running to the library doesn't always help fighting the Dark Arts.) I like Hermione, as do a lot of people, and I guess this article hurts some feelings.


A previous post mentioned that Hermione was insensitive to Lavender. I don't really see how. When Ron dragged Lavender into the classroom to snog, Hermione admonished him for not getting back to Lavender promptly. She also doesn't bash Lavender to Ronn; she just uses McLaggen to prove her worth to Ron. (And it is only one date, and McLaggen treats her badly anyway.) Also, in OotP, she explains to her bewildered male friends why Cho acts like she does. And the birds? Oh, get over it. It's canaries, not vultures.

I do agree that the Umbridge and Skeeter incidents were pretty over the top. Keeping someone in a jar and leading someone to a rampaging crowd of centaurs are pretty extreme acts. But, I don't see Hermione doing these things lightly and harshly. In fact, they seem like acts of desperation at the time. She has a mean streak, but it takes a lot to make her act on it.

Lastly, I remember JKR said in a couple of interviews that Hermione was the character that most reminded the author of herself. It will be interesting to see if in book 7 Hermione does get punished in some way, because you have to think the author has a soft spot for Hermione. Of course, I cringe when I remember some things I did as a teen, so maybe something horrible will happen to Hermione after all. Hope not.

Hermione reckless? Maybe. Vindictive? Maybe. Self-centred and guilty of hubris? I have to disagree with you here, Maline.

You mention that in Philosopher's Stone she breaks the rules for the benefit for her friends but by Prisoner of Azkaban her actions are for the benefit for herself only. I don't think this at all. With her constant fight with Scabbers she was defending her cat, silly thing to do when it interferes with friendship I admit, but as Hagrid says, people can get a bit funny bout their pets. Perhaps her lack of sympathy for the death of Lavender's pet rabbit was a little unfair, but I commend Hermione for not taking Trelawney's information for granted and she really did not say anything offensive, she merely suggested that Trelawney's information may not be that reliable.

With SPEW, Hermione is definately being stubborn and narrow-minded by insisting she knows what's best with the house elves, but that doesn't nessecarily mean she is helping them out to show everyone that she's right.

As someone mentioned earlier in this forum, putting Rita Skeeter in a jar and blackmailing her not to write horrible stuff about her, Harry or anyone else was more merciful than handing her to the authorities and possibly handing her a place in Azkaban. Hermione can be seen as giving Rita a chance to reform before she got to the real bad stuff. And where in the book does it say that Hermione PLANNED to have Rita for future use. Perhaps, when Hermione thought that Harry needed a chance to have his say, she suddenly thought of Rita. This seems likey, given how she suddenly raced out for the Great Hall when an idea seemed to struck her and from Rita and Hermione's conversation in The Three Broomsticks, it doesn't sound like they had been keeping in touch (though I may be wrong, I don't have my OotP with me at the moment). Besides, this was all to HELP Harry.

As Desmerelda mentioned, Hermione sets up the DA. This was not only beneficial for herself, but also to anyone who wished to learn proper DADA. As for the SNEAK spell, that was fairly mean though Hermione obviously did think that it was the right thing to do. And the baby-dementor scene is a really good example of her selflessness. As for giving Dolores to the Centaurs, as many have pointed out, this was thought out under extreme circumstances. Umbridge was going to use a unforgivable, Hermiones priority was getting her and her friends out with at least damage as possible. Mercy for her enemy was not her priority at that time, espeacially as she has just heard Umbridge admit that she had put Harry in danger before. If someone was out to get one of my best friends, it will take me a while to be merciful towards them too.

As for Half Blood Pronce, it did annoy me when Hermione was being so undermining to Harry because he was Slughorns' favourite and doing so well in Potions. But now I've thought about it, I think I can understand. Harry doing well in Potions was threatening her IDENTITY. Hermione has always been thought of characters in the book as well us Potterheard as being the smartest witch of her age. She is thought of as the smart one in the trio, and therefore probably think so her self. She can admit that Harry is better than her at DADA, but I think that when it comes to anything else being top of her class proves that she is the smartest, and that I don't think has much to do with pride as it has to do with just knowing what makes her Hermione. For the first time someone had challenged this aspect of her identity.

As for the bird thing, good on her. Ron deserved what he got. I can see the double standards in her cursing McClaggan and then berating Harry for slipping the Felix potion, but she is human, and us human seem to have a lot of double standards.

I think that part of Hermione's apparant recklessnes and vindictiveness are apart of growing up and apart of the effect that the enormous amount of stress she is under from both school work and Harry and her feelings for Ron, but to say that she is self-centered and hubris is just not true. For almost every action she makes, there is evidence for compassion and loyalty for her friends.

1. You're correct in saying that Hermione was very vindictive and malicious with the Rita Skeeter thing. She's a 15 year old girl who kept an adult woman who has a life (arguable) in a jar for a very long while. That's a bit inhumane. Harry also noted that Rita looked worse for the wear during OotP because of what Hermione had done to her and Hermione sipped her soda without a care in the world. All Rita did was act the journalist and write terrible stories about Harry. I don't think she deserved that.

2. Hermione was very insensitive to Ron when her cat "ate" his rat. She was not a good person at all during that time. She also shouldn't have gone behind Harry's back and told McGonagall about the broomstick. She should have told Harry about her reservations and then gone to McGonagall not before. She was also insensitive to Lavendar and to Luna. She's little insensitive overall but she's not that bad because she can be a little understanding at other times.



The rest of your post was good, but I have to disagree with these two points. First, she only kept Rita in the jar for a few days, it wasn't too long. And she fed her, at least. I think that after all the pain she caused throughout the year she more than deserved it. This article thinks that Hermione deserves some sort of "punishment" for her behavior, so what was Rita's punishment supposed to be? And surely being a journalist does not give one the right to spread lies and change words to fit a story. She had it coming.

And as for Hermione being rude to Lavender, well she was never rude to Lavender to her face (that we see), and who could blame her (along with the bird incident)? Lavender was not only taking the guy she liked from her, but one of her best friends. And Lavender wasn't very nice about Hermione, always asking Ron why he was talking to "HER?". It's just typical teenager behavior, we can't expect Hermione, who is only 16/17, to be a wonderfully mature McGonagall at this point in her life can we?

While I usually like this column I think this editorial is pretty baseless from the books. Even so i was ok with the negative spin on Hermione until the comparison to Umbridge. There simply isn't one, Umbridge attempted to murder Harry and then use unforgivable curses. Sorry, Umbridge is evil, Hermione is good. All that you cite about Hermione and not a single thing that is actually bad. Questionable, perhaps but not bad. Trapping Skeeter was justice as was the Snitch hex (the Snitch was attempting to get hem all expelled).

No, I like the writing and the author but this argument simply relied on a false equivalency.

I look forward to the next column though - they are always are a great read!

Very well written article. I definitely respect your opinion.

However, I think we may disagree on a moral premise. The ends do sometimes justify the means. And especially in such a clear-cut battle between good and evil. And I think Jo has presented this to us by showing how many rules (throughout all 6 books) the trio has broken in order to achieve means of a higher moral worth. Even Dumbledore has actively promoted such actions.

If anything, I see your argument proving Hermione guilty of hypocrisy. She does criticize others for breaking rules, while simultaneously considering her own rule-breaking just. Now no one likes a hypocrite, but is it really meritous of punishment?

I am assuming Hermione will suffer more in the last book, but probably because she's in the midst of a war (instigated by greedy and evil men long before her birth). I do wish our Hermione the best...I can't hate on my homegirl.

what you say is completely true, and he actions may or may not have their conseequences. but how can you compare her to Dolores Umbridge. i think thats taking it a bit too far...

I have disagreed with hermoine on some of things she's done but that was awful comparing her to umbridge. Hermoine has bent some rules but when harry and ron does it she gets all crazy. Well that's where I disagree with those actions. As you can see in HBP Harry has gotten better than her in potions(of course from the book). She has a fear of failure and harry cheated and had it so easy for him that Hermoine had worked so hard to have top grades. I wouldn't call that selfish, I mean I must admit when I work hard on my homework and when a friend or just my classmate asks to copy I can't help but feel like why do I have to work hard just to have someone copy off of me. Hermoine is FAR from perfect but after what Umbridge did to Harry I would have done what Hermoine had done except I would have given her to Gawp ;)

When Hermoine did that to Maclaggan, of course that was unfair but she did it for RON and for ron only. He wanted to be on that team with Harry because she knew he could prove himself to everyone. Ron could be mean and git at times because he is not in the spot light, in harrys shadow and he felt like that when harry and hermoine were invited into sloghorns meetings. I could understand that but rubbing it in their faces about him not going and tormenting Hermoine when she was going to ask HIM to the christmas party. Ron was the one who ran off to be with lavender so she ran of with Maclaggan but they were both wrong on that so you can't just blame her.

Thats my honest opinion, and If you realize she does things for her friends even if it hurts them( ron getting attack by birds) =)~

Interesting editorial. I totally agree with Desraelda and her summary of Hermione. Umbridge and Skeeter and the Snitch are not innocent victims. Two of the three were suppressing the truth and fostering lies. In Potterverse, doing these things makes for a very dangerous time later. The Weasley twins, the Trio and Gina, Neville and Luna all use the skills from the DADA class for the good of the wizarding world (which would have been terminated otherwise). Perhaps being muggleborn, Hermione is much more sensitive to how vulnerable people are. Finally, Hermione is simply someone who loves and is in love. I believe Hermione or Ginny quite possibly will be used to trap Harry but because of their closeness to him not because of pride.

This isn't really something I've thought about a great deal, but now...well, I can't condemn your editorial, but I can't COMPLETELY agree with it, either. Hermione is, like many have said before me, growing up. And being 11 is a lot easier than 16.

Cool article...

Nice points made, I've never seen anything remotely-near this concept before. Now all that's left for us to ponder is.... what will be Hermione's punishment and who will be the one to do it?

I think Hermione already has had plenty of punishment for her misdeeds as she went along. You could almost write another editorial on the punishments she has already received, whatever this or any other editorial thinks of her.

PS/SS - Hermione does lie to Professor McGonagall and she does help with Norbert the Dragon, but she also loses points and gets a detention.

COS - Hermione does steal the polyjuice ingredients, but she also gets turned into a cat as well as being one of the students who is petrified.

POA - Now this one is trickier. Her cat and her well-meaning intentions regarding the firebolt resulted in a long period of loneliness and misery while on bad terms with Harry and Ron. Both her behaviour with Professor Trelawney and her slapping Draco were also symptoms of the stress she was under with the timeturner & going to too many lessons for her own good. I would say she was a glutton for punishment. By the way, I don't agree with Maline's assertion in this editorial that Professor Trelawney would be one of Hermione's enemies. Professor Trelawney said something about Hermione's mundane mind, which is undoubtedly correct, and then she and Hermione parted by mutual agreement and have had very little to do with each other ever since. Hermione lost points when Snape called her a know-it-all in the werewolf lesson.

In GOF the punishment Hermione had to endure herself included judgemental attitudes from both Ron and Rita Skeeter's readers because she went to the Yule Ball with Victor Krum, hardly the crime of the century. By the way, Ron has been reminding Hermione of this "misdeed" ever since, as if it was ever any of his business when he was too busy ogling Fleur Delacourt. And the poisoned hands Hermione got out of Rita's vicious articles would be reason enough for Hermione's actions against Rita Skeeter. There was also the densaugia spell Draco hit her with and the utterly cruel "I see no difference" Snape sent Hermione's way.

In OotP Hermione did get hurt at the DOM. And her jinx against Marietta Edgecombe does sound arrogantly permanent. Until in HBP we find out just how much information about the DA Marietta gave Draco and Umbridge. And I agree there is a subtle resemblance between Umbridge and Hermione in that neither can think outside the square (Professor Trelawney's point) and are too orthodox for their own good. But there is a difference. Umbridge was quite prepared to use the crucio curse on Harry which Hermione stopped by taking Umbridge to the Forbidden Forest, to the Centaurs. And if this journey to the Centaurs was an impromptu entrapment, Umbridge sending the dementors to Harry or scarring him with her detention pen were very much planned.

In HBP Hermione's attitude to the potions book is telling. Of course she is jealous, but she also prefers to stick to the official instructions, even though they might be in need of revision. I don't like her attitude to the potions book: the instructions might very well have not worked out, so how was Harry cheating for using his initiative? Also, the bezoar stone was something Hermione could have thought for herself, but was too wrapped up in complicated theories to remember what she heard Snape say in PS/SS.

Yes, Hermione's attitude to Ron and Lavender was not nice, a payback to Ron's nagging her about any sort of relationship she might have wanted to try while he was still getting over his schoolboy ogling Fleur. Putting a confundus charm on McLaggan wasn't nice, either, so she had no right to say anything about Harry's pretending to drug Ron. Perhaps her punishment for hitting Ron with the birds, was the jealousy and anguish she was undergoing throughout HBP on account of Lavender and "Won-Won",

I'm sure Hermione will suffer in the last book. I hope it isn't losing Ron.

I must say I cannot believe you compared Hermione Granger to Delorus Umbridge (the girl who started out in a “McGonagall light” grows more and more into a “Dolores Umbridge light”). I think you have totally misread Hermione's character.

I see a Hermione who gets smarter, braver, and more mature with each novel. You seem to see a Hermione who gets prouder, more selvish, and more vindictive with each novel. Lets look at all of your points again;

PoA:
Her stubborn streak becomes more pronounced when Scabbers “dies” and she shows herself to lack tolerance as far as Divination is concerned. She can’t just leave the question open or simply not care – she needs to prove to everyone that she’s right (e.g. the case of Lavender’s dead rabbit.)

- Hermione was right about Scabbers. Crookshanks didn't kill him. It was Ron who was in the wrong that time; not Hermione.

- Hermione was exposing Trelawny as a fraud. It may not have been kind; but it was a truth that the class needed to know. By exposing Trelawny she was reasureing Harry that he wasn't going to die. This was a loyal and brave thing to do. She stood up to a teacher for the sake of her friend and for the sake of honesty.

GoF:
Her work with SPEW show good principles (that slavery is bad), but completely ignores the ways of the Wizarding World (i.e. that the elves don’t want to be free). Hermione simply doesn’t care about what the elves themselves want, because it’s not what they should want according to her. She also puts Rita Skeeter in a jar, which is questionable behaviour, I think. Sure, she’s a horrible person and she’s broken the law, but instead of reporting her and letting the Aurors handle the matter (which Hermione from PS/SS probably would have done), she puts her in a jar and blackmails her, saving her for future use. I don’t know about you, but to me, this is a fair bit more callous and calculating than Hermione behaved a few books earlier.

- I think that the house elves have been told that they're worthless and were meant to be slaves for so long that they actually believe it. They are scared of the unknown (freedom) and they have been brainwashed into believing that they are not worthy of it. They need people who understand how they feel (people like Harry and Dumbledore); but they also need people who will stand up for them when they don't know how to do it themselves (people like Hermione). Just because something is "the way of the world" (to quote you), doesn't necassarly mean it's right.

- As someone previously pointed out, Hermione's action against Rita Skeeter was a lot kinder than handing her over to the Aurors; who would have sent her to Azkaban for being an unregistered animagus. She simply told Rita she could not write for a year. Not only did she stop Rita from causing damage for a year, but she also forced her to try and break her habit of "writing horrible lies about people". In OoTP Hermione even managed to make Rita do a good thing and write the truth for once. That article in the Quibbler spread the real story around to people. In a way it made up for a lot of the bad Rita had previously done. Thus Hermione actually helped Rita. She showed her that her skills could be used for good instead of evil.

I could go on to counter the rest of the points you made against Hermione, but that would turn this already long post into an even longer one. I'll just end by saying that the reason this editorial dissappointed me wasn't because I didn't agree with it; but because it was very one sided. The good editorials (IMO) show both sides of the story. They acknowledge and examine the opposite point of veiw. You didn't look at how Hermione has grown over the series. You didn't look at the other ways her actions could be interpreted. You didn't acknowledge any of the brave or selfless things she did in OotP or HBP. It's fine to have your own point of view; but in order to persuade other people that it's right you should at least acknowledge, carefully examine, and then thoughtfully counter the opposite point of view.

Although I disagree mostly with this article I do think it is very brave of you to write it.

Hermione does have her flaws. She is a tad arrogant and she suffers from tunnel-vision. She is well-meaning with strong principles but she doesn't handle them well, like SPEW. She has her heart in the right place but she doesn't talk to house-elves, she only talks down to them. She thinks the knows what they want.

Her treatment of Luna Lovegood is also pretty appalling. I did s****** when Luna turned cold on her after she trashed the Quibbler.

Hermione's more cruel than Ron in a way because she's so calculating. Ron went out with Lavender on instinct. Hermione weighed the advantages of which boy she should date to spite Ron. She also sent the canaries after him, which was out of proportion to his actions.

She's just a flawed human being though. I don't think she has any sort of punishment coming, although she does need to watch her back.

Interesting article. I agree that while Hermione has got a lot more vindictive in the last couple of books and, while these may be natural for a frustrated teenage girl, they are not pleasant qualities to have.

But what could the punishment be? It would have to be something that would deeply affect Hermione, but would not have too great an impact on Harry, who will be in the middle of the Horcrux hunt. Also, it can't take too many pages out of the overall story, there simply isn't time.

The only thing I can think of is that Hermione does something to put her relationship with Ron - something that has taken many years to come to fruition - in danger. I do not think JKR would have spent so many books setting up the ship only to have it wrecked by Hermione. But all that needs to happen is for Hermione to think that Ron no longer loves her for her to be really devastated. They could easily get together again at the end of the book, at the same time I hope Harry and Ginny will start up again ;)

Ron went out with Lavender on instinct. Hermione weighed the advantages of which boy she should date to spite Ron.

Not exactly true. Ron went out with Lavendar out of spite and embarrassment. He had no interest in her at all until his little sister pointed out he'd never snogged anyone and even Hermione had made out with Krum. His reasons were no more noble than Hermione's.

The rest of your post was good, but I have to disagree with these two points. First, she only kept Rita in the jar for a few days, it wasn't too long. And she fed her, at least. I think that after all the pain she caused throughout the year she more than deserved it. This article thinks that Hermione deserves some sort of "punishment" for her behavior, so what was Rita's punishment supposed to be? And surely being a journalist does not give one the right to spread lies and change words to fit a story. She had it coming. Well if it was only a few days well I guess that wasn't so bad but I had the impression it was weeks and she still had her in the jar at the end of the school year in the train. When did she let her out? Anyway, Rita also couldn't even work for a year. Where was she going to get money to live. Harry noted she did not look good during their fifth year. It reminded me of how Umbridge made tough laws for Lupin that made it impossible for him to find work. Because I love Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and whoever else Rita hurt with her article, I was more than happy for all of this to happen to her. However, from an outside perspective, it was a little inhumane. I definitley do not think Hermione would be punished for it because Rita kind of deserved it because we felt sorry for Harry but she didn't deserve all that if we were objective. She's just a journalist being horrible.

And as for Hermione being rude to Lavender, well she was never rude to Lavender to her face (that we see), and who could blame her (along with the bird incident)? Lavender was not only taking the guy she liked from her, but one of her best friends. And Lavender wasn't very nice about Hermione, always asking Ron why he was talking to "HER?". It's just typical teenager behavior, we can't expect Hermione, who is only 16/17, to be a wonderfully mature McGonagall at this point in her life can we? I was not referring to HBP, I was referring to PoA when Hermione was so interested in proving her point about Divination and Trelawney that she wasn't sensitive to the fact that Lavendar had just been told her pet died. Hermione just wants to prove she's right and that's a bad habit she has. She did it for the firebolt, she did it for the cat, she did it in HBP, it's just a part of her personality. It's not horrible but it's not nice either. It's just a flaw that makes us love her all the more. Perfection is not lovable.

Cheers :tu:

While I think that was a very thought-provoking article, I feel that after reading the red hen link, it was really a summary of that article with some post-HBP additions. I look forward the the North Tower and check often to see if a new one is up, but I feel sort-of let down by this one. The link at the end of the editorial makes it obvious to me that this was not an original idea. I feel bad complaining about the usually great North Tower but I am pretty disappointed in the lack of originality with this one.
Thank you. Exactly my sentiments. While I used to look forward to Maline's articles for what I perceived to be their originality and overall finesse, I now look forward to each new NT article so I can say, "Oh LOOK. Another Red Hen rip-off." She is a GREAT writer; that is undeniable. And there's nothing WRONG with looking to other writers for ideas and inspiration, but basically just making Cliff's Notes of the Red Hen articles without much of your own ideas is just trite and boring, not to mention a bit rude. I understand Maline's worship of Red Hen because I, like her, am a HUGE fan, but I'm not writing a column "by Andria" when I mean "by RedHen, summarized by Andria." That isn't where Maline started out, but it certainly seems to be the path she's been on.

Nice points made, I've never seen anything remotely-near this concept before.
That's because you've never read Red Hen before.

Maline's editorials have been compared to Red Hen several times lately. I don't read Red Hen, especially since it was the birthplace of the crazy Changeling Hypothesis, but if she does, it isn't helping her.
Okay. I thought the Changeling Hypothesis was nuts, but not "nuts" in an unfounded, silly way. I thought that the breadth and scope with which Ms. Red Hen thought things through to make ANY sort of prediction of the storyline was AMAZING. She may not have hit the nail exactly on the head, but she was pretty dead-on in terms of Voldemort's soul being fractured. How many of you could have predicted anything even remotely close to the Horcruxes? I know I couldn't have. I'm not trying to put anybody down; I'm just trying to give credit where I believe credit is due - Red Hen is a genius for her thought provoking ideas/theories, vast analytical nature, and just plain ol' thoroughness. Sometimes I think she has thought these books through more than JKR herself.

I think the old saying "what goes around, comes around" definatly will apply to Hermiome (although I think comparing her to Umbridge is a bit extreme). She definatly has a vindictive streak and a need for always being right about things. While everyone has there flaws I think these two things will cause major problems in the last book.

I think you went a bit too far... Hermione isn't nasty in HBP because she's changing for worse... No, she simply was disappointed by Ron's behaviour, it was Ron, who behaved as a jerk. She wanted only give him a reason to think when she dated McLaggan, and when you are angry on a boy, you want to punch (I mean: shout eg.) him to, it's normal! And not handing Rita to Aurors, well, I reckon it was a favour not sending her to Azkaban... She has feelings...
For the first time I think you're wrong... (from what I read, it's not all your work... sorry ^^').

Hermione is one of my favorite characters (Ok, basically all of the main characters are my favorite chracters, but...). In most of the books I felt that she pretty much did the best she could do could do moraly, although in HBP she acted like a teenager, teenagers are vindictive, but that's pretty natural, can you say that you wouldn't feel and do (or want to do) the same. The Rita Skeeter situation was not really the the worst that could happen for Ms. Skeeter, I'm sure she would have rather have had this than have it reveled that she was an unregestered animagus, get in trouble (I'm not sure how big), and possibly never be able to write again. As for the Delorus Umbridge situation, I can't say that she didn't deserve it, but I think Hermione wasn't really thinking here, she did the quickest thing she could think of, moral or not. Also, remember that the characters are at war, I mean they are 15, 16, and 17 year old teenagers in the toughest war the wizardring world has ever seen, it has got to take a toll on them.

I agree to some extent that Hermione's character develpment wasn't very positive in the Half- Blood Prince but I wouldn't compare her to Umbridge and I don't think she deserves punishment for her actions. On the subject of the potions book in particular, there is no doubt that she dislikes being beaten in class by Harry but she is right to caution him against it. She knows Harry is curious enough to try out new spells and realises the writer is not a nice person. However Harry still ends up casting Sectumsempra on Malfoy.

There seems to be too much of a fixation on Greek tragedy in predicting how things will play out. Hubris is a tragic flaw attributable to the hero that results in a downfall, but it is singularily an attribute of the main character. In this series, that would not be Hermione. That being the case, I can't foresee Hermione being singled out for any sort of "punishment."

The principal characters in the Potter series are, above all, complex in their natures. Hermione is smart and has too little regard for how fact that may impact others. She is also hyper-sensitive about causes such as SPEW, to the extent that she has little regard for other people's views (and is thus hyper-INsensitive). She lives by her own set of rules and relies on her intelligence to inform her that her judgments are rational, even when they are objectively irrational.

As to Umbridge, I had no problem with her leading her enemy into the forest. I don't believe - and Hermione likely did not - that the Centaurs would have caused any permanant damage to - let's face it - the headmistress of Hogwarts and high-ranking Ministry official.

I think the article was a bit one sided too. I don't think Hermionie is as bad as the article made her out to be...I think the comparison to Umbridge is going to far. Hermione is a complex character with flaws, sending the birds on Ron wasn't something she planned, she just lost her temper, like she did in PoA when she punched Malfoy. I don't think she got any terrible consequences "coming to her" from her actions.

THANK YOU!!!

THE BEST ESSAY I HAVE EVER READ!!

I agree with every single thing that you said.

About her not liking Harry being the best at potions, she was all happy to admit that Harry was better than her at DADA in OotP. She could have said that he was better at the practicals than her while she was still better overall or something, but instead she plainly stated that he was better than her.

I've been wondering if (while it really is true) she didn't believe it herself and only said it to convince Harry.

I dunno what makes everyone blame Ron for Hermione acting the way she did. Ron didn't really do anything. I seriously doubt Ron brought Lavender into the classroom just to **** Hermione off.

I was reading the editorial and I think it's interesting but... I don't agree with most of it.
Hermione is not bad, proud or ruthless. She is just a teenage girl.
If we look clooser at the wrong things she did... it all had a purpose. She did not did anything just because she wanted to or for revenge. Whatever she did was for good, to help her friends.
And now in book 6 she is in love. A teenage in love can do things we wouldn't believe. We've all been there, we know. Throwing the canaries to Ron and cheating McLaggen's trial was just what a normal teenage in love would do.

And all this only shows she is not perfect. No one is perfect. She is a brilliant student, clever girl, very inteligent, seems to be a pretty young lady. Imagine if JK had written her as a perfect little girl who does nothing wrong. This would make her a very unreal caracther and very boring.
This Hermione we have now is a great, my favourite caracther and I can't wait to see what will become of her on book 7.

Your article makes some valid and interesting points, but is a bit harsh...I mean, when Hermione led Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest she was trying to help save Sirius whom Harry believed to be in mortal danger. And with Rita, she never actually harmed her and probably saved her from much worse consequences as a result of her unregistered Animagus status. Hermione's actions, like any other human being, are realistically selfish at points, but I believe that she is really a compassionate person with a good heart.

A lot of people are saying that Hermione was justified in sending the birds after Ron. She wasn't. It's true that her feelings were hurt, but that doesn't mean she can attack Ron. Ron didn't attack her when she went after Krum or McClaggan, so why can she attack him when he goes after Lavender?
Great editorial.


You obviously never heard the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" or in this case, "Hell hath no fury than an insecure hormonal teenage girl scorned!"

LV better watch out, he's scorned a red head! :whistle: :scared:

I think you have totally misread Hermione's character.

Just like Red Hen who misreads everyone's character.

Red Hen is a genius for her thought provoking ideas/theories, vast analytical nature, and just plain ol' thoroughness

*snort* A chicken pecking randomly on a typewriter could write better quality commentaries. I have to wonder if this is what Red Hen actually does.

I see a Hermione who gets smarter, braver, and more mature with each novel. You seem to see a Hermione who gets prouder, more selvish, and more vindictive with each novel.

I agree. She does start out McGonagall lite and stays McGonagall lite. She's very intelligent, can be stern but fair, compassionate (she was the one who identified that Sirius "has been lonely for a very long time," she told Ron and Harry to back off picking on Tonks because she thought Tonks was suffering from survivor's guilt after Sirius' death, she consoled Leanne after Katie was cursed by the necklace...the list goes on and on), she's very brave, and like McG ("It unscrews the other way <Peeves>"), has a wee mischievous streak.

I'd be proud to have Hermione as a sister, best friend or daughter.

Dolores Umbridge = Josef Mengele. To liken Hermione to Umbridge is just sick. Besides, if Hermione were a bad person her half-Kneazle Crookshanks wouldn't want anything to do with her. Last time I checked Crookshanks still loves Hermione.

~
As for Marietta, when she ran and told Umbridge, the DA member list was found by Inquisitional Squad members with or had friends with Death Eater connections. Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones, both DA members, had a mother and an aunt respectively who were killed by DE's. I have a hunch Voldemort and his minions are targeting the families of the kids on that list. Considering that Marietta's actions could get a lot of people killed (two dead already) she was very lucky to have gotten off with just a pimply "SNEAK."

She's very intelligent, can be stern but fair, compassionate (she was the one who identified that Sirius "has been lonely for a very long time," she told Ron and Harry to back off picking on Tonks because she thought Tonks was suffering from survivor's guilt after Sirius' death, she consoled Leanne after Katie was cursed by the necklace...the list goes on and on).

I agree. Hermione has so many good qualities and has done so many good and brave things. Instead of asking 'what will her punishment be?', we should be asking 'what will her reward be?' :)

Honestly I wish I did not waste my time reading this stuped rubbish.....I thoght it was a good thing from the title but then I feel an idiot 4 reading this bin........Hermione is agreat girle & she has nothing 2 do with evil Umbridge .........
GO AHEAD HERMIONE U R THE BEST

And by the way, how is Hermione any more deserving of punishment than any of the following?

Harry (who has also received plenty of punishment)
Ron (who escapes punishment almost as much as Hermione did)
Draco (who up to the beginning of HBP was rarely punished)
Umbridge (who got off rather lightly considering how horrible she had been)
Snape (whose nasty unfairness has been obvious from the beginning)
LV, himself

Undoubtedly, Hermione will receive punishment, along with Harry and Ron. They always do, as they have battled through their school careers together. I hope they all get rewarded as well.

I'm so sick of these pretentious pseudo-intellectual editorials.

This one was just a subjective opinion and had no basis in fact. Maline thinks that her personal dislike of Hermione constitutes as irrefutable proof that she will be punished. :huh:
I believe Jo would not agree with Maline's opinion, as Jo does not believe that Hermione's actions were wrong.
There is no evidence that suggests that Jo condemns Hermione's actions- for example remember Harry thought her idea to put the spell on the DA list was brilliant.
Therefore, despite whether or not you believe Hermione is an evil, vindicitve character, it is ridiculous to suggest that Jo will decide to have her punished.

*snort* A chicken pecking randomly on a typewriter could write better quality commentaries. I have to wonder if this is what Red Hen actually does.
Hehe :)

I agree. She does start out McGonagall lite and stays McGonagall lite. She's very intelligent, can be stern but fair, compassionate (she was the one who identified that Sirius "has been lonely for a very long time," she told Ron and Harry to back off picking on Tonks because she thought Tonks was suffering from survivor's guilt after Sirius' death, she consoled Leanne after Katie was cursed by the necklace...the list goes on and on), she's very brave, and like McG ("It unscrews the other way <Peeves>"), has a wee mischievous streak.

I'd be proud to have Hermione as a sister, best friend or daughter.

Agreed. Yay for Hermione!!

This is kind of off-topic, but I'm so glad to find out I'm not the only one who thinks Red Hen is insane drivel. It drives me crazy when articles and editorials like the ones on that site over-analyze everything in the HP books and can make up a whole theory based on one episode that was meant to be funny or off-hand. Maybe every once in awhile they stumble across something that does turn out to be the way Jo has things planned to happen, but for the most part I think they read too much into things.

I believe Jo would not agree with Maline's opinion, as Jo does not believe that Hermione's actions were wrong.

Thanks for telling us what J.K. Rowling does and does not believe. Weren't you saying something about not thinking that personal opinions constitute solid proof?



There is no evidence that suggests that Jo condemns Hermione's actions- for example remember Harry thought her idea to put the spell on the DA list was brilliant.

There is a close to equal if not completely equal amount of evidence that suggests that Rowling does condemn Hermione's actions. Rowling does not make Harry act in a perfect manner. He says, does, and thinks things that are neither correct nor admirable. Just because he believes something does not necessarily mean Rowling believes it.

I have to say that JKR has stated many times that she did not set out to write books that stated a moral. As far as a punishment for Hermione, I would concider the fact that Ron hooked up with Lavander punishment. As JKR has said, "they are in the middle of a war, and war isn't nice." I am not saying that rule breaking and manipulating is all well and good. Actually, I am appauld at how much the 'good' guys get away with. I have to have talks with my children about not talking back to your elders, not lying, not being deceitful and following the rules that are set to keep them safe. But they see the 'bad' guys and want to make sure they don't win. The truth is that nobody wins in situations like these, but most of us know that the "real" world isn't neat and tidy and black or white. It is many shades of grey.

Yes, Hermione has changed her tactics and her motives. And, yes, she is growing up. Remember, this girl hasn't spent much time with her parents since she started at Hogwarts, her moral instruction has suffered. She is not soley apart of a single child home anymore, but of an entire wizarding world at war. She has changed, but I believe, she is still and remains essentially Hermione.

I felt that here was as good a place as any to repeat myself.

THANK YOU!!!

THE BEST ESSAY I HAVE EVER READ!!

I agree with every single thing that you said.

About her not liking Harry being the best at potions, she was all happy to admit that Harry was better than her at DADA in OotP. She could have said that he was better at the practicals than her while she was still better overall or something, but instead she plainly stated that he was better than her.

I've been wondering if (while it really is true) she didn't believe it herself and only said it to convince Harry.

I dunno what makes everyone blame Ron for Hermione acting the way she did. Ron didn't really do anything. I seriously doubt Ron brought Lavender into the classroom just to **** Hermione off.

Yes, but think of it this way- Ron got jealous of Harry in GoF for getting all the glory, why should this not apply to Hermione?
I'm sure she knows Harry is better than her in DADA, but she knows she is better than him in potions. He and Ron have spent the last 5 years copying her work, having her help them, and for Harry to go and steal her deserved glory, well I would be angry too. Especially because he wasn't doing it on his own, like she had done her whole life.

As for the Ron/Lavendar situation-Ron only started dating Lavendar after Ginny made fun of him for never snogging anyone, and after she told him that Hermione had snogged Krum. He did it out of resentment and jealousy, not because he liked Lavendar. And he was partially using her all year to make Hermione jealous/get back at her. Who can blame her for being mad?

Thanks for telling us what J.K. Rowling does and does not believe. Weren't you saying something about not thinking that personal opinions constitute solid proof?




There is a close to equal if not completely equal amount of evidence that suggests that Rowling does condemn Hermione's actions. Rowling does not make Harry act in a perfect manner. He says, does, and thinks things that are neither correct nor admirable. Just because he believes something does not necessarily mean Rowling believes it.

Obviously Maline's opinion is based on entirely subjective factors while my opinion, however, is more informed as it is backed up by evidence.

And as for that second point, in the example I used, it was obvious that Jo was more likely to be using Harry to show her perspective than Cho. Cho is hardly a character that would incline readers to agree with her.

I will not repeat myself here, as there is already the same discussion going on the 'Hermione's Charater change' thread. But I WILL say that to consider Hermione 'awful' in HBP is to completely disregard the emotional range of her character. You are trying to look at a three-dimensional character with a one-dimensional lens. That simply does not work. If anything, Hermione acts more like a human being as the books go along, instead of some kind of moral automaton.

This editorial was simply a pointless bitter attack on hermione. Hermione is not headed towards a complete moral collapse. Maline is simply bitter that Hermione ended up with Ron and not Harry and is taking out her frustration in this editorial. Hermione has always had extraordinary magical talent. However in the first few books she was not able to truly shine because of her blind obedience to authority and decorum. Through her friendship with Harry and Ron she has learned that breaking the rules is not always bad and her magical abilities have blossomed. It is truly sad that someone would fail to recognize what a great witch Hermione is simply because she did not end up in a relationship with Harry.

Thank you for this editorial! I like Hermione, and I certainly don't want to see anything awful happen to her, but I've felt for a long time now that Hermione is simply blind to opinions other than her own. Her treatment of the house elves, attempting to trick them into a freedom which she KNOWS at least some of them do not want, is just not right (and her attempt to use the centaurs also falls into this category). But do I think Hermione will receive a terrible punishment? Nah. I think it's more likely that she'll have to face the fact that other opinions are valid; it'll be a realization, not a punishment. And as far as hurting other people, yes I was disturbed by her hexing Marietta (presumably she knows the counterjinx, and it seems that after a year she should really come forward and try to help), but I was just as disturbed by Harry using an unknown curse on Malfoy.

“HBP: Frankly, I thought Hermione was a pretty awful character in this book. The girl who used to have great respect for rules now has a clear double-standard”

I disagree with this assessment. I think Hermione is highly conflicted in this book. She still believes in following the rules, but the system that she has relied on for the rules is changing all around her. Textbooks have been her biggest comfort and guidance, and yet the heavily scrawled upon HBP Potions book is a clear demonstration that textbooks are not the be-all and end-all. The student who altered this book demonstrates ability beyond her own and beyond that of the original authors of the text, which threatens her. Also, some of the spells in it (upside down spell) don’t seem very nice, and she is genuinely concerned about trying unknown spells out on innocent people (clearly a justified concerned, given the results of sectumseptra).

Her behavior towards Ron strikes me as the actions of a love-struck teenager. Her conversation with Harry regarding the tryouts v. the use of the lucky potion, indicate to me that she is still working through her position on when rules should and shouldn’t be broken. Is breaking a general rule okay, while breaking the law is not? Are there times when even breaking the law can be justified, in the face of Voldemort’s return? As for the bird attack, the health ramifications seem to have been short-lived and even Ron does not hold the attack against Hermione for long.

I love the character of Hermione but I also agree with this editorial. Yes, I think it is possible to do both. The whole SPEW thing being seen as a bit of a joke really annoys me. I think J.K. Rowling is trying to tell us something very important through Hermione in relation to this (Maline kinda touched on it). It doesn't matter how JUST your cause is, if you go about 'helping' in a bullying way. The fact that Hermione tries to trick the house-elves into freedom is awful. Especially if you consider what happend to Winky and how hard Dobby found it to get work after he was freed (that may be solely to his wanting paid). Something I don't think any one has brought up though is that although Umbridge and Crouch considered themselves 'above the law' so does Dumbledore. Is Hermione, in fact, becoming more Dumbledore-ish?

I love the character of Hermione but I also agree with this editorial. Yes, I think it is possible to do both. The whole SPEW thing being seen as a bit of a joke really annoys me. I think J.K. Rowling is trying to tell us something very important through Hermione in relation to this (Maline kinda touched on it). It doesn't matter how JUST your cause is, if you go about 'helping' in a bullying way. The fact that Hermione tries to trick the house-elves into freedom is awful. Especially if you consider what happend to Winky and how hard Dobby found it to get work after he was freed (that may be solely to his wanting paid). Something I don't think any one has brought up though is that although Umbridge and Crouch considered themselves 'above the law' so does Dumbledore. Is Hermione, in fact, becoming more Dumbledore-ish? Her attitude to SPEW has also been described as Voldemort-ish as well, because of how similar it is in some aspects to his wish to purify the Wizarding World whether they want it or not. I kind of agree with this similarity as well.

Hermione is a good girl. She will not be "punished" for anything. I'll say it again, if she dies or something else terrible happens to her, I doubt it will be for any of the so-called "wicked" things she's done.

Cheers :tu:

Based on the picture I have to her in my head, I see Hermione as a head-strong, somewhat stubborn character, who has clearly defined right and wrong in her head. She is also driven, I think, by a great desire to come out first in her class. (This is probably part of the reason she gets angry at Harry for cheating, and doing better than her in Potions). Despite having this clear right and wrong in her head, I think sometimes her emotions can get the better of her (confunding McLaggen at tryouts). I don't agree with this editorial defending Umbridge, and I don't think that Hermione is evil. But like everyone else, she has her faults. After all, we can't really expect Hermione to have the moral standard of Dumbledore at age 16...

Something I don't think any one has brought up though is that although Umbridge and Crouch considered themselves 'above the law' so does Dumbledore. Is Hermione, in fact, becoming more Dumbledore-ish?

Very interesting point. If you're going to criticize Hermione for this hypocrisy, you really do have to criticize Dumbledore too. But to most of us, Dumbledore's approach, though 'above the law,' is not usually seen in a negative light. I believe this is because he is on our side. So when Dumbledore authoritatively refuses to follow the rules of the Wizarding World, we all quietly think 'good thing we got that dude on our side.' It is much easier to excuse people for acting in this way if they are on you're team. Hasn't every honest athlete argued with the referee in defence of their own teammate (or at least considered doing so in their head)?

But I guess, if I follow Maline's argument, Dumbledore did get his punishment, while Hermione's is yet to come. Hmm...that's rather depressing. I think I'll stick to defending my 'teammates'...

I have been waiting impatiently for this editorial. I was so happy today to find a new North Tower that I was bouncing in my chair and whooping. :)

I love the way Maline always goes off in unexpected directions. She makes an interesting point here, one that (as usual) I hadn't thought of. Some of Hermione's actions are morally iffier than they used to be, even though many of the actions that Maline criticizes didn't bother me. Such as the curse on the parchment, for example, I suppose because rats are such unappealing people it's hard to feel sympathy for them.

Hermione started out with a rigid attitude towards rules and a lack of regard for other people's viewpoints. Being friends with Harry and Hermione seems to have given her a more relaxed attitude toward rulebreaking, while her lack of regard for other people's viewpoints remains unchanged. Perhaps this is a bit of a dangerous combination, turning her into a crusader of sorts (remember that the Crusades resulted in the murder of many Moslems).

Not that this makes her evil, and, note to the people raging over this article, Maline never says Hermione is evil! She says Hermione is ruthless, and the times do call for a certain degree of ruthlessness. (In the Potterverse, that is.)

I have to disagree with Maline, though, when she claims that JKR has to punish Hermione in order to be "moral." For one thing, morality tales are tedious and I'm sure JKR has better things to do with her time. For another, much of what Herminone does, does in fact consist of punishing people who deserved it. Does the punisher deserve punishment for meting out punishment? And if so, will the person who punishes Herminone need to be punished in turn? And where will it all end?

Hmm, I have rambled along a lot more than I intended to. It just shows what a thought- (and controversy- ) provoking editorial this is. Go Maline!

Vivian

I think this editorial was interesting, and I read the Red Hen article a while ago and can see how the two fit together. I can see what you're getting at too, because while I didn't expect Hermione to be 'punished' per se in Book 6, I did expect some of her actions to have some sort of repercussion and that she would get some sort of shock to kind of give her a bit of a metaphorical shake.

However, now thinking about it, I think that her experience in the Department of Mysteries actually did this somewhat. From her statement to Luna at the end of Book 5, about how the Snorkack Hunt would be nice, I think we can see that she is opening her mind to others' point of view, and that she is realising that sometimes others merely have different opinions, and neither is right or wrong. In Book 6, I think that the ups and downs with Ron helped to make her realise that not everything has a practical, straight-out-of-a-book solution. There are some things you have to learn on your own, just like everybody else does, and love is one of them.

One thing I was unhappy to see, however, was that Marietta's pimples were still in place. When she got them in Book 5, I was pleased that the little sneak had got her comeuppance, but I think it a bit extreme that they seem to be permanent, which seems quite a harmful scar to give someone for life. Although I do agree with whoever earlier in the thread said that Kingsley's actions were worse: I was outraged and shocked at the idea of Gilderoy Lockhart blasting away Harry and Ron's memories in Book 2, and so to see Kingsley do it is a bit dubious, although I'll let him pass since he's a good guy! I'm not sure how I stand on the Rita issue; sometimes I think it was wrong to imprison her like that, but on the other hand, part of me thinks Rita deserved someone to show her that she can't go around treating people as walking headlines.

As for Hermione's arrogance, I don't know if I would call it that. I think she takes a great pride in her work and, as the class swot, I know how if, after years of being used to coming top of the class, someone else beats you, especially if that person cheated, you feel kind of jealous inside, no matter how guilty you might feel about it. It may not be the right response, but sometimes it is only natural, and I wouldn't expect anything less from my favourite bookworm!

So all in all, while I do agree with the article on the dubiousness (is that a word?!) of some of Hermione's actions, I feel that a lot of them were so in character for a clever, rather insecure girl growing up and trying to do the best she can in everything, that I can forgive her her flaws, and hope that she doesn't suffer a severe punishment! (All this is IMO of course!)

Hermione is my sh*t. I respect Maline above all other editorial writers and think that she makes some interesting points. BUT I disagree with her.I think that as people already said if hermione should be punished so should everyone else. The thing with the pimples was just a prank that went a little too far. Just like what Sirius did except less deadly. And Sirius is my sh*t too. I think that Maline is exagerating hermiones faults.

I LOVE HERMIONE

i respect NT over all other editorials

i agree hermione is becoming more of what we call a typical teenager minus the fact that she has magic of course!! :p

I don't necessarily agree with all of Maline's points, but am disturbed at the hostility leveled against her personally. Why would registered users go through 7 pages of editorials just to flame the author? If you disagree, fine, make your point - but rudeness isn't tolerated here.

'Nuff said.

I'm horribly ill at the moment, so I haven't read through all of the responses. If I repeat anything already stated, forgive me.

There were two things that I thought were missing from this otherwise excellent editorial. The first is that Hermione already has been punished, numerous times, for her selective judgement. She was petrified and had exams cancelled. She was most seriously injured in the battle in the DoM. She has been punished for many of her errors.

The one thing I believe will come to the forefront in Book 7 involving Hermione is something that was not mentioned in your editorial. Hermione seems to have a great deal of respect for all life. We see this through her actions with SPEW, her helping Hagrid to save Buckbeak and her comforting Hagrid when he is persecuted for being a half-giant. Through all of this, there is one type of creature that she has shown complete and utter disdain for: The Centaurs. JKR has gone out of her way to give Hermione the opportunity to trash talk centaurs (calling them horses, saying they still have four legs, having her mess up when she speaks to the centaurs in the forest). If, as I believe to be true, the final book will involve the trio bringing together all the magical community (as Dumbledore often wished), this predisposition against centaurs will certainly come back into play.

i don't know if anyone's posted this, but read it

http://www.redhen-publications.com/Deconstructing.html

Hmm... I don't know if it's the fact that it's 12:20 or if i'm just confused, but whatever.

In a way, I think Hermione has been punished for her actions that she's done. Especially in HBP, I think. I dunno, what i'm thinking is that Maline was right about all those people who are mad at her... I think the Malfoy's (or at least Lucius) is going to do something to her before it's all over.

But then again, if we're talking about characters getting punished because of their actions, that means that they all are! I mean, in OotP, Harry acted nasty (I know, he was going through a tough time, yeah yeah) and Sirius, someone who he had grown closer to over time died.

Ron in PoA was mean to Hermione because he was certain that her cat killled his rat (and yes, she was annoying then to, I know) and what happens? His rat turns out to be a man!

I might be WAY off (like I said, i'm tired, please don't laugh at me), but I think before the series is over, all of the characters will have been punished. But as long as they don't die, i'm good.

*(Did anyone find it hilarious, yet disturbing how Ron had actually been sharing his bed with a grown man for what, seven years? That's kind of funny). :p

Havent bothered to read everything, but only wanted to comment the Umbridge part as i feel you havent understood Hermoine as a character in the rest of those other situations.

Anyway Umbridge is probably the second most evil person in this series.
She tries to kill Harry and never regrets it. She enjoy torturing (That pen harry used during his punishment, whips being allowed again, not to mention using unforgivable curses). She hates half-humans which is similar to voldemort hating muggles. And she would do anything to gain total control.

So Hermoine tricking her into the forest is pure survival instinct as she clearly realised they was all in mortal danger.

I like Hermione's character, and your article seems a tad one sided. You hated her character in HBP, but did you fail to read the part where she tells Harry to take Felicis potion instead of her and Ron? That was a selfless act on her part, and i loved that scene. Moreover, even though she didn't think Malfoy and Snape were up to something, she trusted Harry, and guarded the Room of Requirement, along with Ron. The last few scenes showed the true qualities of Hermione, and for her to be punished in book 7 for trivial things like putting Rita Skeeter in a jar would be strange to say the least. As someone else pointed out, it would have been harsher to send Rita her to Azkaban.

Great editorial. I do believe you're right about Hermione in a sense. She is getting more vindictive and spiteful in a sense, but have you ever thought of what the author's view of her actions are. It seems to me that rowling approves of what hermione did to umbridge and edgecomb, as though they really deserved what happened to them. Notice that Harry is quite pleased with what happended to Edgecomb, and umbridge was quite a nasty person to say the least. Anyone willing to torture someone and cause permanent scarring deserves the fate that umbrigde got. I don't think however, that hermione ever thought the centaurs were really gonna try to kill her. Even so, she was pretty evil if you ask me, and they had more important matters to attend to like saving Sirius. If you ask me, if anyone particularily as nasty as Umbridge got in my way if I needed to save a friend, I wouldn't mind disposing of them.

I think most of hermione's cruel actions (except her appalling attack on Ron in HBP)are directed towards those who are a threat to her friends.

i think this was a well written editorial but i didnt agree with the things said . yes hermione has become more agressive in her actions but not all of the were as horrible as you made them sound.

I think Hermione's most serious flaw is her closemindedness when it comes to what cant be seen or proven. She doesnt think anything is behind the veil and gets angry when harry and luna think there is. Its this lack imagination that she has that is her most voldemortish trait. Voldemort would surely agree that their is nothing beyond the veil also, thinking theres nothing worse than death.

Punishment for Hermione? i doubt it. The only punishment is that she never will be the leader of the trio, she wont be the one to stop voldemort. Shes a fine person but she isnt harry and overall i think harry is on a higher plane of maturity.

Did you mentiion that it was Hermione's idea to start the DA? I don't think you did. I also don't think you mentioned the scene in the DoM where the DE got caught in the bell jar. When he emerged, he had a baby's head. It was Hermione that stopped Harry from attacking him because it's not right to attack a baby. Even under the pressure of battle, Hermione is showing her compassion for another person.

Yes, Hermione cursed the sign-up sheet for the DA which caused the word SNEAK to be etched across Marietta's face. But Kingsley Shacklebolt carried it further when he modified her memory. He knew drastic action was called for. Marietta wasn't just being a tattle-tale. Her actions could and did cause serious repercussions in the wizarding world.

Umbridge was about to use an unforgivable on Harry and had also admitted that she set the dementors on him. This wasn't just a detention or the possiblity of being expelled. Her other friends were also in danger from Umbridge, not to mention the Inquisitorial Squad. Hermione knew she had to act quickly, and if there's one thing she's learned from being Harry's friend it's to get out of trouble fast. The kind of trouble Harry gets into is very deadly. Hermione did what needed to be done to save her friends and herself. And remember, her's was the only voice of reason when Harry wanted to break into Umbridge's office again.

Hermione's attitudes towards Ron in HBP are understandable. Hermione is older than Harry and Ron, so in that sense, she is more mature in many ways. But Hermione has not gone through the teenage girl/first crush stage until she's well over 17 years of age. She's acting out feelings she should have had when she was 12 or 13. In that sense, Hermione is a late bloomer, and if you don't realize that, it's easy to condemn the things that she did.

In the end, she says they've had plenty of time to turn back, and once again, this remarkable young woman is willing to put her life on hold (her budding relationship with Ron, her education) and follow her best friends into danger.

Hubris? I don't think so. Gryffindor? Absolutely.
I completely agree with Desrealda- I think that Herimione has not only been the voice of reason throughout the series, but often the voice of compassion as well, and this was demonstated in HBP as well. All the characters have faults - they're human, and thats what makes the books so good. I am afraid for Hermione though, she has been the key to thwarting Voldy and the DE all to often and I am sure that shes a target. All though I do have to say that I was shocked at the nastiness of the hex put on Marietta in OOTP, but we all have a dark side and I think from Hermione's point of view ratting them out and getting them all kicked out of school and in trouble with the misistry justified the severity of the punishment. As for confunding McLaggen at keeper tryouts, she wasn't doing it for her own benifit it was for Ron, HArry and the whole team. Basically, in my opinion, every time Hermione gets nasty it's because she's fighting not only for herself but for the greater good of everyone.

Hermione is going in a dangerous direction, in that, more and more, she seems to think that the ends justify the means and anything may be fair game as long as it is defense of her position and her friends. This is, in fact, like Umbridge and Umbridge's use of Dementors and threatened Cruciatus when she views Harry as a threat to the Ministry and her beloved Cornelius Fudge. Hermione is not as mean-spirited and petty-minded as Umbridge, but she is not above being brutal to achieve her ends.

The addition of emotion doesn't help, either. It only makes her more unstable. Now that she is, apparently, a ragingly hormonal teenager, she can, apparently, lash out at anyone, even McLaggen, whose only crime is being a jerk, and even Ron (really hated this part of the book).

In a way, she is going through what Harry goes through in OOTP and what Ron went through in GOF. Things are happening and she is being left out. She is just willing to strike out a bit more forcefully against others than they are.

It is interesting how close to the Dark line the Trio actually seem to walk at times. I rather doubt that Hermione will be punished for her borderline sadism.

Anyway, I liked the article. I read Red Hen and thought this added to the discussion. I have no problem with ideas being broadcast far and wide for comment.

Excellent editorial. It certainly shed a new light on Hermione for my eyes. She annoyed me so much in the beginning of the series that I chose to ignore her entire character; her perfectionist and selfish ways.
I'm betting Rita Skeeter will be the one to punish Hermione, it would be rather hilarious, and well deserved.

Rita Skeeter made Harry's life a hell during their forth year. I would hate it if she goes back to her wicked ways, and punishes Hermione. I think it is bizarre to compare Hermione to Umbridge. Hermione set birds on Ron, while Umbridge sets dementors on Harry. I think the latter is a more extreme case than the former. She made a few mistakes in the sixth book, but really, they were nothing major. Some people are making a mountain out of a molehill. She does not deserve any punishment. If we are to think like this, maybe Ron deserves punishment for forsaking Harry during parts of GOF. Hermione has her heart in the right place. If we are to be punished for trivial errors like this, then many people will suffer in book 7.
The editorial is very one sided. It seems to forget that Hermione was vehemently refusing to take the felix felicis potion that Harry was offering him. She wanted him to take it. This was a selfless act, and i loved her character more for it.

I really can't understand how some people actually believe that Hermione is sadistic, cruel, umbridge-like, evil etc. These are all words that have been thrown around on this board. Hermione is pure genius. She's by far the most powerful witch in the school from her fourth year onward. What she did to Marietta wasn't cruel and it wasnt a prank. It was a genius idea to hold the group accountable. If i was joining an illegal group i would like to know that other people werent going to turn me in. Marrietta got what she deserved and I imagine Hermione is waiting for an apology before removing the scars. As for Rita Skeeter she had to stay in a jar for maybe a week as apposed to significant time in azkaban I dont feel to bad for her. Hermione knows how to use people to help her achieve what she wants. In this aspect she is similar to dumbledore and I love her for it. She is no longer the naive goody two shoes she was at the beginning of the series so if you honestly prefered that hermione to this hermione then i feel bad for you.

I think u're being a bit too hard on Hermione.

Ok, I agree she has her faults, but then who's perfect?

The moment I read the article I understood the feeling about hermione's faults. I can understand all her actions just on the point that she is still a teenager and so, all her feelings are incontrolable and ready to rise.
I felt horrified when she blackmailed Rita because as far as I see it it's a cruel action. I know for sure that Rita is not a little angel, she is evil, however, nobody deserves this kind of things. I know most of you can desagree with me, and well, deep in my mind I could think (when someone has done something bad to me that has hurt me) that I wish to revenge, however, I'm sure the talion's law is not suitable anymore. We have progressed, we know that everybody has dignity and rights, and we cannot hurt back all those people who have caused me pain.
From my point of view Hermione, as long as the others, will learn this, and in fact, it has been already said it in the book, something like: you can see how a man is by the way he treats his enemies...
So, as a summary, revenge is just an easy way, which causes us a brief pleasure, but just momentary...

arial1indigo Hermione has become a little more of a bad girl since the first book but she IS a teenage girl. We generally tend to step away from our comfort zones a little as we age. She has been accumulating enemies, but so have all of the other characters (Harry and Ron as well). I don't really think that she'll get punished in the 7th book. Hermione hasn't been punished yet, really, so why start now? :huh:
XO Anna

i don't know if anyone's posted this, but read it

http://www.redhen-publications.com/Deconstructing.html
I did. It annoyed me. What a pompous bounder the woman is. She's probably so down on Hermione because the character reminds her uncomfortably of her own childhood and adolescence.

She's awfully repetitive too. How many times did she carp on Hermione's poor social skills? Ten? Good grief, there are more important things in life than sucking up to the popular crowd!

Very insightful Maline. Hermione went from a vaguely annoying know-it-all who seemed to be stalking Harry a bit in PS/SS and then became their valued friend to a real shrew in HBP. Like she was in a perpetual state of PMS. Someone get her a Paxil or Prozac. Hope she's more like her old self in the final installment and then maybe it will be less of a disappointment than HBP was in regards to character development.

You actually believe that she'll get punished? I'm sure JK Rowling thinks that the developments in Hermione's character are good. She's loosening up more, not being a strict rule-follower for once. I was never a Hermione fan because I thought, like Ron, that she was an annoying know-it-all who believed rules were everything, that grades were life and death. Now that she'd loosened up more, I find myself liking her more. So what if she'd not a paragon of virtue anymore? She'd still a good person and is in no way becoming the next Umbridge. She'd just becoming a more round, realistic character. How do you think she would be punished? Come on!

You actually believe that she'll get punished? I'm sure JK Rowling thinks that the developments in Hermione's character are good. She's loosening up more, not being a strict rule-follower for once. I was never a Hermione fan because I thought, like Ron, that she was an annoying know-it-all who believed rules were everything, that grades were life and death. Now that she'd loosened up more, I find myself liking her more. So what if she'd not a paragon of virtue anymore? She'd still a good person and is in no way becoming the next Umbridge.

YOU SAID IT!! :tu:

I agree about HBP - The keeper audition really disappointed me, I thought it was far below her level... But Hermione is and will always be my favourite character. She reminds me of myself :)
Good at school... A need to show that she's right... Maybe a bit ruthless... But still not evil, just doing what she feels is right and what she feels most people can earn something from. She would never really hurt someone. I'm JUST like that myself! That's what I like about her, I see myself in her.

When it comes to the "sneak"-curse in Order of the Pheonix - I just LOVED that! I remeber thinking that she sure did the right thing there. I mean, it will fade off after all - it just teaches a lesson: Traitors are not welcome here.

I definitely agree that Hermoine's harsh actions have accelerated through the novels. But so have the actions of everyone else. People are dying, disappearing, and betraying one another right in front of them in Hogwarts. Rowling is constantly showing us that these children (in age, that is) are dealing with things that most 12, 13, 14 year olds would only encounter on television. It is a difficult and frightening time for everyone in the Wizarding World. I think that Rowling is showing the importance of loyalty and friendship. In all of the books, there is some reference to the importance of friends and loyalty, even if it is on Voldemort's side. Although I cannot immediately produce another's name who has done the same things as Hermoine, there is no one quite as clever either. Hermoine recognizes that the world is getting increasingly dangerous and she must do what she can to survive and help her friends. These events are not normal. The appearance of Harry Potter at Hogwarts has caused so many bad things to happen. The death of Quirrell (PS), Ginny's "possession" and the near-fatalities of many students (CoS), the death of Cedric Diggory and Bartemius Crouch (GoF), the death of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather (OotP), you get the point. The actions of adults are not following the lines of proper law and behavior. So one could not expect for Hermoine to go to the Aurors with Rita Skeeter. People like Umbridge are hurtful and ignorant and are actually helping Voldemort to return through inaction or inter-Ministry squabbles. Everything is changing. Dumbledore says, "Dark and difficult time lie ahead". And that is true for everyone. I don't believe Hermoine will be punished. I think Rowling identifies with her too much. If Rowling kills Ron (as some people believe) I don't think it will be to punish Hermoine, but for some other purpose. I think violence is a larger part of the wizarding world, which was ignored in this editorial. Others are constantly doing harm, attempting murder, succeeding in doing so. I don't think that Hermoine should be singled out as more malicious than anyone else who recognizes what is happening.

compare your 11 year old to your 16 year old self.... and there you have it lol... things change.. and even still... I don't think she's acting nasty.. she's just keeping her friends close... and your example about McLaggen... it's no secret about her feelings for Ron now.... and love makes you do strange things.

compare your 11 year old to your 16 year old self.... and there you have it lol... things change.. and even still... I don't think she's acting nasty.. she's just keeping her friends close... and your example about McLaggen... it's no secret about her feelings for Ron now.... and love makes you do strange things.

About McLaggen, in chapter 11, just before they go into dinner (after the tryouts), Harry questions Hermione about Confunding McLaggen:

<cut> "And he was standing right in front of where you were sitting."
Hermione blushed.
"Oh, all right then, I did it," she whispered. "But you should have heard the way he was talking about Ron and Ginny! Anyway, he's got a nasty temper, you saw how he reacted when he didn't get in -- you wouldn't have wanted someone like that on the team." <cut>

So actually she was giving Harry "a heads up" about McLaggen's real character, too bad she didn't know about his "controlling" personality or his know-it-all mentality when it comes to quidditch. Harry could have avoided the hospital wing, for once. LOL

Now that you mentioned it Maline Hermione's character has changed. But I think a lot of the things she has done were warranted. Like for instance, you brought up the fact in OotP that she deliberately took Umbridge to the Forbidden Forest which as you put it was attempted murder. I am not arguing that it wasn't attempted murder, but I think it was warranted. Look at everything she did to Harry (attempted murder, permanent scar, lifetime ban of quidditch, humiliated Harry and friends). She so needed to be ruffed up. Additionally, Hermione put the hex on the paper that the DA all signed. So what. It was a protective measure. They obviously needed it since Cho's friend was the one who told when they all agreed that they wouldn't tell.

Ultimately I feel that Hermione has indeed changed. She is not as uptight as she used to be. Sure she can be a bit hypocritical when it comes to the rules that she breaks but hey who isn't a little hypocritical from time to time. And sure she feels like she always knows best when in fact she doesn't but don't we all try to look out for our loved ones. I just feel while the article was excellent, that it doesn't take into account the fact that some of the things that Hermione has done are indeed warranted.

I do however feel that something will indeed happen to Hermione at the hands of Malfoy. It may be a bit of foreshadowing but in movie three after Hermione clocked Malfoy in the face and his head hit the big rock (my favorite part in the movie....I had to rewind it a couple of times because it was classic ) he says, "I am going to get that trumped up Mudblood, mark my words" I am not sure how this situation will play out, but I do think it will be Malfoy who will do or try to do harm to Hermione.

This was an extremely interesting article, Maline, as are the several other articles I've read in the North Tower. I suppose one could look at Hermione through this sort of lens, but also consider this: Hermione has always worshipped the logic and structure of authority. Slowly, she is seeing the flaws of that authority, and she is no longer following blindly. She is acting out of necessity, now that the things she once held in high esteem are showing themselves to be more complex and less reliably black and white than she at first believed in her youthful idealism. In my opinion, Hermione would make an excellent politician, as she is ruthless when she needs to be. But truly, as you say, it is a dangerous course to try to run, especially for a young girl who has not got as much information as those authorities she is flouting more and more.

I do think she will get a sort of 'punishment' in Book 7, but I would rather view it through less of a polarized moral lens and more in the line of "the dangers of directed action." Hermione is cunning and she seems to be fighting the war more in the manner of the Slytherin mindset than the blind courage that we see in Harry, who is often misinformed, but more than ready to act to save others. Hermione does need to guard against hubris, but I do not think she has yet succumbed to its lures. Everything she has done has been on a par with the crimes she is trying to fight. She is more and more becoming an authority unto herself, and in so doing, she needs to be more informed and more careful to consider all sides of the problem.

When one comes to think of it, I wonder if Hermione will be the first one to see through the fallacies of Snape's behavior once Harry reveals the details to her? I think she, more than Harry, can understand the 'Slytherin mindset,' although, as hgrwfan says, I think she might not understand the depth of her danger from the younger Malfoy. I think it is possible Draco might try to redeem himself for his failure at the Tower by contriving to do something awful to Hermione, just to prove he is capable of it. I can see him having more intent to give his spells power against her than Dumbledore. She is an open target in this regard.

Altogether an interesting line of speculation!
Cheers!
Lyta (Boiled Owl)

P.S. Another interesting line of thought is the Ginny Effect. I wonder if Hermione's friendship with Ginny has affected her way of thinking, as it seems that the two are acting a little more in accord than when Hermione was younger. Ginny's development I see as a bit like Harry's at the start, the possession by Tom Riddle in her first year? Now how many kids start off with something as bad as that? Well, Harry does, in a way, but Harry goes looking for it. He is solving a mystery in the Philosopher's Stone. Ginny gets it without really trying. I think Ginny's willingness to use hexes on simply anyone grows partly out of this beginning, but I also think that her friendship with Hermione affects the elder girl's judgements, as this is a real hint that evil can affect anyone, and that it must be actively fought. That, and her growing dissatisfaction with authority might make Hermione more willing to act outside accepted "moral boundaries." Just a thought, anyway.

Hey! I think Maline's editorials are pretty good, but this time I really don't agree with her!!! In my opinion, Hermione's neither becoming evil nor darker or anything like that. I feel a bit indentified with her, and, about HBP, and potions...Sometimes when someone does better that you in something you were the first at, or at least very good at, it makes you feel a bit...mm, jealous. Maline, haven't you ever felt like that? I'm sure you have! And she charmed Ron's performance because SHE'S IN LOVE WITH HIM!!!!! (isn't that obvious???) We all do things like that when falling in love...We just don't care if it's good or bad! And I don't think that Hermione's going to be punished or anything, as Maline said, she's just a teenager growin' up. No more to say.

Very interesting editorial. JK has said that Hermione is her as a young girls so I doubt that she'd be coming to any real harm, but it is thought provoking. As for some of the bad stuff that Hermione has done - I think it's unfair to include the cursed sign up sheet and Murietta's subsequent acne. First of all, she warned everyone that it was cursed. Murietta took that action knowing that she was stepping into it.

If we're going to talk about people getting theirs - let's talk about Ron and some of the stupid disloyal stuff that he's pulled. He might end up getting some bad stuff out of stubbornness or stupidity...

ok - I take it back. In re-reading OOTP I see that Hermione didn't inform everyone that the signup sheet was jinxed, although she did make it clear that signing up was a serious matter.

In re-reading it I see that she does pull some mean feats - but there is a morality to all of them. For example, in jinxing the sign up sheet she is ensuring that the person who puts their lives in danger will be known. She also agrees to break into Umbridge's office - something she should be totally oppsed to - to make sure that Sirius is ok. The first time Harry does it, she offers dire warnings - even hissing them to the point the Seamus thinks that there is something wrong with his cauldron.

There is a certain amount of moral relativism - but if you travel back to 2nd year, she steals (or is instrumental in stealing) items from Snape's cabinet to make the poly-juice potion (which is illegal). She is willing to break the rules for the things that she deems to be important - which is what we all do, don't we?

Did you mentiion that it was Hermione's idea to start the DA? I don't think you did. I also don't think you mentioned the scene in the DoM where the DE got caught in the bell jar. When he emerged, he had a baby's head. It was Hermione that stopped Harry from attacking him because it's not right to attack a baby. Even under the pressure of battle, Hermione is showing her compassion for another person.

Yes, Hermione cursed the sign-up sheet for the DA which caused the word SNEAK to be etched across Marietta's face. But Kingsley Shacklebolt carried it further when he modified her memory. He knew drastic action was called for. Marietta wasn't just being a tattle-tale. Her actions could and did cause serious repercussions in the wizarding world.

Umbridge was about to use an unforgivable on Harry and had also admitted that she set the dementors on him. This wasn't just a detention or the possiblity of being expelled. Her other friends were also in danger from Umbridge, not to mention the Inquisitorial Squad. Hermione knew she had to act quickly, and if there's one thing she's learned from being Harry's friend it's to get out of trouble fast. The kind of trouble Harry gets into is very deadly. Hermione did what needed to be done to save her friends and herself. And remember, her's was the only voice of reason when Harry wanted to break into Umbridge's office again.

Hermione's attitudes towards Ron in HBP are understandable. Hermione is older than Harry and Ron, so in that sense, she is more mature in many ways. But Hermione has not gone through the teenage girl/first crush stage until she's well over 17 years of age. She's acting out feelings she should have had when she was 12 or 13. In that sense, Hermione is a late bloomer, and if you don't realize that, it's easy to condemn the things that she did.

In the end, she says they've had plenty of time to turn back, and once again, this remarkable young woman is willing to put her life on hold (her budding relationship with Ron, her education) and follow her best friends into danger.

Hubris? I don't think so. Gryffindor? Absolutely.

I agree with your point on the sneak area, but what about what Cho Chang said? Why didn't she warn them? Rowling gave us a hint about it though right when they were signing it, it was as though they were signing a contract. which they were as they later found out.

There's a difference between being a hormonal teenage girl and an agressive, almost slytherin girl. Attacking Ron with birds? Attacking McLaggen with a Confundus Charm? That's way below the belt. It's completely besides the point McLaggen was a jerk because hermione didn't know that.

Voice of Reason? Sure, of course she is. She's the one with the brain, but she doesn't always use it properly. Telling the centaurs that she just wanted their help to get rid of Umbridge was the wrong thing to say.

Back to the jinxed sheet of paper, modifying Marietta's memory was neccesary, but having sneak written across your face permanently is not.

We all know that Hermione was trying to help by telling Harry to get rid of the HBP's Potions Book, but she also wanted to be the top of the class. She's used to it, she likes it, she loves it, she savors it. But when Harry steals the spotlight she gets mad. That doesn't seem exactly best friendish to me. (Though she does warn Harry not to use the spells on the side because they could be dangerous, which one was, we all know the main reason why she wanted the book returned) She gloated when harry had to understand the principles of a particular potion. And was angered when he still got credit for the bezoar stone.

You say Gryffindor I say Ravenclaw. I might even go as far as Slytherin. Because from the past 2 books, she sure is acting like one.

I agree with your point on the sneak area, but what about what Cho Chang said? Why didn't she warn them? Rowling gave us a hint about it though right when they were signing it, it was as though they were signing a contract. which they were as they later found out.

There's a difference between being a hormonal teenage girl and an agressive, almost slytherin girl. Attacking Ron with birds? Attacking McLaggen with a Confundus Charm? That's way below the belt. It's completely besides the point McLaggen was a jerk because hermione didn't know that.

Bolding is mine.

You are wrong! It says in the book, Chapter 11, HBP, Page 232 US Edit:

"Oh, all right I did it," she (Hermione) whispered. "But you should have heard the way he was talking about Ron and Ginny! Anyway, he's got a nasty temper, you saw how he reacted when he didn't get in -- you wouldn't have wanted someone like that on your team."

McLaggen had his tryout before Ron, so he must have been grousing all through the tryouts, and McLaggen was standing right in front of Hermione, so she couldn't have missed it. Would you have allowed your friends to be attacked by this "loud-mouthed Quidditch know-it-all" and to represent your house on the Quidditch pitch? Seeing how he was, as a "team player" later in the book, Hermione wasn't wrong. They might have even lost to the Slytherins in the first match, Harry has never lost to the Slytherins, nor has the team, since Harry has been on it. Thank goodness for Hermione!

Hmm... Interesting editorial. I always thought one of the trio/quartet would die. (I think Neville counts) But it was always Ron, in my opinion, who had to suffer some.
I think that a lot of what was interpreted as cruelty and minor evil was JKR's way of tying them into the plot. For Rita Skeeter and Umbridge, JKR needed someone close to Harry who's smart enough to figure out the clues to the Animagi thing and either Hermione or Harry to figure out how to get rid of her, and Hermione would have thought of it first, because Dolores's cruelty to 'half-breeds' was so much like what Hermione thought was happening to the house-elves, so she made a connection between how angry centaurs can be and Umbridge's evil. I think that most of the articles written will have no use whatsoever, especially those pointless 'running bits' such as socks and long fingers. I am willing to bet that one of the quartet will die, but maybe the great punishment for Hermione will be for Ron to die, possibly when she herself was partially at fault.

that was brave. but im afraid you jumped to conclusion without thinking. umbridge attempted to kill her best friend, made harry engrave words into his arm, and almost used an unforgivable curse on them!! how does she not deserve what she had coming?? hermione led her into the forest not only to give her what she deserved but to do what was necessary to get to sirius before it was to late. she cursed mclaggen not only for ron but for the better of the team. if any girl had magic she would send flying birds to pick at any guy who was breaking her heart. rita skeeter was responsible for 90 percent of people bashing harry. marietta deserved what she got, she sold out the whole DA and her best friend.
i understand where your getting this idea because you are manipulating the facts. hermione is good person and is nothing even remotely evil or anything like umbridge. she plays her stengths(cleverness) and uses them to her and her friends advantage and now she should be punished?? NO.
with the 'facts' your using to prove that hermione deserves punishment can be used against almost every other character: for example. ginny is becoming evil because she used the bat boogey hex on a fellow classmate who was soooo undeserving.....WRONG.

im sorry this is still extremely brave of you to post what you think, i just think its wrong. hermione is a wonderful human being.

Do we really want Hermione to be all goody goody gumdrops, or do want a Hermione that can stand with Harry and fight tooth and nails? Character growth is important in the Harry Potter world. I wouldnt want to see Hermione go into this war too tenderhearted. I wouldn't want her protecting, helping, Harry and the entire wizarding world acting like Lavender Brown. We are watching Hermione taking her emotions and finding wittty ways to act on them. While it's predictable for Hermione to protect her friends, she isnt just setting around and only using book smarts to do it. Getting rid of Umbridge took wits and not book smarts. She had to do this with no magic . She didnt have her wand. I think this is important for JKR future plots. Harry, Ron, and Hermione can't always rely on magic alone. As far as Hermione's self preservation goes, she has to have a little bit of it. We all do. She is still willing to fight for others. If she was only about self preservation she wouldn't have told Harry at the end of "Half Blood Prince" that she was going with him. Hermione loves school, she loves learning, but she is willing to give up her final year at Hogwarts to help the world from the hurricane that is LV. I dont want a Hermione that goes around saying,"I love puppies, guppies, and kittens." I want a Hermione that make a plan and carry it out even if it seems ruthless, or even a little primitive. She walks the line between lover and fighter, ready to follow her heart where it's needed.

that was brave. but im afraid you jumped to conclusion without thinking. umbridge attempted to kill her best friend, made harry engrave words into his arm, and almost used an unforgivable curse on them!! how does she not deserve what she had coming?? hermione led her into the forest not only to give her what she deserved but to do what was necessary to get to sirius before it was to late. she cursed mclaggen not only for ron but for the better of the team. if any girl had magic she would send flying birds to pick at any guy who was breaking her heart. rita skeeter was responsible for 90 percent of people bashing harry. marietta deserved what she got, she sold out the whole DA and her best friend.
i understand where your getting this idea because you are manipulating the facts. hermione is good person and is nothing even remotely evil or anything like umbridge. she plays her stengths(cleverness) and uses them to her and her friends advantage and now she should be punished?? NO.
with the 'facts' your using to prove that hermione deserves punishment can be used against almost every other character: for example. ginny is becoming evil because she used the bat boogey hex on a fellow classmate who was soooo undeserving.....WRONG.

im sorry this is still extremely brave of you to post what you think, i just think its wrong. hermione is a wonderful human being.

wonderful human being and all but even if McLaggen made all the shots and so did Ron who do you think Harry would pick? His best friend or someone insulting his best friend? She was interfering with the tryouts thinking that Harry would choose the egotastical jerk. Why else would she Confund him? Has she no faith in him? Harry's not stupid.

Breaking her heart? Hermione may have been breaking his heart as well, he cares about her but doesn't know how to approach it. And she just made it so much more difficult. Going with Krum to the Ball wasn't exactly helping, asking her out after a world famous quidditch player did? If you ask me, that's depressing. I would definately not have the guts to ask someone out after someone famous asked them out.:no:

Marietta got what she deserved, I agree. But was wrong of Hermione to make them all sign a slip of parchment that was jinxed without tell them.

Ugh, sorry if I sound extremely rude. I don't mean to be. =/

Hey Malene

Original editorial! thanks...

One of the great things about JK Rowling is she always gives her characters a "shadow side". The shadow side tends to be the underside of whatever virtues they have. so for Hermione it was inevitable that her know it all self-righteousness would translate into her vindictiveness and black and white punishments of others. Hermione would definitely think she as giving people from Ron to Umbridge just what they deserved (as another postee has said above). But you can see that its not as simple as that. For example, would Harry do what Hermione did? Harry lived with the Dirty Dursleys for years and yet is curiously not too vindictive about it. Look at how he saved that rathead Pettigrew...one of Harry's qualities is that lack of vindictiveness. You know I reckon I'm more like Hermione but I am more attracted to Harry's way...I'm wondering if this lack of vindictiveness will be a key element of the plot climax? or is Voldermort beyond redemption even for Harry?

Elixiroflife

Hmm...interesting editorial, but I must admit I partly disagree (note, before you read this, that I AM a Hermione fan).

Hermione, like many of the characters in the Harry Potter series, has her good and bad things. This means the characters are realistic, which is one of the many things that makes the Harry Potter series worth reading (strong characters).

Personally, I think that Hermione hasn't really changed. She has always wanted to prove she is right, and that has to do with the fact that what she fears the most is failure (shown in her Boggart). However, that doesn't mean that she didn't help her friends throughout the series. True, she has done more things for herself in the last book, but I believe she has a great deal of good influence in OoTP, specially when setting everything up for the DA.

And also regarding this:

A bit earlier in the book, she puts a curse on a piece of paper, leading to a girl getting her face totally destroyed.

Marrietta Edgecombe walked into that one. She knew she had signed a contract, even though she didn't know that the consequences would be so brutal if she gave away something. There's no excuse for her being an ugly sneak (excuse the language, heh).

Regarding Umbridge, well, that's a pretty different thing, isn't it?? Personally, I think she does actually deserve what she got as well, given to the fact that she is a cold and vile woman who could use some punishment, don't you think? Yes, it would have been more appropiate to inform higher authorities, but the authorities were not available at that precise moment...on her side, more like.

However, I do have something that's been bothering me for a long time. In this editorial, Hermione and Umbridge are related, comparing what they do and saying, in a way, that they do similar things:

In the first chapter of this book, Dolores Umbridge sends two Dementors after Harry. This is attempted murder, or at least entrapment to get him expelled and perhaps even thrown into Azkaban. Further along in the book, she gives Harry a permanent scar on his hand by forcing him to write lines in his own blood. Now, Umbridge claims she does this to protect the Ministry and I actually believe her. I think she actually does believe Fudge and thinks that Harry is out to destroy the Ministry. From where she stands, she’s doing the right thing, protecting the things she believe in.

Hermione takes Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest with the admitted agenda of getting the Centaurs to “take care of her." Now, Hermione has been in the Forest several times, and even though she is painfully ignorant as to the ways of the Centaurs, she knows that they are dangerous and that the Forest itself is a dangerous place to be. To lure Umbridge into the Forest and hand her over to the Centaurs is also, essentially, attempted murder, though Hermione probably doesn’t think that far.

Now, this connection leads me to something I've been wondering for a while...

...why do Hermione and Umbridge share middle names??

Hermione Jane Granger

Dolores Jane Umbridge

Maybe this does have to do with Hermione's attitude after all...I mean, we know how carefully J.K. Rowling picks her names.

Anyways, I think that (as it has been said before) this was a very brave editorial and, most importantly, led to a lot of discussion. Personally, once again, I don't think Hermione has done enough bad, or made many serious mistakes to receive a punishment. And if so, it should be related, as said in the article, to those who dislike her for how she has treated them in the course of the years.

Okay, I'm going over to the Underground Lake now, hahaha.

That was nasty, I'm sorry.
But I want to make clear that I don't agree with this article. Read my signature and you'll know why.

The way both Ron and Hermione are willing to sacrifce themselves to help Harry on his Horcrux-adventure is so touching. Their friendship is greater than life and stands above all the accusations (for lack of a better word) i read in Maline's article.

Ron and Hermione both seemed a bit confused in this book. A lot of irritation on both sides. To me it seemed they were very frustrated in love. Their behaviour was only a logical consequence. But I don't think Hermione ever crossed a line. The things she did would be quite nasty in the real world, but this is fiction with a bit of humor in it. These parts where Hermione ventures her frustration or irritation a bit are to be read lightly (and not be taken too seriously), I think.

I compare it with Roald Dahl making those creeps eat worms and pulling all kinds of tricks on those children in the chocolate factory. Cruel in the real world, but meant to be funny in fiction.

Of course Hermione has enemies. She has chosen Harry's side!!! And she is not afraid to do so! That alone gives her enough credit to cast a hundred spells on McLaggen if she wants to.:p

The editorial is plain nonsense. Here's why:

"she needs to prove to everyone that she’s right ("e.g. the case of Lavender’s dead rabbit.")
There's a whole lot of difference between saying this, and saying that "She doesn't want people to be easily upset by the wronge beliefs", which I think was her real intention. Agreed, Hermione is show-offish, but not when people were seriously believing that Trelawney had great powers of prescience.


"Hermione takes Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest with the admitted agenda of getting the Centaurs to “take care of her." ".

Oh, I think her agenda was rather to escape from the situation which had turned to Umbridge's advantage. If you remember, or rather refer to your OoTP book, the young forces of light - Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny ans Luna are suffocated by the burly Inquisitorial Squad, and escape let alone expulsion is unavoidable. I think it was one of her "genius" moments, taking Umbridge's weakness to escape temporarily and attend to more pressing problems. If it was a choice between attending to the serious woes of a friend and the well-being of a horrible teacher, even a moron with an IQ of 30 would choose the former. And where does she admit that she indeed wanted the Centaurs to "take care" [sic] of Umbridge?

"when hurt, she’s vindictive".

Who doesn't?


"I do find it very interesting, however, how the girl who started out in a “McGonagall light” grows more and more into a “Dolores Umbridge light”."
That is like the most ridiculous thing I've heard, and mind you, I've heard stories about Heliopaths from Luna.

What a horrible way of making poor unsuspecting readers to read the tosh!

At first I thought this would be a load of rubbish... But after reading it I realised that there was a lot I hadn't taken in of Hermione's actions.

After pondering I not only agree with this article, but also hope that Hermione does indeed get what's coming to her. If for no other reason than to show that all actions, no matter the motivation, have consequences.

I think that some of the posts in this thread seem to be a little too biased in favor of Hermione. I mean, yes, she is a teenaged girl with raging hormones who is obviously interested in Ron, but that is not justification for some of the things she did.
For example, going out with McLaggen, just to spite Ron. Ron may have been equally immature in regards to his motivations for going out with Lavender Brown, but that isn't a justification for Hermione to actively seek out and date someone Ron dislikes for the sheer purpose of making him feel bad. She used someone just to get back at a friend, not considering that, as shallow as McLaggen is, she has no right to use someone else as a pawn to upset someone else. Being a teenage girl in love is NO excuse for doing something like that. Also note that she obviously put conscious effort into doing this, as she also considered Zacharias Smith as a potential date, meaning that this was not a split-second decision.
She attempted to free house elves against their will by hiding clothing under rubbish she knew they'd try and clear up. They may be bound to service by enchantments, but consider also that trying to force their freedom upon them by manipulating a clause of said enchantments (Giving them clothes.) is no better. They state outright that they do not wish to be free, yet she attempts to trick them into it, which insulted them and caused the majority of them to avoid cleaning the area. Also, we might consider the consequences of these elves being freed. Remember that Dobby and Winky had difficulty finding a new station of work. If there is a bias against freed house elves (Perhaps because wizards may believe there might be something wrong with the elves in question if they have been released from service.), then she would be making things more difficult for creatures that did not wish to be free in the first place. I'm not condoning enslavement, just pointing out that Hermione's actions could have serious consequences for the house elves.

I'm not saying that Hermione is a bad character - as with all other characters, she has flaws. I'm just trying to say that some people are ignoring the fact that not all of the actions she performs are justifiable. I do not believe her to be as bad as she seems to be shown as in the editorial, but I do think that there are some aspects to the character, and some actions that she performed, that cannot be justified, and I think that it's being glossed over by illogical defenses such as "She's a teenage girl. Wouldn't you do the same?". Regardless of who you are, there are some things that are unjustifiable.

And as an end note, I do think that Hermione has been more prone to rule-bending in favor of more self-interested motivations, but I do not believe that she is going downhill as a result. She's still a good character, and I think that, by the end of "The Half-Blood Prince", she has changed for the better.

That must have been a very good editorial if it kept my attention at 11:30 at night.

I do agree that her character has changed a lot, and I think that Harry and Ron might be at blame for some of that. She's hung around them for six years, and thier tendencies to break rules has rubbed of on her a bit. Also, I think the "love for Ron" aspect has greatly influenced herin the past few books. I don't think she's going as far as Umbridge, nor do I think that she has become a truly undesireable character. She is stricken with love, and Ron acted in just as much a cruel manner, though he showed his anger differently.

Perhaps once the frustration over Ron has ended, more of the old Hermione will show through. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Hermione pays for her actions.

All in all, I still have faith in her.



I think that some of the posts in this thread seem to be a little too biased in favor of Hermione. I mean, yes, she is a teenaged girl with raging hormones who is obviously interested in Ron, but that is not justification for some of the things she did.
For example, going out with McLaggen, just to spite Ron. Ron may have been equally immature in regards to his motivations for going out with Lavender Brown, but that isn't a justification for Hermione to actively seek out and date someone Ron dislikes for the sheer purpose of making him feel bad. She used someone just to get back at a friend, not considering that, as shallow as McLaggen is, she has no right to use someone else as a pawn to upset someone else. Being a teenage girl in love is NO excuse for doing something like that. Also note that she obviously put conscious effort into doing this, as she also considered Zacharias Smith as a potential date, meaning that this was not a split-second decision.


Remember, though, that girls respond differently to such things than guys do. Girls with think up evil little plans, and concoct clever ways to get back at people, while guys, well, I'll never fully understand guys, but they don't seem to think into things as much. No offense to anyone, just trying to display the differences between guys and girls.

True, very true, BUT I think it portrayed Hermione in a very negative light. True, she has become more....interventive, but she is still the Hermione we grew to love in the earlier books. I think this article highlighted more of her actions than her intentions. Granted, she may not have done the best things, but she did have good intentions 99% of the time.

I generally agree with your summary, Maline. And Hermy is still one of my favorite characters. (Good luck this year with your busy schedule!)

However the Umbridge-into-forest maneuver was not something Hermione plotted at length - remember they were facing Unforgivable Curses from a Headmistress very nearly having a psychotic break, that may have lead to the serious injury or death of any one of the prisoner DA's; Hermione was under immediate pressure to find ANY means of escaping from Umbridge to save Sirius's life & protect whatever dangerously valuable item Voldemort was trying to steal from the Ministry. Although this turned out to be mortal danger Umbridge faced in the forest (exacerbated by her own thoughtless insults) - we cannot know that Hermione would have thrown Umbridge to the Centaurs simply as revenge for her general wrongdoings; this was panic [battle] strategizing on Hermione's part.

In retrospect the Rita Skeeter imprisonment is a bit harsh, but would she really have faced Azkaban for her Hogwarts indiscretions? And what else really could have kept her unpublished for a year?

Des. has a point about Hermione being a late bloomer - we sorta view the fast-forward encapsulation of a child’s social and moral development in Hermy. Doubtless she was a selfless and polite child from 0 to 11, so she has to fit in all those moody irrational stages before Hogwarts graduation and adulthood.

The wrong thing done for the right reason is still a wrong thing.

Ok, i accept that she has done some wrong things, but it's too much for me in this article. Interesting though.

"I do find it very interesting, however, how the girl who started out in a “McGonagall light” grows more and more into a “Dolores Umbridge light”."
I can't believe someone would compare Hermione to Dolores Umbridge. That's just missing the point. Umbridge is a character that was clearly constructed to be vicious. She is the epitome of evil, following Voldemort and the Death Eaters, of course, plus she enjoys hurting other people, hence her name. Hermione is far from that. I can see why you would say that she has a tendency towards "moral relativism" because she ruins McLaggen's audition and tells Harry off for slipping Ron the Felix Felicis, but this is human nature. It's harder for people to see and acknowledge their own flaws than to point out somebody else's. It's part of Hermione's character being annoying, showing off, and being opinionated to the point of exasperation, but she's definetly not "vindictive" enough to compare her to Umbridge or to say that she deserves to be punished for it. Hermione does things because she believes them to be right, as do Harry and Ron. And while it's true that she does tell people off for smaller things that what she does, she doesn't deserve to be criticized like that or to be punished in book 7 for it (I really don't think that Rowling has Karma in mind when doing plot outlines). Besides, both Umbridge and Skeeter deserved what was coming to them and perhaps more, I actually applaud Hermione for having the courage and the wit to put both those evil cows in their place.
As for her behavior towards Harry and Ron in HBP, Ron sort of did deserve those canaries although I didn't think Hermione would stoop so low as to date McLaggen, but in the end she sees the error of her ways. The only thing I that I really didn't like about her in HBP was her attitude towards Harry in Potions. That was inexcuasable (although she was right about the Prince, wasn't she?). Overall, I think Hermione isn't morally decadent, she's just human, as most of the other characters are.
P.S. If anyone deserves to be punished, in my opion, it isn't Hermione but Snape.

I just personally don't believe that this is a very good summing up of Hermione. There are VERY few observations that could be interrpreted in a negative way, but personally, I'm not buying it.

I think that Serena_Hollow and _uh are spot on. Hermione is human. What she did to Ron is what just about any frustrated teenage girl would do, however dating McClaggen is a bit harsh, but Ron did the same thing with the whole Lavender Brown debacle. I think personally that what she did to Rita was justified considering Rita had been writing false articles; it was good to make her write true ones, and look how well the first true interview with Harry turned out! Also, Umbridge TOTALLY deserved what she got for almost Crucio-ing Harry, and putting "I will not tell lies" into his hand with blood. She is an evil character that got what was coming to her. I think that Hermione might get hurt in Book 7 but only because she is bff with Harry and Ron and will be actively trying to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters. In HBP, her insufferable annoyance at Harry's potion making skills is part of her know-it-all character, however aggravating it may be. She's only human, and she did have a point: Harry was CHEATING in a school subject, which isn't exactly showing good morals. If you really want to focus on bad morals, focus on Harry's and Ron's, theirs are worse than Hermione's will ever be because they never cared one smidge about rules in the first place.

I totally didn't agree with that article or the last one, sorry I'm being so negative because I used to like your editorials, but they haven't been quite up to par lately, compared to your earlier ones. I understand that you're busy, as we all are, but if you're going to take awhile to write them, then at least try and make them brilliant instead of this ridiculous vendetta against Hermione.

Also, to add to my comment: at the end of your article you state the list of enemies Hermione has: Lucius, Slytherins in general, Umbridge, Bellatrix and other DEs, Rita, and Trelawney. I think that's all. Now, other than Trelawney, Harry and Ron are enemies with Lucius, the Slytherins, Umbridge, Bellatrix and other DEs. Rita I wouldn't consider his, Hermione, or Ron's enemy because she helped them out in Book 5, and didn't harm them in Book 6 when she was able to write freely again. I wouldn't consider Trelawney an enemy either because other than Trelawney not particularly liking Hermione, that doesn't make them enemies for goodness' sake.

Also, to add to my comment: at the end of your article you state the list of enemies Hermione has: Lucius, Slytherins in general, Umbridge, Bellatrix and other DEs, Rita, and Trelawney. I think that's all. Now, other than Trelawney, Harry and Ron are enemies with Lucius, the Slytherins, Umbridge, Bellatrix and other DEs. Rita I wouldn't consider his, Hermione, or Ron's enemy because she helped them out in Book 5, and didn't harm them in Book 6 when she was able to write freely again. I wouldn't consider Trelawney an enemy either because other than Trelawney not particularly liking Hermione, that doesn't make them enemies for goodness' sake.

i am a huge Maline fan.. i seriously hate your school.. because it takes your editorials away from us!.. how ever in this particular one i have to disagree.. allthough i think it was pretty messed up to do Mclaggen.. after i met the guy i'm glad she did! (the guy is such a git!) and i think all the mischevious nasty things she has done give her dimensions.. she's not a flat character and life is not black and white! who of us is free of guilt? have we not done some of our own lil' vendettas? i think these things make Hermione real, and i like it. i must admit i was disapointed Umbridge didn't hit it harder.. stupid woman.. "filthy half breeds" she asked for it! and Rita.. if anyone deserves a spoon of her own medicine (don't know if you have that expression in english) is her! i am soon to be journalist.. and absolutely hate her... the prophet exists to sell it self. that's what's got the world going down the gutters--
and then there'r Marietta.. boy do i love those pimples across her face..so i guess it's my dark side coing out.. but i think that some people.. deserve what they get,like when Harry got his nose broken.. i have to admit he had it coming.. story wise.. all of Hermione's actions have a very specific reason and result.. and i think that in the end. they are somewhat justified.

First off let me candidly admit that I have not read every message on this thread, so I hope I'm not repeating points already made. Second, I am unabashedly pro-Hermione so you just know that Maline will not be getting any cheery Christmas cards from me. Ever.

Maline levels a very serious charge against Hermy: that of hubris. Those of you familiar with Greek mythology will remember that it was hubris - excessive pride - that led Icarus to fly rather closer to the sun with waxen wings than is recommended, with the result that he suffered an early watery death. While I am not saying that Maline is calling for Hermione's extinction as a suitable "punishment" for her "hubris", nonetheless, it seems she wants more than just a slap on the wrist for my favourite bushy haired brainiac.

Bah! Bah, I say!

I am going to assume that each of Maline's points have been adequately countered in the posts preceding mine, but I want to mention one example that I think belies Maline's scurrilous charge that Hermione suffers from hubris. Remember in the HBP when Professor Slughorn tells Hermione that Harry said she was best in his year? Hermione turns to Harry with a "radiant" face and says, "Did you really tell him I'm the best in the year? Oh, Harry!" If Hermione really was guilty of hubris would she have reacted this way? I don't think so. If she truly did have excessive pride, her attitude would have been more of, "Well, of course you told him that."

However, Maline needn't fear. I believe her fond wish that Hermione will be "punished" will come through. Not because she deserves it, but simply because like anyone who remains friends with Harry Potter, she is subjecting herself to the high likelihood of death, injury or seeing a loved one suffer the same.

I have to say I really enjoyed reading your editorial. It was a different twist of a favorite character.

You are correct in saying that Hermoine suffers from a large double standard. Of course, no one is perfect. In GOF I always thought that Hermione's motives in accepting as date at the age of 14 with a fellow of 17 or 18 was less than pure.

I'm still waiting for Harry to show some remorse for his incredibly bad judgement in OoTP. He had that screaming fit with Dumbledore, who took the blame entirely on himself. That let Harry completely off the hook emotionally and morally. Harry could just say to himself," I was justified in acting the total git and leading my friends into a deadly trap because Dumbledore didn't treat me with the proper respect and care". Sheesh. I don't recall him offering any apology to his friends for that.

Now, having finished my "OoTP rant", I just want to say that it is obvious that JKR is not writing a morality tale with this series. It is about young ppl trying to grow up. This includes making tons of mistakes...and often getting away with it. You just hope they learn something from the experience of making mistakes and dealing with the consequences.

I noticed that several ppl mentioned that they were not pleased with Hermy in HBP. She was just not the same old "I got it all under control" Hermoine of the past, especially in the first four books.

I indeed want to give Hermoine the benefit of the doubt for some of the over-the-top things sha has pulled in the series. But she seems to get away with it because, like Harry, she is held to a different standard because of her special abilities.

Poor Ron never seems to get any breaks from JKR; not that he hasn't done some really dumb things along the way. Taking up with Lavender to punish Hermoine for his feelings of betrayal was pretty stupid.

It is indeed possible Hermoine will have to learn a harsh lesson along the way in the last book. I personally think Krum has the potential to put a major wrench in her personal life. I think she still has some lessons to be learned before the end of the series.

But I don't know if JKR sees that way.

Hi all, Oh my my my my. That was a new way of looking at Hermione. I can see where you are going with this. But I must say that they are at war and Harry, Ron and Hermione along with the Order and some others were the only ones that new what was going on at the start. So some of what she did was for the good of the Order/DA for Harry etc.. And some of it was for Ron, we all know that she loves him. And some of it she could have done some other way. All in all I like her and I'm just happy as could be that JKR has put her in the story to help out.

Hermione takes Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest with the admitted agenda of getting the Centaurs to “take care of her." Now, Hermione has been in the Forest several times, and even though she is painfully ignorant as to the ways of the Centaurs, she knows that they are dangerous and that the Forest itself is a dangerous place to be. To lure Umbridge into the Forest and hand her over to the Centaurs is also, essentially, attempted murder, though Hermione probably doesn’t think that far. A bit earlier in the book, she puts a curse on a piece of paper, leading to a girl getting her face totally destroyed. From what we see in HBP, these scars also seem to be permanent. It’s a very nasty hex, and I can’t help but wonder, yet again, that the punishment doesn’t really seem to fit the crime. This feeling grows stronger as we watch her continue to blackmail Rita Skeeter. Further, her close-mindedness is underlined through the way she talks to and about Luna.

HBP:
Frankly, I thought Hermione was a pretty awful character in this book. The girl who used to have great respect for rules now has a clear double-standard: when someone else breaks the rules in a way which doesn’t benefit her, or worse - is negative for her - it is wrong (e.g. the fanged frisbees, how Harry “slips luck potion” into Ron’s drink before a game or how Harry uses the Prince’s book in Potions). When she needs or wants something, on the other hand, the rules can be bent. Sure, she’s been breaking rules since PS/SS, but the way she does it now is far less noble. She ruins McLaggen’s audition for Keeper to make sure Ron gets the part, and when hurt, she’s vindictive. She sends birds to pick on Ron, dates McLaggen just to spite him, and her know-it-all ways have turned spiteful and condescending, even towards her friends (e.g. Harry in Potions). She’s just not that nice anymore.


Okay i really disagree with you on this article. First of all, Umbridge was about to attack Harry with the cruciatus curse, which could have killed him. Hermione had to take drastic measures. Also Hermione only took Umbridge TO the forest....Umbridge was the one that got herself taken away, in the way that she talked to the centaurs.

Hermione told everyone in the group that they should not tell anyone about the DA. And Marietta did. She got what she deserved, seeing as how it messed up a lot of things. It might seem harse to us, but it is the wizarding world and that is just what happens.

I think blackmailing Rita skeeter is a lot nicer than sending her to Azkaban, since she did break the law. On Luna, Hermione is very different from Luna, so I can see why she isn't really accepting of her, but to give her credit, for the most part she doesn't talk about her to a lot of people, only to ron, harry and ginny. And besides, haven't we all talked about someone behind their back?

Okay for HBP, Hermione confunded McLaggen because he was being rude and didn't deserve to be keeper. JK rowling gave him a chance to be Keeper for one game to show how disastorous it would have been had he been put on the team. Hermione might know it had been a little wrong, because when she accused harry of putting the luck potion in Ron's drink, he asked her is she had "confunded anyone lately" and she couldn't argue.

Going out with McLaggen and hitting him with those little birds....i don't think that makes her a bad person. Ron was being pretty mean himself, and she was upset.

Last but not least in potions....well we all know she was mad that Harry was out doing her, but she wouldn't have been if he was doing it on pure talent. The fact that he was cheating for the entire year really bugged her, because the teacher never noticed her, and this is hermione we are talking about.

I am a huge fan of Maline and the North Tower is my favorite column (along with Spinner's End) but this article is obscene. How dare you illspeak Hermoine for what she did, you remind me of Fudge and Umbrige (in their case they wanted to punish Harry for producing a patronus when dementors were going to kill him.) Perhaps you have a similar vendetta against Hermione? Everyone made all of my points already but I must reiterate that everything that Hermoine did, she had no alternative. Or maybe she should have sat down with Umbridge and drunk tea to stop her from hitting harry with a Crucio. Or maybe asked Rita politely not to eavesdrop. My word.

well. i loved this editorial to begin with. im not a "hermione-hater" but ive always felt that she wasnt as "perfect" as she seemed.

i think JKR is doing to Hermione what shes doing to all the major characters. developing them as if they were REAL people. not some make-believe, does everything right, brady bunch stroy characters. i believe by her doing that it makes us connect with Harry, Ron and hermione a whole lot easier.

speaking as a teenage girl, growing up at the same time as this book... you do realize that the characters, especially Hermione, mature too. i mean, she's going through her teenage years. and im sure everyone remembers quite well the confusion of feelings and right and wrong. a lot of things get in the way of making the correct decisions. she's not the same "miss-know-it-all, do-whats-right" anylonger. no one ever stays like that very long anyways.

i guess what im saying is that i find her character very believable now, and it adds to the story. but i agree that there will be lots of people after her in the next and final book. she's no longer "harry potters best friend" and has created some enemies of her own. all i can say is WATCH OUT HERMIONE!

I love Hermione as a character, but I have to comment on this:
For example, in jinxing the sign up sheet she is ensuring that the person who puts their lives in danger will be known.
I thought that her jinxing the parchment was unnecessarily cruel, and not telling the signers she was jinxing it was rather stupid. Disfiguring someone for life because they made a mistake at the age of 16 is a bit much in my book. A month's or a six month's worth of punishment would have more than sufficed.

However, Hermione made her biggest mistake by not telling anyone the parchment was jinxed. Since they didn't know, they didn't have that additional motivation to not tell Umbridge et al about the DA. If Marietta knew she was going to be seriously jinxed, she might not have told Umbridge at all. If Hermione told the DA members the parchment was jinxed, she might have prevented the sneak from snitching. Instead, Hermione chose punishment and vengence over prevention. Not a good choice, imo.

I Have Suffered Maline Withdrawal Too Long!!!! Please Post A New Essay!!!!!!!!!!!

I Have Suffered Maline Withdrawal Too Long!!!! Please Post A New Essay!!!!!!!!!!!
agreed

I think that some of the posts in this thread seem to be a little too biased in favor of Hermione. I mean, yes, she is a teenaged girl with raging hormones who is obviously interested in Ron, but that is not justification for some of the things she did.
For example, going out with McLaggen, just to spite Ron. Ron may have been equally immature in regards to his motivations for going out with Lavender Brown, but that isn't a justification for Hermione to actively seek out and date someone Ron dislikes for the sheer purpose of making him feel bad. She used someone just to get back at a friend, not considering that, as shallow as McLaggen is, she has no right to use someone else as a pawn to upset someone else. Being a teenage girl in love is NO excuse for doing something like that. Also note that she obviously put conscious effort into doing this, as she also considered Zacharias Smith as a potential date, meaning that this was not a split-second decision.
She attempted to free house elves against their will by hiding clothing under rubbish she knew they'd try and clear up. They may be bound to service by enchantments, but consider also that trying to force their freedom upon them by manipulating a clause of said enchantments (Giving them clothes.) is no better. They state outright that they do not wish to be free, yet she attempts to trick them into it, which insulted them and caused the majority of them to avoid cleaning the area. Also, we might consider the consequences of these elves being freed. Remember that Dobby and Winky had difficulty finding a new station of work. If there is a bias against freed house elves (Perhaps because wizards may believe there might be something wrong with the elves in question if they have been released from service.), then she would be making things more difficult for creatures that did not wish to be free in the first place. I'm not condoning enslavement, just pointing out that Hermione's actions could have serious consequences for the house elves.

I'm not saying that Hermione is a bad character - as with all other characters, she has flaws. I'm just trying to say that some people are ignoring the fact that not all of the actions she performs are justifiable. I do not believe her to be as bad as she seems to be shown as in the editorial, but I do think that there are some aspects to the character, and some actions that she performed, that cannot be justified, and I think that it's being glossed over by illogical defenses such as "She's a teenage girl. Wouldn't you do the same?". Regardless of who you are, there are some things that are unjustifiable.

And as an end note, I do think that Hermione has been more prone to rule-bending in favor of more self-interested motivations, but I do not believe that she is going downhill as a result. She's still a good character, and I think that, by the end of "The Half-Blood Prince", she has changed for the better.

Don't think you're really understanding hermione as a character here. Yes she used macclaggen to get at ron but its a part of the one-upmanship which she and ron have been engaged in for some time with regard to their feelings. Hermione was wanting ron to ask her to the yule ball and gave up and accepted krum and when he half-heartedly asked her she went to great pains to point out that he should've asked earlier. Now when ron has the miseries its all his own fault for not asking her out or thinking of her earlier. Then in half blood prince he jumps at ginny's comments and rather than being clever and risking it by asking hermione, he goes and asks lavender. Its a pride thing that gets hermione going out with maclaggen, pride and desperation to be noticed because ron doesn't ever seem able to show his feelings unless its jealousy.

Hermione's actions are misguided but not completely without logic and not motivated by malice at all. Even the birds think i interpret as frustration and heat of the moment, not quite accidental magic but close to it. Her motivations are always good even if her actions are questionable.

For example the house-elf freeing bid. Compare this to freeing caged tame birds. Some people (myself kinda included) think its a really sad thing to keep a bird in a cage and however big the cage it doesn't matter its seeing something thats meant to be so free being enclosed its just not nice. Hermione is like a small child seeing these caged creatures and opening the door so they escape to 'freedom' not understanding that because they are tame the other birds may kill it and even if they don't the poor thing won't be able to feed or hunt for itself as its too tame.

She sees the house-elves and wants to help free them, she wants all of them to have rights and to be paid and to have freedom to come and go which in and of itself is as praiseworthy as wanting caged birds to soar free. But she doesn't see the potential problems of freeing creatures who have been enslaved for so long and doesn't understand that to be sucessful they would have to choose to become free, as dobby did because to just 'free' all these caged creatures would be to be 'doing them an unkindness' as hagrid said because they are institutionalised and i wouldn't be surprised if they'd find it hard to survive alone.

To say that any of the above is motivated by dark intentions is to mis-read hermione's defense mechanisms of pride, show-offishness and naieity and to twist her words and actions to fit an ulterior motive.

I love the NT editorials usually but i didn't like this one, it was too biased against hermione and whilst yes she may have p'd off a lot of the baddies this cannot be misconstrued with mal-intent on her part - she does her best and sees things simply. She acts without thought of feelings which is a failing but hardly worth killing her off for!

A lot of the characters have p'd off the bad guys for one reason or another, and i don't think hermione is much of an exception

L

I really think that shes getting more vendictive and also that she doesnt like rule breaking that not bent for her personal use. She always talking about how Harry
is only best in potion class and he dont deserve it.that why iam glad Ginny put her
in her place XDDDDD.
__________________________________________________ ___________________

I LOVE U GINNY X33333333333333333333333:love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love:

I totally disagree with this editorial. Hermoine had every right to do what she did in all of those situations, except perhaps the cursed sign in list. However, Marietta could have endangered the entire future by getting Harry and all of DA expelled.

In the case of Hermoine and rule breaking, many of the rules that she break are not potentially dangerous. When she confunds McLaggen, it is for the good of the team. If he somehow beat Ron in team tryouts, he would most certainly put up a fight if not chosen to play. If he forced his way on to the team, it would have been a total disaster! This is demonstrated during the game in which Harry is knocked out and sent to the Hospital Wing. This case of rule breaking is not major in comparison to the "putting Felix Felicis in Ron's Drink". This rule breaking is against wizarding laws (not just school rules); it is also very unscrupulous in comparison to a simple spell that decides a spot on a team, as opposed to a Quiddich Cup.

As for Hermione and her mistreatment of Ron; the author completely fails to mention what provoked Hermione. This is more than just Hermione being upset at Ron not "liking" her. Hermione has endured many years of harrassment from Ron. The first ones (in the beginning of the first year), were made up for as they grew closer. However, they continue in the third book when Crookshanks is stalking Ron's rat. There is nothing Hermione can do about this, yet Ron is always blaming her. In addition, Ron has stated 50-billion times that he wishes he could get rid of his useless rat. In the fourth book, Ron is increasingly sullen when he is convinced that Harry is desperate for attention. This shows how Ron's own want for attention can get in the way of his friendships. Hermione is hurt by Ron's actions here as well, because he has abandoned her best friend, and abandoned her as well. In the sixth book, Ron becomes agravating. First he makes fun of Hermione for "snogging" someone. This is very hippocritical (ah is this spelled right?) because just a few days later Ron is found "snogging" Lavender. Ron has also been disrespectful towards - and abandoned - Hermione. After many years of having to endure these sorts of feuds with Ron, it makes perfect sense that Hermione shoud lash back.

I strongly disagree with this editorial, and continue to think of Hermione as an overall unselfish person.

Am I the only one who has noticed that the only time Hermione breaks the rules is when it is to help people. I can't recall her actually breaking any rules for her own benefit. She doesn't believe in cheating in class and holds Harry and Ron to those same principles. Lets face it Harry using the Half-Blood Prince Potions Book was cheating. THATS why Hermione was upset with Harry for using that book

One has to look at the Umbridge scenario. A teenager is put in a spot where all of the adults she trusts are out of the picture, and her friends were being threatened. She is the only one who can do something and wants to remove the problem as much as possible, so she act as she felt best. We all know Hermione is not at her best when her emotions are in full swing.

As far as the whole Canary incident Ron did have it coming. He should know better about flashing stuff like that around Hermione esspecially with how insecure she is with herself.

Anybody who sends you hate mail must be seriously narrowminded, you made some really ace points in this and they HAVE to be taken into account no matter how much someone may be in love with a character. Yes, Hermione is getting more calculating and cruel in the ways she uses her intelligence; that is for definate so well done for pointing it out to me, truth be told i hadn't really considered. But then i just laughed about all the things she was doing, as cruel as they were it was slightly amusing and interesting to watch this angel of a girl turn into a dark and dangerous woman.

But then, as people get older i find you lose the morals that your superiors have taught you and you use your own which are created out of experience. Lets not forget that Hermione and the other two's experiences are facing the cruelest and most cunning of enemies, picking up a trick or two from them is to be expected. The fight against voldemort cannot be fought fairly on their part when he breaks rules.

Another point that i hate to make because on scanning i think many have, is that Ron and Hermione are still not dating after a potential 3-5 years of liking each other (which is just blatantly obvious). Luna says herself that Ron isn't really that nice of a person, and although his heart is true, she's got a point. I think this is similar to what Hermione is going through and together they would be decidedly nicer than apart, although this is just a presumption, they could both keep these fantastic flaws - who knows, that could be part of the reasons J.K. has made for them to have an attraction to each other.

You said that just because your on the right side doesn't mean you can behave however you like, to be honest i think Hermione's playing her cards right. True, there is major chance that Hermione could recieve some form of punishment, concerning her use of other people through her strength in intelligence and knowledge, but it does make her character noticably more exciting in my view. I love a dark and calculating character, if they have one of these on the 'good' side as it were, the better for it. You have made some ace points as i said and i'll be looking out for some form of punishment when that blessed 7th book arrives, yet cursed for being the ending point in the series. You see, even the books themselves have their bad points. They end.

Thanks for writing this - i really enjoyed it.

It seems like a lot of people are reading the words Hermione and Punishment and immediatly jump on the defensive. I think Hermione is awesome but I agree with this idea whole heartedly. Hermione has done things that are far less noble than they used to be. Yes, its a part of growing up, or it was nessasary, or what ever. But you can't deny that most of the things she does are only good in hindsight.

McClaggen is a good example. YES he is a bad tempered piece of **** and the team was better off with out him but it was very sneaky almost to the point to cheating (what am I saying it WAS cheating) to confund him. Same goes with blackmailing Rita Skeeter.

Hermione has always bugged me in the way that she has the last laugh. Like when she was being so stubborn about Crookshanks eating Scabbers. We all wish Crookshanks had eaten him but Hermione was being very insensitive to Ron about losing his pet, who at the time they thought was just a rat. The same goes with the potions book in HBP. Every think she does seems a little insensitive or selfish but she always ends up being right in the end. Perhaps thats why people still like her. If she was wrong all the time she'd just be annoying. Never the less Hermione personifies "I told you so."

I love Hermione no matter how irritating she can be but she has crossed a lot of people. Just look at the backlash she got in GoF from all the hate mail and she didn't do anything to those people. I'm afraid I'm gonna make a lot of Hermione lovers mad posting this but all I'm saying is someone like Umbridge would love the chance to be alone in a room without windows with a wandless Hermione...

I think that JKR has wonderfully captured that awful stage that all teenage girls go through. I'm sure all us girls can remember the one I am referring to and the boys I am sure will agree. The good thing is that it rarely lasts, and I am sure that Hermoine will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnell in the next book, and start acting more normally. I can honestly say that at the age of 16 that me and my female friends were all complete cows on most occasions. But we did outgrow it, as I am sure she will.

I agree with the idea that Hermione's actions should eventually get her punished, but what about the fact that she is a muggle-born. Her one-up attutide is understandable because she is constantly having to figure things out for herself (and she is quite good at it). She doesn't have a family tradition in magic, so she feels that she must constantly prove herself or people will not respect her (which is true).

Hermione has never been my favorite character, but I think living in as a muggle-born during the rerising of the Deatheaters and Lord Voldemort is punishment enough. She's is a freak for both muggle and magic born, so I think people judged her before she developed a vindictive attitude--not the other way around. Hermione's snotty attitude is a consequence everyone else must face when they live in a prejudice society.

OK I have not read all the earlier posts but it seems we are being a little harsh here! Hermione is a teenager, teenagers always think they know best and rarely consider adults to have any more insight or expertiese in judgement than themselves! This alone would account for her failing to report Rita Skeeter in GOF but consider also that Rita would have suffered worse at the hands of the ministry as an unregestered animagus than 24hours in a jar and a years limitation on writting privilages. you also need to consider that Hermione (although a singularly gifted witch) is only human and was thinking on her feet during the whole Umbridge scenario! I do not think she intended for the Centaurs to kill the teacher only to scare her or imprisin her as they did. The alternative to this would have been the torture and possable death of her friends - which route would any of us choose in the same position - I personally may have been rooted to the spot in fear unable to think of the others around me - it was compassion for her friends not vindictivness for herself that was her primary motivation I believe. As far as the Ron incident goes - he got what was coming to him after all the bad behaviour he had displayed - I have no dought that this was an attack of pure mallace intended to cause maximal but trivial damage to Ron, many other teenagers would have thrown eggs, slapped faces or sloshed water depending on the equipment to hand. All of this changing morals and admittedly more out of control behaviour seems to me at any rate to be due to hormones, the availability of magic and a growing sence of proportion - there is real evil out there so she no longer cares so much about the letter of the law but remains deeply commited to the spitit of rules and an ordered society which has equallity and logic at it's core. She targets injustice and folly in all her misbehaviour - doughtless she has made enemies but fewer and less vhement than Harry has!

I agree she's not a bad person after all. I mean harry has done worse than she has.

Interesting article Maline! I'm not sure I agree that Hermione will end up paying a high price for her "bad" ways. If I have learned one thing from reading JK's books, it's that she uses to all the classic literary tricks--good guy/bad guy, triumph/tragedy, unsuspecting plot twist, hidden meanings, little details that don't seem to mean anything at the time but come back to haunt us, etc. JK needs a character that is smart, funny, scared by tragedy, talented, and driven; yet it would be impossible to have all these qualities in one person. Thus we have the save-the-wizarding-world trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Hermione is simply fulfilling her assigned character role--to be smart and useful. I do not, therefore, believe her actions ensure certain "punisment." One thing does bother me, however. In the HBP I got the feeling that Hermione knows more than she is letting on. In fact, I have had this feeling since PoA when Dumbledore allowed Hermione to have a time turner. Dumbledore must have trusted Hermione more than anyone else except Harry. Could Dumbledore have told Hermione something important that has yet to come to light? Is that why he allowed her to use the time turner? He certainly showed an amazing amount of trust in someone so young. Anyway, I just get the feeling that Hermione knows more than she is saying. She shows some of the same qualities as Dumbledore--carefully thinking things through, looking for alternatives, and always focused on what needs to be done. Indeed, she is a young Dumbledore in many ways, and Harry will need her to the very end.

I agree with you that Hermione has some growing up to do, but I really disagree that her "punishing" Rita or Marietta were punishments that didn't fit the crime. As Rita knows Hermione just going public would ruin Rita and for much longer than just a year. If that wasn't the case Rita wouldn't be worried. Rita could just as easily decide to keep publishing anyway. Technically, Hermione is allowing Rita a chance here. She's not putting her in prison, she's not publically destroying her reputation (something Rita does on a regular basis), she's handling it nice and quietly.

As for Marietta, all of the students in the DA could have been expelled, not just Harry. And expelled we know also probably means wands snapped, a lifetime sentence of life 1/2 in and 1/2 out of the wizarding world. OK Dumbledore might have found a place for them like he did for Hagrid, but come on, Hagrid is still getting to do the things he was best at anyway. How would you feel if you had Harry's abilities or Hermiones or anyone elses and never be allowed to use them again, or if you did use them you could be in trouble with the law if they found out. So Marietta got a lifetime sentence for betraying all the others and risking all of their lives too? Maybe not nice, not merciful, but just and fair? Oh yes.

As most D/Hr shippers had said, Draco and Hermione have not much differences. Only one pursue the Dark side, the other was a sidekick of Harry Potter. Now, it is getting more obvious. She wanted what she want and will go to measures to try to get it. Just like Draco, he always get what he wanted. He did not want his fame to be stolen. Like the part in Book 6 when he told Snape to stop poking into his business. Hermione, on the other hand did not want Potter to get all the fame in potions because she was the one who used to be the top student in potions. She even told Harry to stay out of the book, similar to Draco who told Snape to say out of his business.
Hermione, however, did not cause death like Draco did, but still they both were trying to get what they want to acheive. I am thinking that both of them are perfectionists and make a good couple with their idealogy of perfectionism.

Although I must admit I was stunned by the parallels drawn between Hermione and Umbridge (and can't really say that you're wrong), I do feel Hermione was justified in leading Umbridge into the forrest and the mercy of the Centaurs. She (Hermione) was in a desperate situation and that was the only way she could think of to spare Harry from the cruciatus curse and give him a shot at saving Sirius. (My only regret is that Umbridge survived her time with the Centaurs and was able to return to the Ministry...I'd seriously hoped she'd end up in St. Mungo's with Lockhart).

Umbridge, on the other hand, was supposed to be an adult. While I would concede that maybe she did feel she was acting in the Ministry's best interest, I can't fathom any reason good enough to justify sending Dementors to attack a teenage boy. The fact that she'd done that, once it was confirmed by her, should have landed her in Azkaban! Most of her actions throughout OoTP were deplorable, but her "rather special" quill that actually carved words into Harry's hand was, in my opinion, child abuse.

I would tend to agree that Hermione will be facing some unpleasantness in Book 7...as someone earlier said, she is one of the main characters and we can't expect them to all come off without a scratch, but I would certainly hope they all come out of the final battle...battle scarred maybe, but essentially whole. (And yes, I read the "Die Ron, Die" article as well, and sadly agree that it is logical...but I'm still hoping it is wrong).

I agree with you that Hermione was easily the least likeable character in HBP. Even though we had Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape, I still say I hated Hermione the most because she evidently had a nervous breakdown or developed a personality disorder or something and was completely vile. At least Draco and Snape stayed "in character" and were recognizable. Many others were much less so, but Hermione gets the prize for changing for the worse. I rather doubt JKR will punish her though, because she's always saying how Hermione is the most like her and that she is her favorite character. Hopefully, Know-It-All Hermione will regain her more redeeming qualities, such as caring about her friends. I think that her actions in books 1-5 were for the most part necessary to her role of "helping Harry" which was missing completely from book 6.

GOF: I agree...Rita Skeeter deserved it
OOTP: Umbridge Deserved it!
HBP: I think that Ron deserved what he got. I love Ron, but the way that Harry and Ron treated Hermione in POA was enough of a reason for her to be mean to both of them. Also, Ron had a hissy fit all through GOF about Krum. Then in HBP he got really mad at her because he found out that she kissed Krum. So, how does Ron not deserve for Hermione to be mean to him and get him back for all the mean things he has done to her in the past? About Harry and the Potions book, I would've been mad if I was working my butt off in a class and someone else had a book with all the answers to the assignments and got better grades than me...I would be really upset.

Well, everyone pretty much said what i was going to say, but i still need to let a few things out.

I whole heartedly disagree with this article. For many, many reasons.
Umbridge was cruel. She knew full well that using unforgivable curses on students and making them use their own blood to write lines is definitely not the right thing to do. (Let’s not forget Lee Jordan had to write lines in the same manner).

Hermione is quite obviously helping others in OotP. She did not originally condone the use of Umbridge's fire, but when it was a life and death situation for Siruis, she agreed it was OK. Before Harry just wanted to talk to Sirius because he missed him (for all Hermione knew). Hermione, (a prefect, lets not forget) did not see this as a justified reason to break the rules.

She is going through a psychological dilemma: she is a prefect, but helping Harry with all of his probelms and the dark and difficult times that they are all going through she needs to pick her battles. She is an insecure person, and wants to do the right thing. And she knows what the right thing is, where as Umbridge did not.

Well, I have to say this article surprized me a bit...I do agree with it in a way or the other, but I'd also like to ease it up a bit if you don't mind.
I agree that Hermoine has changed a lot since we first saw her, but her negative moral development is not that negative, just in contrast with her 'before-self'.
I will consider only your arguments brought about GoF, OoTP and HBP for those being the toughest.

GoF
I belive Hermione is right in what she says starting the SPEW, only her approach is bad. Yes, slavery is bad, but she's also right in saying that slavery is based upon undereducated mass that we can control. Here's where her approach is bad. You have to educate first for them to see the reason they should be free. And then again, she's young, she's 15, she can not understand everything. I do not belive Ron or a lot of others understand why elves don't want to be free, they're just confortable with the knowledge that they don't.

OoTP
Yes, it does sound very bad that Hermione actually tried to get rid of Umbridge by getting her in the forest knowing what can - or probably will - happen to her over there, but then again, not to forget that Umbridge was about to use an unforgivable curse on Harry, and, on the other hand, by that time she was also convinced that something has happened to Sirius, and Umbridge was jeopardizing their chance of saving him.
About putting that curse on that parchment, well, I'm sorry to say that I agree with Harry in this case, meaning that "it was a brilliant idea". I mean that a given word is a given word, and if Marietta didn't want to participate she should have said so, and I do not believe that they would've been holding her back or forcing her to stay, but if she gave her word to keep it quiet she should've done so. I do not think that the pimples are impossible to vanish, after all, Hermione's just a schoolgirl, I don't believe she could perform such a powerful jinx, I'm more to the idea that Marietta was ashamed to take it to a "professional".
Of Rita Skeeter then. Well, I have to admit that you have a pretty strong argument here. Not about putting her into a jar, she only keeps her in it till they get to London, but about saving her to future use. Yes, she kind of does that, but I do not think however that she has foreseen her 'future use'. I believe she just wanted to keep Rita from writing, to which I can agree, becouse I think violating someone's privacy like she use to is one of the biggest crimes even if some don't consider it so. People ought to have the right to keep things privet if they wanted to, and nobody should be allowed to rip that from them.

HBP
Is really that of a double-standard Hermione? I shall try to bring arguments against this statement. When she confiscates the Fanged Frisbees she's not doing anything for her own benefit, nor when she's interfering with the Keeper tryouts. In the first she's sustaining a school rule, in the second she's trying to help Ron (and Harry) at personal risk - has she been cought... And frankly, McLaggen isn't really the greates person to have on the team... When she notices Harry slipping the potion into Ron's drink -or thinks she does- she -again not for her benefit- warns Ron, and tells them that they could be expelled for it, but does not turn them in. If she did so, she would be quite right, but then again a prat. I belive Hermione is finally able to see the difference, and finding the right path between two extremities, that is: "nothing but the rules word by word" and "no rules at all". Of course she use to be more to the first. Yes, she is vindictive when hurt, and goes out with McLaggen, but then again, why does Ron go out with Lavander, well, becouse he's vindictive too, and can't take in that Hermione kissed Krum...
I believe Hermione is a very bright girl who made a huge progression on the field of morality, not to mention social skills, and finally can apply her skills on interpersonal relations too, besides homework.
On the other hand, I'd suggest a comparison to James Potter in the meaning that from what we know he use to be a real prat when around this age, a lot worse then what Hermione is, but he has grown into a very good and moral man.

how in the world can you compare hermione to dolores umbride!!! that is not even possible. first of all she is for good and not evil and does it all to help harry and ron out. they are freinds after all! this entire series is about the extent to which people will go to for their friends and to survive. not nice!

how could you compare dolores to hermione!