On Hermione and Patronuses

[rzzmg]

I was re-reading "Deathly Hallows" novel in preparation for the 2nd movie, and noted something interesting about Hermione and her patronus...

In Chapter 13, while the trio is in the Ministry disguised by polyjuice and trying to escape from Umbridge with Mary Cattermole, Hermione tries to summon her patronus (saying, "Expec - Expecto Patronum" -

Comments

[ashleyfanfic]

Interesting! Like you said, Hermione has enough good memories that it should be enough to summon one. However, Lupin reminds us that it has to be exceptionally strong. At that point in the books, she had obliviated her parents, which could have tainted any memory she had. And while she may have a slew of happy memories, they may not have been overwhelmingly, all consummingly happy, like Harry's had become.

Just my little observation.

[akashathekitty]

My theory - as far as I can tell, not a very popular one, mind you - is that Hermione is only as competent as she is because she studies everything extremely hard and then tries again and again and again until it works. I'm not saying she's not intelligent, but I don't think she's quite the wonder witch that most make her out to be, either. She craves knowledge and devours it with a passion and then has to teach herself how to utilize it.

The patronus in particular is dependent on feelings more than simple knowledge and that's why I have a very easy time picturing Hermione as being slightly stumped as she has to tap into a quite different part of her brain and feel rather than just know.

Okay, I went teal deer and abused italics there. In short: I think she works hard to be clever and the very way to summon a patronus is outside her usual M.O.

[toxicjericho]

Not a very popular one, but one I subscribe to nonetheless. I agree with everything you've stated here.

[infusiion]

That makes perfect sense! Intelligent as she may be, it takes a different skill set to be able to focus on feelings and use them. Unlike Harry, she probably hasn't had a whole lot in her life to be dreadfully unhappy about, so maybe where Harry can pinpoint these amazingly happy memories (simply because they were relatively few and far between) she fails to find something to satisfy the needs of a Patronus.

Just my two cents added to yours.

[germankitty]

This.

I always like to equate/compare Hermione's magical abilities with cooking -- she can follow a recipe easily and well enough, and has a good, quick grasp of the necessary techniques.

HOWEVER, she's not truly creative -- to use the cookery metaphor, she'll always have to measure each ingredient rather than have the instictive knowledge of using "a pinch of this, a dash of that". In short, she's a competent cook, not an inspired chef. IMO, this also tallies well with her propensity to stick to precsribed rules -- the "recipe", if you will. Which is made especially obvious when Harry is brewing from Snape's notes in HBP, rather than just the book.

[xfortytwo]

I kind of feel like it's because Hermione is very rational. When she and Harry talks about their achievements at some point, she says herself that a lot of it is book smarts and being able to pick up knowledge easily. She will easily learn an incantation or a hand movement because she can memorise it. She rejects things that aren't fact, as we can see in her interaction with Luna and her hatred for Divination

[reetinkerbell]

Now see, this was what I was trying to say, only you said it much better!

[eevilalice]

Seconding (thirding?) this interpretation. I think Hermione simply has easier access to her rational rather than emotional side. However, I would add that she can be very perceptive when it come to others' emotions, just not necessarily her own.

[margaritaabate]

agreed...she's very much the outside looking in...would probably make an excellent psychologist for others but would hesitate to seek one, should she need it, for herself.

[margaritaabate]

Great insight.

[d_vivace]

This is really great. This entire post/thread is really. :)

[grizel]

I agree. I've always found Hermione's lack of muggle connections one of the most intriguing of the missing links. There isn't a lot in her backstory that would suggest she had a lot of happy childhood memories. Quite the opposite.

[powerofthebook]

Not sure, but there are a few inconsistencies with Hermione's spell capabilities. For instance, after she Obliviates her parents and runs to Tottenham Court Street with Ron and Harry, she claims that she "only knows the theory" of Obliviation, when asked to Obliviate the memories of the Death Eaters that were after them. Either it's a mistake, or Hermione asked someone else, possibly an Order member, to Obliviate her parents for her.

But then, I've never really understood why Hermione got an "EE" in her DADA examination, rather than an "O."

[margaritaabate]

book smarts...not the same as street smarts????

[powerofthebook]

It's possible - but when I think back to PoA, the only trial Hermione failed was with the Boggart, and it revealed her fear of failure. I rather thought she performed quite well under pressure at the Ministry and during DH, as far as being able to think and move quickly on her feet. Her preference is to plan ahead, but she's capable of winging it.

[margaritaabate]

wonder if compartmentalizes her emotions therefore making it challenging for her to actually tap them when needed.