Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 11
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Chapter 11 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Hermione's Helping Hand
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[edit] Synopsis
Classes continue with students still trying to learn wordless spells, not only in Defence Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration. Hagrid has been ignoring them, apparently because they are not taking his Care of Magical Creatures class, so Harry resolves to go see him.
Quidditch trials to select a new team are held. In attempting to explain why so many have turned out for Quidditch tryouts, Hermione offhandedly remarks to Harry that he has "never been more fanciable," and that, "it doesn't hurt that you've grown about a foot over the summer." Apparently Harry is popular, rather than Quidditch. Ron responds, "I'm tall," but Hermione ignores him.
Harry and Ron's new Potions book arrive, but Harry wants to keep the Prince's notes, so he removes and swaps each book's cover, then re-attaches them. The tattered-looking book can be returned to Professor Slughorn. Hermione reads in the Daily Prophet that Knight Bus conductor Stan Shunpike was arrested for discussing the Death Eaters' plans. Also, Dumbledore has been absent since Harry's private lesson with him. As general fear spreads throughout the wizarding population, Eloise Midgeon's parents remove her from Hogwarts, concerned about safety. Also, Hannah Abbott's mother had been found dead.
It is time for Quidditch try-outs. Heading to the pitch, the Trio pass Parvati and Lavender, who smiles at Ron. When he smiles back, Hermione becomes cold and distant. The trials are a bit of a fiasco. Lavender wishes Ron luck as he flies up for his trial. Hearing this, Hermione later praises Ron for playing brilliantly, pleasing Ron but frustrating Lavender. Harry chooses Katie Bell, Ginny and a new player named Demelza Robins as Chasers, Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote as Beaters. Ron is the new Keeper, much to Cormac McLaggen's dismay. While walking to Hagrid's hut, Ron mentions that McLaggen looked Confunded during the last goal shot; Hermione blushes, though it is unnoticed by Ron.
The talk with Hagrid is awkward, but they eventually make up with him after Hagrid confides that Aragog may be dying, and the Trio tells him (untruthfully) that Professor Grubbly-Plank is an awful teacher. Hagrid thinks they might have fit in his class using Time-Turners, but Hermione says they were all destroyed in the battle at the Ministry. Returning to the castle, they spot Cormac McLaggen attempting to negotiate the front steps and running into the doors. Pulling Hermione aside, Harry says he looks Confunded. Hermione admits she Confunded him, defensively claiming he said horrible things about Ron and Ginny, and his temper would cause problems.
Horace Slughorn invites Harry and Hermione to, "a little party, just a few rising stars," while ignoring Ron. Harry says he has detention with Snape, but Slughorn says he will try to persuade Snape to let him out.
The Evening Prophet reports that Arthur Weasley searched the Malfoy residence for suspicious magical objects but found nothing. Hermione says Draco could not have smuggled in the object needing repair because everything was checked by Dark Detectors. Ron, meanwhile, stares at Lavender Brown. Demelza Robins delivers Snape's message to Harry saying he is expected for detention, no matter how many parties he has been invited to.
[edit] Analysis
Ron and Hermione's mutual jealousy may indicate each has deeper feelings for the other than either will acknowledge. The events from the Yule Ball two years earlier showed that Hermione understands her feelings better than Ron, and she is actually more aware of Ron's feelings than he is himself. Ron struggled with jealousy when Hermione dated Viktor Krum and was angry and upset when he learned she kissed Viktor, but he never fully understood exactly what those emotions were. The circumstances seem reversed here when someone becomes interested in Ron. Hermione may be remaining silent because she is uncertain what his reaction might be. In the meantime, she is acting out-of-character by Confunding Cormac McLaggen during the Quidditch trials to help Ron. As she has done before, Hermione will break rules if she feels it is justified. Readers may believe that Harry is also bending rules by selecting Ron over a stronger player like McLaggen. Although it seems like obvious favoritism, Harry believes that if Ron can overcome his insecurities, he has the potential to become a talented athlete like his siblings. He also realizes that Ron's personality is better suited to the team, unlike the egotistical McLaggen, who most likely will challenge Harry's authority and create turmoil by attempting to take control. However, without Hermione's unknowing help, Harry would have had difficulty justifying choosing Ron over Cormac.
Although Hogwarts remains a relatively safe environment, and students have mostly been shielded from the increasingly violent events unfolding in the general wizarding population, as the attacks increase, readers can see how fear and insecurity have seeped into the castle, creating concerns about safety; so much so that some parents have removed their children from school. Adding to this, Dumbledore, a symbol of strength, protection, and stability to students and staff alike, is often gone now, and his absences are likely contributing to everyone's stress and concerns regarding Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Whatever Dumbledore is doing, he probably realizes that his frequent absences particularly affects Harry, and this may be why he re-emphasizes how important friendship and unity are. He encourages Harry to share whatever he learns with Ron and Hermione, knowing they will help protect and support Harry.
Harry is also gaining a clearer picture about the Ministry of Magic and their deceptive tactics. When Stan Shunpike is arrested as a Death Eater, Harry knows he is most likely innocent. Unable to apprehend real Death Eaters, Scrimgeour instead preys on easy-to-target victims like Shunpike as a means to appease the wizarding community's fear of Voldemort and to put the Ministry in a more positive public light.
Casting wordless spells is apparently difficult to learn, and Harry struggles to master this technique. Being able to cast spells without your opponent knowing what they are is an essential skill for an Auror. If Harry is unable to learn this, it could affect his future career.
[edit] Questions
- Why are wordless spells important?
- What does Harry think is the real reason the Ministry of Magic arrested Stan Shunpike? Is he right?
- Why does Hermione help Ron at the Quidditch trials, even though she is upset with him?
- Did Ron deserve to be chosen for the Quidditch team over Cormac McLaggen, who is a stronger athlete? What was Harry's reasoning?
- Are parents justified in removing their children from Hogwarts? What evidence is there for this?
