Harry Potter Book Club - Chapter 16 A Very Frosty Christmas

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 12:57am

Bumping to finally answer my own questions and in case someone else wants to throw out his or her thoughts.

What are the moral implications of the actions of each of the trio, Harry fooling Ron, Hermione not threatening to turn them in until after the match, and Ron "using" the Felix Felicis?

I see nothing wrong with Harry fooling Ron, he's just trying to help out his friend by boosting his confidence. I get the feeling that Hermione didn't say anything hoping that Harry and Ron wouldn't really go through with cheating. Had they really cheated I do think she would have told. Ron of course was wrong, just plain wrong. I love him, but he obviously was willing to cheat.

Hermione’s actions at the end of the chapter, causing the birds to attack Ron, have been very controversial. What do you think?

I'm surprised by the general agreement on this question. On a HP listserv I was reading when HBP came out this passage was the source of heated arguements. Anyway...
I actually don't think that what Hermione did was justified. What Ron did was insensitive and most likely purely out of anger toward Hermione and Ginny, but he and Hermione did not have a romantic relationship, she had no claim on him. I don't think that either of their actions are okay.