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This is a little thing, but it's bothered me quite a bit whenever I read the first book. After Harry, Ron and Hermione have killed the troll in the bathroom and McGonagall confronts them about their reason for being there, why does Hermione feel the need to tell such a lie. "I heard about the troll and thought I could kill it' to paraphrase her explaination. Why not just tell McGonagall the truth - that she was upset and hiding in the bathroom and Ron and Harry came to warn her. Not only does this lie seem out of character for Hermione, it doesn't do Ron and Harry any good.
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because she wanted to be harry and rons friend. dah. she didnt tell on them becuase she WAS the one that told ron off and so somehow it could have come back to her.
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I agree that she didn't tell the truth because she did not want to increminate Ron and Harry (although it was only Ron who was cruel). I agree she should have said she went to the bathroom and they came to warn her. But by lying, it made Ron and Harry look like real friends coming to save her, in her head that may have pleased her at the time. Making it sound like they did it because they cared, and not because they felt guilty. You get what I am trying to say!
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I have always wondered as well why Hermione would tell such a lie. This is Hermione we're talking about. She's all about the rules and truth. I think that she could have captured the boys friendships by simply telling the truth and she have never been the kind of girl to care whether someone liked her. So, why them? Why would she care so much that she'd lie, especially after they hurt her feelings. I feel that it was an unnecassary addition to the story.
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Well lets think. Hermione really wanted to be accepted by Ron and Harry. She was probably extremely grateful that they did come and save her. She would've been troll dinner if they hadn't saved her. Though Ron was mean to her, he still saved her life, and it's not like Ron sent a werewolf after her or something really bad to where she could never forgive him. Plus(sorry for any H/Hr shippers in here) we don't really know when Hermione's feelings for Ron really did start. She could've liked him then, though unlikely, and wanted to keep him out of trouble. She probably didn't want to look like a big snitch. And, now that we know her a little better, she is clearly not all about rules. She broke a ton with Ron and Harry anyway, so what's the deal here? True she probably didn't need to say she wanted to battle a troll, a simple "I didn't know and they saved me" would've sufficed, but I guess it was one of her own feelings that she decided she needed to do that.
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I would agree that, though it is uncharacteristic for Hermione to lie about anything, it is not unheard of. . .especially under such circumstances. In this instance, I think it was a point of showing Ron and Harry that she was willing to sacrifice her own reputation in order to "save" or cover-up for others. I think this instance was a bit of a stretch, because Ron had been saying things about her causing her to hide in the bathroom: But i don't think that McGonagall would have really held it against them that much since they did save her. So, in point, it's mostly trying to show us a bit of her loyalty to the boys even this early, before they were considered friends.
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I was always bothered by this lie as well. It is way out of character for her. I think she may have realized her personality was really hurting her at school. Ron's comments earlier may have been cruel but it also may have made her realize she needed to change a bit if she wanted friends.
Her lie made Harry and Ron out to be heros and at the same time eliminated any chance of punishment for their earlier treatment of Hermione. I think it was just a peace offering to the boys.
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Yeah, i wouldnt say i was BOTHERED about it, it just kinda seemed unnessisary: i agree, why not just say you were going to the bathroom and had not heard about the troll, and harry and ron heard you in the bathroom and had to come help! but i also see her reasoning behind that, it makes a much better bond between them if she gets herself in trouble for them rather than just to be saved by them. it kinda gives it the give to-give back thing: harry and ron helped her survive the troll, and to repay them, hermione helped them survive professor mcgonagall, even though she had to give up some of herself. see where im going? its kinda hard to explain, but i laugh every time i read that because me and my best friend became friends in a similar situation (excluding the troll! )
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without *fear* there would be no *bravery* - Saphira,Eragon
yeah...well i guess, she wanted to be friends with harry and ron but honestly, she couldv'e said she didn't know a troll was around there and that ron and harry came to save her. it doesn't make any sense........all i can think is that she couldn't find another explanation at the mometn and thought about saying that. she must've wanted to be harry and ron's friend, anyway.
[COLOR=purple]In my opinion ,like someone above also said,hermione would have somehow developed kind of feelings for Ron.Altjough it sounds stupid but i have always believed that hermione had liked Ron from the very beginning. Another thing is that why would she waste such a long time in explaining everything,making bad impression of both Harry and Ron infront of the teacher cause they had insulted her and why would she do such a thing while they have proved of being sorry by coming to save her.
Well, if I'm not much mistaken, Hermione at that point didn't have any friends, right? ...I could be wrong. She wanted to do anything to be accepted which does seem very Un-Hermione-ish but she was much younger then and more naive (in a non-accademic sense) She has definetly done some growing up. As gaburdette said, her lie made Harry and Ron out to be heroes in the eyes of the staff and she was most likely giving a peace offering to the boys. This lie doesn't necessarily bother me but it does look like something that Hermione WOULDN'T do but as I said before, she's grown up.
maybe she was trying to make herself look more foolish in the professor's eyes than harry and ron. they obviously could have found a prefect or teacher to tell first, and she may have known that... maybe she didn't want it to seem like they were the ones who were wrong when she felt like it was her own fault.
or she might have been ashamed that she was in there crying and failed to come up with a better lie under the pressure of a teacher (but that seems unlikely to me).
Not only does this lie seem out of character for Hermione, it doesn't do Ron and Harry any good.
I don't know.
I think it does do Ron and Harry good. Maybe not in terms of house points, but look what it got them: Hermione, a smart friend who, when lenient, will basically do their homework for them. I know that Hermione is about honesty and all that jazz, but I actually think this could be in character. Like many others have said, she has no friends at this point in the story, and this deed is what gains them. If nothing else, I think this is an excellent display of her wit.
my thought on this is that she did want to be friends with Ron and Harry and being greatfull for them saving her made up that lie becuase she figured eiter way they would end up liking her just she said she went looking for the troll so they wouldnt like her out of pity and i guess it was embarrasing to tell a teacher.
Hermione's Lie, Why?Puzzles me.
Jan 18 2006, 09:02 AM
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...I could be wrong. She wanted to do anything to be accepted which does seem very Un-Hermione-ish but she was much younger then and more naive (in a non-accademic sense) She has definetly done some growing up. As gaburdette said, her lie made Harry and Ron out to be heroes in the eyes of the staff and she was most likely giving a peace offering to the boys. This lie doesn't necessarily bother me but it does look like something that Hermione WOULDN'T do but as I said before, she's grown up.
