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.

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.

She could have just said that she was going to the washroom and didn't hear about the troll. That would have made perfect sence.

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!

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.

Sheri

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.

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.

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.

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! )

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).

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.

this is a good question

i think that hermione did not want harry and ron to get in trouble for coming and saving her. i think that she made it up so they would not get in trouble for coming there and not going to the common room

I think the reason she told the lie was because if she told Professor McGonagall that she was upset and didn't know there was a troll roaming about, she would then be asked as to why she was upset to begin with. We all know that Ron was the one who made her upset and I think the explanation she gave was reasonable enough to explain a lot of things and saved them from further lectures. It would also help Ron and Harry from looking bad, as to they were just guilty and went out for her, opposed to they were saving her because they thought she was in over her head. Or something to that sense. Hope I wasn't very confusing.

Ok, my theory on this is that she lied because she felt indebted to the two of them. They just saved her life, and she wanted to repay them in any way that she could. If she made herself seem like a trouble-maker, it made them seem more like heroes. This would encourage McGongall to reprimand Hermione, and reward Harry and Ron... which does in fact happen.

I guess that she told the lie because she did not want to get them in trouble because they had just saved her life. Also I believe that all Ron did to make her upset was mak fun of her and in return the two boys had saved her life. I think that because of that she was really grateful to them and wanted to be their friends.

hermione wasn't really accpeted or friends with harry and ron quite yet. standing up for them and helping them with a lie pretty much sealed the deal. she was always a bit of a knowit all and still is sometimes but she at some points was sorta rude as well. after this she loosened up a bit and became friends with ron and harry. this was important especially with ron because ron was rude to her and at least harry was talking to her and being nice. it was all a matter of acceptance and it pretty much worked i'd say.

we must also take into consideration all of the shock and stress she just undertook from being attacked by a troll. She felt an obligation to make Harry and Ron look like heroe but wasnt skilled in the fine art of lying... yet. Up to now she hasnt really had the chance , most likely, to feel what it feels like to make soemthing up for friends and i think she did ok for the first time, because as we all see it worked out.

vivvo I've been wondering the same thing

Why do they not say that Ron and Harry were in the boys bathroom and Hermione in the girls and then day they say that Ron and Harry saw the troll go into the girls bathroom and then they say that they couldn't letthe troll kill hermione so they went in after it

Ministry-are-Morons



I agree with you that they could have made up that story. But I think that reason Hermione lied was because it was like saying "Thank you" for saving her from the troll. She probably thought that if she ratted out Harry and Ron that they would bug her forever about how they saved her life and all she did was say that it was all their falt.

Hermione is a smart witch. She probably thought that saving Harry and Ron from getting in trouble was more worth it than having two boys who would pester you for the rest of her life, starting as early as in first year!

harry and ron saved her life... people tend to change whem faced with life threatening situations. also as it has been said many times she must've been getting very lonely, having practically no friends. plus if she didn't lie then she probly wouldn't have become harry and ron's friend, and the books would suck without hermione

Yeah i no this is very strange of her but maybe she was just making sure harry and ron didn`t get wrong for it but it is unlick her charecter.

Think about it: would YOU have wanted to tell Prof. McGonagall that you had been sobbing in the toilet stall because someone had been picking on you? Would you want to tell anyone that? I think part of the reason behind it is because Hermione didn't want to sound like a crybaby.
Also, I think that Hermione felt that she owed something to Harry and Ron. I think she realized how stuck-up she had been in the past couple of weeks, and she figured that she could show them that she had changed by telling a lie to lose points to Gryffindor.
This makes sense, right? I think Hermione had every right to tell that lie, and I admire her for doing it.

Exactly.
I also want to point out that I think Dumbledor and Hermione think alike sometimes... I don't know but, it seems dumbledor would have thought this lie a little amusing yet a good step in giving the Harry and Ron another chance. She forgave them for what they said and how they acted before by giving them double credit and making herself look less like a know-it-all, and more like a "normal" person. I'm sure both Ron and Harry were very surprised, maybe questioned her about it later, but I think it was the magic moment, and a much needed explaination of how the group formed even with such different personalities.

I've read through these post and now I've been thinking that none of you have thought of this, maybe she wanted the attention? I don't think the lie is all about capturing friendship, I mean really I think they would have become firneds either way, with or without the lie.
Or maybe J.K. Rowling just put that in the book, just for fun, I mean Hermione needed a bit of 'spark' to her so she just made her lie.
I also think she might have not wanted to sound like a little girl in front of McGonagalll, her favorite teacher. She is found of McGonagall, so why would she want to sound like a small little girl who can't stand a few teasing antics.
Also - why was the troll in the same bathroom as Hermione, was it planned? By someone for trying maybe to get rid of the smartest Mudblood in Hogwarts???

This is rather simple.


Ron and Harry had just SAVED HER LIFE by knocking out the troll.She showed her thanks and gratitude by lying to McGonagall about how she" read about them and thought she could take it dwn".


So she was simply thanking them.The end.

I agree with you, "Herm-own-ninny809"... I think howed her thanks and gratitude by lying to McGonagall. And she really wanted to become Harry's and Ron's friend.

i think it must be because a) yes she didn't want to look like a cry-baby but also they probably have somesort of anti-bullying thing dont they? they should do... so then mcgonagall would have had to have gone further to find out WHY hermione had been crying and she would've had to have made up a worse lie there or incriminated ron for being harsh... although she may have been scared also that McGonagall would have agreed with Ron saying she's a know-it-all or whatever it was he called her. It did confuse me too at first though.

It could have been her way of thanking them. From what I can recall she never openly said, "thanks for saving me from the troll". They just all said thanks at the same time. Hermione is one with a lot of pride and it would probably be hard for her to say thanks to someone who just saved her life. But, I don't know...

I think she didn't want to tell anything because she was ashamed because she had been crying... for me Hermione seems to be a proud girl and crying makes her seem a bit weaker... but then I could be wrong of course

Technically, Harry and Ron would of gotten in trouble for not obeying rules, secondly, Hermione would be flatter than a pancake and I dont know why she lied, I guess because she wanted to end the fighting with Ron and Harry.

exactly what i think. she is aware of the consequences and wouldn´t let her friends down... she is a good companion.

Well, if Hermione had told McGonagall why she was in there in the first place then there would have been a lot of awkward questions about why she had been crying and Ron would probably get into trouble, and Hermione wouldn't want that since he just saved her life. And also, if she said that Harry and Ron came to find her then they'd get into trouble for leaving their house on the way back to the common room because Dumbledore gave them a strict instruction to go straight there. I think it seems more acceptable if she told McGonagall that they were trying to save her, because otherwise she'd be dead or something.

Well,that proves it,that she is really concerned about them even though Ron made fun of her.She was from first trying to speak to harry,I guess so.. They had lots of fight and uneasiness between them but it never went too serious.She must have been planning to meet Harry or something like that...

Because she wanted them to be her friends! This was her little way of paying them back for saving her life. In the book they all say "Thanks" as well, but they don't show that in the movie. (there was a scene like that, but it was deleted)

Hermione wanted to be thier friend and was showing them that she would "jump in the fire" for them. It worked didn't it? I would have done the same thing.

Yeah, but she just vould have told McGonagall that she had went to the bathroom, And Harry and Ron knew about it. That would have giving much more sence, and they would not had lost housepoints.

Well she couldn't exactly tell her that Ron had made fun of her, you know what I mean? She was upset went into the bathroom and cried. Ron would have then gotten in trouble or something if Hermione had told the truth. This event also then lead to the trio's friendship.Thats all from me!

~LovelyLily

I believe that it was because she was thankful that Harry and Ron just saved her life. So natturaly she wanted to help them get out of trouble as a way of saying thankyou. Because if you read it again, it says Hermione came out of the shadows.

She could have just waited in the shadows, unseen, let Harry and Ron take the blame then when everyone's gone, sneak up to the dormintories and no one would be any of the wiser.

But she didn't. So that's how she became their friend.

Lie...would it actually be consider a lie? Not for me, I guess. But yes, it raises a question, she has always stuck by rules and then at the last moments broken them..what if she does something in the last book that would be against Harry?

This is actually one of my very favorite scenes from PS because it tells us so much about Hermione. Hermione hides behind her cleverness, but beneath it all is a young girl riddled with insecurities. She's a know-it-all, and that character flaw is having a negative effect on building friendships at this new school in a world she never knew existed until recently and yet she STILL can't stop herself.

Of course, she says what she does to take blame and save Harry and Ron. It's a peace offering of sorts. They have saved her life.

When she says to McGonnagal in front of Harry and Ron I came here to fight the troll because I had read all about them and figured I could, she is essentially admitting to Harry and Ron that she knows she's a know-it-all and she knows her know-it-all nature can't save her. She needs help; she needs friends; she needs Ron and Harry.

This theme is expanded upon in the ending of PS when Harry leaves Herminione to go face Voldemort on his own and she says to him basically - I'm clever and bookish, but you have more than that and that's even more important.

She is also - by telling this lie in front of Harry and Ron - telling them that she is NOT all about the rules. And, we come to find out the truth of this as the series progresses. Hermione will absolutely bend the rules if it suits a larger purpose. She does it again and again and again. Rowling is just giving us a hint of the nature of Hermione to unfold in subsequent books.

I read an interview with Rowling wherein she said her editor tried to get her to cut this bit from the first book, but Rowling put her foot down. She felt it was an important piece of the story and so do I.

I think Hermy lied simply because she was upset, and probably a little enbarassed. It was her and Ron that were fighting again that made her upset in the first place. I don't think I would admit the truth too infront of the person I had just been argueing with.

Hermione said that because she wanted to be friends with Harry and Ron. Not only that but if she told the truth about beinging upset with Ron she would have to tell McGonnagal that it was her who told ron off so he fired bec k and she got hurt. So really it all boils fown to that she just wanted some friends =]

I think Hermione lied because if she didn't, Ron and Harry would have gotten in more trouble, which she didn't want because she wanted to be friends with them.

But I also think that a lot of people picture Hermione as this goody-goody that never breaks rules or lies, which I disagree with. Hermione is best friends with Ron and Harry, two of the biggest rule breakers in Hogwarts. Hermione doesn't like lieing and rule breaking, but she does it anyways. Why? Because Ron and Harry do, and half the time she breaks the rules it is too save/protect someone or something.

Well, Vivvo, you make a good point. Until now, I have always concluded that she did it to protect Harry and Ron from McGonagall's wrath, but you make a persuasive point.

My counter point is that I believe she thought that Harry and Ron would have been docked massive quantities of point from Gryffindor if THEY had just been there for the hell of it, even if it was to save Hermoine. The girl is seriously witty and understood that McGonagall loved her as a student and wouldn't dock as many points because this was, as the lie tells, the first time she broke the rules, and as such, she would on'y be penalized five points, instead of 50 for Ron and Harry. Since the pair had just saved her life, and as such she comes around and is their friend, she felt it was her duty to cover for them.

Tell me what you think

Hermione would rather tell a lie to a teacher than have no friends, odd that may be but it is still very very true. hermione also might have wanted to keep her feelings to herself.

This is what I thought too... She wanted friends, but what got me was why would she want Ron and Harry as friends? Ron was mean to her, and well I don't know about Harry but... So maybe She had a crush on Ron then and didn't want to get him in trouble because she wanted him to like her... But that's getting a little into the R/HG ship, and I do ship them but its a little off topic anyway...