Jayson’s Reviews > Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban > Status Update

Ron really must have had his head firmly lodged up where the sun don't shine considering how many signs there were that Hermione liked him

I believe she said that it was interesting to have an eye into the Muggle world as wizards see it, but I still think McGonagall would've had an easier time convincing her to drop it than to get her a rare time-turner.

Mwanamali wrote: "Ron really must have had his head firmly lodged up where the sun don't shine considering how many signs there were that Hermione liked him"

I know, right! She essentially purchases Cat-Ron to – I don't know – snuggle with or something... stroke his fur, or whatever teenage girls do with cats. Meanwhile, Ron pretty much echoes the anti-Ron/Hermione crowd saying, "You bought that monster?"

Juho wrote: "I believe she said that it was interesting to have an eye into the Muggle world as wizards see it, but I still think McGonagall would've had an easier time convincing her to drop it than to get her..."

Well, if she really wanted to see the muggle world as wizards do she could just hang out with Ron and his family more and get their reactions to things. But, I figure Hermione's a completionist. Probably can't stand people learning things she can't, at least with respect to academics.

I never noticed the cat was ginger! And I agree, Hermoine is the overachiever who would love to learn as much as possible.

Maya wrote: "I never noticed the cat was ginger! And I agree, Hermoine is the overachiever who would love to learn as much as possible."

I wouldn't have noticed either if the book hadn't repeatedly described, and hammered home, that the cat was ginger. I take it as a meaningful point from the mere fact that Rowling obviously wanted to get it across to the reader.

Also, I think Hermione suffers from FOMO (fear of missing out). I figure, she's from a muggle family, and who knows whether she has a permanent place in the wizarding world? So, I think she's trying to learn all she can, while she can, in case she won't be able to.

Oooh that's an interesting point about Hermione and Muggle Studies! I think I would still take it even if I'm Muggle-born because I feel like it's sort of wizarding Anthropology in a way. And that thing about her and gingers just cracked me up!

Jayson wrote: "(1) Hermione takes Muggle Studies. Which, while not cheating, is a lot like taking a language you're fluent in."

I may have done this in uni with French 😈 😇

Jayson wrote: "(2) '[Hermione's] arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.
"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.
"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.'
- Well, Hermione does have a thing for gingers."

😂😂😂😂

Sabrina wrote: "Oooh that's an interesting point about Hermione and Muggle Studies! I think I would still take it even if I'm Muggle-born because I feel like it's sort of wizarding Anthropology in a way. And that ..."

Yes, I'd agree. It's certainly an interesting and unique way to learn about your own culture. Also, I will never read any lines about Hermione and her ginger cat the same way again :)

Aoife - Bookish_Babbling wrote: "I may have done this in uni with French 😈 😇"

I totally would have too, if more than a handful of people actually spoke my first language... or my second or third 😅

How many languages do you have? 🤓

Aoife - Bookish_Babbling wrote: "How many languages do you have? 🤓"

Well, four native tongues, English is my fourth. I did take French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish at various points in high school and university, but fluency in those are negligible as I can't remember a thing about any of them except for some Spanish.

"Hermione has a thing for ginger" that's an interesting observation.

It's true, though. I never thought of it that way before; Krum being an exception however.

Literary wrote: ""Hermione has a thing for ginger" that's an interesting observation."

The more I think about it the more interesting it becomes. From a certain point of view, she essentially buys herself a pet Ron, or a Ron substitute :)

Noah wrote: "It's true, though. I never thought of it that way before; Krum being an exception however."

Yes, Krum and Lockart too. Which is interesting because Krum's dark-haired and Lockhart's blonde. Though with Krum, I don't know if she had any interest in him at all until he pursued her. Her crush on Lockhart predated her feelings for Ron, and I think just because he was said to be particularly handsome, and contrasted with other male teachers in Snape, Binns and Flitwick.

I think the cat's primarily a manifestation of her subconscious desires, and also a low-key signal to Ron about them, though he has the exact opposite reaction to it.

Jayson wrote: "Well, four native tongues, English is my fourth. I did take French, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish at various points in high school and university, but fluency in those are negligible as I can't remember a thing about any of them except for some Spanish."

That's awesome!
I'd love to master that many languages

Aoife - Bookish_Babbling wrote: "That's awesome!
I'd love to master that many languages"

Thanks! Though, I'm only really fluent in English. My mother tongues, apart from English, aren't very popular, and so with no one to converse with my competency in them has eroded to a large degree. So, not a master, merely understanding by residual comprehension :)

I do agree with Hermione... I would love to see how wizards explain muggles things. I mean, can you imagine trying to explain cars? It would be pretty hilarious and quite entertaining.

Residual comprehension is great & knowing all that info is stored nice and safely in your brain ready to go when you find others to converse with again 👍

Pankti wrote: "I do agree with Hermione... I would love to see how wizards explain muggles things. I mean, can you imagine trying to explain cars? It would be pretty hilarious and quite entertaining."

Yes, it would certainly be a fun elective course. I'm sure plenty of the muggle-born students take it for those reasons :)

Aoife - Bookish_Babbling wrote: "Residual comprehension is great & knowing all that info is stored nice and safely in your brain ready to go when you find others to converse with again 👍"

Thanks! I suppose that's true enough 😁👍

You got to admit muggle studies is kind of a funny course to take us a muggle-born. Those wizards sure do have some pretty crazy explanations for things. Could you imagine trying to explain the internet and computers to a wizard?

James wrote: "You got to admit muggle studies is kind of a funny course to take us a muggle-born. Those wizards sure do have some pretty crazy explanations for things. Could you imagine trying to explain the int..."

I could imagine it would be both funny and kind of frustrating for a muggle-born to take. I have a hard enough time explaining the internet and computers to the elderly :)

I never thought of the Ron and Crookshanks comparison. That is something that makes you go "hummmm"... And with the muggle studies, I think she just wanted to know it all, even if she already new it. FOMO, I think, really hits home in this situation. I would myself be interested on how the wizarding world portrayed the muggle world.

ReneeQueen wrote: "I never thought of the Ron and Crookshanks comparison. That is something that makes you go "hummmm"... And with the muggle studies, I think she just wanted to know it all, even if she already new i..."

As far as I'm aware, there aren't any other wizarding educational institutions in Britain or Ireland. I would assume that prior to Hogwarts, wizard children would be informally home-schooled. So, who knows whether there would be any other opportunity to formally learn subjects outside of Hogwarts. Or that there's a comparable library or information source for self-study. I figure, Hermione's taking advantage of learning opportunities while she can. Like you say, I think she just wants to "know it all" even if she already knows it, which includes the experience of learning everything.