Can't help lovin' that man of mine ...

[blamebrampton]

Mr Brammers the other night: Hey, do we ever find out if Hermione's parents got their memories back?

Me: Yeah, I think Jo Rowling said in an interview after the book came out that she went to Australia and found them and restored their memories, and that they understood and forgave her.

Him: Oh, that's good.

Me: Yep (turns back to story)

Him: Because when you think about it, she spends all of book seven having essentially wiped herself out of existence. I mean, she's still got Harry and Ron, but she's removed herself from the real world in the most absolute way, and she can't know if she'll ever be able to go back. If she dies, her parents won't even mourn her, they won't even remember her. And then she goes out and protects the boys and helps to win the war, all the time carrying with her this huge existential crisis.

Basically, she's put herself in the same position as Harry, except that she knows her parents. She knows what it was like to grow up with a loving and supportive mother and father and so she knows exactly what she's lost, while Harry just mourns something he was too young to remember. It's really horrible, and amazing at the same time. Sort of makes you think about how brave she is and how serious the war is.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Me: I love you so much!

Comments

[leela-cat.livejournal.com]

Gah. He's wonderful. Why have I not thought of that before? It's utterly brilliant. *blinks*

[leela-cat.livejournal.com]

BTW, I'm writing a Hermione-centric story (not slash or H/D), and *this* has just filled in the piece that I was missing. I hope Mr Brammers doesn't mind me using a twist on his idea.

[subtlefire.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He is a gem!

[teas-me.livejournal.com]

♥

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Keeper!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Jo'd love him, too, if she read this!!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I said as much -- any writer would be thrilled and delighted to have someone think so deeply on her work!

[complications-g.livejournal.com]

Hermione is so amazing, she really carries the trio. ♥ Mr brammers has the right of it!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He is a deep thinker, my lad!

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

YES Mr. B, YES!!! Cheryl, Tara and I were just talking yesterday about what an incredible character Hermione is and how it sometimes goes downplayed. She is SO HARD CORE about what it takes to win and is so incredibly devoted to Harry and the cause. LOVE HERMIONE.

And love Mr. Be for 1) getting it and 2) engaging in the discussion. Totally equals win. *nods*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I think that one of the interesting things is that JKR hammers us with some of the parallels in the book, particularly Harry/Neville, but others are really subtle. I knew that Hermione had made a massive sacrifice, but that she had essentially taken on Harry's orphanhood by choice had completely passed me by until Mr B said so. Hermione is amazing!

And yeah, he relies on these moments of brilliance to avoid being smothered for all his lack of housework ;-)

[snegurochka_lee]

oh, SMART! Yes! You should keep that one. *nod* ♥♥♥

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I think I have to -- we get each other's jokes, I've learned his name, and the DVDs are irredeemably muddled ... ;-)

[ariannagray.livejournal.com]

♥!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He was v surprised at how pleased I was, the silly!

[groolover.livejournal.com]

Can I have one of him, please?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

There is a short queue, but once I have the Mr Brammers Cloning Project underway, I will add you to the list! He is mostly excellent, but he is wretched at housework 99 days out of 100.

[rubytuesday5681]

Awww!!! <333

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I know! That he just sat around and thought about it like that!

[skriftlig.livejournal.com]

Mr Brammers is wonderful. And Hermione is under-rated.

I saw HP 7.1 last year, but one of the scenes I remember most was the moment Hermione erased her parents' memories of her. I thought they did it really well with the photographs above the fireplace slowly changing. Also thought Emma Watson did a great job showing Hermione quietly devastated, but determined to stick with Harry.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was quietly beautiful and devastating, and I agree that Emma was wonderful in it. I think that I had always known how important her choice was, but hadn't quite grasped the scope of it until he said that. I'd forgotten that their magic can go on after they die, and so she'd be gone forever.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

So much love! He's wonderful!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He really is :-)

[nenne.livejournal.com]

Loved the conversation!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He's a funny man -- some days he is all taciturn and grunty, and other days he is all 'let's talk narratives!' When I was relearning how to walk after I shattered my foot, he would sit down and think up topics we could debate as we walked, so I would end up going far beyond the distances I thought I could, as I was caught up in the discussion :-)

[chantefable.livejournal.com]

Okay. I admit to being a tiny bit vexed with Mr B for spending so much time conquering virtual universes instead of worshipping your awesomeness and only giving you a chocolate frog for your birthday, but I think I can forgive him now.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh worshipping would be awful! Though he really ought to have known the birthday thing was beyond the pale. But on the whole, he is absolutely worth not smothering and burying in the garden!

[mrsquizzical.livejournal.com]

<33333!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He's a lovely chap!

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

Mr Brammers is a gem <3

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He is!

[enchanted-jae.livejournal.com]

I love Mr Brammers, too!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

His mind is a source of constant joy and amazement to me.

[absynthedrinker.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Wow! And just when you thought we were all just too emotionally retarded or dim to get any of it one of numbers saves the day! Thanks Mr. Brammers for keeping our end up! (so to speak)

Peace,
Bubba

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I just cannot believe that I had never spotted the parallel with Harry -- I feel quite the failure as a fan.

[darlulu.livejournal.com]

After Book 7 came out, I heard a lot of grumbling about Hermione's 'power-tripping ways' and it really annoyed me at the time because, like Mr B, I was bowled over by the sacrifice Hermione had made to keep both her muggle family and adopted magical family safe.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

YES! Gosh, how could anyone grumble about her in that book? She just sacrifices everything time and again ...

[shu-shu-sleeps.livejournal.com]

Why am I not surprised that Mr B would think of that? Oh that's right, I already know he's a complete treasure.... the two of you are well suited.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He is a surprisingly deep thinker, bless him. And of course we are -- he can reach the high shelves, I the low ;-)

How are you, dear?

[jolinar-rosha.livejournal.com]

wow. I sincerely never thought of that before.

Everybody always focuses so much on Harry, and while I like him, I think his personal angst and drama keeps us from actually seeing what the other characters are going through.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Me either! I mean, I understood that she had made a massive sacrifice, but completely failed to see either the Harry parallels or the fact that her erasure would be permanent if she died. SO MUCH bigger than I had thought!

[i-autumnheart.livejournal.com]

Yay for Mr Brammers :). Bonus points if you can get him to write fic!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Darling, I can barely get him to write birthday cards!

[boxofdelights]

awwwwww!

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Mr Brammers RAWKS!

[jekni.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan (which I think I've mentioned before, not having rad past book 3) but someone on the knitting lj posted this:
http://knitting.livejournal.com/10684586.html?view=121988010#t121988010

maybe you could make him one to show your appreciation?

*slinks away quietly*