blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton ([personal profile] blamebrampton) wrote2011-07-17 02:58 am

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

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!

[identity profile] skriftlig.livejournal.com 2011-07-16 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
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.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-07-17 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
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.