Triple Trouble, The Trio in Triumph and Trial Fricka View Member Profile Nov 19 2009, 08:03 AM Post #11 Grammar Posse Posts: 2,734 Joined: 3:59pm May 15, 2008 Location: Sunny Phoenix, Arizona("It's a Dry Heat!") Well, to respond to ladymblack's question, about whether I had anticipated the Silver Trio backing HRH in a battle situation, I was rather hoping to see that, yes. However, I was also hoping to see Neville be the one to take out Bellatrix Lestrange, and that did not happen, as Molly Weasley did that. About the two trios--I have to agree that the HRH trio is much stronger than the Silver trio. Not only have they been together longer,and been through a lot of challenges, there's a symbiotic relationship between them as well... Hermione is the brains, or mind, of the group, Ron is the body, and Harry is the heart. John Granger also asserts that there's an alchemical symbolism to the group as well. Hermione and Ron are the "quarreling couple", or mercury and sulfur, and Harry is the alchemical baby or child. I don't see the Silver trio having that kind of symbolic strength. They seem, to me, to be more misfits who have found each other and band together for a specific purpose rather than the way that HRH do. We also do not get to see whether the Silver trio stays that much in touch with each other at the end of DH, the way that we do with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Now Ginny has been subsumed into that grouping, and we do not see either Neville or Luna. Neville is mentioned, of course, but we don't see him there at the train station, and aside from Ginny's telling Albus to give Neville "Love," we don't get to see them actually physically meet...anyone else have some thoughts about that? -------------------- __________Phoenix avatar from ofenjen;AZ Raven siggy from Victoria Page september.1.2017 View Member Profile Nov 23 2009, 09:20 PM Post #12 Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 3 Joined: 9:08pm November 10, 2009 Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle have a different type of friendship than Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Crabbe and Goyle are more of Malfoy's sidekicks than his equals. While the series focuses a more on Harry than the other two, they are considered equal. I think this is because the Slytherin trio have been raised believing some people are better than others. While Harry was raised this way too, he never believed it. september.1.2017 View Member Profile Nov 23 2009, 09:21 PM Post #13 Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 3 Joined: 9:08pm November 10, 2009 Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle have a different type of friendship than Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Crabbe and Goyle are more of Malfoy's sidekicks than his equals. While the series focuses a more on Harry than the other two, they are considered equal. I think this is because the Slytherin trio have been raised believing some people are better than others. While Harry was raised this way too, he never believed it. nachtweiss View Member Profile Jan 9 2010, 11:35 PM Post #14 Professional Diagon Alley Window Shopper Posts: 63 Joined: 9:11pm October 10, 2007 Groups of three are great. They lend rhythm: "the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker." (If you look at nursery rhymes, they are full of them.) Most of the people I know, including myself, have three names: their given name, their Christian name, their surname. There are three separate vocal parts for men and women: bass, baritone, tenor; contralto, mezzo, soprano. Something about it fits. Stylistically, it gives you the ever-important triangle. If you have three characters, it gets interesting because every facet of that triangle has a different reaction from people. Hermione and Harry interact differently than Hermione and Ron do; the same goes for Harry and Ron. This is kind of a side note, but through the trio you get three separate types of love. There are two types of platonic--brotherly love and brother-sisterly love--but also romantic love. -------------------- Avatar thanks to tinypic.comI'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart. e e cummings cminmd View Member Profile Jan 14 2010, 08:23 PM Post #15 Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 179 Joined: 1:17am November 28, 2009 I was thinking about how Voldemort is kind of an anti-Christ character in three forms. You know how God has three forms- father, son and holy spirit. I was thinking when you referred to the trinity in religion how JKR gives LV three forms as well. Father- his final reincarnated Serpent like form after taking the blood from Harry in a ceremony.Son- his almost born Tom Riddle personae from the diary.Evil Spirit- his semi-formed spirit body he spent the 13 years before he got a body back.I know this is reaching a bit, but I found it odd that evil character has so many manifestations throughout his life. LunaLovegoodRock... LunaLovegoodRocks! View Member Profile Jan 18 2010, 06:43 PM Post #16 Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 3 Joined: 11:36am December 28, 2009 Location: Studying in the Hogwarts Library with my Ravenclaw buddies! Ginny, Neville, and Luna could be a similar trio, but we never see them operating that way. Ginny and Luna are friends, Neville and Ginny are friendly, but the only time we see all three it's as an adjunct to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They get a chance to work as a trio, but we never see it.Umm... excuse me, GadgetDon, but have you read Deathly Hallows? Sorry to sound so rude about it. But, you will notice that at the end, Neville is talking about how he, Ginny, and Luna have been working hard; "Dumbledore's Army: Still Recruiting" and stuff like that. The problem: Well, I understand to some degree that they aren't as strong as the Golden Three, but i like the name "Silver Trio" because they really are a good team, even if they aren't great. Anyways, they did have several death eaters in the building, and they didn't have dumbledore to act as a shield. The death eaters were pretty much free to take a swipe at whoever they wanted. Because of this, they had to be very, very, VERY careful about not getting caught, something that it seems none of the characters have been very good about (Neville, Harry, Draco... you get the picture) When HRH were caught, they usually managed to get out of trouble or maybe with only a detention. Neville, Luna, and Ginny suffered the Cruciatus Curse and things like that if they were caught. And Neville and Luna were very good friends! (Although I am not a supporter of the Neville+Luna campaign)Anyways, Still sorry I was so rude about it at the beginning! Neville---Ginny---Luna -------------------- "Mistletoe... It's probably infested with nargles!" cminmd View Member Profile Jan 28 2010, 12:05 PM Post #17 Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 179 Joined: 1:17am November 28, 2009 I think her point is we don't "see" GNL trio work together- we just hear about it secondhand from Neville. Because we don't see them work together it is hard to know how they functioned as a trio- who is the leader, do they all play equal parts, what skill does each bring? I could see it being a Ginny lead insurrection with Neville stepping up as it gets more and more dangerous and Luna gets pulled away at Christmas. So the silver trio (love that name!) was only together for less than 4 months. I think Draco, Crabbe and Goyle's relationships mimics the status of their parents in the Death Eaters. That is why you see Crabbe get a little mouthy to Draco in the DHs. His father has fallen in LVs eyes so now the Crabbe's don't have to suck up to the Malfoy family anymore. They never had any friendship, just proximity. I like the way JKR has the HRH working together as a unit. I don't like when a character is a "superhero" (unless they really are a superhero!) and can do no wrong. I like my heroes to be humans- with strengths, weaknesses and moments of courage and inspiration. By giving us three characters that work as a unit, they are more realistically able to accomplish the goals. Harry is brave, flies, is famous (which gives him some power) and he is determined. His flaws are that he is rash and emotional. His hidden power is his connection to the adult world through LV, DD + Hagrid. He also has the cloak and owns 12G.Hermione is smart,logical and diligent. Her flaw is that she is bossy and can be offputting- like with SPREW. Her hidden power is that she is the problem solver of the group- the Strategic thinker Ron is funny, brave and good at chess. His flaw is jealousy and insecurity related to his brothers. His hidden power is his ties to the ministry through his dad and brother, his knowledge of the magical world and his family connections with skills like dragons, lock picking and flying cars. I like how JKR has one pure blood, one half blood and one muggle born character as the prime characters. The two characters with the strongest magical ability are DD, Ginny (pure) and Hermione and Lily (muggle born). You also get pure bloods with not so strong abilities like Neville and Ron. She makes it very clear that blood status does not decide magic ability. This post has been edited by cminmd: Jan 28 2010, 12:45 PM Hippogriff Lover Buckbeak26 View Member Profile Jan 28 2010, 07:28 PM Post #18 Disgruntled House-Elf at The Leaky Cauldron Posts: 430 Joined: 12:02pm August 5, 2006 Location: Warner Robins GA USA I think that the trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron is one of my favorite things about the series. Each one has strengths that the other 2 do not. Sometimes as in COS,Hermione gets Petrified by the Basilisk, and is out of the action. In POA Ron gets injured when Sirius pulls him in to the roots of the Whomping Willow, and he also is out of action when Harry and Hermione use the Time Turner.Then in a period of time in GOF Ron and Harry aren't talking to one another because Ron thought that Harry cheated to put his name in the Goblet of Fire and it takes the first task of Harry facing his dragon to get them to be friends again. But each one helps the other 2. I can remember the first time I read OOTP and Harry's continuing battles with Professor Umbridge. Hermione comes up with the idea of the DA and as a result 25 other students at Hogwarts with the inclusion of Neville, Ginny, and Luna (The Silver Trio as some people have called them) and with the help of the Silver trio they all go to the DOM at the end and yet they lose Sirius. Neville is the only one besides Harry to help him battle and he came across as a big help to Harry. But back to the main Trio, each one has a strength that compensates for the other 2. In PS/SS for example we see the trio use the strength for each task to get to the stone: 1. Harry plays the flute to put Fluffy to sleep 2. Hermione using her bluebell fire to keep the Devil's Snare at bay to help Harry and Ron escape.3.Harry uses his seeking skills from Quidditch to find the right flying key to unlock the door.4. Ron's chess smarts helps even though he sacrifices himself to have Harry and Hermione go on.5. Hermione using her logic smarts with Professor Snape's potions Puzzle and6. Harry facing Quirrell/Voldemort at the very end and Dumbledore arriving to assist Harry at the very end.I know I didn't include more than one of Ron's talents but the chess game helped. I remember also in DH, we see Ron and Hermione arguing and Ron leaving. It shocked me the first time I read this, but each of the trio had weaknesses too and Ron wearing the Horcrux locket was one of his weaknesses. When the trio were captured by Fenrir and the other snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor it was Ron mostly (while imprisoned in the cellar) going crazy every time Bellatrix tortured Hermione and try to find a way out of the cellar to try to rescue Hermione. I think each of the trio cares for each other and their friends as well. This is a very good topic and if I think of more things I will be sure to add them. cminmd View Member Profile Feb 19 2010, 05:12 PM Post #19 Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 179 Joined: 1:17am November 28, 2009 I think the biggest advantage to the trio is that it gives JKR the ability to give the three characters real life squabbles and disagreements without leaving the hero on his own. The trio are friends for 7 years. Over that length of time you are going to have fights, disagreements and resentments. You also get to see the very realistic situation of having to be the friend that bridges the distance between two other people. « Next Oldest · The Lily and Stag Inn: Public Forum · Next Newest »

[Fricka]

Well, to respond to ladymblack's question, about whether I had anticipated the Silver Trio backing HRH in a battle situation, I was rather hoping to see that, yes. However, I was also hoping to see Neville be the one to take out Bellatrix Lestrange, and that did not happen, as Molly Weasley did that. About the two trios--I have to agree that the HRH trio is much stronger than the Silver trio. Not only have they been together longer,and been through a lot of challenges, there's a symbiotic relationship between them as well... Hermione is the brains, or mind, of the group, Ron is the body, and Harry is the heart. John Granger also asserts that there's an alchemical symbolism to the group as well. Hermione and Ron are the "quarreling couple", or mercury and sulfur, and Harry is the alchemical baby or child. I don't see the Silver trio having that kind of symbolic strength. They seem, to me, to be more misfits who have found each other and band together for a specific purpose rather than the way that HRH do. We also do not get to see whether the Silver trio stays that much in touch with each other at the end of DH, the way that we do with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Now Ginny has been subsumed into that grouping, and we do not see either Neville or Luna. Neville is mentioned, of course, but we don't see him there at the train station, and aside from Ginny's telling Albus to give Neville "Love," we don't get to see them actually physically meet...anyone else have some thoughts about that?

[september.1.2017]

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle have a different type of friendship than Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Crabbe and Goyle are more of Malfoy's sidekicks than his equals. While the series focuses a more on Harry than the other two, they are considered equal. I think this is because the Slytherin trio have been raised believing some people are better than others. While Harry was raised this way too, he never believed it.

[september.1.2017]

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle have a different type of friendship than Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Crabbe and Goyle are more of Malfoy's sidekicks than his equals. While the series focuses a more on Harry than the other two, they are considered equal. I think this is because the Slytherin trio have been raised believing some people are better than others. While Harry was raised this way too, he never believed it.

[nachtweiss]

Groups of three are great. They lend rhythm: "the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker." (If you look at nursery rhymes, they are full of them.) Most of the people I know, including myself, have three names: their given name, their Christian name, their surname. There are three separate vocal parts for men and women: bass, baritone, tenor; contralto, mezzo, soprano. Something about it fits. Stylistically, it gives you the ever-important triangle. If you have three characters, it gets interesting because every facet of that triangle has a different reaction from people. Hermione and Harry interact differently than Hermione and Ron do; the same goes for Harry and Ron.

This is kind of a side note, but through the trio you get three separate types of love. There are two types of platonic--brotherly love and brother-sisterly love--but also romantic love.

[cminmd]

I was thinking about how Voldemort is kind of an anti-Christ character in three forms. You know how God has three forms- father, son and holy spirit. I was thinking when you referred to the trinity in religion how JKR gives LV three forms as well.

Father- his final reincarnated Serpent like form after taking the blood from Harry in a ceremony.
Son- his almost born Tom Riddle personae from the diary.
Evil Spirit- his semi-formed spirit body he spent the 13 years before he got a body back.

I know this is reaching a bit, but I found it odd that evil character has so many manifestations throughout his life.

[LunaLovegoodRock...]

Ginny, Neville, and Luna could be a similar trio, but we never see them operating that way. Ginny and Luna are friends, Neville and Ginny are friendly, but the only time we see all three it's as an adjunct to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They get a chance to work as a trio, but we never see it.

Umm... excuse me, GadgetDon, but have you read Deathly Hallows? Sorry to sound so rude about it. But, you will notice that at the end, Neville is talking about how he, Ginny, and Luna have been working hard; "Dumbledore's Army: Still Recruiting" and stuff like that. The problem: Well, I understand to some degree that they aren't as strong as the Golden Three, but i like the name "Silver Trio" because they really are a good team, even if they aren't great. Anyways, they did have several death eaters in the building, and they didn't have dumbledore to act as a shield. The death eaters were pretty much free to take a swipe at whoever they wanted. Because of this, they had to be very, very, VERY careful about not getting caught, something that it seems none of the characters have been very good about (Neville, Harry, Draco... you get the picture) When HRH were caught, they usually managed to get out of trouble or maybe with only a detention. Neville, Luna, and Ginny suffered the Cruciatus Curse and things like that if they were caught. And Neville and Luna were very good friends! (Although I am not a supporter of the Neville+Luna campaign)
Anyways, Still sorry I was so rude about it at the beginning!

Neville---Ginny---Luna

[cminmd]

I think her point is we don't "see" GNL trio work together- we just hear about it secondhand from Neville. Because we don't see them work together it is hard to know how they functioned as a trio- who is the leader, do they all play equal parts, what skill does each bring? I could see it being a Ginny lead insurrection with Neville stepping up as it gets more and more dangerous and Luna gets pulled away at Christmas. So the silver trio (love that name!) was only together for less than 4 months.

I think Draco, Crabbe and Goyle's relationships mimics the status of their parents in the Death Eaters. That is why you see Crabbe get a little mouthy to Draco in the DHs. His father has fallen in LVs eyes so now the Crabbe's don't have to suck up to the Malfoy family anymore. They never had any friendship, just proximity.

I like the way JKR has the HRH working together as a unit. I don't like when a character is a "superhero" (unless they really are a superhero!) and can do no wrong. I like my heroes to be humans- with strengths, weaknesses and moments of courage and inspiration. By giving us three characters that work as a unit, they are more realistically able to accomplish the goals.

Harry is brave, flies, is famous (which gives him some power) and he is determined. His flaws are that he is rash and emotional. His hidden power is his connection to the adult world through LV, DD + Hagrid. He also has the cloak and owns 12G.


Hermione is smart,logical and diligent. Her flaw is that she is bossy and can be offputting- like with SPREW. Her hidden power is that she is the problem solver of the group- the Strategic thinker

Ron is funny, brave and good at chess. His flaw is jealousy and insecurity related to his brothers. His hidden power is his ties to the ministry through his dad and brother, his knowledge of the magical world and his family connections with skills like dragons, lock picking and flying cars.

I like how JKR has one pure blood, one half blood and one muggle born character as the prime characters. The two characters with the strongest magical ability are DD, Ginny (pure) and Hermione and Lily (muggle born). You also get pure bloods with not so strong abilities like Neville and Ron. She makes it very clear that blood status does not decide magic ability.

This post has been edited by cminmd: Jan 28 2010, 12:45 PM

[Hippogriff Lover]

I think that the trio of Harry, Hermione, and Ron is one of my favorite things about the series. Each one has strengths that the other 2 do not.

Sometimes as in COS,Hermione gets Petrified by the Basilisk, and is out of the action. In POA Ron gets injured when Sirius pulls him in to the roots of the Whomping Willow, and he also is out of action when Harry and Hermione use the Time Turner.
Then in a period of time in GOF Ron and Harry aren't talking to one another because Ron thought that Harry cheated to put his name in the Goblet of Fire and it takes the first task of Harry facing his dragon to get them to be friends again.

But each one helps the other 2. I can remember the first time I read OOTP and Harry's continuing battles with Professor Umbridge. Hermione comes up with the idea of the DA and as a result 25 other students at Hogwarts with the inclusion of Neville, Ginny, and Luna (The Silver Trio as some people have called them) and with the help of the Silver trio they all go to the DOM at the end and yet they lose Sirius. Neville is the only one besides Harry to help him battle and he came across as a big help to Harry.

But back to the main Trio, each one has a strength that compensates for the other 2. In PS/SS for example we see the trio use the strength for each task to get to the stone:

1. Harry plays the flute to put Fluffy to sleep
2. Hermione using her bluebell fire to keep the Devil's Snare at bay to help Harry and Ron escape.
3.Harry uses his seeking skills from Quidditch to find the right flying key to unlock the door.
4. Ron's chess smarts helps even though he sacrifices himself to have Harry and Hermione go on.
5. Hermione using her logic smarts with Professor Snape's potions Puzzle and
6. Harry facing Quirrell/Voldemort at the very end and Dumbledore arriving to assist Harry at the very end.


I know I didn't include more than one of Ron's talents but the chess game helped.


I remember also in DH, we see Ron and Hermione arguing and Ron leaving. It shocked me the first time I read this, but each of the trio had weaknesses too and Ron wearing the Horcrux locket was one of his weaknesses. When the trio were captured by Fenrir and the other snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor it was Ron mostly (while imprisoned in the cellar) going crazy every time Bellatrix tortured Hermione and try to find a way out of the cellar to try to rescue Hermione.

I think each of the trio cares for each other and their friends as well.

This is a very good topic and if I think of more things I will be sure to add them.

[cminmd]

I think the biggest advantage to the trio is that it gives JKR the ability to give the three characters real life squabbles and disagreements without leaving the hero on his own. The trio are friends for 7 years. Over that length of time you are going to have fights, disagreements and resentments. You also get to see the very realistic situation of having to be the friend that bridges the distance between two other people.