Not as much as I’m missing. They were in the final stage of an important war(game), so climbing icy walls with magic technological help seems to me a minor discomfort, just part of the game. They all had Feather Fall potions, so no-one was in any danger, whatever the lizard brain thinks of looking down from a long way up. Hermione even told Draco to drop her (according to the possibly unreliable girls’ chatter afterwards). Harry had no way of knowing exactly how the rooftop chase would play out, although I would guess that he secretly practiced beforehand to get an advantage.
So, what is there for Harry to apologise for, and in such an extreme manner? I was expecting something else to be revealed in 42, but apparently not.
I know nothing about canon HP, but I don’t think that matters here.
Have you ever been rock climbing? I assure you that the fact that you’re safe, and even the fact that you know you’re safe, does not shut off the (untrained) lizard brain, at least not the sort of lizard brain that’s afraid of heights.
Have you ever been rock climbing? I assure you that the fact that you’re safe, and even the fact that you know you’re safe, does not shut off the (untrained) lizard brain, at least not the sort of lizard brain that’s afraid of heights.
Bizarrely enough, I went rockclimbing a couple of months ago. The first time in years, and the knowledge that I was safe seemed that it did make a lot of difference. At 50 metres up I deliberately violated the “don’t look down” rule because I am somewhat masochistic when it comes to challenging my (miscallibrated) instincts. But the vertigo I expected just didn’t come at all—I was genuinely surprised. My theory is that my “lizard brain” was already engaged with my rather stronger competitive instincts.
I find the same thing.
I don’t, at least not always. I think it differs from person to person.
I only went climbing less than a dozen times, so I can’t be sure about “getting used to it”, but then again Hermione probably wasn’t used to dropping from castles.
When I climb a “simple” vertical wall I don’t get any vertigo or other “lizard-brain complaints” as I had expected. (I rarely get vertigo from heights in general, and among my friends I’m usually the guy closest to any ledge, with everyone telling me to get back, from a safe distance.)
However, I did once a climb an indoor route (not sure about terminology) that wasn’t just vertical, it had a kind of lateral transfer to a ledge at the top, and the part where I didn’t see a wall below me all the way down did feel like having butterflies in my stomach despite being tied to a rope. I liked it, but I can see it as a very unpleasant experience for a bookish (i.e., not a tom-boy) 11 years old girl.
I haven’t been rock climbing, but I can tell you that the main reason I’m scared of heights is because I get an urge to jump off, and I have to fight it back down again. If there’s a full glass window or something between me and the drop, on the other hand, heights don’t bother me at all.
Harry had no way of knowing exactly how the rooftop chase would play out
If Harry had deliberately zapped Hermione to make her stumble and distract Draco, that would explain everything, but in the text he’s running away, dodging their spells. He might have set some sort of trap on the roof, but there’s no indication in the text.
Not as much as I’m missing. They were in the final stage of an important war(game), so climbing icy walls with magic technological help seems to me a minor discomfort, just part of the game. They all had Feather Fall potions, so no-one was in any danger, whatever the lizard brain thinks of looking down from a long way up. Hermione even told Draco to drop her (according to the possibly unreliable girls’ chatter afterwards). Harry had no way of knowing exactly how the rooftop chase would play out, although I would guess that he secretly practiced beforehand to get an advantage.
So, what is there for Harry to apologise for, and in such an extreme manner? I was expecting something else to be revealed in 42, but apparently not.
I know nothing about canon HP, but I don’t think that matters here.
Have you ever been rock climbing? I assure you that the fact that you’re safe, and even the fact that you know you’re safe, does not shut off the (untrained) lizard brain, at least not the sort of lizard brain that’s afraid of heights.
Bizarrely enough, I went rockclimbing a couple of months ago. The first time in years, and the knowledge that I was safe seemed that it did make a lot of difference. At 50 metres up I deliberately violated the “don’t look down” rule because I am somewhat masochistic when it comes to challenging my (miscallibrated) instincts. But the vertigo I expected just didn’t come at all—I was genuinely surprised. My theory is that my “lizard brain” was already engaged with my rather stronger competitive instincts.
I find the same thing. Climbing isn’t scary at all when you’re tied on.
I only went climbing less than a dozen times, so I can’t be sure about “getting used to it”, but then again Hermione probably wasn’t used to dropping from castles.
When I climb a “simple” vertical wall I don’t get any vertigo or other “lizard-brain complaints” as I had expected. (I rarely get vertigo from heights in general, and among my friends I’m usually the guy closest to any ledge, with everyone telling me to get back, from a safe distance.)
However, I did once a climb an indoor route (not sure about terminology) that wasn’t just vertical, it had a kind of lateral transfer to a ledge at the top, and the part where I didn’t see a wall below me all the way down did feel like having butterflies in my stomach despite being tied to a rope. I liked it, but I can see it as a very unpleasant experience for a bookish (i.e., not a tom-boy) 11 years old girl.
Technicality: she’s 12 by now; in fact, she’s been 12 since mid-September. (Yes, I am a nerd.)
I haven’t been rock climbing, but I can tell you that the main reason I’m scared of heights is because I get an urge to jump off, and I have to fight it back down again. If there’s a full glass window or something between me and the drop, on the other hand, heights don’t bother me at all.
It doesn’t mean anything afterwards, though, and afterwards is when the puzzling scene happens.
(We read that play out ourselves.)
If Harry had deliberately zapped Hermione to make her stumble and distract Draco, that would explain everything, but in the text he’s running away, dodging their spells. He might have set some sort of trap on the roof, but there’s no indication in the text.