In her attempt to free as many house-elves as possible
Hermione start knitting hats and socks which she intends to hide in the
Gryffindor common room. By giving them clothes she tries to set them free. Ron
is startled when he sees her knitting for the first time: “‘What in the name of
Merlin are you doing’? said Ron, watching her as though fearful for her
sanity.”[1]
This
exclamation follows along the lines of the muggle phrase ‘what in God’s name’
or ‘what in the name of God’. These phrases are used to enhance what a person
tries to express and is often used to convey displeasure and confusion.[2] God
is the only being a person has to answer to in order to achieve forgiveness. As
a result, the recipient of this exclamation must be doing something God would
not approve of.
Once again the
wizarding community replaces God with Merlin. They, thus, heightens his
importance as the role model of witches and wizards. They might not have to
answer to him after death but the statement makes clear that whatever a person
is doing would not find Merlin’s approval. Knitting, as in Hermione’s case,
would qualify as a disappointment since it’s a muggle activity due to the
missing use of magic.
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