It's more of a punch in the movie, I think. But yes, it was delightful

Hermione: I feel so sorry for her. The pressure of overwork sounds like it is driving her to breaking point. I suppose that accounts for the rapid change in her character. I rather like it when she gets violent. And her leaving divination. They are both reminiscent of Harry's "I've had enough!" moment with Aunt Marge earlier in that they make sense and clearly spring from high pressure over time. They really are defining moments for Hermione, much like her lying after the troll attack was in the first book. She needed to go over the edge in order to become a real person.

Her reaction to Ron's finally offering to help at the beginning of chapter fifteen is quite explicit in demonstrating the strain she has been under. Ron's reaction is lovely.

Neville: poor boy. And it's not even his fault, as Crookshanks stole it from his bedside table. As someone whose memory is notoriously faulty, I sympathise entirely with him.

Ron: it is nice to see him enjoying the spotlight. Very in character. And I like how his story grows and grows. Don't we get something similar from him in a later book as well?

Hagrid: one of his best moments in the whole series is talking sense into Rob and Harry about Hermione. I am not normally a great fan of Hagrid (I never really got what people see in him), but this one is a lovely shading of his character.

Harry: Snape is quite right that Harry is arrogant in disregarding the hard work that is done to keep him safe. As is Lupin, of course, but Harry acknowledges that (to some extent) so that is not as satisfying to point out.

His ditching Neville (apparently leaving him waiting in the common room for his return) also has me less than sympathetic. The more I think about it, the more Harry is an insufferable brat in this book. Don't even get me started on his constant raging. Sometimes it is all right, but it gets annoying when he reacts to the smallest provocation like that. It may be an interesting aspect to his character, psychologically -- he has had a terrible childhood &c., &c., but he still annoys me from about here on out because of this irrationality. Then again, I suppose he would annoy me even more if he were perfect.

The one endearing trait is his still very strong belief that his father is faultless. That is one of the more interesting Harry-developments through the series. It is the main sign that he grows up, I think.

Lupin's whole intervention for and against Harry regarding the map is delightful.