Hermione Jean Granger

Hermione Jean Granger is a central protagonist in the Harry Potter series and one of Harry Potter's closest friends, alongside Ron Weasley. A Muggle-born witch, she was sorted into Gryffindor house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is renowned for her prodigious intellect, logical mind, and encyclopedic knowledge of the magical world, earning her the description of the “brightest witch of her age.” Despite an initial reputation as a bossy know-it-all, she proves herself to be exceptionally brave and fiercely loyal. Her meticulous research and magical talent were frequently indispensable to Harry and Ron during their adventures and were instrumental in the hunt for Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Hermione was born on 19 September 1979 to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, two Muggle dentists. At the age of eleven, she was surprised to learn that she was a witch and had been accepted into Hogwarts. Thrilled, she committed herself to study before even arriving, learning many of the first-year textbooks by heart.

1. First Year: Hermione met Harry Potter and Ron Weasley on the Hogwarts Express. Her initial eagerness to prove her knowledge alienated them, but they became an inseparable trio after Harry and Ron saved her from a mountain Troll in the girls' bathroom on Hallowe'en. Her logical mind was crucial in overcoming Professor Snape's potion riddle, allowing Harry to reach the Philosopher's Stone.
2. Second Year: She successfully brewed the complex Polyjuice Potion, a feat far beyond a second-year student. After deducing that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a Basilisk, she was Petrified by its gaze, which she saw through a mirror. The research clutched in her hand provided Harry and Ron with the final clues needed to solve the mystery.
3. Third Year: To accommodate her ambitious class schedule, Professor McGonagall entrusted her with a Time-Turner. She used this device with Harry at the end of the year to save both Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Sirius Black from their respective fates. This year also saw her stand up to Draco Malfoy and show great compassion for Professor Lupin.
4. Fourth Year: She attended the Yule Ball with Durmstrang champion Viktor Krum, sparking jealousy in Ron. Appalled by the enslavement of House-Elves, she founded the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.). She supported Harry throughout the Triwizard Tournament and ultimately captured the unscrupulous journalist Rita Skeeter in her unregistered Animagus (beetle) form.
5. Fifth Year: Appointed a Gryffindor prefect, Hermione conceived the idea for an illicit defensive magic study group, which became Dumbledore's Army. She was instrumental in its organization and function. She later fought bravely in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, where she was seriously injured by a curse from Death Eater Antonin Dolohov.
6. Sixth Year: Hermione's academic excellence continued, though her relationship with Ron became strained when he began dating Lavender Brown. She attended Professor Slughorn's Christmas party with the obnoxious Cormac McLaggen. She fought again in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower at the end of the year.

Foreseeing the dangerous journey ahead, Hermione modified her parents' memories, making them believe they were different people, and sent them to Australia for their protection. She did not return to Hogwarts for her seventh year, instead accompanying Harry on his quest to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. Her magically-expanded beaded handbag was an essential tool, containing books, potions, clothing, a tent, and other vital supplies. She was captured by Snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor, where she was brutally tortured for information by Bellatrix Lestrange before being rescued by Dobby. During the Battle of Hogwarts, she destroyed Hufflepuff's Cup (a Horcrux) with a Basilisk fang in the Chamber of Secrets and fought valiantly throughout the castle.

After the war, Hermione returned to Hogwarts to complete her seventh year of education and sit her N.E.W.T.s (Pottermore). She began a career at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where she vastly improved the lives of House-Elves. She later transferred to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She married Ron Weasley and had two children: a daughter, Rose Granger-Weasley, and a son, Hugo Granger-Weasley. She eventually became Minister for Magic (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child).

Hermione is described as having bushy brown hair, brown eyes, and, initially, large front teeth, which she later has magically shrunk by Madam Pomfrey. She is primarily defined by her intellect, logical nature, and immense love for books and learning. While she can be perceived as bossy, rigid, and an “insufferable know-it-all,” these traits are rooted in her confidence in facts and her desire to help her friends. Beneath this exterior, Hermione is fiercely loyal, incredibly brave, and possesses a strong moral compass and sense of justice. She is compassionate, as shown by her S.P.E.W. campaign, but can also be insecure and vulnerable, especially regarding her friendships and her feelings for Ron.

• Academic Prowess: Considered the “brightest witch of her age,” Hermione consistently achieved top marks in nearly every subject. She earned ten “Outstanding” O.W.L.s.
• Charms: She was exceptionally gifted in Charms, mastering spells years ahead of her classmates. In her fifth year, she cast the highly advanced Protean Charm on the fake galleons used by Dumbledore's Army. She also became proficient in non-verbal spells.
• Logical Mind: Her greatest asset was her ability to use logic and deductive reasoning, a skill often overlooked in the wizarding world. This allowed her to solve problems that stumped others, such as Snape's potion riddle in her first year.
• Arithmancy and Ancient Runes: She was skilled in these complex magical disciplines, using her knowledge of Ancient Runes to translate The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which was key to understanding the Deathly Hallows.
• Patronus: Her Patronus takes the form of an otter.
• Wand: Her wand was 10¾ inches long, made of vine wood, and contained a dragon heartstring core. For a time, she used Bellatrix Lestrange's wand after the skirmish at Malfoy Manor.

• Beaded Handbag: A small purple bag upon which she cast an Undetectable Extension Charm. It held a vast quantity of items essential for the trio's survival during the Horcrux hunt.
• Time-Turner: A device used for time travel, which she used during her third year to attend multiple classes at once. It was returned to the Ministry of Magic at the end of the year.
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard: A book of wizarding fairy tales bequeathed to her by Albus Dumbledore. It contained the story of the Deathly Hallows.
• Crookshanks: Her pet cat, who is half-`Kneazle` and therefore highly intelligent. He was able to recognize Scabbers as Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black in his dog form.

• Harry Potter: Hermione is one of Harry's two best friends. Their relationship is one of deep, platonic love and unwavering loyalty. She acts as his conscience, advisor, and a constant source of information and support.
• Ron Weasley: Ron is Hermione's other best friend and eventual husband. Their relationship evolved from constant bickering and academic rivalry into a deep romantic love. They complement each other's personalities: her logic and planning balances his strategic thinking and intuition.
• Parents: She loved her Muggle parents dearly, and her decision to modify their memories to protect them during the war demonstrates her immense self-sacrifice. She later found them in Australia and restored their memories.
• Viktor Krum: The Durmstrang champion was her first romantic interest. They maintained a friendly correspondence after he returned home.
• Professors: She was a model student respected by most of her teachers, particularly Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick. Severus Snape, however, frequently derided her for her eagerness to answer questions.

• Hermione: The name is of Greek origin, famously belonging to the daughter of Helen of Troy and King Menelaus in Greek mythology. It is also the name of the virtuous queen in William Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale. J.K. Rowling has said she chose an uncommon name to prevent real girls from being teased for it.
• Jean: Her middle name (revealed post-publication) is a classic name of Scottish origin, meaning “God is gracious.”
• Granger: An English occupational surname for a farm steward or bailiff. This common, non-magical-sounding surname emphasizes her Muggle heritage.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that the character of Hermione is based on a caricature of herself at age eleven (J.K. Rowling interview).
• In the film adaptations, Hermione is portrayed by Emma Watson. Some lines and actions originally belonging to Ron in the books were given to Hermione in the films, such as explaining the derogatory term `Mudblood` to Harry.
• J.K. Rowling's original choice for Hermione's middle name was “Jane,” but she changed it to “Jean” so it would not be the same as that of Dolores Jane Umbridge (Pottermore).
• J.K. Rowling's favorite animal is the otter, which is why she chose it for Hermione's Patronus (J.K. Rowling interview).
• Regarding the casting of Noma Dumezweni, a black actress, as Hermione in the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, J.K. Rowling clarified that Hermione's race was never specified in the novels, stating on Twitter: “brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione.”