Hermione Jean Granger

Hermione Jean Granger is a Muggle-born witch, a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and one of the three main protagonists of the series, alongside her best friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Renowned for her formidable intellect, logical mind, and exceptional magical talent, she is often described as the “brightest witch of her age.” Hermione's unwavering loyalty, bravery, and encyclopedic knowledge of the magical world proved indispensable throughout the Second Wizarding War, playing a critical role in the defeat of Lord Voldemort.

Hermione was born on September 19, 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 School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Eager to prove herself in the new world she was entering, she learned all her first-year textbooks by heart before even starting school.

• First Year: Hermione met Harry Potter and Ron Weasley on the Hogwarts Express. Initially, her know-it-all attitude and eagerness to follow rules caused friction with the two boys. However, their friendship was cemented after Harry and Ron saved her from a troll in a girls' bathroom on Hallowe'en. Her logical prowess allowed her to solve Professor Snape's potion riddle, enabling Harry to reach the Philosopher's Stone.
• Second Year: Hermione successfully brewed the complex Polyjuice Potion to help Harry and Ron investigate Draco Malfoy. Later, she became a victim of the Basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets, but her quick thinking in using a mirror to look around corners saved her from a direct, fatal gaze, leaving her Petrified instead. The clue she held in her hand—a page from a book identifying the creature—was vital to Harry and Ron.
• Third Year: To accommodate her ambitious course load, Professor McGonagall entrusted Hermione with a Time-Turner, a powerful magical device allowing her to travel back in time. She used it with Harry to save both Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Sirius Black from certain death. This year also saw her stand up for her friends, punching Draco Malfoy and abandoning Divination class.
• Fourth Year: Hermione became an advocate for house-elf rights, founding the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.). She attended the Yule Ball with Durmstrang champion Viktor Krum, sparking jealousy in Ron. She tirelessly assisted Harry throughout the Triwizard Tournament. At the end of the year, she discovered Rita Skeeter was an unregistered Animagus and trapped her in a jar, blackmailing her to stop writing slanderous articles.
• Fifth Year: Hermione was made a Gryffindor Prefect along with Ron. She conceived the idea for a secret defensive magic group, which became Dumbledore's Army. She fought bravely in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, where she was seriously injured by a curse from Death Eater Antonin Dolokhov.
• Sixth Year: Hermione continued to excel academically and helped protect Harry from the darker influences of his Advanced Potion-Making textbook, which had once belonged to the Half-Blood Prince. Her relationship with Ron became strained due to his romance with Lavender Brown, but they eventually reconciled after he was poisoned. She fought again in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower.
• Seventh Year and the Horcrux Hunt: Deciding not to return to Hogwarts for her final year, Hermione dedicated herself to helping Harry hunt and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. Before leaving, she performed a complex Memory Charm on her parents, making them forget her and move to Australia to ensure their safety. Her beaded bag, enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, became a crucial tool, carrying everything the trio needed for their journey. At Malfoy Manor, she was brutally tortured for information by Bellatrix Lestrange but refused to betray Harry. During the Battle of Hogwarts, she destroyed Helga Hufflepuff's Cup with a Basilisk fang and later shared her first kiss with Ron.

After the war, Hermione returned to Hogwarts to complete her seventh year and take her N.E.W.T.s. (J.K. Rowling interview). She began a career at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where she continued her work advocating for the rights of house-elves. She later transferred to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Hermione eventually married Ron Weasley and had two children: Rose Granger-Weasley and Hugo Granger-Weasley. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Epilogue). She would go on to become the Minister for Magic (Pottermore).

Hermione is described as having “bushy brown hair,” “a bossy sort of voice,” and brown eyes. In her early years, she had large front teeth, which she had magically shrunk by Madam Pomfrey after being hit by a Densaugeo hex. Intellectually brilliant and exceptionally hard-working, Hermione is driven by a deep-seated desire to prove her worth, which can sometimes manifest as an insufferable, know-it-all attitude. However, beneath this exterior lies a person of immense loyalty, courage, and compassion. She is fiercely protective of her friends and has a strong moral compass, evident in her campaign for the rights of marginalized magical creatures. While her strength is logic and planning, she can become flustered when things go awry, but she is also capable of incredible acts of bravery and quick-witted thinking under extreme pressure.

• Academic Prowess: Hermione was consistently the top student in her year, achieving ten O.W.L.s (nine 'Outstanding' and one 'Exceeds Expectations'). Her favorite subjects were Arithmancy and Ancient Runes.
• Charms: She was extraordinarily gifted in Charms, mastering spells years ahead of her peers. She successfully cast a complex Undetectable Extension Charm on her bag and maintained powerful protective enchantments around the trio's campsite for months.
• Logical Reasoning: One of her greatest assets was her sharp, logical mind, which allowed her to solve puzzles that stumped others, such as Professor Snape's potion riddle and identifying Remus Lupin as a werewolf.
• Potions: A highly skilled potioneer, she was able to brew the difficult Polyjuice Potion in her second year.
• Dueling: Hermione was a capable and resourceful duelist who survived several encounters with Death Eaters, including the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Non-Verbal Magic: By her sixth year, she had become proficient at casting spells non-verbally.
• Patronus: Her Patronus Charm takes the form of an otter.
• Wand: Her wand was 10¾ inches long, made of vine wood, and contained a dragon heartstring core.

• Wand: A vine wood wand with a dragon heartstring core. It was briefly confiscated at Malfoy Manor, after which she used Bellatrix Lestrange's wand until the end of the war.
• Crookshanks: Her pet cat, who is part-Kneazle, making him exceptionally intelligent. He was able to recognize both Scabbers as Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black in their Animagus forms.
• Beaded Bag: A small bag enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, which she used to carry an immense number of supplies during the search for the Horcruxes.
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard: A book of wizarding fairy tales bequeathed to her by Albus Dumbledore, which was key to understanding the Deathly Hallows.
• Time-Turner: A device used for time travel, given to her by Professor McGonagall to attend extra classes in her third year. She returned it to the Ministry of Magic at the end of the school year.

• Harry Potter: Her closest friend, whom she supported with unwavering loyalty. Their bond was one of deep, platonic love and mutual respect. She often acted as Harry's conscience and primary researcher.
• Ron Weasley: Her other best friend and eventual husband. Their relationship was defined by frequent bickering that masked a deep-seated affection, which eventually blossomed into romance. They complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses perfectly.
• Viktor Krum: The Durmstrang champion was Hermione's first romantic interest and her date to the Yule Ball. They maintained a pen-pal friendship after the Triwizard Tournament.
• Her Parents: She loved her Muggle parents dearly, and her decision to erase their memories of her to protect them during the war was an act of profound sacrifice.
• Albus Dumbledore: She held Dumbledore in high esteem and was a student he trusted implicitly with difficult tasks and information.

• Hermione: The name is of Greek origin, famously belonging to the daughter of Helen of Troy in Greek mythology. J.K. Rowling also drew inspiration from the character of Queen Hermione in William Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale. She stated she chose an uncommon name so that clever girls would not be teased for it.
• Granger: An English occupational surname for a farm steward. The common, mundane nature of the name highlights her Muggle heritage.
• Jean: Her middle name (J.K. Rowling interview), which she passed on to her daughter, Rose Granger-Weasley.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that the character of Hermione is a caricature of herself as a young girl, sharing her insecurity and fear of failure.
• In the film adaptations, Hermione is portrayed by actress Emma Watson. The films often attribute some of Ron Weasley's key lines and heroic actions from the books to Hermione's character.
• J.K. Rowling has confirmed that Hermione's ethnicity is not specified in the books and voiced her support for the casting of black actress Noma Dumezweni as Hermione in the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (J.K. Rowling on Twitter).