Mr. Granger

Mr. Granger is a Muggle Dentist, the husband of Mrs. Granger, and the father of Hermione Granger, one of the central protagonists in the series. He and his wife are loving and supportive parents who, despite being non-magical, fully embrace their daughter's identity as a witch. Mr. Granger represents the ordinary, non-magical world from which Hermione originates, and his family's predicament during the Second Wizarding War highlights the far-reaching dangers posed by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. His most significant role in the plot involves having his memory modified by Hermione to protect him and his wife from harm.

Mr. Granger and his wife run a dental practice together. They were understandably surprised when they learned their daughter was a witch, but they were ultimately very proud of her and supportive of her attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the summer of 1992, Mr. and Mrs. Granger accompanied Hermione to Diagon Alley to purchase her second-year school supplies. There, they exchanged Muggle money for Wizarding money at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Mr. Granger was seen having a friendly, if slightly awkward, conversation with Arthur Weasley at the Leaky Cauldron, where Mr. Weasley expressed immense curiosity about Muggle concepts like dentistry and the use of plugs. While in Diagon Alley, Mr. Granger firmly guided his family away from the entrance to the sinister Knockturn Alley. He later met Harry Potter and the Weasley family at Flourish and Blotts, where he witnessed a confrontation between Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy. Throughout Hermione's school years, Mr. Granger remained a concerned and caring father. He and his wife were mentioned to be worried about Hermione's immense academic workload during her third year, unaware at the time that she was using a Time-Turner. At the height of the Second Wizarding War in the summer of 1997, Hermione took the drastic step of modifying her parents' memories to protect them. She made them believe they were Wendell and Monica Wilkins, a childless couple whose greatest ambition was to move to Australia. Mr. Granger, under this new identity, promptly sold the family home and emigrated with his wife. Hermione performed this difficult Memory Charm out of love, ensuring that if she were captured, she could not reveal their location to the Death Eaters under interrogation. After the conclusion of the war, Hermione intended to find her parents and restore their memories.

Mr. Granger's physical appearance is not described in detail, though he and his wife are noted for looking “quite ordinary” in their Muggle attire of jeans and sweatshirts while in Diagon Alley. He is a sensible, logical, and caring man, traits reflected in his profession and his relationship with his daughter. He is shown to be cautious and protective, as seen when he steers his family away from Knockturn Alley. While fascinated by the Wizarding World, he approaches it with a practical Muggle perspective. He is friendly and polite, engaging warmly with both Harry Potter and the Weasleys. His pride in Hermione is evident in all his interactions.

As a Muggle, Mr. Granger possesses no magical abilities. His primary skills lie in his Muggle profession as a qualified and practicing Dentist, a career that he shares with his wife.

Mr. Granger's possessions are typical of a middle-class Muggle. He and his wife co-own a dental practice and a family home. He possesses Muggle money, which he exchanges at Gringotts when visiting the Wizarding World. He has no known magical possessions.

• Mrs. Granger: Mr. Granger has a very close and loving relationship with his wife. They are presented as a partnership, sharing a profession and raising their daughter together. They are almost always seen or mentioned as a pair.
• Hermione Granger: He is an exceptionally supportive and proud father to Hermione. Their bond is one of deep love and trust, culminating in his unwitting acceptance of her Memory Charm to ensure his safety.
• Harry Potter and Ron Weasley: He is friendly and paternal towards Hermione's best friends, treating them with kindness during their encounters in Diagon Alley and at King's Cross Station.
• Weasley family: Mr. Granger has a good-natured relationship with the Weasleys, particularly Arthur Weasley, who is endlessly fascinated by his Muggle profession and lifestyle.

The surname “Granger” is an English occupational name for a farm bailiff or a steward. It derives from the Old French grangier, from grange, meaning “granary” or “outlying farm.” The name suggests a connection to stewardship and the management of land, which provides an interesting contrast to the Grangers' modern, professional, and non-magical lifestyle.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Mr. Granger was played by actor Tom Conti, though his role was uncredited. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, he was portrayed by Ian Kelly.
• The film version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 includes a scene showing Hermione performing the Memory Charm, Obliviate, on her parents. In the novel, this event is only recounted by Hermione to Harry and Ron.
• Mr. Granger's first name is never stated in the seven canonical books. The name he assumes after his memory is modified, “Wendell Wilkins,” is an alias created by Hermione.
• J.K. Rowling confirmed in an interview that after the war, Hermione did find her parents in Australia and successfully lifted the Memory Charm she had placed on them (J.K. Rowling interview).