My favourite character growing up was easily Hermione. While I’ve since come to identify with other characters too, Hermione continues to remain one of the characters I most relate to. The most obvious commonality is our love of books, but I can relate to Hermione’s struggle to fit in, her know it all attitude, and even the fact she had few female friends growing up. She was never a girly girl – instead, she had only a few super close friends who were both boys and girls, which describes my current situation.
Hermione is admired for her intelligence, her out of the box thinking, her bravery, and her loyalty. Despite being awkward when younger, she also developed an empathetic side, offering advice on everything from dragons to dating.
Some fans have accused Hermione of being too perfect, but for most she remains a favourite. She appears in fan art as often as Harry himself, and she’s the center of several shipping debates. If she’s not telling Ron off, she can be found in other corners of the internet seeing a…new side of Malfoy. The fact her character has inspired everything from numerous fanfictions to online debate is a testament to the strength of her character, and it’s probably obvious by this point that she’s one of my top three.
Before we dive into the backstory of everybody’s favourite witch, I’m Riley and this is Otherworldly Fiction. If you’re a Potterhead, a Twihard, or just obsessed with fantasy books, consider subscribing. I talk about characters, dive into lore, and even offer writing advice. Videos land on Fridays.
Hermione was born on September 19th to Muggle parents, who were both dentists. They made a point of choosing a name which was pleasant, but different, because, like their daughter, they took a certain pride in their smart side. Hermione’s intelligence and passion for knowledge was an inherited trait, though even her parents, quirky as they were, found their daughter strange. Of course, they were never bothered by Hermione’s differences – they continued to love their daughter for several years. When the Hogwarts letter arrived, inviting their daughter to attend a school for witches, they were shocked but nevertheless pleased.
Hermione was a keen student, even before arriving at Hogwarts. In addition to the required books, Hermione bought other books so that she could reference them; she memorized her textbooks, and managed, through their guidance, to pull off a handful of spells. Despite her Muggle background, Hermione’s studiousness resulted in her being more knowledgeable than many of the students who had grown up in the magical world, though her need to share what she knew could be irritating.
On arriving at school, Hermione was a Hatstall. The Sorting Hat was conflicted, because Hermione could excel in not one house, but two. The two houses the Hat pondered were Gryffindor and Ravenclaw; however, she ultimately chose Gryffindor, having been heard to say, even on the train there, that it sounded like the best. This made her choice comparable to Harry, who also chose Gryffindor over another house – Slytherin.
Even with being called the “brightest witch of the age,” and excelling in all her courses, there was never any doubt as to which house Hermione belonged in, despite students like Terry Boot expressing shock she wasn’t in Ravenclaw.
She encountered Harry and Ron on the train, but they weren’t instant friends. Her know-it-all manner, and compulsion to boss others around, pushed people away – grating on Ron especially. However, despite her struggles, or perhaps because of them, Hermione liked to help others. When Neville lost his toad, Trevor, on the train, Hermione helped Neville look for him.
Where Hermione was all about rules, Harry and Ron seemed to be about breaking them and Hermione found herself out of bed after hours when she ended up following the two boys into the Third Floor corridor – an area forbidden to students. Though they weren’t keen for the tagalong, it was Hermione who noticed the trapdoor Fluffy was standing on, knowledge which would prove useful later in the year.
Their animosity wasn’t resolved until the boys came to Hermione’s defense during an encounter with a Troll. The troll entered the girl’s washroom while Hermione was in there, crying; she’d been there most of the day, having overheard Ron making fun of her. When Ron managed to knock out the troll with its own club, Hermione repaid the favour by taking the fall when McGonagall came asking questions. The situation earned Gryffindor five points (after accounting for the five Hermione lost in her lie) and the three became inseparable.
Now a member of everyone’s favourite trio, Hermione got into trouble along with Harry and Ron. She set Snape’s robes on fire in the belief he was jinxing Harry’s broom, she aided them in smuggling Hagrid’s dragon baby out of the school, and she landed herself in detention. Through her research, she deduced it was the Philosopher’s Stone beneath the school, and she was integral in solving the puzzles needed to reach the stone.
In a scene left out of the films, Hermione solved a riddle involving potions. Fire sprang up on either side of the room the children had entered, and they were faced with several potions. One would allow the drinker to go back the way they’d come, one would allow the drinker to pass forward through the flames, and the rest were poisons. By solving the riddle set before them, Hermione was able to direct Harry to take the right potion – though, as there was only enough for one, Harry had to go on alone.
Along with Harry, Ron, and even Neville, Hermione netted Gryffindor the house cup for her efforts.
Going into her second year, Hermione found herself breaking more rules. When it came to brewing a Polyjuice Potion to interrogate Malfoy, Hermione found their roles reversed when she argued with Harry and Ron for breaking the rules (the potion was not to be brewed by students without supervision, and it was in the restricted section).
She also had an embarrassing admiration for Gilderoy Lockhart, though even this proved useful when she used her knowledge, and the good impression she’d made with it, to trick Lockhart into signing the paper which would get them into the restricted section. Hermione was also the one to steal ingredients from Snape’s stores to brew the mixture, and to suggest they make the potion in the first place.
Even while petrified, Hermione helped; she left a clue, revealing to Harry and Ron that it was a Basilisk terrorizing the school’s Muggleborns.
Her second year was the first she encountered bigotry in relation to her status, when Malfoy hurled the slur “Mudblood” at her. Unlike in the films, the Hermione of the books didn’t know the term, having grown up in the Muggle world, but it was enough to throw the Weasley’s into a frenzy. While Ron tried to curse Malfoy, Fred and George also tried to pummel the rude Slytherin. It was Hermione’s first glimpse of the Wizarding World’s ugly side.
Between turning herself into a cat, and being petrified, it wasn’t a calm year for Hermione, but as with the previous year she was vital to the Golden Trio catching the bad guy.
Hermione’s third year was difficult for different reasons, because she put herself in a situation most students would hate – using a Time Turner to rewind the hours, she willingly took extra classes. Nobody else could account for Hermione being able to attend several classes at once, and she consequently had piles of homework each night, but even Hermione struggled with the pressure.
Though initially eager, the workload soon exhausted Hermione and it was not an experience she repeated in the following years. The year was also one in which she fought with Ron, because her new cat, Crookshanks, a homely ginger creature, was accused of chasing Ron’s pet rat, Scabbers.
Incidentally, Crookshanks was friends with Sirius, who was lurking the grounds as a black dog; because of this, Crookshanks knew where to place his paw, so that the Whomping Willow would go still. This allowed Harry and Hermione to enter the passageway into the Shrieking Shack.
Hermione continued to show her compassion too, when she went out of her way to help Hagrid in his case for Buckbeak’s life. Even when Harry and Ron forgot, Hermione could be found in the library diligently researching applicable cases. She helped Hagrid in building a defense, and was heartbroken when Hagrid lost; on catching Malfoy joking about the bird’s impending execution, she slapped him. She was also the only student to figure out Lupin was a werewolf, though she made a point of keeping his secret.
Though Hermione was passionate about learning in general, Divination was one class she couldn’t stand. It was the first class she dropped, being described by her as being “too imprecise.”
Hermione’s Time Turner was vital to saving both Sirius and Buckbeak, though Ron missed out on the action this time around on account of his damaged leg.
While Hermione was helpful to Harry in his fourth year too, she had her own vendetta. In another arc left out of the books, Hermione began an organization known as SPEW, or the Society for Elfish Welfare, in which she stood up for House Elf Rights. Though her campaign didn’t endear others to her, Hermione was persistent. Even the other House Elves were put off by the movement, though Dobby was one Elf who could understand it.
Hermione’s passion for House Elf social justice started with Barty Crouch Senior’s Elf, Winky, whom he treated horribly. Winky was fired, but given a home at Hogwarts. The Golden Trio found Winky in what could only be described as a drunken state, still mourning the loss of the master who’d abused her, and even Dobby, for all his pride in being free, still felt the compulsion to beat himself when he voiced disapproval of the Malfoy’s.
Though Hermione’s efforts were well meaning, and easy to understand, the House Elves felt compelled to drive her out of the Hogwarts kitchens when the trio visited them. She also tried to trick them into being freed, hiding clothes in the Gryffindor Common Room for them to accidentally pick up. The clothes disappeared each day, leading Hermione to believe she was freeing dozens of Elves, though in reality the clothes were being hoarded by Dobby, who was something of a fashion victim.
As with previous years, Ron would be the cause of a quarrel – first with Harry, when Ron believed Harry cheated to enter the Tournament, and then with Hermione, when his jealousy of Viktor Krum overwhelmed him. Viktor Krum, legendary Quidditch player and Durmstrang Champion in the tournament, asked Hermione to the Yule Ball. Though Viktor wasn’t bookish, he enjoyed spending time with Hermione; even in later years, they’d write to each other and remain friends.
Ron, who had been a Krum fanatic, did an about face and started hating the other boy. Though he couldn’t articulate his problem at the time, it was jealousy – seeing Hermione with someone else bothered him, though he ultimately only had himself to blame for not asking her out sooner.
Even when Ron accused Harry of cheating, Hermione believed Harry when he insisted he hadn’t placed his name in the Goblet of Fire, showing her continued loyalty. Of course, she wasn’t always as fun to hang out with as Ron, being drawn to the library in her free time, but she tried to help Harry all the same.
The Yule Ball was the first moment Hermione really embraced her feminine side, wearing periwinkle robes and straightening her hair. Others were shocked by her appearance; the school’s bullies, Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, were left at a loss for words, unable to find anything to criticize. Unfortunately, instead of being happy, Ron managed to ruin her night, to the point where they had a fight in the Common Room. Hermione noted that Ron shouldn’t have procrastinated, but should have asked her out “properly.”
Being chosen to be Krum’s treasure for rescue in the second task didn’t help matters. Though students gave her a hard time, this was nothing compared to the grilling she received from the media. Being friends with two famous wizards – Harry Potter and Viktor Krum – put Hermione in the spotlight, drawing the attention of Rita Skeeter.
Although Twitter didn’t exist in the Wizarding World, something just as bad did – the Daily Prophet, coupled with Owl Mail. As a result of Rita Skeeter’s insinuations that Hermione was playing with the hearts of both boys, Hermione was deluged in hate mail. Even Mrs. Weasley seemed to treat her differently, sending her a smaller Easter egg in comparison to Harry. Hermione tried to brush the hate off, but one of the letters was filled with Bubotor Pus, which scalded her hands; she was forced to flee to the hospital wing.
Though Hermione faced bullying, Rita’s poison pen found other targets. Word got out that Hagrid was half giant, something which bothered several people; Rita painted a picture of Hagrid as a bloodthirsty oaf, interviewing Slytherins like Malfoy to fill in her story, and Hagrid hid for a time as a result. Exasperated by Rita’s ability to witness private conversations or events, Hermione started thinking.
She discovered Rita was an unregistered Animagus; she would turn into a beetle and eavesdrop on people for gossip. Fortunately, Hermione was able to capture her and, with the threat of exposing her secret, keep her quiet for at least a year.
It’s just as well Rita was removed from the picture for a year (and reduced to poverty to boot) because there would be plenty of hateful fodder leveled against Harry, and Dumbledore too.
Going into her Fifth Year, Hermione, along with Ron, was made into a Prefect. Though Harry took this as a slight on Dumbledore’s part, it was meant kindly – Dumbledore hadn’t wanted to overwhelm Harry, but by giving Ron and Hermione some authority he hoped to give him back up.
It was Hermione’s idea to start Dumbledore’s Army. Though Harry was the leader, Hermione initiated the first meeting, and she helped him to plan lessons for their students. This was also the year in which Harry learned it was Dobby stealing all of the hats Hermione knitted for the Elves. Insulted, they had stopped cleaning the Common Room, leaving Dobby, unbeknownst to Hermione, to clean it by himself.
While working with Harry to manage the DA, she created special coins for the group to contact each other; they burned when there was a meeting, allowing members to gather without alerting anyone else. She also placed a spell on the members which would prevent them from tattling – if they did, as happened with Marietta Edgecombe, the word “SNEAK” would appear across their faces in boils. During DA meetings, Hermione practiced alongside the others – in doing so, she learned her Patronus was an otter.
Though they were eventually caught by Umbridge, after being ratted out by Cho’s reluctant friend, Marietta, the Golden Trio continued to stand up against Umbridge. Hermione’s cleverness saved Harry from Umbridge, when she concocted a story that Dumbledore had a secret weapon hidden in the Forbidden Forest. In leading Umbridge away, the others who had been caught – Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna – were able to escape. Umbridge was captured by centaurs, and plans were made to go to the Department of Mysteries, where Harry believed Voldemort was holding Sirius.
Going into her sixth year, Hermione’s friendship with Ron continued to be challenged. This time, it was Hermione’s turn to be jealous. Ron started going out with Lavender, resulting in Hermione sending a batch of bird projectiles at Ron; meanwhile, Hermione was invited, along with Harry, into the Slug Club, leaving Ron excluded.
Despite being disgusted by the advances of Cormac McLaggen, Hermione asked him out to Slughorn’s Christmas Party – this was supposed to annoy Ron, but it only backfired because Hermione had to hide from the unwanted Cormac.
Ron’s old jealousy of Krum was also flared up; fighting with his sister, Ginny, because of his discomfort with her dating, she made an offhand comment that Hermione and Krum had kissed. Every little thing seemed to set Ron and Hermione to fighting, leaving Harry in the middle; having taken their group dynamic for granted, he felt uncertainty over things changing. Harry was worried the friendship between Hermione and Ron wouldn’t survive; conversely, if they started dating, that would also change everything.
It took a near death experience on Ron’s part for Hermione’s attitude to change. Ron was tired of Lavender’s increasingly clingy manner, and when he was sent to the hospital after drinking poisoned mead he was overheard saying Hermione’s name in his sleep. For his duration there, Hermione visited him, and, thankfully for Harry, any feelings between them did not disband the trio they formed with Harry.
Hermione and Ron, in what would have been their seventh year of school, accompanied Harry on his hunt for Horcruxes. As with prior incidents, Hermione proved to be a more loyal friend to Harry than Ron. Though they’d managed to find a Horcux, it’s dark influence on the mood and one’s magic, taken together with his injury, made Ron miserable. He grew resentful towards Harry, and ultimately ran out on them.
During Ron’s absence, Hermione continued to help Harry; they visited Godric’s Hollow, where Harry’s parents had died, only to be ambushed by Nagini. Though they escaped, Harry’s beloved wand was destroyed and Hermione had to lend hers out. Though both were upset by Ron’s leaving, Hermione was especially affected – though she tried to conceal it, Harry could hear her crying at nights.
Ron found the group again using the Deluminator Dumbledore had left him: he heard his friends’ voices and, Apparating, it brought him to his friends – where he saw Harry jump into a lake, and won back Harry’s respect by not only rescuing him from the water, but by using the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy the locket.
It took longer for Hermione to forgive Ron, but they eventually made up. They resumed their adventures, being captured by the Malfoy’s and breaking into Gringott’s Bank. Hermione was singled out by Bellatrix, and accused of stealing the Sword of Gryffindor from her vault, but they managed to escape. Prompted by Bellatrix’s panic, they broke into the bank and stole another Horcrux from the dark witch’s vault. Through Hermione’s quick thinking, they used a dragon to escape.
Hermione participated in the Battle of Hogwarts shortly after, where she and Ron finally shared a kiss. With Harry searching for the Diadem of Ravenclaw, Ron and Hermione ventured to the Chamber of Secrets to locate a Basilisk fang – once there, they used the fang to destroy another Horcrux. Along with Ginny and Luna, Hermione also dueled Bellatrix.
Following the war, Hermione had a life beyond the books. Unlike Harry and Ron, she actually returned to Hogwarts. Ever the keen learner, she earned her Newt’s. By 2017, she married Ron and with him she had a daughter and a son – Rose and Hugo. She was also named as godmother to Harry’s son, James Sirius.
Joining the Ministry, Hermione worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She continued to campaign for House Elves, and other creatures, improving their condition. Afterwards, she moved to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where she eliminated any remaining bills which still favoured Pureblood wizards; in this campaign, she became Department Head and worked with Kingsley Shacklebolt (incidentally, both of them would become the Minister for Magic at some point). For her efforts, together with the rest of the Golden Trio, she was featured on Chocolate Frog Cards.
In 2008, Hermione translated the original The Tales of Beetle the Bard, supplementing her work with notes from Dumbledore – which were lent to her by McGonagall.
By 2020, Hermione was the Minister for Magic, and she was working closely with Harry, who was an Auror. Her nephew, Albus, stirred trouble when he stole a Time Turner from Hermione’s office – though she had planned to destroy it, she had been careless in leaving it unguarded and was even rebuked, despite her status as Minister, by McGonagall.
Though they managed to set time right, this wasn’t before catching glimpses of other possible futures – including one in which she and Ron hadn’t married.
Whether it’s the help she offers Harry in tight spots, or her spectacular career post Hogwarts, Hermione is an incredible witch. It’s easy to admire her for her talent, but her appeal as a character goes beyond that. She’s also an avid bookworm, a keen student, and a loyal friend. Even when Ron failed to support Harry, Hermione was there. Moreover, her flaws are relatable; thinking we know everything, or presuming to understand something we actually don’t is something we can all relate to. We’ve all been that nosy little kid who struggled to relate to others.
Is Hermione one of your favourite characters? What do you like, or dislike, about her character? Sound off in the comments. And if you enjoyed this video, like and subscribe. Thank you for watching, and happy reading.