Hermione Granger

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Hermione Jean Granger (first name Template:PronEng) is a fictional character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She first appeared in the books in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a new student on her way to magic school. As the books progressed, she became close friends with Harry Potter and often used her quick wit and encyclopaedic knowledge to help him. Rowling has stated that Hermione resembles her at a younger age, with her insecurity and fear of failure.

Character development

Hermione is a Muggle-born Gryffindor student and the best friend of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. The daughter of two dentists, she is an overachiever who shows considerable academic prowess when compared to her close friends and classmates, and she is described by Rowling as a "very logical, upright and good" character.[1] Her parents are "a bit bemused by their odd daughter, but quite proud of her all the same."[2] Rowling says that Hermione feels "utterly inadequate...and to compensate, she tries to be the best at everything at school, projecting a false confidence that can irritate people."[3] Hermione's Boggart is Professor McGonagall informing her that she failed her exams.[4] - Hermione's Patronus is an otter, Rowling's favourite animal.[5] Her wand is made of vine wood and dragon heartstring core; vine is the wood ascribed to Hermione's fictional birth month (September) on the Celtic calendar.[6] Though Rowling has described the character of Luna Lovegood as the "anti-Hermione" because they both share the exact opposite ideologies,[7] Hermione's foil at Hogwarts is Pansy Parkinson, a female bully based on real-life girls who teased the author during her school days.[8]

Hermione's most prominent feature is her cleverness. She is book-smart and is very good with logic, as seen when she deciphers Severus Snape's potion challenge at the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Hermione does not do well at the beginning of the series in stressful situations, as seen when she does not think to use her wand when needing to create fire to get rid of the Devil's Snare. However, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she can quickly think of a place to apparate to. She also thinks to reveal Harry briefly to the Death Eaters to save Xenophilius Lovegood and to use a Stinging Hex on Harry's face to hide his identity when attacked by Snatchers.

Rowling claims the character of Hermione carries several autobiographical influences: "...I did not set out to make Hermione like me but she is... She is an exaggeration of how I was when I was younger."[1] Rowling recalled being called a "little know-it-all" in her youth.[4] Moreover, she states that not unlike herself, "there is a lot of insecurity and a great fear of failure" beneath Hermione's "swottiness".[1] Finally, according to Rowling, next to Albus Dumbledore, Hermione is the perfect expository character: because of her encyclopaedic knowledge, she can always be used as a plot dump to explain the Harry Potter world.[9]

Hermione's name is derived from William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale;[10] Rowling claimed that she wanted it to be unusual since if fewer girls shared her name, fewer girls would get teased for it.[10] Her original last name was "Puckle", but Rowling felt the name "did not suit her at all", and so the "less frivolous" Granger made it into the books.[4] Rowling confirmed in a 2004 interview that Hermione is an only child.[11]

Appearances

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Hermione debuts in Philosopher's Stone when she meets future companions Harry and Ron on the Hogwarts Express. She is described as having "a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth," and constantly annoys her peers with her knowledge. Harry and Ron initially consider her arrogant, especially after she criticises Ron's incantation of the Levitation Charm.[12] They heartily dislike her until they rescue her from a troll. She is so thankful that she lies to protect them from punishment, and their friendship begins.[13] Hermione's knack for logic later enables the trio to solve a puzzle essential to retrieving the Philosopher's Stone, and she defeats the constrictive Devil's Snare plant by conjuring fire.

Rowling revealed that she had an argument with her editor about the troll fight scene, and that she refused to remove it because, "Hermione is so very annoying in the early part of Philosopher's Stone that I really felt it needed something (literally) huge to bring her together with Harry and Ron."[4]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hermione develops a crush on handsome new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart.[14] During a morning confrontation between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams, a brawl nearly ensues after Draco Malfoy calls her a "Mudblood", but she does not know what the epithet means until Ron explains it to her at Hagrid's hut. She assembles the Polyjuice Potion needed for the trio to disguise themselves as Malfoy's housemates in order to collect information about the Heir of Slytherin who has reopened the Chamber of Secrets. However, she is unable to join Harry and Ron in the investigation after the hair she plucked from the robes of Slytherin student Millicent Bulstrode (whom Hermione is matched up with during Lockhart's ill-fated Duelling Club) turns out to be those of her cat, whose appearance she takes on in her human form; it takes several weeks for the effects to completely wear off. Hermione is Petrified by the basilisk after successfully identifying the creature through library research; though she lies incapacitated in the hospital wing, her information is crucial to Harry and Ron in their successful mission to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione is revived after Harry kills the basilisk, but she is devastated to learn that all end-of-year exams have been cancelled as a school treat.[15]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In her third year, Hermione gets a pet cat-Kneazle mix named Crookshanks, who habitually pursues Ron's pet rat, Scabbers.[16] Before the start of term, Professor McGonagall secretly gives her a Time-Turner, a device which enables her to go back in time and handle her heavy class schedule. While filling in for Remus Lupin in one Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Snape labels her "an insufferable know-it-all" and penalises Gryffindor after she speaks out of turn in her attempt to describe a werewolf. While Hermione correctly deduces Lupin's secret after completing Snape's homework assignment from the class, Crookshanks proves vital in exposing Scabbers as Peter Pettigrew, a friend of James and Lily Potter who revealed their whereabouts to Lord Voldemort the night of their murders, and was able to wrongly implicate Sirius Black (revealed to be Harry's godfather) in the Potters' deaths.[17] The Time-Turner enables Hermione and Harry to rescue Sirius and the hippogriff Buckbeak.[17]

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Hermione is Bulgarian Quidditch prodigy Viktor Krum's date at the Yule Ball, much to a jealous Ron's disdain, looking unexpectedly pretty at the ball to boot.[18] The proper pronunciation of her name (Her-my-oh-nee) is interjected into the plot when she teaches it to Krum; the best he can do is "Herm-own-ninny," but she has no problem with it.[4] She later gets into a heated argument with Ron after he accuses her of "fraternising with the enemy" in reference to her friendship with Krum. Hermione also tirelessly campaigns for the rights of house-elves by forming the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (SPEW), but she is the only vocal opponent of the enslavement of house-elves, as Ron vehemently reminds her, "They like being enslaved!" She supports Harry through the Triwizard Tournament, helping him prepare for each task. Near the end of the term, she stops fraudulent tabloid reporter and Animagus Rita Skeeter, who had published defamatory materials about Hermione, Harry, and Hagrid during the Triwizard Tournament, by holding her Animagus form (a beetle) captive in a jar.[19]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hermione becomes a Gryffindor prefect along with Ron, and befriends Luna Lovegood, but their friendship gets off to a rocky start after Hermione chastises Luna's father's publication: "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that." She also lambasts housemate Lavender Brown for believing the Daily Prophet's allegations of Harry fabricating stories of Voldemort's return. Later, with Luna's assistance, Hermione blackmails Rita Skeeter into interviewing Harry for an upcoming issue of The Quibbler. Attempts to ban the magazine from Hogwarts are futile as the story spreads quickly through the school. One turning point in the series is when she conceives the idea of secretly teaching defensive magic to a small band of students in defiance of the Ministry of Magic's dictum to teach only the subject's basic principles. Hermione gets an unexpectedly huge response, and the group becomes the nascent Dumbledore's Army. She is involved in the battle in the Department of Mysteries and seriously injured, but makes a full recovery.[20]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

New Potions professor Horace Slughorn invites Hermione to join his Slug Club.[21] She helps Ron retain his spot on the Gryffindor Quidditch team when she secretly jinxes Cormac McLaggen, causing him to miss his last save attempt during Keeper tryouts. Hermione's feelings for Ron continue to grow and she decides to make a move by inviting him to Slughorn's Christmas Party, but he romances Lavender instead in retaliation for Hermione having kissed Viktor Krum. She attempts to retaliate by dating McLaggen at the Christmas party, but her plan goes bust and she abandons him midway through the party.[22] Ron and Hermione continually feud with each other until he suffers a bout of poisoning from tainted mead, which makes her realise that she may lose him forever and frightens her enough to reconcile with him. Following Albus Dumbledore's death, Ron and Hermione both vow to stay by Harry's side regardless of what happens.[23] A minor subplot in the book is that Hermione and Harry form a rivalry in Potions, as Hermione is used to coming first in her subjects and is angered that Harry does better than her at a subject, especially as he follows instructions written on his text book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Hermione is a valuable help in Harry's quest to destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. When she, Ron and Harry are captured by Snatchers who are on the hunt for Muggle-borns under the Ministry's orders, Hermione passes herself off as "Penelope Clearwater" and a half-blood to avoid persecution, but is then taken to Malfoy Manor and tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange for information on how they came to possess the Sword of Gryffindor (which Bellatrix believed Snape sent to her vault in Gringotts); she, Harry and Ron are all eventually rescued by Dobby.

Hermione later uses Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Bellatrix when the trio attempt to steal Hufflepuff's cup from Gringotts. Hermione and Ron share their first kiss after Ron says they cannot order the house elves to die for them, and they join Dumbledore's Army in the final battle against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, during which Hermione destroys the cup in the Chamber of Secrets with a basilisk fang.[24] In the final battle in the Great Hall, Hermione fights Bellatrix with the help of Luna and Ginny Weasley. However, the three of them are unable to defeat Bellatrix, and stop fighting her once Molly Weasley orders them to back off.[25]

Epilogue

Nineteen years after Lord Voldemort's downfall, Hermione is married to Ron and they have two children, Rose and Hugo.[26] She begins her post-Hogwarts career by working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where she is instrumental in greatly improving life for house-elves; she has since moved higher up in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement while ensuring the eradication of oppressive pro-pureblood laws.[27] She also finds her parents in Australia and relieves them of the memory charm she had placed on them.

Film portrayal

Emma Watson has portrayed Hermione in all the Harry Potter films to date. Watson considers Hermione "charismatic" and "a fantastic role to play."[28] In 2007, prior to the release of Order of the Phoenix, Watson stated: "There are too many stupid girls in the media. Hermione’s not scared to be clever. I think sometimes really smart girls dumb themselves down a bit, and that’s bad. When I was 9 or 10, I would get really upset when they tried to make me look geeky, but now I absolutely love it. I find it's so much pressure to be beautiful. Hermione doesn’t care what she looks like. She's a complete tomboy.”[29]

Screenwriter Steve Kloves revealed in a 2003 interview that Hermione was his favourite character. "There's something about her fierce intellect coupled with a complete lack of understanding of how she affects people sometimes that I just find charming and irresistible to write."[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c J K Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival, Sunday, August 15, 2004. Accio-quote.org Retrieved on 23 April 2007.
  2. ^ JK Rowling's World Book Day Chat, March 4, 2004 Accio-quote.org Retrieved on 23 April 2007
  3. ^ Harry Potter and Me (BBC Christmas Special), BBC, December 28, 2001 accio-quote.org., retrieved August 14, 2007
  4. ^ a b c d e "J. K. Rowling Official Site – Section Extra Stuff – Hermione Granger". Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  5. ^ America Online chat transcript, AOL.com, 19 October 2000 accio-quote.org., retrieved August 14, 2007
  6. ^ Section: Extra Stuff WANDS jkrowling.com. Retrieved on 2 July 2007.
  7. ^ Fry, Stephen, interviewer: J.K. Rowling at the Royal Albert Hall, 26 June 2003 accio-quote.org, retrieved August 14, 2007
  8. ^ Jo loathes Pansy Parkinson who represents every girl who ever teased her
  9. ^ a b Chamber of Secrets DVD: Interview with Steve Kloves and J.K. Rowling, February 2003 accio-quote.org.
  10. ^ a b Transcript of National Press Club author's luncheon, NPR Radio, October 20, 1999 Accio-quote.org Retrieved on 23 April 2007
  11. ^ J K Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival, retrieved 2007-09-05
  12. ^ [HP1], chapters 6-9.
  13. ^ [HP1], chapter 10.
  14. ^ [HP2], chapter 6.
  15. ^ [HP2], chapter 18.
  16. ^ [HP3], chapters 12 and 13.
  17. ^ a b [HP3], chapters 16-22.
  18. ^ [HP4], chapter 23.
  19. ^ [HP4], chapter 37.
  20. ^ [HP5], chapters 31-38.
  21. ^ [HP6], chapter 11.
  22. ^ [HP6], chapter 14.
  23. ^ [HP6], chapter 30.
  24. ^ [HP7], chapter 26-36.
  25. ^ [HP7], chapter36.
  26. ^ [HP7], chapter 37.
  27. ^ "Online Chat Transcript". Bloomsbury Publishing. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-08-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ "Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson". BBC. Retrieved 2007-08-03. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  29. ^ Listfield, Emily (2007-07-08). "We're all so grown up!". Parade. Retrieved 2007-08-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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