Hermione Granger

Gender Female
Hair colour Brown
Eye colour Brown
House Gryffindor
Parentage Muggle-Born
Loyalty Dumbledore's Army
Film portrayer Emma Watson
First appearance Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone

Hermione Jane Granger (born September 19, 1979)1 2 is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series. She is a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and, with Ron, is one of Harry Potter's two best friends there. She is slightly bossy, and very bookish. Her thirst for knowledge proves useful in many of their adventures. One of her favourite subjects at school is Arithmancy. Her parents are both Muggle dentists. She shares her dormitory at Hogwarts with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

Hermione's name is pronounced "Her-my-oh-nee", as spelled out in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was the most frequently asked question J. K. Rowling received, so in this book she cunningly had Hermione teach Viktor Krum how to pronounce her name properly (without much success). Her name comes from William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.

J. K. Rowling created the character of Hermione as a caricature of herself at the age of eleven.

Hermione is played by Emma Watson in the Harry Potter movies.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Harry and Ron do not like Hermione initially; in her first year at Hogwarts [HP1], while still on the Hogwarts Express, Ron hopes that he doesn't end up in the same house as her. They later warm to her: she lies to Professor McGonagall to keep them out of trouble, after they save her from a troll attack — she had been in the bathroom, crying over a comment Ron had earlier made about her not having friends. As the books progress, it becomes evident that Hermione and Ron's personalities clash rather violently, escalating into fierce arguments between the two. Hermione helps Harry to get past the Devil's Snare and the Potions puzzle when he seeks to stop the theft of the philosopher's stone.

In her second year[HP2], she finds out what the term mudblood means from Ron, who defends her, after she receives the insult from Draco Malfoy. Hermione is petrified by the basilisk while researching a hunch; this information later helps Harry and Ron to save Ron's sister, Ginny.
Hermione at a Hogwarts class in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Hermione at a Hogwarts class in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In the next year[HP3], Hermione is again estranged from her friends, first when she is suspicious about Harry's Christmas gift, a Firebolt broom, and reports it to Professor McGonagall, who confiscates it; and again when Ron accuses her cat, Crookshanks (which, incidentally, is part kneazle 3 [HPF]), of killing his rat Scabbers. While estranged from her friends, she helps Hagrid to prepare for the court case against his hippogriff, Buckbeak, though these efforts are unsuccessful. She and Harry later help the hippogriff to escape.

Hermione starts to relax that year, and after taking a dislike to Professor Trelawney and her subject, Divination, she leaves the class when she is accused of not having the Sight. Despite no longer taking every subject available, Hermione still requires a Time-Turner, a device which enabled her to go back in time to fit in all her subjects, and which she and Harry used in their rescue of Buckbeak.

In her fourth year[HP4], her attention is drawn to the poor quality of life of house-elves. She makes the decision to start an organisation, the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, which becomes known by its unfortunate acronym. She attends the Yule Ball with Krum, the Triwizard champion from Durmstrang. By attending the ball with Krum she elicits some jealousy from Ron Weasley. She vows vengeance against Rita Skeeter, a reporter who has been spreading lies about both Harry and herself. She later determines that Rita is an illegal animagus, and traps her. It is hinted that she has become friends with Ginny Weasley behind the scenes.
Hermione becomes anxious in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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Hermione becomes anxious in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Hermione continues S.P.E.W. the next year[HP5], knitting items of clothing for the elves, in the hope of freeing them (though the house elves refuse to clean Gryffindor Tower because of this, and the task is left to Dobby). Her capture, and subsequent blackmail of Rita Skeeter proves useful when they need an article stating the return of Lord Voldemort. Hermione also came up with the idea for Dumbledore's Army, and was involved in the battle in the Department of Mysteries, in which she was wounded rather heavily.

Hermione studies a lot and is rather obsessed with homework. She took the O.W.L. exams in her 5th year and it is hinted that she did well on most of them, though possibly not so in Astronomy due to an interruption in the exam. She would most probably received an excellent grade in Charms, as she was able to cast the N.E.W.T. level Protean charm.

Hermione and Ron become prefects for Gryffindor in their fifth year[HP5], cementing Hermione's rule-abiding tendencies; however, necessity (and Dolores Umbridge) bring out a few moments of rebelliousness, including the formation of Dumbledore's Army.

Hermione is teased (especially by Slytherins) about her bushy hair and "know-it-all" tendencies, but is admired by many students for her intelligence. Neville, Harry, and Ron depend on her for academic help. Fans speculate a great deal about whether or not she will become romantically involved with one of the other characters: Neville asked her to the Yule Ball, and her correspondence with Krum elicited a great deal of jealousy from Ron.

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