Harry Potter. Poor kid. When his parents were murdered by an evil wizard (He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, aka Voldemort), the one-year-old boy somehow survived the attack on his family. Thankfully, Voldemort’s killing curse (Avada Kedavra) backfired. A decade later, Voldemort builds up his strength and Harry must do everything he can to stop his rise to power. It’s the ultimate story of good vs. evil.
Harry Potter Couldn’t Do It Alone
This is clearly Harry’s story, right? He must be the hero. After all, his name is in the title of every book (and movie). He is the one who fights Voldemort face to face in the epic finale.
When you look closer, it’s “the boy who lived” could not have done it on his own. As they say, there is a woman behind every great man, and Harry is no exception. Had Hermione Granger not become his friend, Harry may not have survived long enough to face Voldemort in the first place.
Hermione’s Modus Operandi
Before we consider all the times Hermione saved Harry’s a**, Ron’s too, let’s think about why she does what she does.
Hermione Granger was not your average Hogwarts student. Unlike Harry and Ron who had wizards and witches in their families, Hermione was a witch born to Muggle parents, i.e., normal human beings like you and me. Hermione had to work for everything she got.
Facing the bigotry of her pure-blood peers, she had more to prove. Hermione had to work that much harder to get things that came all too easily to silver-spoon babies like Draco Malfoy. Call it pure-blood privilege, but J.K. Rowling was right to call it out.
Hermione’s parents didn’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy her way into the “best” school. She wasn’t a “legacy” student. She earned admission on her own. To prove her worthiness, she studied relentlessly, she challenged norms, and she stood for justice. Beyond her ability to cast spells, her greatest power may have been her empathy. The power to step into someone’s shoes even when you are struggling yourself is the greatest gift. I hope Harry and Ron knew how lucky they were to have her on their side.
Hermione Takes Action
The difference between Hermione and her friends is that she knew when to sit back to do her research and when to take action. With savvy logic and pure bravery, she saved Harry, Ron, and other beloved characters time and time again.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:
She saves Harry and Ron from uncertain death. She sets the Devil’s Snare on fire with a bluebell flame in the book and casts a magical charm (Lumos Solem) to save Ron in the film.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:
She brews the Polyjuice potion (no small feat for a second year). Even after she is petrified, she manages to let Harry know that the Chamber is guarded by a Basilisk (she held onto a note in her stony hand).
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:
She turns back time and saves Sirius Black, not to mention Hagrid’s pet hippogriff Buckbeak. As an added bonus, she punches Draco in the face.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:
She teaches Harry the summoning charm (Accio) that saves him from a dragon in the Triwizard Tournament.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:
She organizes Dumbledore’s Army and convinces Harry to train them. Not only that, she leads Dolores Umbridge into the Forbidden Woods to be captured by centaurs.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:
She steps up like a true friend and joins Harry on his crusade to find the Horcruxes.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
She protects her parents from the wizarding world by wiping their memories. She places a protective spell around herself, Harry, and Ron out in the woods. Later, she protects Harry from bounty hunters by disfiguring his face with a wave of her wand. True to form, she does not give up information when tortured by Bellatrix. She even destroys a Horcrux. You name it, Hermione does it all.
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