Hermione Granger (/hɜːrˈmaɪəni ˈɡreɪndʒər/ hur-MY-ə-nee GRAYN-jər) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling.

Hermione often uses her quick wit, deft recall, and encyclopaedic knowledge to help her friends in perilous situations.

[9] Rowling said that Hermione's parents are the type of people who would give their daughter an unusual name to prove their cleverness.

[11] Later, Hermione's knack for logic and her penchant for library research aid the trio in their quest to locate a magical object known as the Philosopher's Stone.

She explained later, "Hermione [is] so very arrogant and 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.

"[2] In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998), Hermione develops a liking for Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

[13] During a confrontation between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams, a brawl nearly ensues after Draco Malfoy calls her a "Mudblood", an insulting term for a Muggle-born wizard.

Though she lies incapacitated in the hospital wing, the information she found aids Harry and Ron in their quest to solve the mystery of the Chamber.

[14] In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Hermione buys a cat named Crookshanks, who takes to chasing Ron's pet rat, Scabbers.

[15] Before the start of term, McGonagall secretly gives Hermione a Time-Turner, a device which lets her travel through time to handle her busy class schedule.

Harry becomes furious with her because she told McGonagall that he got a Firebolt racing broom, which was then confiscated to be inspected for traces of dark magic.

When students from other schools of magic visit Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, Hermione is asked to the Yule Ball by the Bulgarian Quidditch star Viktor Krum of Durmstrang.

[20][21] The new Potions professor Horace Slughorn invites Hermione to join his exclusive "Slug Club" in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005).

[22] During tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Hermione helps Ron retain his position as keeper by sabotaging his rival, Cormac McLaggen.

Before leaving home, she ensures the safety of her parents by placing a false memory charm on them, which causes them to believe they are Wendell and Monica Wilkins.

Hermione, Harry, Ron and the other prisoners being held in Malfoy Manor are eventually rescued by the house-elf Dobby.

She is played by the Eswatini-born actress Noma Dumezweni, known for her performances in Linda, A Raisin in the Sun and A Human Being Died That Night.

He said, "There's something about her fierce intellect coupled with a complete lack of understanding of how she affects people ... that I just find charming and irresistible to write.

[52] After the final novel was released, Rowling stated that Hermione's career in the Ministry was to fight for the rights of the oppressed and disenfranchised (such as House-elves or Muggle-borns).

[53] Hermione also learns to ignore what bullies such as Draco Malfoy say to her, often preventing Harry and Ron from retaliating and thinking of some way to outsmart him.

[58] Hermione does not perform as well in subjects that are not learned through books or formal training, as broom flying does not come as naturally to her in her first year as it does for Harry,[59] and she shows no affinity for Divination, which she drops from her third-year studies.

[63] In the book The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter, Eliza T. Dresang discusses Hermione's role in the series and its relation to feminist debates.

Her "compulsion for study" helps both the character's development, which makes Hermione "a prime example that information brings power", and the plot of the series, as her knowledge of the wizard world is often used to "save the day".

"[64] In his review of Philosopher's Stone, Brian Linder of IGN wrote, "[F]rom Hermione Granger's perfect introduction to her final scene, Watson is better than I could have possibly imagined.

"[65] In another IGN article, Linder and Steve Head said that Watson's "cute and astute portrayal of Hermione has already become a favorite among fans.

[3] Philip Nel of Kansas State University notes that "Rowling, who worked for Amnesty International, evokes her social activism through Hermione's passion for oppressed elves and the formation of her 'Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare'".

[71] Scholars such as Brycchan Carey have praised the books' abolitionist sentiments, viewing Hermione's Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare as a model for younger readers' political engagement.

[72][73] However, in an analysis for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowland Manthrope states that "seven books on, we still only know her as swottish, sensible Hermione—a caricature, not a character.

The Wedge, an Australian sketch comedy, parodies Hermione and Harry in love on a "Cooking With..." show before being caught by Snape.