Hermione

Biodata

Background / History

Childhood and Friendship with Su Er

Hermione grows up next door to the Ellison family. Her friendship with Su Er begins in first grade, when he intervenes after several children surround and tease her. Her earnestness and habit of reporting rule-breaking leave her unpopular with classmates, while Su Er becomes her close companion and occasionally borrows her homework 1 2 23.

The Granger and Ellison families spend time together, including a zoo outing arranged after Su Er angers Hermione by commenting on her prominent front teeth. Both mothers later exchange knowing smiles while watching the children bicker during their school-supply shopping 2 9.

Discovery of Magic

When invited to Hogwarts, Hermione initially fears that attending will separate her from Su Er, with whom she had expected to attend Eton College. She promises to visit him during every holiday before learning that he has also received a Hogwarts letter 4.

Hermione seeks information from Professor McGonagall and eagerly prepares for the magical world. In Diagon Alley, she obtains her wand, buys more books than the required list demands, and takes a liking to a ginger cat she cannot afford 5 8 9.

Her early spell practice repeatedly damages household locks. After Ministry visitors warn the prospective first-years against using magic privately, she puts away her wand and concentrates on memorizing books—including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She intends to excel in every Hogwarts subject 10 11.

First Term at Hogwarts

On the Hogwarts Express, Hermione worries that the Sorting Ceremony will be an examination and searches her books for answers. She meets Cedric Diggory and Neville Longbottom; while helping search for Neville’s toad, she encounters Malfoy, who insults her with a blood-status slur. Su Er demands an apology and freezes him with Immobulus 12 13.

Hermione is sorted into Gryffindor, although she later says she had wanted Ravenclaw. Su Er’s placement in Hufflepuff does not prevent them from meeting for meals, library sessions, and spell practice 15 20 22.

Her attempt to stop Harry and Ron from attending Malfoy’s midnight duel draws her into their nighttime excursion. The group eventually discovers a three-headed dog guarding a trapdoor in the forbidden Fourth-Floor Corridor. Hermione is more excited by successfully casting Alohomora than by the guarded mystery, and afterward persuades Su Er to study the advanced Switching Spell with her 23 24 25.

Halloween Troll Encounter

On Halloween, Su Er searches for Hermione after learning that she has missed afternoon lessons. Hermione spots him, follows out of curiosity, and finds him searching the girls’ bathroom for her. While returning toward the feast, they encounter Quirrell and an approaching troll 29.

After hiding from the creature, they hear Harry and Ron in danger and return to help. Su Er levitates the troll’s club while Hermione transforms the floor beneath it, trapping its feet. He then releases the club, knocking the troll unconscious 30.

When questioned by the professors, Hermione claims that she thought she could handle the troll, despite having first explained that she and Su Er encountered it while trying to leave. McGonagall praises their bravery and clever Transfiguration, awarding twenty points each to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The encounter also brings Hermione closer to Harry and Ron 31.

Warmth Bottles and the Guarded Trapdoor

During a library session, Hermione discovers a rune-covered fire spell depicting blue flames inside a bottle. She and Su Er work on its translation and successfully test the Bluebell Flames Charm. Her observation that the bottle makes a useful hand warmer inspires Su Er’s plan to sell Warmth Bottles for Christmas-present money 32 33.

Hermione helps preserve access to the spellbook by borrowing it for a month and accompanies Su Er when he meets Fred and George to review the business. The twins report selling 326 bottles for 249 Galleons before demand declines as students learn the charm themselves 34 36.

Although Hermione initially doubts that Snape intends to steal the treasure behind the three-headed dog, she later sets his robes alight during Harry’s dangerous broom malfunction. While moving through the stands, she also knocks Quirrell forward. Afterward, she questions Hagrid about Snape and joins the search for information about Nicolas Flamel 36 37 38 39.

Christmas Holiday

Hermione becomes frustrated when Su Er’s secret gift preparations keep him away for days. Following him to the seventh floor leads to questions about a disappearing room, then a chase that ends with her clinging to him in front of McGonagall. Her embarrassment causes her to avoid him afterward 40 41 42.

On the journey home, Su Er gives her the ginger cat she admired in Diagon Alley. Hermione reveals that she had planned to buy him during Christmas, accepts the gift, and names him Crookshanks 44.

During a later holiday outing, Hermione becomes tipsy after drinking spiked mulled wine. Su Er takes her home by taxi; both fall asleep, and Mrs. Granger finds them holding one another when they arrive 47.

Appearance

• Hair: Bushy, brown hair 1 37.
• Face: Large eyes and a delicate face 1.
• Teeth: Large, prominent front teeth; comments about them are particularly unwelcome 1 2.

Personality

Hermione is academically ambitious and intensely book-focused. She memorizes textbooks before arriving at Hogwarts, buys supplementary reading to understand the unfamiliar magical world, and sometimes becomes so absorbed that she misses greetings or nearly forgets her train home 9 11 12 43.

Her respect for rules can be uncompromising. Before Hogwarts, she routinely reports classmates’ misconduct; in Diagon Alley, she wants an expensive legal reference book to avoid accidentally breaking wizarding law. Nevertheless, the troll encounter shows her willingness to face danger for classmates and take blame during the professors’ questioning 9 23 30 31.

With Su Er, she is affectionate, easily embarrassed, and quick to retaliate against teasing. She reacts strongly when he mocks her teeth or neglects their meetings, but accepts his apologies and thoughtful gifts. Her rapid questioning of Neville also shows how her enthusiasm can overwhelm others without her intending it 2 12 20 41 44.

Abilities & Skills

Academic Knowledge and Research

• Memorizes extensive material before her first term, including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 11.
• Uses reading to explain broom-flying techniques and identify Neville’s Remembrall 23.
• Locates the rune-written Bluebell Flames spell and seeks a runic dictionary to help translate it with Su Er 32.
• Researches Nicolas Flamel and asks Harry and Ron to continue the search while she is home for Christmas 39 43.

Charms

• Early practice: Studies the Mending, Levitation, and Unlocking Charms, but initially struggles with control; repeated attempts damage locks 10.
• Alohomora: Successfully casts the Unlocking Charm during the forbidden-corridor incident 25.
• Bluebell Flames: Conjures blue fire directly into a bottle, providing warmth for use as a hand warmer 33.
• Combat application: Sets Snape’s robes alight during Harry’s broom malfunction 37.
• Unlearned goal: Decides to learn the Bubble-Head Charm after enduring the troll’s stench; no successful casting is documented 31.

Transfiguration

• Studies the advanced Switching Spell with Su Er under McGonagall’s guidance 25.
• Changes the floor beneath the Halloween troll to immobilize its feet, earning McGonagall’s praise 30 31.
• Practices layered transformations with Su Er to create a horned horse for Angel. Their early attempts fail, but they later produce a lifelike result 28 32.
• Limitations: Their horned horse cannot move and will revert after roughly an hour 32.

Equipment / Items

• Vine-wood wand with a dragon-heartstring core — Selected at Ollivander’s. Ollivander associates the combination with lofty pursuits and great vision 9.
• Book collection — Includes required textbooks and supplementary works such as The Charm of Potions, The Origin of Magic, and Travels with Trolls 9.
• Warmth Bottle — A stoppered glass bottle containing Bluebell Flames, used to warm her hands 33.
• White sweater — Sent by Mrs. Granger during the first term 20.

Relationships

• Su Er Ellison / Su Er Bones — Neighbor, childhood friend, and regular study partner. He protects her from Malfoy, fights the troll alongside her, and gives her Crookshanks. Their families and classmates tease them as a couple, but Su Er explicitly states that Hermione is not yet his girlfriend 2 13 30 42 44.
• Mr. and Mrs. Granger — Her non-magical parents. They accompany her school shopping; her father runs a dental practice and collects her and Su Er for Christmas 6 12 44.
• Angel Ellison — Su Er’s younger sister, with whom Hermione gets along well. Hermione also helps Su Er practice making a unicorn-like toy for her 6 28 32.
• Neville Longbottom — Gryffindor friend and study companion. They meet on the train, take part in the nighttime excursion, and later study alongside Su Er and Hannah 12 24 25.
• Harry Potter and Ron Weasley — Classmates whose friendship with Hermione grows after she and Su Er rescue them from the troll. They later investigate Nicolas Flamel together 30 31 39 43.
• Professor McGonagall — Teacher and source of guidance on wands and advanced Transfiguration. She praises Hermione’s troll-fighting spellwork but also warns her and Su Er against corridor roughhousing 8 25 31 41.
• Susan Bones — Friend whose company Hermione seeks when avoiding Su Er after the embarrassing corridor incident 42 44.
• Crookshanks — Ginger cat given to her by Su Er for Christmas. Hermione chooses his name and immediately dotes on him 44.

Notable Quotes

“We know nothing about the Wizarding World, and the best way is to learn about it in advance from books.” 9

“But I'm not curious about it. What matters is that I managed to cast Alohomora.” 25

“I have to learn the Bubble-Head Charm.” 31