Hermione Jane Granger

Hermione Jane Granger (born 19 September 1979) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of books. The character is portrayed by Emma Watson in the films.

Hermione is a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and, along with Ron Weasley, is one of Harry Potter's best friends and at times the mother hen of the trio. She is slightly bossy and very studious. Her thirst for knowledge proves useful in many of their adventures, but an innate fear of failure also causes her to lose her nerve whenever a major test is called for.

She is often teased about her bushy hair and "know-it-all" tendencies, but is admired by many students for her intelligence. She received top grades in all of her Ordinary Wizarding Level exams except for Defence Against The Dark Arts, where she received the second-highest grade. Neville, Harry, and Ron depend on her for academic help. By her sixth year at Hogwarts, she is generally acknowledged to be the best in her class. She also seems to have a growing romantic interest in Ron Weasley.

Hermione is Muggle-born, that is, the child of two non-magical parents, both dentists. Hermione's parents seem to be accepting of her magical abilities, but they have never been given much "page time." J. K. Rowling noted she initially considered giving Hermione a younger sister, but now believes it's "too late." Therefore, it's usually considered canon that Hermione is an only child.

Hermione's name is pronounced "Her-my-oh-nee", as readers find 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). Rowling said she obtained it from William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, claiming that she wanted it to be unusual, since if fewer girls shared her name, fewer girls would get teased for it. "Hermione", appropriately, is derived from "Hermes", the Greek god of invention, inspiration, eloquence and quick thinking.