7 Moments When You Loved Hermione

If you are anything like me, there have been times when you have wished that you were Hermione Granger. How could you not? There are so many cool things about her: she knows how to do magic, she’s surrounded by magical books all day, and she is basically the greatest witch of her age. Me? I managed to wake up before noon today… so I guess I have that going for me. When I was a little kid reading the first book in the Harry Potter series, I remember not being very impressed with Hermione in the beginning (maybe I somehow subconsciously knew what her original last name was supposed to be). She was just a little know-it-all who seemed to exist solely to kill all the joy in the room…until midway through the first book when J.K. Rowling turned Hermione’s voracious intelligence into a force for good. The rest, of course, is history.

So yes, you may want to look for ways to make your life more like Hermione’s, or now you might want to dress like her, but look back to the first time you read the series. What made you fall in love with Hermione? I can think of seven times when I felt it for sure. Take a look below, and remember your own favorite moments:

1. When she solved Snape's logic puzzle.

The worst part about the adaptation for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the fact that they did not include what is one of the most awesome parts of the entire book. Snape's contribution to security measures for the Sorcerer's Stone leaned on logic instead of on magical knowledge, and it's pretty obvious that if Hermione hadn't been there, Harry would have been stuck. Despite solving the puzzle, Hermione is humble, and she gives Harry the proper potion so he can move on and save the day. This is when I realized that Hermione might actually be the secret MVP of the entire franchise.

2. That time she punched Draco Malfoy in the face.

Who doesn't watch this gif over and over? In one fell swoop, Hermione gives that Draco Malfoy what he deserved from book one. Of course in the books she slaps him instead of punches him (one of the rare moments that the film adaptation did better, in my opinion).

3. That time she was so awesome at school that she became a Time Lord in order to take more classes.

In order to double up on classes, Hermione actually became a Time Lord so she could take more classes. And she had a spotless record academically.

4. Her Yule Ball entrance.

Who didn't want to make an entrance like Hermione at their own prom or homecoming dances? Disregarded by everyone as a plain girl with bushy hair, she certainly showed them all when she arrived looking absolutely breathtaking in a show-stopping gown. I loved her even more when she admitted that it was too much of a bother to go through the hair straightening process every day. A girl embracing the way she looks even though a lot of people think she's plain and weird? That's the kind of character I love, and more importantly, the kind of character I need.

5. When she basically started Dumbledore's Army.

Harry gets a lot of credit for Dumbledore's Army, and he does deserve it in a way, but make no mistake: Hermione Granger formed Dumbledore's Army. She was the one who came up with the concept, she was the one who set up meetings and used the protean charm on a bunch of fake galleons in order to alert members as to when a meeting would start. The entire thing was her brainchild, and yet most people heaped all the thanks onto Harry — something Hermione never actually complained about. Do you know who complained a lot about Harry getting all the attention? Ron Weasley. What did Ron ever do?

6. Her jealousy over Harry getting suddenly good at potions.

You have to love her a little bit here, because this actually makes Hermione completely and totally human. Up until this point, it seemed to me that Hermione was a beautiful cinnamon roll, too good for this world. She had basically constructed the DA, fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and was with Harry nearly every step of the way. Harry and Ron leaned on her for all of their academic needs, and she had done most of this without batting an eye. Then Harry suddenly becomes good at potions, and it drove Hermione crazy. I love her for this, because it's a completely human reaction.

7. The moment she comforted Harry in Godric's Hollow.

This is the scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that touches me every time I read it. It's Christmas. Hermione and Harry are on the run, Ron has left, and Harry is visiting his parent's grave for the first time. Hermione, who has basically brainwashed her parents into forgetting that she existed and recently lost the boy she loves, decides to shove down all her sadness in order to make Harry feel better. That's the mark of a good friend.

Images: Warner Bros., Giphy (7)