This woman is Hermione Granger.
Okay I know she's a fictional character and doesn't actually exist. But since when do fictional characters have no impact on reality? Thousands of nerdy little girls have found a role model in the character of Hermione. Any girl who has ever felt out of place amongst her more feminine peers, who has ever spent her summer reading giant books, who has ever stressed about a major essay only to receive a near perfect grade, can relate to Hermione. The girls who have been barred from answering questions in class because the other students need a chance to speak, the girls who have been accused of being "know-it-alls," the girls who always religiously followed the rules in school, who were occasionally teased for being teachers' pets, these are the girls who adored Hermione. JK Rowling gave us plenty of strong heroines, but come on. Hermione basically saved the world. Harry may have been the Chosen One, but he would have been dead meat without the help of "the cleverest witch of her age."
In honor of her birthday, I've come up with a list of little-known facts and cool pieces of info about our favorite bushy-haired, large-toothed, Muggle-born. Thanks, Jo, for giving the world this character. And thank you, Hermione, for keeping those boys in line.
1. Her middle name is Jean
2. Rowling was originally going to give her the last name of "Puckle" before she realized that it's a stupid name
3. She was one of the oldest students in her year at Hogwarts, since she turned twelve 18 days after she started her first year (kids weren't allowed to go to Hogwarts unless they were already 11)
4. Her Patronus is an otter, which is JK Rowling's favorite animal
5. When she was fourteen, her greatest fear was that she would fail her classes
6. She once made 112 points on a test
7. She translated the book The Tales of Beedle the Bard (a Harry Potter companion novel that includes notes from Dumbledore) from the original Ancient Runes
8. She came up with the idea for Dumbledore's Army
9. She first said Voldemort's name (an action used throughout the story to symbolize courage and the defiance of ignorance and evil) during her fifth year
10. Her future husband had a very public relationship with her roommate when they were in school (which must have made things very tense in the dormitory)
11. She has an enormous and grumpy cat named Crookshanks (because cats are the best)
12. The only things she isn't good at are wizard chess, Quidditch, cooking, seeing the future, and drawing
13. Despite knowing next to nothing about sports, the only guys she dated were all good Quidditch players
15. She worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
16. She was the only one at Hogwarts to figure out what was attacking the students her second year
17. Her confidence and sarcastic personality hide her deep-seated insecurities about not being good enough, but she still totally saved the world
18. She has an amazing amount of empathy, as shown by her defense of house-elves and Buckbeak the Hippogriff, but unfortunately her logic and skepticism sometimes override her concern (see Lavender Brown dead-bunny fiasco)
19. One time, her hand shot up in the air so fast to answer a question that she almost knocked Harry's glasses off
20. From book three, it was obvious she was going to end up with Ron, because they are the second-best couple of all time, right behind Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (although I was way happier when these two got together, since I had been waiting for it for seven years)
And the greatest moment of my life so far came when I was reading the seventh book. I started down page 625, and all of sudden I realized that the world as I knew it had changed forever. I slowed down and read this over and over, drinking in every word:
"Hang on a moment!" said Ron sharply. "We've forgotten someone!"
"Who?" asked Hermione.
"The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?"
"You mean we ought to get them fighting?" asked Harry.
"No," said Ron seriously, "I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want anymore Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us--"
There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.
"Is this the moment?" Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. "OI! There's a war going on here!"
Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.
"I know mate," said Ron, who looked as though he had recently been hit on the back of the head with a Bludger, "so it's now or never, isn't it?"
Possibly the best scene in the entire history of literature.
I love Harry Potter, and I love Hermione Granger. She never pretended to be something she wasn't, even when she was mocked and teased and abused. She is a hero.
Feminists are always going on about how we need more strong female role models in works of fiction. Here we have Ginny, Luna, Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, and Lily Potter. We have Hermione Granger. Seriously, what more could you ask for?
Potterhead for life.
Emily <3
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