Top 20 Unforgettable Hermione Moments

In the transition from books to movies, we lost Hermione’s crusade to free the house elves. However, we do see her bond with some other magical creatures. For instance, her part-kneazle cat, Crookshanks, is never far from her side. Her most surprising encounter, though, has to be with Hagrid’s half-brother Grawp. After an un-auspicious beginning, Hermione shows the giant who’s boss and he takes a shine to her. While Ron’s not especially impressed, Hermione can’t help but be charmed. It’s not a hugely important scene, but it’s a fun character moment that shows both Hermione’s bravery and her softer side.

Although Ron and Hermione were the real love story of “Harry Potter”, the friendships between the trio are equally important. Hermione is the voice of reason, very useful to have around in a crisis, and she often acts as Harry’s emotional support. She spends so much time looking out for him that, when the roles are reversed, it’s really nice to see Harry uplifting her when she needs it most. It’s often the simplest scenes that are the sweetest. Both actors have great on-screen chemistry and the movies provide us with some great moments, including this one, that are nothing short of BFF goals.

As a bookish overachiever, you could argue that Hermione might have done well in Ravenclaw. However, you can’t deny she’s got that daring, nerve and chivalry that sets real Gryffindors apart. Hermione never shrinks away from challenging authority figures, however powerful or important they are. Whether she’s taking on the toxic Rita Skeeter or walking out on Trelawney, she always stands up for herself and others. Although the Malfoys don’t see her as such, we know she’s more than a match for Draco. When his father tries to belittle her during his first appearance in “Chamber of Secrets”, Hermione holds her nerve and doesn’t back down. This early encounter gives us a glimpse of just how tough she really is.

Hermione and Ron’s relationship was a slow burn, although there were clues from the early days that they were made for each other. Victor Krum awakens Ron’s jealousy in the fourth movie but it’s not until “Half-Blood Prince” that the films really begin to explore the romantic connection between Hermione and Ron. Just as the ship seems about to set sail, Lavender Brown comes into the picture. Ron makes a fatal mistake and Hogwarts knows no fury like Hermione Granger scorned. Still, a new girl is no real threat to a bond six years in the making. The love triangle is swiftly dispensed with one immensely satisfying and adorable scene in the hospital wing.

Although she’s a stickler for the rules in general, Hermione isn’t afraid to bend one or two for the people she cares about. Usually, it’s all for the greater good, but in this particular case, it’s only for Ron’s greater good. The youngest Weasley brother is a decent Quidditch player when he’s on form, but he suffers with nerves. Luckily, during his trial for the Gryffindor team, his future wife is in the stands. She casts a sneaky Confundus Charm on Ron’s main rival, the obnoxious Cormac McClaggen, putting him out of the running. It might be cheating, but boy do we love to see it.

You couldn’t find two witches more different than Hermione Granger and Bellatrix Lestrange. When Hermione takes the form of the Death Eater, in “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” it’s the striking contrast that makes for such a memorable moment. That, and some stellar acting. We’re watching Helena Bonham Carter’s take on Emma Watson’s interpretation of Hermione pretending to be Bonham Carter’s original character. It definitely takes some skills to play that. But the seasoned actress captures Watson’s movements and mannerisms so perfectly that it’s easy to suspend our disbelief. The Gringotts sequence also culminates with another show-stopping Hermione moment. Proving her Gryffindor credentials yet again, she commandeers a dragon guard and secures an impossible escape.

We love Hermione for her brains and her bravery but, despite her know-it-all persona, she’s really a sensitive soul. As the best friend of two occasionally clueless teenage boys, she does more than help with homework. This scene from “The Order of the Phoenix” is one of the best examples of Hermione schooling Harry and Ron on girls - and human emotions in general. Harry has just had his first kiss and is still supremely confused about Cho’s feelings for him. Hermione attempts to explain, leaving the boys even more bewildered. It’s a lovely little moment that highlights both Hermione’s tough love and the warmth of friendship between the trio.

Outside of the school environment, Hermione is even more valuable to have in your corner. Not only is she always prepared, with a vast knowledge of spell-casting, she thinks fast and stays calm under pressure. When captured by Umbridge in the “Order of the Phoenix”, she’s quick to concoct a story to get out of trouble, using Umbridge’s own fears and prejudices against her. In “Deathly Hallows” she casts a stinging jinx on Harry, so the Snatchers won’t recognise him as The Boy Who Lived. Hermione’s darkest hour, however, is at Malfoy Manor, at the mercy of Bellatrix Lestrange. Even while under torture, Hermione protects her friends and doesn’t reveal their secrets.

Although Harry and Ron were both keen to find out who the heir of Slytherin was in “Chamber of Secrets,” the Polyjuice Potion was Hermione’s brain-wave. Brewing such an advanced and complicated potion was an ambitious move for a second year - not to mention stealing ingredients from a teacher, drugging fellow students and assuming their identities. But, Hermione is at her best when she’s breaking the rules. The mission was planned to the letter and carried out with military precision… except for the part where she accidentally used cat’s hair. After all her hard work, Hermione had to let the boys go it alone. If she’d been there to organize them, maybe things would have gone over a tad more smoothly.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione go through the trapdoor at the end of “Philosopher’s Stone”, it’s the first time they’re forced to use their bravery and smarts in a real-world situation. Hermione, of course, takes the lead. It’s a shame we never get to see her solve Snape’s potions riddle - as we do in the books - but she still plays an important part in carrying Harry through to the end. It’s a good thing Hermione pays attention in class, otherwise the boys would have failed at the first hurdle. The young witch defeats Professor Sprout’s man-eating Devil Snare with some fast-thinking and a well-placed spell. It’s classic Hermione, really.

The moment that our trio first meets on the Hogwarts Express is an important one, establishing the relationship dynamics that will remain throughout the entire series. Hermione appears on the scene trying to help Neville find his toad. Her haughty, know-it-all attitude is on display from this very first scene as she tries to get Ron to perform a spell in front of her. She also proves right off the bat how advanced her magical skills are when she fixes Harry’s perpetually broken glasses with a flick of her wand. Hermione pointing out the dirt on her future husband’s nose is just the cherry on top.

Ron and Hermione’s first kiss in the book differs from the one in the movie, which has divided some fans. Of course, seeing these two share their first romantic embrace was satisfying no matter the circumstances, even though Ron’s concern over the house elves’ safety was missed in the film. In the movie, however, we get to see an event which takes place off-set in the book. Hermione destroying the Horcrux using a basilisk fang is an impressive and dramatic moment that culminates with the long-awaited first kiss.

One of the most quotable moments from the first movie is when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in Charms class learning a basic levitation spell. As this was before they were “officially” friends, both Ron and Harry are annoyed by Hermione’s teacher’s pet status and know-it-all attitude. The swish and flick she teaches Ron comes in handy, however, when they’re fighting the troll in the bathroom and Ron uses the spell correctly in order to knock the troll out with his own club. It’s this moment that’s marked in the books as the true beginning of the trio’s friendship.

The formation of Dumbledore’s Army in the fifth installment of the story is a plotline that is consistently beloved by fans. During one scene, the group is practicing dueling in the Room of Requirement so that they’re ready for a potential battle. In a scene that doesn’t appear fleshed out in the book, Ron and Hermione are paired together for a duel and you just know it’s going to be good. No one expected Ron to win this one, but Hermione’s swift defeat of him was satisfying all the same.

In “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” the Ministry of Magic sends one of their representatives to work at Hogwarts and she is possibly even more evil than Lord Voldemort himself. Dolores Umbridge tortures her students (both mentally and physically) and prevents them from learning the defensive magic they need. Hermione comes up with the brilliant idea to form a secret group to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts, and even recruits all the members. The scene that takes place in the Hog’s Head is one of the most loved and memorable of the series.

At the beginning of the seventh book and movie, we knew the trio would spend the rest of the series working to defeat Voldemort. We couldn’t have anticipated this devastating consequence, though. Worried that Voldemort and his followers would target her parents, Hermione decided to take matters into her own hands. In the books, this scene is only mentioned, but in the movies, viewers see her image disappear from family photos as the curse to modify their memories takes effect. The magical prowess, as well as the emotional strength this must have taken, is almost unimaginable.

Hermione establishes herself early in the series as the most proficient magic-user in her year, but the stakes are raised in the second book and movie when a monster is set loose at Hogwarts and the threat of students being killed suddenly becomes very real. Hermione ends up being petrified by the monster and is stuck in a comatose state in the hospital wing. Before being attacked, however, she manages to figure out the puzzle, and a crumpled scrap of paper with a single word scrawled on it ends up saving the day.

Hermione’s intelligence is what she has always been known for, but her looks are more likely to be mocked than praised. In “Goblet of Fire,” though, Hermonie proves she’s got the whole package when she gets dolled up for the Yule Ball. She shocks and impresses the other students by attending the ball with Quidditch player and Triwizard Tournament champion Viktor Krum. Her and Ron end up getting in a big fight during the dance, and while Hermione may lose her temper, it’s still clear that she’s in the right.

Hermione’s magical prowess and book smarts are obvious, but we had no idea until this moment in “Prisoner of Azkaban” that she had so much gumption. We had all been wanting to punch Draco Malfoy in the face since he was first introduced, but it took a moment of true cruelty on his part for Hermione to finally work up the courage to do it. Rather than cursing him using magic, which probably would have been far more effective, she uses her good, old fashioned muggle skills to get the job done. In the books, it’s a slap rather than a punch, but the movie version packs an even greater impact.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Charming the Beaded Bag, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” (2010)
Hermione Is Always Prepared

“Or Worse, Expelled”, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (2001)
She Needs to Sort Out Her Priorities

Setting Fire to Snape’s Cloak, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (2001)
He Was Trying to Save Harry, But She Wasn’t to Know That

Informing Her Friends She’s “Not an Owl”, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005)
She’s Nobody’s Go-Between

Okay, at this point we can pretty much admit that Hermione saves the day at least once in every “Harry Potter” movie, but there’s no time where this is more obvious than in “Prisoner of Azkaban.” The entire climactic sequence is based on Hermione’s ability to travel through time using the time-turner she was given in order to squeeze more classes into her schedule. She manages to convince Harry to go along with her plan and saves Buckbeak from execution and Sirius from the Dementor’s Kiss. It probably should have been called “Hermione Granger and the Prisoner of Azkaban”!