Becoming Hermione Granger: Brave and Intelligent
“Are you sure that’s a real spell?… Well, it’s not very good is it? I’ve tried a few simple spells just for practice and it’s all worked for me. Nobody in my family’s magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it’s the very best school of witchcraft there is, I’ve heard—I’ve learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough—I’m Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?” –SS/PS
That’s our Hermione. Determined, brilliant, and overbearing. But underneath all of that is unwavering bravery.
“…I hope I’m in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best…” –SS/PS
Hermione admits years later that the Sorting Hat thought of putting her in Ravenclaw, but her mind had been set before she stepped onto the Hogwarts Express. She was going to be a Gryffindor—Brave and intelligent.
Hermione Granger can beat out any Ravenclaw in a test of wits (she’s the top of their class) and she is one of the bravest Gryffindors in history. She sent her family to safety in DHs and stayed by Harry’s side until the very end, not even leaving for love. Her loyalty knew no ends, even following Harry to the ministry in OoTP when she thought it better to stay. Who wouldn’t want to be a little more like her?
Hermione shows us we don’t have to fit into one label. We don’t have to be the nerd or prep or athlete or girly-girl or klutz whatever label we bear. We can be them all! Or none of them. We can make our own label—a personality that can only be described by saying our name.
Challenge: Write your name on the top of a sheet of paper. Underline it. Below your name write what you want the dictionary definition of your name to mean. If wizards two hundred years from now look you up, what will they read? What talents do you have? How will you have used them? What adverbs describe the person you are going to be? Loyal? Brave? Diligent? Trusting? Kind? Cunning? Bookish? Persistent? Dreamer? Creative? Friend?
Fill your page up. Don’t limit yourself to one label. Get creative. Then post this page somewhere as a constant reminder of who you want to be on a daily basis. And lastly, be that person. If it means changing a few habits or friendships or whatever, do it. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from being the YOU you want to be.
Share your name and definition in the discussion below or #BHPMyNameMeans on Twitter.
Next Week: Gathering Your Trio