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Why an Adult Hermione Is So Important to Me

by Alison Siggard · September 19, 2016

When I was five years old, I started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time. Immediately, I found myself drawn to one character: Hermione. From the moment of her first introduction and the description of her bushy brown hair, slightly bucked teeth, bossy nature, and love of books, my mind whispered, “It’s me!” Never before had I found a character I so related to. As the films were released, I found even more to relate to, especially with coming to love, or at least tame and tolerate, my obnoxiously curly hair (Emma Watson’s gave me so much inspiration for how to style and be happy with my own – to which I am eternally grateful to the hair specialists of the films). My favorite and most often used Halloween costume was Hermione, a carefully cultivated outfit constructed to be as close to the movies as possible.

As I grew, I found myself relating to Hermione more and more. My bossy side got me in trouble (to the point that my fifth grade class wanted to impeach me as class president because of it). I still loved books and was often a know-it-all, and my hair continued to be bushy. But like Hermione, I found better ways to share my knowledge and passion, and I relaxed a little on rules when I needed to. As the seven books came to a close, I found some comfort in knowing that I could mark myself with Hermione’s journey until I, too, turned 17.

But then I turned 18, and then 19, and on and on. I still loved and related to Hermione, but the fictional person I most related to was now younger than me, at a different point of life. I loved the small tidbits Rowling gave us about Hermione’s life: that she is Head of Magical Law Enforcement, that she is still fighting for justice and truth, that she is married to Ron (who, incidentally, I found possesses many of the personality qualities I’m looking for in a partner), that she had two children whom she loves and worries about. But I was becoming an adult now, and the Hermione I knew was still preserved at age 17, helping to save the wizarding world.

And then, there was Cursed Child.

When I went to see the show, I was on the cusp of graduating college and beginning my career as a teacher. My life was about to completely change, and I was still feeling more like 17-year-old Hermione than any kind of “real” adult. All of this had been swirling around in the back of my mind for about a month when I set off for London. Seeing Cursed Child was one of the last things we were doing on the trip, and I tried to forget about what was waiting for me when I got home and just enjoy the show. I wasn’t prepared for how much an adult Hermione would affect me while I was thinking about the next chapter in my life.

My first pleasant surprise in Cursed Child was to find that Hermione was Minister of Magic 22 years later. I was delighted that she had gone so far and was still fighting for what was right and good, leading her community. I was further delighted by her relationship with Ron; it was so mutually affectionate, with such a sweet codependency, that I couldn’t help but melt when they were together or sob in the alternate timelines where they weren’t together but still pulled toward each other (especially when they were subject to the Dementor’s Kiss).

An especially striking moment for me was the alternate timeline where Hermione is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Though many have complained about this spinster Hermione and her bitterness, the scene made me sit up a little straighter in my seat. As someone who is currently surrounded by friends getting married, engaged, or seriously dating someone, I saw some of the loneliness I often feel at my lowest moments in this version of Hermione. She was still doing great things, teaching a new generation to defend themselves against Dark Magic, but that trace of bitterness could only come from the feeling of being isolated and left behind. As I watched, I was reminded of my own occasional bitterness, and I found myself thinking, “Make the choice to not end up like that.”

More than anything, though, seeing an adult Hermione, who could lead her community and be such a natural extension of the Hermione I connected to all those years ago was comforting. It was a reminder that I could still be like my fictional hero as I became an adult. More than that, it was a reminder that I can do this whole adult thing. So today, on her birthday, I celebrate not only Hermione herself but also the woman she has helped me become.

 

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MuggleNet Archive

Important Dates

August 2025

Sun, Aug 31

Hermione and Ron become prefects
Recurs yearly

1995

Hermione purchases Crookshanks
Recurs yearly

1993

September 2025

Mon, Sep 1

Harry and Ron travel to Hogwarts via Ford Anglia
Recurs yearly

1992

Harry's first ride on the Hogwarts Express
Recurs yearly

1991

Hermione receives Time-Turner
Recurs yearly

1993

MuggleNet Live! 2017: Nineteen Years Later
Recurs yearly

2017

Tue, Sep 2

Faux Moody transfigures Draco into a ferret
Recurs yearly

1994

Gregorovitch is murdered by Lord Voldemort
Recurs yearly

1997

Harry gets the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book
Recurs yearly

1996

Trio breaks into the Ministry of Magic and acquires Slytherin's locket
Recurs yearly

1997

Wed, Sep 3

Harry buries Alastor Moody's magical eye
Recurs yearly
Harry's first detention with Professor Umbridge
Recurs yearly
Lockhart lets Cornish pixies loose in class
Recurs yearly

1992

Thu, Sep 4

Ellie Darcey-Alden's birthday
Recurs yearly

Young Lily Evans

Hermione forms SPEW
Recurs yearly

1994

Moody's first DADA lesson
Recurs yearly

1994

Fri, Sep 5

Harry hears the Basilisk in the walls for the first time
Recurs yearly

1992

Ron's wand backfires as he tries to curse Malfoy; Eat Slugs!
Recurs yearly

1992

Sat, Sep 6

Harry's first potions class, where he loses 5 points for Gryffindor
Recurs yearly

1991

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide, Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies, & Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (short stories; e-book) released - 2016
Recurs yearly

2016

MuggleNet receives JKR Fansite Award
Recurs yearly

2004

It’s high time I paid homage to the mighty MuggleNet. Where to start? I love the design, (I currently favour the ‘Dementor’ layout), the polls (I actually voted in the ‘Who’s the Half-Blood Prince?’ one), the pretty-much-exhaustive information on all books and films, the wonderful editorials (more insight there than in several companion volumes I shall not name), 101 Ways to Annoy Lord Voldemort (made me laugh aloud), the Wall of Shame (nearly as funny as some of the stuff I get)… pretty much everything. Webmaster Emerson, Eric, Jamie, Damon, Ben, Matthew, Rachel, Jaymz and Sharon, I salute you.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040907101729/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/fansite_view.cfm?id=15

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Did You Know

During the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone film, viewers can hear Rubeus Hagrid playing Hedwig’s Theme on a flute right before the trio approaches and asks him about obtaining Norbert.

Potter History

March 22, 2005 – Order of the Phoenix filming rumors begin to stir, beginning with talk of filming in Czech Republic.

Potter Quote

“I’m worth twelve of you, Malfoy.”

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