HBO’s Harry Potter Reboot Can’t Afford to Forget 1 Genius Hermione Granger Moment

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Hermione Granger was the true glue holding the Golden Trio together, though her contributions often go unnoticed. While fans admired her intelligence, bravery, and loyalty, few fully appreciated just how crucial she was to the story. She even saved Harry and Ron’s lives at least once during the intense Battle of Hogwarts. Simply put, she was the driving force behind their success. Later, as shown in *The Cursed Child*, Hermione’s exceptional skills led her to become Minister for Magic – a well-deserved position earned through hard work and brilliance.

As a huge fan, I was always so disappointed that Hermione’s S.P.E.W. – the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare – was kind of dropped in the movies. It was such a perfect representation of her character, showing how deeply she cared about house-elves and fighting for what’s right. Anyone with a heart would be moved by their situation! If they reboot *Harry Potter*, they absolutely *have* to bring S.P.E.W. back, and honestly, they should even develop that storyline further than the books did. It’s a crucial part of Hermione’s journey and deserves more attention!

Hermione Has Always Been Critical of Unfairness

While Hermione Granger might not have been the absolute brightest student at Hogwarts, she consistently outperformed everyone else. She was incredibly intelligent, so much so that the Sorting Hat almost put her in Ravenclaw, the house known for its clever students. However, Hermione’s success wasn’t just about intelligence. Throughout the *Harry Potter* series, she’s shown to be incredibly hardworking and determined. This dedication, combined with her natural ability, even led to a special permission from the Ministry of Magic, which allowed her to use a Time-Turner during her third year in *The Prisoner of Azkaban*.

Perhaps the most significant thing about Hermione was her upbringing. She was born into a Muggle family of doctors who highly valued practicality and reason. While this meant she initially lacked knowledge of the wizarding world, it also gave her a unique way of thinking. Hermione had a strong sense of what was right and often acted as the voice of reason for Harry and Ron, pointing out flaws in their plans. Because she wasn’t raised with magical customs, she was quick to question anything that didn’t make sense. Though her honesty could sometimes be a bit direct, Hermione always remained true to her principles and acted with integrity.

As Hermione grew up alongside Ron and Harry, she gradually became more adventurous. Though naturally cautious, she repeatedly put herself in danger – venturing into the Chamber of Secrets, helping Sirius Black, and even going on the run from the Ministry of Magic under Voldemort’s control. She consistently prioritized doing what was right, even if it meant risking her studies or expulsion. Hermione bravely defended Harry from teachers like Snape and Umbridge, played a key role in forming Dumbledore’s Army to teach students self-defense, and constantly encouraged Ron and Harry to think critically. However, Ron and Harry never fully appreciated her efforts with S.P.E.W.

S.P.E.W. Was the Starting Point for Hermione’s Activism

Dobby, the first House-elf we meet in the Harry Potter series, immediately shows us how terrible life can be for magical creatures in servitude. He clearly suffers from abuse by Lucius Malfoy, a particularly cruel character. It quickly becomes apparent that this isn’t just Dobby’s problem – witches and wizards routinely treat House-elves as slaves, and it’s considered normal. The books even suggest the Ministry of Magic actively supports this slavery, highlighting a deep moral failing within the wizarding world. It’s surprising that this mistreatment doesn’t cause more outrage. While House-elves often claim to enjoy serving their masters, this loyalty likely stems from a kind of trauma bonding, similar to Stockholm Syndrome, rather than genuine contentment.

Even Hermione didn’t fully grasp the difficult situation of House-elves until the fourth book, *The Goblet of Fire*, when she witnessed the mistreatment of Winky by Barty Crouch Sr. Interestingly, both Winky and Hermione’s organization, S.P.E.W., were left out of the movies. Learning that House-elves were essentially forced to work without any time off made Hermione truly understand their plight and feel compassion for them. While others were excited about events like the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, Hermione dedicated a lot of her time and energy to campaigning for better treatment of House-elves, even refusing to eat food they prepared and taking on extra work herself.

Hermione was the only one who really cared about freeing house-elves. Despite her constant efforts to get others involved, no one supported her activism. Most people simply believed the house-elves were content with their lives. The fact that Dobby struggled to find paid work after gaining freedom should have shown others the reality of the situation, just like similar issues in the real world. Dobby’s thankfulness to Dumbledore for giving him a job raised a troubling question: why wasn’t Dumbledore doing more to help all house-elves? While Dumbledore always championed fairness and respect for all beings, he mostly just talked about it, offering little practical help. He cared for the house-elves at Hogwarts, but largely overlooked those owned by other wizarding families.

During her fourth year at school, Hermione became fixated on trying to get the House-elves to accept clothes, which Ron found incredibly irritating. He started teasing her about being so organized and even jokingly proposed starting a group to protect goblins. Hermione correctly pointed out that goblins didn’t *need* protection, unlike House-elves who didn’t defend their own rights. Despite her clear explanation, nobody except Hermione saw the issue, and the House-elves at Hogwarts were offended by her efforts, refusing to enter the Gryffindor common room. Eventually, Hermione lost momentum with her campaign before the formation of the Order of the Phoenix.

The Harry Potter Reboot Must Highlight Hermione’s Political Activism

With the new *Harry Potter* series in development, fans are hoping for a more faithful adaptation of the books, including storylines that were left out of the films. This reboot promises a richer exploration of the Wizarding World, and a chance to examine the problems within magical society. Viewers should see a more complex side of Dumbledore, and understand the reasons behind Voldemort’s inability to love. Importantly, Hermione’s passion for social justice – particularly her work with S.P.E.W. – should be a key part of her story, showcasing her empathy and foreshadowing her future career at the Ministry of Magic.

Set decades after the end of *The Deathly Hallows*, *The Cursed Child* showed fans what happened to the beloved Harry, Ron, and Hermione as adults. Ron continued the family business, taking over at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, and Harry became head of his department. Hermione, however, achieved the most professional success. She started her career working with magical creatures, revisiting a cause she was passionate about – her S.P.E.W. campaign. While details are scarce, her work with S.P.E.W. likely helped her advance quickly at the Ministry. After a short time as an Auror, she was eventually elected Minister of Magic, the position she held during the events of *The Cursed Child*.

I’ve always admired Hermione Granger for being unapologetically herself. No matter what others thought, she consistently stood up against injustice and prejudice. Even when people – even her friends and those in authority – resisted her efforts to help House-elves, she didn’t give up, just kept pushing forward. It’s amazing to me that after helping Harry defeat Voldemort, she actually *returned* to Hogwarts to finish her education, while Harry and Ron moved on. And as soon as she could, she immediately reignited the conversation about House-elf rights. Honestly, leaving out that core part of who she is – especially in the new *Harry Potter* series – would be a real letdown. It’s so central to everything she believes in and everything she accomplished.

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2025-10-20 02:07