20 best film witches of all time
Hermione Granger
So far, we’ve discussed the power, villainy, and even comedic forces of witches on film. However, many movies decline to explore the very intellectual demands of movie witchery. It’s true that poring over old books and endless potions experiments are rarely good cinematic fodder. But we can for sure make an exception for Hermione Granger.
Of course, you probably already know who Hermione Granger is. She’s the brainiac of the central Harry Potter trio and arguably the sole reason that Harry and Ron survive the series. Without Hermione’s vast knowledge of magic and quick thinking, it’s unlikely that the others would have made it past book two.
Hermione really is an exceptionally talented young woman in many respects, beyond her witchcraft abilities. Series readers and movie watchers all understand that she’s easily the best student in her year, if not one of the best in all of Hogwarts.
That’s not to say that Hermione is perfect. She is still human and has her own faults. Early on in the series, she could be an overbearing know-it-all. Ron, in particular, could have trouble dealing with her, especially when she tried to help. Witness this exchange from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:
"“You’re saying it wrong,” Harry heard Hermione snap. “It’s Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the ‘gar’ nice and long.” “You do it, then, if you’re so clever,” Ron snarled."
Plus, Hermione had a difficult time with subjects that were not strictly academic. Divination, with all of its woo-woo talk about feelings and impressions, caused her to — gasp! — actually drop a class. Also, flying on brooms took more intuition and a certain kind of relaxation that Hermione simply couldn’t muster.
Nevertheless, Hermione Granger proved that she was intellectually formidable and astonishingly brave. You certainly have to be when you’re facing a quasi-undead Voldemort and his Death Eater minions.