One of the strongest themes in the Harry Potter series is the bond of friendship. Harry’s friendships with Ron and Hermione offer him the support and help that he needs to be able to defeat Voldemort. While Ron is Harry’s best friend in one way, he’s also really close to Hermione. They have a great friendship where they are there for each other in many ways.
Here are the five best things Hermione did for Harry, and the five best things that he did for her.
HERMIONE DID: HELPING HARRY WITH THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT
When Harry’s name is put into the Goblet of Fire, Ron ends up ditching him because of jealousy. Hermione is the one who has Harry's Back and believes that he didn’t enter his name into the goblet himself.
She supports him and helps him figure out how to get past the dragon during the first task. Her show of loyalty and friendship here is quite admirable, and it’s clear that Harry probably wouldn’t have been able to complete the task without her help.
HARRY DID: OFTEN STICKING UP FOR HERMIONE
Harry might not always be as emotionally intelligent as Hermione, but he does have her back many times. He often sticks up for her when other people are rude about her.
He is always there to come to her defense when Malfoy mocks her. And, he also defends her when Cho accuses Harry of liking Hermione more than her. It’s clear that Harry sees Hermione as a good friend and that he’s willing to stick up for her in many situations.
HERMIONE DID: BEING PREPARED TO FIND THE HORCRUXES
Many fans have pointed out that Hermione is often the one that allows for Harry’s plans to be successful. Harry tends to go off of instinct and not really plan ahead, so Hermione’s ability to plan and organize is extremely essential.
This is clearest when Hermione plans things such as bringing supplies and being ready to go at a moment's notice for the quest to destroy the Horcruxes. Harry definitely is lucky to have her around.
HARRY DID: COMFORTING HER WHEN SHE WAS UPSET
While Harry might not always be the best at comforting people when they are dealing with difficult emotions, he does try.
When Hermione is clearly upset over Lavender and Ron getting into together, Harry follows her to try to comfort her. While he clearly doesn’t know exactly the right thing to say, he does try to be there for her during a moment when she's struggling. This is definitely the sign of a good friend.
HERMIONE DID: COMFORTING HARRY AT HIS PARENTS’ GRAVE
Hermione is someone in Harry Potter who is aware of how to provide comfort and care to the people in her life. When she goes with Harry to visit his parents’ grave in Godric’s Hollow, he is clearly dealing with a lot of strong emotions.
Hermione provides comfort by making a wreath and hanging it on the grave. She’s also good at being supportive who offers words of comfort there and also after at various times while they travel around looking for the Horcruxes.
HARRY DID: GETTING HER THOUGHTFUL GIFTS
Harry is someone that is actually quite insightful when it comes to getting gifts for the people he cares about. He has a good amount of money, and he likes to give gifts or buy things for his friends that they might not be able to afford. He’s also rather good at picking out things they would like.
He often gives Hermione thoughtful gifts such as when New Theory of Numerology. While it’s not what he would ever want for himself, he knows her enough to get her a gift she would want.
HERMIONE DID: ALWAYS BEING WILLING TO SUPPORT HIM
Hermione is really the friend that is the most loyal to Harry throughout everything. While Ron can be loyal, he also has a couple of big moments when he falters. Hermione is the one who never really wavers.
She provides help with things such as setting up Dumbledore’s Army and orchestrating many important things that allow Harry to be successful. Without her help, Harry likely wouldn’t get near as far.
HARRY DID: TRUSTING IN HER INTELLECT
While Harry might be the protagonist of the story who knows he carries the heavy burden of defeating Voldemort on his shoulders, he’s also good at recognizing that other people around him have strengths he doesn’t have.
He knows that Hermione is extremely smart, and he relies on her intelligence a lot. He trusts her smarts. One example of this is when he knows Hermione has the ability to solve the logic puzzle Snape sets up that protects the Sorcerer’s Stone.
HERMIONE DID: REMINDING HIM HE WASN’T ALONE
Harry is someone who often struggles with feeling like he has to do things alone. This likely comes from the fact that he never really had a family that cared for him. So, the fact that Hermione is often there to remind him he’s not alone is really important.
One notable time she does this is when she went to Harry in Grimmauld Place when he was hiding away after the snake attack on Arthur Weasley.
HARRY DID: SAVING HERMIONE FROM THE TROLL
One of the best things Harry does for Hermione happens before they are technically even friends. He is the one who is most concerned about saving Hermione from the troll even though it was Ron who caused her to end up crying in the bathroom.
Harry exhibits that he is someone who tries to do the right thing by risking his life to save her from the troll, and this is where their friendship really begins, and it’s a friendship that benefits them both in many ways.