In the Harry Potter series, Hermione Granger was an inspiration to every young girl out there. She was the perfect mix of a good head and a good heart, brave and selfless with a huge amount of intelligence to back it all up. As such, she had some of the best lines in the series. J.K. Rowling herself said that when she wanted to say something through her characters, she would usually use Hermione or Dumbledore.
If you want to feel empowered, these are the best Hermione quotes that remind us all how to be better people and will inspire us to do the right thing.
8. 'I’m Hoping To Do Some Good In The World'
Hermione is asked if she wants to go into a career in law enforcement when she responds with this. It’s not implying that law enforcement careers are bad or somehow immortal; at the time of the question, however, the system in the books and the corruption very much is. She’s not calling out law enforcers as being inherently bad; she’s calling out a corrupt system, and rightly so. It’s a reminder that we all should do the same.
And, more basically, it shows that she just wanted to help and it’s a very selfless, altruistic comment to make. As we know now, Hermione did indeed go on to do good in the world.
7. 'Books! And Cleverness! There Are More Important Things. Friendship And Bravery'
Harry makes a comment about how clever Hermione is when she responds with this.
It shows that her priorities, however bizarre they might seem at times, are actually very admirable and that she stays true to her heart despite getting caught up in her studies. It’s the real reason she’s in Gryffindor and not in Ravenclaw. Despite taking academia and her education very seriously, she knows that the important thing is that she’s brave and loyal to her friends. And it’s these traits in all of the so-called Golden Trio that eventually win the war for them. So she’s right — as usual!
6. 'So The Daily Prophet Exists To Tell People What They Want To Hear, Does It?'
Another way in which Hermione calls out corrupt systems. The Daily Prophet has a habit of hiding Voldemort’s reappearance when he returns at the end of the fourth book and goes out of its way to calm people down. It’s under the influence of the Ministry, which is probably why, but it’s not only biased media; it’s lies.
Hermione, like most of the sensible and righteous characters in the series, doesn’t agree with this, and she’s happy to remind us all it’s wrong by scoffing at it. One of the amazing things about Hermione is that she isn’t afraid to call out what she sees, however difficult the confrontation may be.
5. 'Fear Of A Name Only Increases Fear Of The Thing Itself'
Most people are afraid of using the name Voldemort. It’s a phrase coined by Dumbledore that Hermione takes on too, and it’s—again—the right thing to do.
People tend to shy away from the word and use the nicknames You-Know-Who, or He Who Must Not Be Named. But Hermione is completely right; this makes him taboo and makes him even more feared, which is exactly what he wants. The memory of Tom Riddle even specifically says he wanted a name that people would one day fear to use.
So by using the name, it’s defiance of an evil force, and refusing to be afraid of him.
4. 'At Least No One On The Gryffindor Team Had To Buy Their Way In'
When Draco Malfoy’s father buys the whole Slytherin Quidditch team new broomsticks, Draco is automatically granted their Seeker. It’s a revered position on the sports team and no one is happy about it. The Gryffindors also aren’t happy about the team having brooms faster than theirs, giving them an obvious advantage.
But Hermione is here with her cool head and logic to remind everyone that the Gryffindor team got their places on “pure talent,” and that’s something to be proud of. Draco would never have gotten his place if his father couldn’t buy them all the latest super fast brooms.
3. 'It’s Sort Of Exciting, Isn’t It? Breaking The Rules'
Hermione, in her first few years at Hogwarts, sticks to the rules. She thinks they’re above all else and they must be followed. But as her time at school continues, some corrupt people are brought into being figures of authority, and it dawns on her that the rules may not always be correct.
It’s real character growth to show her realize that rules aren’t the be-all, end-all and that maybe she should consider breaking them every once in a while. She even seems to enjoy it. And since we know Hermione, we know that breaking the rules must be the right thing to do if she’s doing it.
So don’t feel too bad if you have to break some rules now and again, as long as you have a good reason.
2. 'You Could Claim Anything’s Real If The Only Basis For Believing In It Is That Nobody’s Proved It Doesn’t Exist'
Hermione isn’t a big believer in things she can’t see with her own eyes. It's what makes her so bad at Divination, but she’s fine with this. While Trelawney is trying to put fear into everyone and make Harry scared of his own impending death, Hermione is there with her rationality to remind him that what Trelawney is saying probably isn’t true.
It’s a great thing to remember if you’re ever afraid of something that hasn’t even come true yet, or if you’re anxious about something that you aren’t even sure exists. Hermione has a way with words that makes believing her really easy.
1. 'Luck Can Only Get You So Far'
Harry’s journey through the series, some would say, is based on luck. He gets lucky when he defeats enemies, he gets lucky when he survives. Similarly, in the real world, a lot of people’s success is put down to luck, even unintentionally; people throw around the phrase “You’re so lucky!” as a compliment, but it can actually be a downer for those who’ve worked hard for their success.
So, here is Hermione again to remind you of something else important — hard work and courage are more important than anything else, and you don’t get to great success through luck alone.