Hermione's Development

From the beginning, we see that Hermione stands out as a student. Her efforts towards doing well in school are second to none, when compared to her peers. She is the person in class that everyone despises because she always has her hand up to answer the professors question, naturally, she always answers the question with quotes straight from the book. Hermione’s fear of failure propels her to do great academic work. I think she feels as though she has to prove herself more than other young wizards because she is muggle-born and we all know the stigma that follows them. Even though she is very grade oriented, she can be seen developing into more than just a know-it-all. Through many of Harry’s adventures, Hermione can be found unflinchingly standing right next to him and helping out by using her skills, quick wit and vast knowledge. An example of this could be seen when the three of them are down in the chamber of secrets, Hermione uses her knowledge to help Harry find the correct key to get to the next level. Hermione is forced to mature faster than many people her age because of the challenges she faces from being best friends with the Chosen One. This relationship brings about many adventures and dangers that she would not have experienced, normally. Hermione’s innocence lessens throughout the entire series both physically and mentally. There are two instances that I believe best show her evolution
The innocence of Hermione Granger changes dramatically throughout the series in many different forms. One form of innocence that clearly changes is her sexuality. In the Goblet of Fire, Hermione is asked to the Yule Ball by the international quidditch star, Viktor Krum. This event shows the maturity of Hermione from a bushy haired girl with buck-teeth into a very attractive woman. Harry and Ron finally realize how attractive Hermione is when she is barely recognizable by either one of them when she arrives at the ball. Later in the series, Hermione’s and Ron’s relationship changes from platonic into the two becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.
Another form of innocence that changes for Hermione through the series involves breaking school rules. The event that shows this change very clearly is in The Order of the Phoenix. Even though Professor Umbridge puts up a mandate that disallows student organizations of any type, Hermione is still the one that persuades Harry into teaching a secret defense against the dark art class. Hermione’s feelings change because she is looking at the bigger picture, not just a made up school rule. She realizes that Voldemort is out there and that they must be able to protect themselves against him, even if this means breaking rules and risking punishment.