Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today, we’re going to be discussing some popular fan theories pertaining to none other
than Hermione Granger.
I’m going to discuss 5 theories in total, starting with the worst and working towards
the best.
I’ll be kicking things off with a completely TERRIBLE theory and progressively working
my way towards what I feel is the best one.
If you enjoy this type of video, let me know by liking the video and leaving a comment.
I’ve got 5 more Hermione theories ready to go, and I can also do it for other characters.
Anyway, Let’s get started.
5.
Hermione is Harry’s sister
Yes, you heard that correctly.
This popular Harry Potter fan theory suggests that the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, is in
fact related to Hermione Jean Granger.
I think we can blame George Lucas and the relation between Luke and Leia for this one.
This is a messed up theory for many reasons, and it’s completely illogical, but let me
entertain you with just a few of the main arguments for why and how these two may be
related:
The original theorist kicks things off by pointing out that Hermione’s behaviour with
Harry is very ‘sister-like’ and that there is ‘something’ unique about their friendship
in an unromantic way.
This point seems far too vague and provides 0 evidence that the pair are related.
Having a ‘feeling’ that there is ‘something’ unique about a relationship isn’t supporting
evidence for a theory.
The next point made is that Hermione knew a lot about Harry before arriving at Hogwarts.
Again, this piece of ‘evidence’ isn’t really significant at all.
Harry was famous- his name was everywhere- and Hermione is the type of person to read
up on things.
Of course she knew about Harry- everyone did!
Next, the point is made that JK Rowling has a tendency to describe physical resemblances
between relatives in Harry Potter, but that Hermione was never described as resembling
her family.
This is one of the weakest arguments for this theory so far.
There are many other arguments more or less on the same level as the ones noted above
that ‘support’ (I use that very loosely here) this theory.
However, it seems as though the main supporting ‘claim’ this theory boasts is that Lily
and James MAY have had a secret child that they put up for adoption.
Hermione.
This is one of the worst theories I’ve heard, particularly as JK Rowling has admitted that
she felt as though Harry and Hermione should have ended up together.
4.
Hermione Was HOMELESS
In the trios last few years of school, the threat that was Voldemort and the Death Eaters
seemed to be getting nearer and nearer; closer to home each and every day.
The wizarding world was on-edge, and people were beginning to prepare for the worst: a
fully-fledged return of Voldemort, and a takeover of the wizarding world.
However, Voldemort’s return didn’t just mean bad news for the WIZARDING community,
it also, unbeknownst to them, posed a significant threat to MUGGLES and the MUGGLE world.
Queue Hermione and her parents.
Knowing that the danger would eventually stretch beyond the confines of the wizarding world,
Hermione Granger knew that she would have to make a difficult choice- she would have
to decide whether or not she would wipe her parent’s memories.
Given that Hermione was a prominent figure in the fight against Voldemort, it made her
a target, and by extension- her parents.
This prompted her to take action, with Hermione eventually erasing her parents memories.
After wiping their memories Hermione didn’t return home until the threat that was Voldemort
had been eliminated, which meant that close to a year went by before she eventually returned
home.
She was homeless.
One dark Potter theory suggests that Hermione was actually homeless for a lot longer than
1 year, wiping her parents memories several years BEFORE 1997.
This theory is supported by the fact that Hermione was always with either Harry or Ron
during vacations.
She spent her entire summers at either Grimmauld Place or the Burrow- not spending any time
with her parents at all.
After seeing writing on the wall that Voldemort was coming back, Hermione freaked out, and,
hoping to keep her parents as safe as possible, wiped their memories YEARS before we had previously
thought.
Hermione is a smart girl so acting in advance like this DOES make sense, but I’m not sure
I totally buy it.
3.
Hermione’s Academic Excellence
Now, it should come as no surprise when I tell you that Hermione is HIGHLY intelligent.
In fact, in one of my videos where I rank the 10 Most INTELLIGENT characters, I put
Hermione at #2.
While studying, Hermione Granger was one of the most talented witches of her entire year,
and the entire school for that matter.
In fact, Hermione may have been one of the most studious and brightest witches to have
ever graced Hogwarts.
She began attending Hogwarts at the same time as Harry/Ron, and given her affinity for learning
and knowledge it’s no surprise that she became a talented witch.
She had a thirst for knowledge, and, through her dangerous adventures with Harry and Ron,
became ready for anything and everything that came her way.
She was well-rounded, competent, and a quick thinker- able to think critically under all
kinds of pressure.
Not only was she studious, she was just naturally very intelligent- things came easily to her-
and her inquisitive nature only meant that she stockpiled all manners of information.
Okay- so Hermione is smart.
What’s the theory?
The theory in questions suggests that Hermione’s excellence can be attributed to the addition
of her MUGGLE education prior to attending Hogwarts.
In one of my older videos I discuss all of the subjects taught at Hogwarts- 21 to be
exact- and one thing that you may or may not know is that many basic foundational skills
taught in MUGGLE school are excluded.
Hermione, however, went to muggle school and learned these excluded topics prior to her
attending Hogwarts.
Yes, some other students received a muggle education as well, but the theory boasts that
Hermione’s innate intelligence, paired with rich foundational knowledge of core subjects,
gave her the edge needed to become the ‘brightest witch’ of her age.
Compare that to Ron, who can’t spell for toffee, and this totally reasonable theory
completely checks out.
2.
Hermione’s TRUE Bloodline
As far as we know, Hermione Granger was a muggle-born witch born in 1979 to muggle parents
Mr and Mrs Granger.
According to canon, Hermione didn’t realize that she was in fact a ‘witch’ until she
received her Hogwarts letter at the age of 11.
Furthermore, Hermione was the first ‘magical’ person in her family, and went on to have
two ‘half-blood’ children with Ron Weasley.
Blood status is one of the most controversial aspects of the wizarding world- a concept
in which wizarding families can be distinguished by the level of magically-endowed family members.
Generally speaking, people are slotted in to one of the following categories: Pure-blood,
half-blood, or muggle- with the special term ‘muggle-born’ referring to a witch or
wizard with two non-magical parents.
Hermione is a muggle through and through.
This theory, however, is about to bust that wide open.
In the 6th Harry Potter, Professor Horace Slughorn asks Hermione if she is related to
a certain ‘Hector Dagworth Granger’, to which she responds that she doesn’t think
so because she is a ‘muggle-born’.
So, who was Hector Dagworth-Granger?
Why a wizard of course, a British one that founded the ‘Most Extraordinary Society
of Potioneers’.
This leaves one big question: Is it just a coincidence that he shared a name with Hermione?
Is it IMPOSSIBLE for them to be related?
The theory in questions suggests that Hector was one of Hermione’s ancestors, and that
there have been a long line of squibs (non magical wizards born to at least one magical
parent) in the Granger family tree.
This would explain Hermione’s parents visiting Diagon Alley, and might also explain the connection
to Hector Dagworth Granger.
An intellectually impressive ancestor does seem about right for Hermione.
This one’s a bit of a stretch, but the theory is sound, and I do quite enjoy it.
1.
Hermione’s Time Crunch
Before we get in to this one, let me explain Time Turners.
Time turners are magical devices manufactured by the department of mysteries used for time
travel.
A typical ‘time-turner’ is operated by turning an hourglass which directly corresponds
to the number of hours that you can travel back in time.
Traditional time turners are limited in that you are only able to travel back a maximum
of 5 hours.
In the 1993 school year, Mcgonagall gifts a time-turner to Hermione so that she is able
to attend additional classes.
"Hermione's immense workload finally seemed to be getting to her.
Every night, without fail, Hermione was to be seen in a corner of the common room, several
tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting
heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes; she barely spoke to anybody and snapped
when she was interrupted."
But, did McGonagall really GIFT Hermione the time-turner?
Or was it acquired another way?
This theory challenges that.
Though not particularly developed, this theory is quite an interesting one, and entirely
plausible at that.
It suggests that, rather than being GIVEN a time-turner by Mcgonagall, Hermione stole
the Time Turner from the Department of Mysteries with Dumbledore’s help.
The main support behind this theory is that in the Order of the Phoenix, when the trio
visit the Department of Mysteries, Hermione seemed to already know certain things about
the department.
Things that would require being there before.
This might also better explain why a student was entrusted with a temporal manipulation
device.
And that’s it for this video!
What do you guys think?
Had you heard of these theories before?
Do you want 5 more of these on Hermione?
Another character?
Leave a comment down below and don’t forget to LIKE/SUBSCRIBE to support future content
Until next time
Remember
Awful things happen to wizards who've meddled with time