Summary:
- In the Harry Potter films, Hermione Granger was portrayed as less dark compared to her book counterpart, who trapped journalist Rita Skeeter in bug form and cursed a student for betraying Harry.
- As the character is adapted for the reboot, similar changes might occur due to evolving sensibilities in children’s media.
Most of the elements that were part of the Harry Potter books were either lost or skewed in the film adaptations, leaving something to be desired on the part of the fans for a more faithful rendition of J.K. Rowling’s detailed world. With a reboot on HBO Max, expectations would be justifiably high that anything might hold a kind of faithfulness to the complexities of the original narrative and its characters. The book hardly can give away all the traits of its characters appropriate for the screen.
Hermione Granger is a character in the series of films—a super-bright witch of her generation, universally admired by the heavens. There are qualities much darker than what has been left out from her portrayal in the books but would have lent real power to the movies, almost certainly giving fans quite a different view of her. If Watson’s version of Hermione had shown some of the more morally ambiguous choices and thoughts in the novels, then Harry Potter‘s fanbase would likely have warmed to her very differently.
The Films Left Out Hermione Granger’s Darker Side
In the series of films, Emma Watson portrays Hermione Granger as highly intelligent and quick-witted, often rescuing Harry and Ron from danger. However, the films leave out some darker aspects of Hermione’s character that are present in the books.
For example, Hermione captures Rita Skeeter, an unregistered Animagus, and keeps her trapped in beetle form. She takes pride in this and later uses the information to blackmail Skeeter into writing articles that support Harry’s warnings about Voldemort‘s return.
Additionally, when a schoolmate betrays them to Umbridge, Hermione takes her revenge by enchanting the word ‘SNEAK’ to appear on the girl’s face as permanent pimples. These darker actions, likely omitted from the movie to make her character more empathetic, reveal a Hermione that is much more complex and morally ambiguous.
Hermione’s Character Might Need Some Changes in the Reboot
This will surely be something that fans look forward to, especially if it means more accuracy toward the source material. However, the show’s creators may still seem to do themselves the best of good by toning down a few things Hermione does in the books if only to make the character a little more likable and palatable for the viewing public.
That approach might also be applied to other heroic characters in the story, whose flaws and certain choices might be brushed under the rug; hence, making the characters in the reboot more palatable to mainstream sensibilities of the books.
