Hermione Granger’s most fearless and rebellious moments from the Harry Potter books were left out of the original film series, but the HBO reboot presents a vital opportunity to restore these scenes. With Arabella Stanton cast as Hermione, the show must showcase the bold and savage actions Emma Watson’s portrayal did not include, truly tapping into Hermione’s complex character.
These skipped scenes reveal Hermione not just as a brilliant student but as a strategic and unapologetically fierce figure. The HBO adaptation must give viewers the full Hermione experience, embracing both her intelligence and her raw courage.
Exposing Rita Skeeter’s Hidden Animagus Identity
One of Hermione’s sharpest confrontations is her battle with the witch journalist Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, a sequence omitted from the films. Rita, known for fabricating stories with her magical Quick-Quotes Quill, targets Hermione with baseless gossip intended to disgrace her.
In the book, Hermione uncovers a dark secret: Rita is an illegal Animagus who covertly insects on private conversations by transforming into a beetle. Hermione spots a suspicious beetle around Hogwarts, recognizing it by its resemblance to Rita’s distinctive glasses.
Rather than simply reporting Rita, Hermione traps her in an unbreakable jar enchanted with spells so lethal that if Rita transforms back into human form inside it, she would die. She keeps Rita imprisoned for weeks, effectively silencing her and causing Rita’s career to crumble without her access to The Daily Prophet. Hermione uses this leverage to force Rita into writing truthful stories, notably an honest interview with Harry for The Quibbler during the events of Order of the Phoenix.
This carefully planned act of blackmail highlights Hermione’s willingness to operate outside strict rules to protect her friends and herself. The HBO reboot needs to vividly portray this clever, ruthless side of Hermione through Arabella Stanton’s performance, emphasizing the witch’s capacity for both brains and boldness.
Enchanting the Dumbledore’s Army Enrollment Sheet Against Betrayal
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione’s leadership of Dumbledore’s Army (DA) included a shrewd magical defense to safeguard the secret group. When Umbridge’s oppressive rules threaten Hogwarts, Hermione and her friends create DA to train students in defensive spells, but betrayal poses a constant risk.
To prevent leaks, Hermione placed a concealed jinx on the DA’s signup sheet. This curse activates when someone betrays the group, as happens with Marietta Edgecombe, who exposes the DA to Umbridge. The jinx causes painful purple boils to erupt on Marietta’s face, spelling out “SNEAK” and leaving a permanent mark visible to others.
This clever magical punishment sends a firm message on loyalty and consequences without a direct confrontation. It reveals Hermione’s readiness to use subtle but strong measures, proving her dedication to her friends’ safety. Unfortunately, this crucial plot and its impressive use of magic were absent in the films.
Arabella Stanton must capture this aspect of Hermione’s character — demonstrating both her protective instincts and her strategic mind.
Championing House-Elf Rights through S.P.E.W.
Hermione’s commitment to social justice was never more evident than in her creation of S.P.E.W. (the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare), a cause entirely skipped in the movies. After witnessing the mistreatment of house-elves, particularly at the Quidditch World Cup, Hermione is moved to action. She observes Winky, a terrified house-elf forced into a perilous situation, highlighting the elves’ lack of freedom and respect.
In the books, Hermione passionately advocates for these enslaved creatures, learning they receive no pay or holidays and are subjected to harsh treatment, even within Hogwarts. She initially tries to protest by refusing meals prepared by house-elves but quickly realizes that symbolic gestures aren’t enough.
Landing on a more proactive plan, Hermione launches S.P.E.W., distributing badges, flyers, and donation boxes to raise awareness and encourage the house-elves’ liberation. Though many students scoff or ignore her efforts, Hermione persists, using petitions and small kindnesses like knitted hats and socks to entice house-elves toward freedom.
This storyline reveals Hermione’s empathy intertwined with rebellion, reflecting her identity as a Muggleborn who faces prejudice herself. The HBO reboot must highlight this significant part of her character, portraying her not only as a fighter against dark wizards but also as an advocate for the oppressed.
Stealing Rare Ingredients from Snape’s Storage for the Polyjuice Potion
In the journey toward brewing the Polyjuice Potion in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione undertakes a daring and dangerous act absent from the films: stealing rare ingredients from Professor Snape’s private stores. As second-year students, Hermione, Harry, and Ron lack access to the rare items needed, such as boomslang skin and bicorn horn.
To acquire these, Hermione cleverly tricks Professor Lockhart into allowing access to the Moste Potente Potions book from the Restricted Section. Then, using stealth and quick thinking, she breaks into Snape’s cupboard to secure the ingredients—and even manages to gather hair samples from Slytherin students to complete the potion.
This risky maneuver underlines Hermione’s resourcefulness and her willingness to break rules to protect her friends and uncover the truth. The HBO series should embrace this moment, illustrating a young witch unafraid to take bold steps for justice and survival.
Creating Magical Communication Coins for Dumbledore’s Army
Hermione’s magical innovation shines when she devises an enchanted system to coordinate Dumbledore’s Army meetings without detection. Using the Protean Charm to transform fake Galleons into secret messengers, Hermione creates a network where one master coin—held by Harry—can update multiple matching coins simultaneously, alerting members about meeting times.
This advanced spell, typically beyond the skill of most Hogwarts students, demonstrates Hermione’s creativity and determination. The coins even heat up slightly to notify holders of updates, cleverly inspired by Voldemort’s Dark Mark used to summon Death Eaters.
These enchanted coins proved vital throughout the series, later aiding Draco Malfoy’s secret communications and notably allowing Neville Longbottom to rally the DA during the Battle of Hogwarts. The coins became lasting symbols of unity and resistance.
The films excluded this iconic detail, but the HBO reboot must celebrate this clever invention, showcasing Hermione as a strategic leader and magical innovator through Arabella Stanton’s portrayal.
Banding Together to Subdue Snape in Prisoner of Azkaban
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hermione takes a stand alongside Harry and Ron in a pivotal moment that the films altered, reducing Hermione’s role. When confronting Professor Snape in the Shrieking Shack, all three cast the Expelliarmus spell together to knock him out, ensuring they can hear Sirius Black’s truthful story.
This act represents a significant departure from Hermione’s typical rule-abiding nature, illustrating her readiness to act decisively in pursuit of justice. However, the movie places this heroic act solely on Harry, with Hermione portrayed as shocked rather than a participant.
The HBO reboot has the opportunity to correct this by depicting Hermione’s bravery and loyalty, emphasizing that she was an active agent in protecting her friends and the truth.
Displaying Outspoken Boldness with Ron and Harry
Hermione’s fierce and candid nature, especially toward her closest friends, is often softened in the films. She is outspoken in the books, not hesitating to confront both Harry and Ron when necessary. During Harry’s difficult period in Order of the Phoenix, Hermione boldly calls him out on his unfair behavior despite his anger and frustration.
Her relationship with Ron similarly reveals her fiery side. When Ron dates Lavender Brown, deeply hurting Hermione, she retaliates in a savage display by summoning magical birds that peck and scratch Ron, showing her unwillingness to suppress her feelings. The films dilute this scene, where the birds merely chase Ron and disappear, removing the emotional weight and consequence.
Hermione’s unapologetic honesty and passion are key facets of her character, and Arabella Stanton must bring this fearless, outspoken Hermione to life for the HBO reboot, portraying her as a strong, honest, and multidimensional heroine.
Harry Potter’s films are currently streaming on HBO Max in the US, and the upcoming reboot aims to revisit these lost dimensions of Hermione’s character, providing Arabella Stanton the platform to portray a truly savage and complex Hermione Granger.
