A/N: This is a companion fic to ladylaughalot's story "Defining Harry" in which Hermione writes an Essay about Harry for her psychology class. Ladylaughalot kindly allowed me to write this story and I suggest that you read "Defining Harry" first.
Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Harry and Hermione and I don't own "Defining Harry" either.
Defining Hermione
Chapter 1
Hermione walked into her psychology class with a huge smile on her face on Monday morning.
Harry had spent the whole weekend with her and Hermione had never been happier. She had shown Harry the Campus and the town, holding his hand all the time and stopping to kiss every few minutes. Hermione was so happy that she could finally openly show her love for Harry.
They had spend Saturday night cuddling on the coach and watching movies and when bedtime came, Harry had chivalrously insisted on sleeping on the coach while she had gotten the bed. They had decided to take things one step at a time and Hermione was already looking forward to the steps they would take next weekend.
"What is his name?" Hermione's fellow student Megan asked suddenly.
"Excuse me?" Hermione was confused.
"You've been sitting here daydreaming for the last five minutes, with a bright smile on your face. So, who is the lucky guy?" Megan asked again.
"His name is Harry," Hermione admitted, smiling when she said his name.
Megan's eyes widened. "The Harry you wrote your Essay about?"
Hermione nodded, but before Megan could continue interrogating her, their Psychology Professor entered.
"I know all of you are very excited about today's class, because we're going to see the interview I did with Harry Potter. I will already tell you that Hermione didn't exaggerate in her Essay, Harry is really an amazing young man. Before I show you the tape, I've got a little surprise for you. Harry sent me an E-Mail yesterday. After his interview, he decided to write his own Essay, about the person he admires most and he asked me to read it to you today," Professor Milhane announced.
Hermione was surprised. Harry didn't tell her that he was going to write an essay when he left yesterday afternoon. Hermione had no idea why Harry had decided to voluntarily take an assignment that was given to her. Harry had never been a fan of extra work. She wondered who he had written about. Dumbledore? Sirius? Lupin?
Professor Milhane waited until the class' murmuring had stopped and then started reading.
Defining Hermione - an Essay by Harry Potter
I know that Hermione never wanted me to read the essay she wrote about me. What she doesn't know is that her psychology Professor, Professor Milhane, gave me a copy before I left after my interview.
I admit that Hermione was right about thinking that I would be horrified to hear that she selected me when she had to write about the person she admires most, but I didn't shudder when I read her essay like she assumed. Although I think Hermione sees me in a better light than I deserve, I am glad to know that the person I admire most thinks so highly of me.
I was told by Professor Milhane that she and Hermione's psychology class wanted to meet me because I was "a fascinating character study" and Hermione told me that this assignment was given to you because before you got stuck into the worst of human nature you should remind yourselves of the best.
To achieve that you didn't have to invite me, because the best and most fascinating person I know is already in your class. That's why I decided to write this Essay and send it to Professor Milhane.
Now it's Hermione's time to shudder, because I didn't tell her about this essay before sending it to her Professor. If you look at her right now her face is probably bright red with embarrassment.
Hermione is always happy to receive credit for her extraordinary academic achievements, but when somebody says something nice about her as a person, she always gets embarrassed.
I doubt that Hermione realizes what a great person she is and I'm not sure if you have figured that out yet. I'm sure all of you know that she is brilliant, but I don't know if you realize that you couldn't find a kinder person. I admit that it took me some time to see that, too.
First, I would like to set some things straight Hermione told you about herself in her essay. This is the first and with a probability bordering on certainty the last time I disagree with anything Hermione wrote in an essay, but this time I have to. Hermione has at no point in time been "insufferable" or "unpleasant to be around" and not she was misguided in her attempt to make friends, but I was for not realizing she was trying to gain my friendship. I would have gladly accepted her friendship if I had understood.
Hermione and I met on the train ride to our Boarding School. She was helping one of our schoolmates searching for his pet he had lost somewhere in the train. The boy had been in the compartment I shared with my friend Ron before, asking if we had seen his pet. We simply said no and I reassured him that he would surely find his pet, but the idea of helping him search never occurred to me. Our schoolmate probably asked every single person in the train if they had seen his pet, but Hermione was the only one who actually offered her help. I should have realized what a special person she is the first moment we met, but I didn't.
Like many people I made the mistake of being too blinded by her intelligence to look deeper. When we couldn't help with the pet search, Hermione stayed a few minutes and started a conversation about our new school. She told us that she had read everything about the school and when I introduced myself she told me that she had read about me and my family, too. I didn't even know that I was mentioned in books back then. To top it all, Hermione stated that she had learned all our school books by heart. You can surely imagine how intimidated I was by that little genius. I knew next to nothing about what would expect me at our new school and I didn't know more about my parents than their names. Then there comes this amazing little girl, who seems to have an answer to every question in the world. As intimidated as I was, I couldn't help but feel admiration for Hermione's intelligence and studiousness.
In the following months we saw each other at classes, but like Hermione wrote, we weren't friends. That didn't keep Hermione from offering advice and help every chance she got. She corrected me and showed how to do it right when I made a mistake in class and she warned me of the consequences when I was about to break the school rules. Being the irresponsible eleven year old boy I was, I didn't appreciate her attempts, but was rather annoyed sometimes. I wasn't seriously mad though. I think I knew that she was right, although I didn't admit it.
Today I know that Hermione saw a potential in me that I didn't see in myself back then. I never thought that I was very intelligent and didn't think I would actually be good in a school I knew nothing about, but Hermione always believed in me.
Hermione has the gift to see what others don't see in other people.
There was a girl in our school, one year younger than we, who was a little strange. She wore necklaces made from beer corks and radishes as earrings and she believed in the existence of strange creatures no one had ever heard of. Hermione took her serious and saw her intelligence and strength of character behind all the weirdness.
In our forth year we had some exchange students at our school. One of them was a well-known sportsman. Of course he had girls following him around wherever he went, but no one ever actually talked to him about anything but sport. Hermione was the only one who actually bothered to get to know him. I admit that I was surprised when she told me that the sport star I admired was actually a quiet, intelligent guy who loved to read.
I'm obviously not immune to being prejudiced, but Hermione is. She doesn't judge people without having heard their version of the story and she is always willing to grant everybody the benefit of the doubt, even if she doesn't like the person.
I'm sure Hermione will make a great lawyer someday, because she is fair and compassionate and has the courage to speak her mind, no matter how powerful or threatening her opponent is.
Hermione told you that I stood up for those that could not stand up for themselves. Although that is true, I have to say that I didn't always see when somebody was treated unjust. In all the years I've lived at our boarding school, I never really thought about who cook my meals, washed my clothes and kept the school clean. Hermione was the one who figured out that our personnel's conditions of employment were unbearable and started a campaign to help them.
The quality I admire most in Hermione is her unwavering loyalty.
When I was I child I had "a tendency to break rules" as our Headmaster put it. I always stuck my nose in things that weren't my business. I often got myself and others in trouble by this. Hermione constantly warned me about breaking the school rules; she was worried I might get expelled and ruin my future.
This worry didn't keep Hermione from breaking the rules herself if that was necessary to help a friend. Yes, Hermione Granger, the ambitious A student risked getting expelled for breaking the rules. Now, I don't want you to get the wrong impression. Hermione wasn't a prankster. She didn't break rules for fun, but to help others. In our first year, she sneaked out of our dorm with me and Ron to secretly help a friend smuggling a forbidden animal out of the school and find a new home for it, although she knew she could get expelled for that.
There were several occasions when Hermione didn't only risk to get expelled, but risked getting seriously hurt or even killed for helping me. I'm not exaggerating.
In our fifth year, Hermione got very badly injured when she came with me to help my Godfather, who was in trouble. This isn't a pleasant memory for either of us, so I won't go into much detail. I'll only tell you that Hermione got injured, because I decided to rush to my Godfather's rescue without thinking or taking the time to get an adult to help us. Hermione asked me, no pleaded with me not to rush anything, but I didn't listen to her. Although Hermione thought I was making a mistake, she came with me, not thinking about the danger for herself and got injured in the process. You might think that Hermione was mad at me and pointed out that she had been right in the first place, but she didn't. Hermione nearly died because of my carelessness, but she never reproached me for it.
After our sixths year, I had to leave for a few months to attend to an urgent matter. It was a difficult task and I knew I wouldn't be back for our final year. I would have never asked Hermione to join me, but she did. Hermione, who had always been the best student in or year, abandoned the option to go back to school - knowing she would probably be gone so long that she would have to repeat the year - to be by my side during the most difficult time of my life.
I could tell you so many more stories about Hermione's brilliance, compassion, courage and loyalty, but I think you already got my point. Hermione is a very bright and ambitious woman with big plans, but I know she would not hesitate a second to give up everything she worked so hard for to help a friend, because her compassion even exceeds her genius. She is the kind of woman who has the potential to change the world, because she sees injustice where others just look away and has the courage to do something about it.
I know Hermione doesn't see herself as special, but I know a lot of people who do, first and foremost me. You can't find a more loyal friend or a more passionate fighter for the suppressed and mistreated than Hermione and that makes her the most remarkable person I've ever had the pleasure to meet.