Now, I've noticed people complaining that Hermione could do pretty much anything in the books. That she stood a better chance against Voldemort than Harry did without his deux-ex machina. Well, I'm just pointing out that Hermione was one of the major reasons they didn't get anywhere early on.

Lets look at it subjectively (and I think I may miss one or two things here):

1) She denied a horcrux could be at Hogwarts. Repeatedly. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I mean come on! Voldemort had his own secret lair underneath the school! How stupid can you be to dismiss it as easily as that?

2) She Tried to stop Harry from pursuing the Hallows. Repeatedly. I know they're supposed to be looking for the horcruxes, but brushing off the whole story of the Deathly Hallows just because it is a myth was so idiotic that I was practically swearing at the book every time she flaunted her so-called knowledge.

3) I'm betting any amount of money that she tried to dissuade Ron from trying to open the Chamber. She's been nothing but a hindrance to them since the start of the book. The only thing she's been good for is the odd bit of knowledge she picked up from a way-too-easily-stolen book and some basic survival spells.

That's pretty much all I can think of for now, but I'll be back after I get some proper sleep and skim read the book again.

Aekiel

 

In comparison to the other characters, Hermione is most certainly not an idiot.

Otherwise, perhaps.

 

As Mr. Lovegood said, she's very close-minded and lacks any kind of intuition or creative thinking. However, when it comes to performing and understanding magic in a clinical sense, she's far superior to Ron and Harry, unfortunatly.

 

Hmm...

Book 1 : Sanpe's riddles
Book 2: Connecting the dots on the Basilisk
Book 3: The broomstick (intuition)
Book 4:
Book 5: The DA galleons.
Book 6: Crapsticks
Book 7: She's scared to hell...tries to the best she can, but wants to be cautious.

Meh~ To me, Harry is the most average of the characters. Nevil proves to be as brave, if not braver (since He had the choice, sort of, to turn away from it all). Hermione is more intelligent. Ron is more average. Etc etc.

 

Book 1 & 2: She was quite smart in these books, though anyone with an ounce of logic could work out that puzzle.
Book 3: Everyone was thinking the same thing, it was only because Harry & Ron are obsessed with Quidditch that they didn't agree.
Book 4: She... Found the reductor curse, I think.
Book 5: I must admit, using Voldemort's Dark Mark as an inspiration for finding the protean charm was a stroke of genius... She was smart in this book.
Book 6: She was constantly PMSing and did sweet fuck all but be jealous of Lav-Lav.
Book 7: I've already said what she's done. She's just too narrow minded for her own good. The 'its not in a book so its not true' way of thinking is not healthy.

Harry isn't quite average, though he's close. He has moments of extreme magical aptitude, but the rest of the time he's a slacker who's stuck with a destiny he doesn't want. He's the epitome of an underdog and is supposed to be just a normal person, to show that even the average Joe Bloggs can stand up for himself and save the day.

Aekiel

 

Weird I actually was going to post something about this in the ask JKR a question thread, except I was trying to find her faults starting from book one.

Sadly I have found none, you also forgot to mention her blatantly ignoring Harry about Malfoy being a Death Eater (Book 6)

 

LOL! Yeah, because those other characters act like Grade-A, brain dead, dipshits most of the time.

I love the HP books (maybe it would be more accurate to say the HP world?) but I swear, sometimes it's like watching a very slow train wreck where both engineers are looking at the other train coming at them and one is saying, "I know someone just told me there's a train coming at us but I don't believe it.", while the other says, "I know someone just told me how not to cause a train wreck but I've forgotten the details already."

EDIT: I adore Hermione, really, but the most damning evidence against her supposed brilliance is that she actually gives half a shit about (and became completely retarded for) Ron Weasley. I laugh that it's now pseudo-canon (via JKR) that Ron, faithless, feckless slacker that he is, worked for WWW instead of making something of himself.