Protagonist/Multiple girls or guys. Not as a 'harem' (dogshit), but just dating/hooking up with different people at different times with different degrees of seriousness over a 7 year school career. You know, like most normal people do at that age?

Instead 99% of fics are either harem trash or have the protagonist marry the first and only person they so much as hold hands with.

I'd add an often overlooked item to that list: Blatantly cheating so that her crush could make it through Quidditch tryouts, sabotaging another player when it was his only chance to be keeper during his entire school career (because Wood had the role locked down before, then Quidditch was cancelled for the Tournament, then he was hospitalized through tryouts his second to last year).

That's a really fucked up thing to do, and nobody ever brings it up because later on the target turned out to be a bit of a dick. But of course self-righteous Hermione knows that sport isn't something that matters, or that people work hard for. It's also pretty damn insulting to Ron to decide that he can't earn his place on his own merits without her cheating on his behalf.

As a side note I think McLaggen, while a bit of a dick, gets an unfair bad rap overall. At the party we only have Hermione's word that he wouldn't shut up, and he says the exact same thing about her. We know for a fact that despite her good qualities Hermione has a habit of being a conversational steamroller, so if anything I'm more inclined to believe him than her. As for the backseat-captaining during Quidditch, yeah that's being an obnoxious dumbass, but given that from his perspective the actual captain was either too incompetent to notice obvious cheating or willfully ignoring it to favor his friend, it's somewhat understandable that he'd have 0 faith in Harry's ability as a captain (which has very little to do with the ability to catch a shiny golden ball). It's quite possible he wouldn't have behaved the same way if Harry had actually been a halfway decent team captain.

 

I'm bored of Hogwarts, still love the magic of Harry Potter. Therefore, my favourite pairing is anyone that enables exploring the magical world post-Hogwarts. Harry/Daphne isn't uncommon for this, what with this whole pureblood culture stuff that its seems Harry, the reader and the rest of the characters were completely oblivious too. Still, two rich young people who don't need to work off exploring magic and the world can make an interesting story. Basically I can get behind any almost any pairing, the big thing for needs to be that the pairing enables the story rather than the pairing is enabled by the story. I tend to find most stories written with the sole goal to set up the pairing are often terrible teenage angst fests. I'm sure there are a few gems but I can't be bothered to dig through the mess to find them.

 

I wouldn't say Hermione was trying to humiliate Ron, but she was certainly trying to assert her academic superiority there (like she does throughout the whole series. At least Joanne is consistent in that aspect). He was justified in being upset with her.

On the matter of the broom, I get she was trying to be protective, but she was also being extremely intrusive at the same time. We can forgive that from our parents but from a peer...?

 

Year six is the worst offender yes, but simply for the fact it was the only time she was actually challenged academically. She had already admitted that Harry was better than her in DADA, for the same reason he was better than her with a broom (despite Taure's theories magical power comes magical understanding). But does she actually pushes Harry and Ron to better themselves when she helps them with homework and other not life-or-death situation or just enjoys to show off that she is good? That is a question to consider since she was not chosen to be a Ravenclaw. The sorting implies she does not seek knowledge for knowledge itself, but for some other purpose. Hermione is well-written character of you think that side of her as a flaw added by Rowling.

Ask any orphan and they'll they tell you that standing in for their parents does not make it any less annoying to intrude on their life. Not exactly wrong, mind you, but misguided and, possibly, undesired.

 

This, but unirocanically.

 

Just to clarify, we're talking about a Black heiress, pureblood-raised Hermione, right?

 

Oh. Hmm, err, okay.

 

Pairings are something I try to avoid.

However, I am fine with anything as long as it is not slash. I just skim the fic when it comes to the fluffy parts.

Pairings force the author to devote attention to it, instead of the world building I usually like them to focus on.

Also, few authors are able to get it right, so I read fics for the new ways they arrange known events and ideas, not for romance.

Case in point: LeadVonE's Revenge is best served raw.

 

It should be noted that by the time or Wingardium Leviosa, Hermione is on poor terms with Harry and Ron and they have explicitly told her to leave them alone on multiple occasions.

Hermione *might* not have intended to humiliate, but it's more than just Ron being insecure over unasked for help.

Edit: typing on phone so I apologize if the tone comes across as short

 

I fucking hate when people pretend Harry was in love with the beaver.

 

Harry is a teenage boy for the majority of the series, statistically it's entirely reasonable to assume he was 'in love with the beaver.'


On topic, Fleur/Tonks is objectively the best ship.

 

Objectively, it's actually Dobby/Hagrid.

 

I think Hermione's intention was to be friendly and helpful by showing him what he was doing wrong and how to get it right. Maybe she even hoped that by helping Ron he'd change his mind once he realized how very clever she was and what a good friend she could be.

Too bad good intentions don't make up for bad execution, and she didn't have the social skills to pull it off.

 

^ Pretty much. It's a consistent character flaw of Hermione throughout the books, that she often tries to say the right thing but it comes out in pretty much the worst possible way. And that is indeed an Achilles heel among many extremely intelligent people, so I give JKR kudos for that.