Catching sporadic bits of internet as I sojourn back to Montreal from Cairns via Sydney (rain!), LA and Chicago, and I am both amused and annoyed that people are denying that Hermione was not a hero in the series and especially the last book/movie.
Yes, the series has Harry's name, and he is, indeed, the leader of Dumbledore's Army, but there is not a single hero in the series but many, many, many. Sure, some lit major will say that there is only one hero and anti-hero, but I don't really care. The book shows truly heroic behavior by girls and boys, men and women, downtrodden species (a.k.a minorities/ethnic groups such as house elves, centaurs, hypogriffs, etc), and so on. Even those who did indeed find the dark arts attractive can find heroes within themselves for the right cause (love, of course). Even girls who are too clingy may give their lives for their school and their friends. Parents were willing to orphan their kid for the cause (Remus and Tonks, a far better orphaning than that by Jin at the end of Lost). I could go on and on.
The point can be best made by a quote that Band of Brothers used to close the series: "I was not a hero. But I served in a company of heroes." Sure, BoB was real, and Dumbledore's Army is not, but both can serve as inspirations, particularly in these challenging times. It is the choices we make, and these folks made difficult decisions, screwing up often but willing to risk much for the cause.
So, is Hermione a hero? Um, duh.
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