Hermione Granger is a queen. Every single person from the Harry Potter fandom can agree upon the fact that Harry and Ron were kinda like headless chickens without Queen Granger and her extensive knowledge. At every given point, she was the brains behind their plans. She was known as the brightest witch of her time and all for good reason. Hermione was the perfect feminist icon for desi feminists everywhere to idolize.

Here’s a bunch of times when Hermione Granger proved to be a complete and total badass feminist:

1. Queen Granger quite literally started from what was perceived to be the bottom by the bigoted few

Hermione being labeled a ‘mud-blood’ by many of the pure-blooded families was an excellent metaphor for discrimination. Not only did she rise above this, she went on to defeat one of the main perpetrators of this discrimination.

2. She was unabashedly brilliant

Hermione did not hold back. She knew she was clever and strived hard to work on that knowledge. from the every beginning, she bore the burden of proving herself to be just as capable, despite being Muggle-born. In trying to do so, she surpassed many others by leaps and bounds.

3. Hermione was a splendid know-it-all who gave zero fucks about what others thought of her

Despite the constant backlash, she remained confident AF and put others to shame with her knowledge. She took great pride in the knowledge she possessed and constantly added to it – all of which was crucial in winning the bigger war at hand.

4. She never believed in dumbing herself down for the men around her

Hermione had no time for guys who didn’t understand her. While initially, many interpreted this as arrogance, it became evident over the course of the books and movies that she was a female role model who would not dumb herself down for the men around her.

5. Her bushy mane was a testament to the fact that she didn’t care about conforming to the expected standards of beauty

Queen Granger had no time to conform to beauty standards. Her bushy mane became her signature style, but she could clean up pretty well, too – all for herself, of course. Ron Weasley, who?

6. She saved The Boy Who Lived from dying countless times

Harry Potter is great, but he wasn’t all that bright. He was also more valiant than he was clever. Hermione saved the Boy Who Lived sufficient times for him to be called The Boy Who Lived Because Of Hermione. Also, can we talk about how ungrateful Harry was about the whole thing? Like, she saved his life when he walked into the whole Nagini-Posing-As-Bathilda-Bagshot scenario, but all he could whine about was his wand? Sharam kar, Harry.

7. She never needed a man to validate her

Victor Krum ho, Ron Weasley ho ya Harry Potter khud ho. Not once did Hermione need a man to validate her strength, her valor and her overall brilliance. J.K Rowling wrote the character in a way that needed zero male validation. In fact, Hermione could easily be seen as one of the most badass and inspirational characters in the series (right up there with McGonagall and Mrs Weasley, of course.)

8. At what could easily be perceived as one of the lowest emotional points, she kept moving forward

When the guy she loves wrongly assumes that she is in love with his best friend and leaves at a crucial moment in their mission, she is left broken. However, she kept moving forward, prioritizing her duty to the Wizarding World above her duty to her own heart. All at 17 years of age. What were you doing when you were 17?

9. She was an activist

Hermione championed for the little guys. She founded The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.) to protest the injustices against house elves. She wasn’t afraid to say it like it is and was never all talk. She went on to fight against the entire blood status wala drama that Voldemort and his boiz began AND won the war.

10. She punched Malfoy. 50 points to Gryffindor, every frikking time

This is the moment where desi feminists everywhere were like, “Shabaash, meri gundi. Shabaash.”

11. Hermoine Granger was strong and brave combined

People keep talking about Harry’s strength and his sacrifices. And no one’s taking away from that. However, Hermione’s sacrifices and her strength are often downplayed, or not highlighted. While Harry was a symbol of sheer bravery and Ron was a symbol of undying loyalty – Hermione was both of those combined, along with being the brains behind everything.

12. She made some of the hardest choices alone

At the age of 17, Hermione had to erase her parents’ memory, leave her house and an entire life behind and embark on a mission that ensured she would not make it back alive. The fact that this wasn’t given a lot of attention is extremely sad. Ron, at all times, had his family to go back to. Harry found his true family with Ron and Hermione. However, Hermione had to leave behind a happy home for her mission. If that’s not some next level sacrifice, I don’t know what is.

13. Hermione stayed true to herself, until the very end

Hermione refused to change, despite all backlash. Whether it was Snape who degraded her, or the guy she loved telling her that he would take her to the school dance out of pity – Hermione Granger stayed true to herself throughout and was unapologetic about who she was as a person.

From a very young age, Hermione battled some of the scariest creatures, all while battling her inner demons as well. Hermione was not perfect or flawless – which made her all the more relatable for desi feminists everywhere. Her strength was encouraging and she remained a beacon of hope for every little desi girl with extra curly hair. Some people want to be the President or Prime Minister when they grow up. I, alongside many other desi feminists, just wanted to grow up to be Hermione Granger.

Cover image via: bustle.com/ Heyday Films / Warner Brothers Entertainment