Why do you think that Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw?

Question

In the Harry Potter book series, why do you think that Hermione Granger was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw? She is as intelligent as any person from Ravenclaw!

Answer 1

Take a look at these lines from the Order of the Phoenix, it seems that a Hogwarts student thought like you:
'You can do a Protean charm?' asked Terry Boot.
'Yes,' said Hermione.
...
'How come you are not in Ravenclaw?' he demanded, staring at Hermione with something close to wonder. 'With brains like yours?'
'Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw during my Sorting,' said Hermione brightly, 'but it decided on Gryffindor in the end...'(Chapter19, in a DA meeting)
The thing is, while Hermione is very intelligent, she is also very brave(note that she is the first and only one of Harry's friends to call Voldemort by his name and she can take stand up to Umbridge, Skeeter and Trelwaney, in short, anyone she finds dishonest or unlawful) and she values courage more than intelligence("Me!...Books! And cleverness! There are more important things- friendship and bravery and-..." Philosopher's Stone, end of Chapter16) and for this reason, she had wanted to be in Gryffindor. Remember what she said on the train when she first met Harry and Ron? She said she 'wanted' to be in Gryffindor, although Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad either. But Gryffindor was her first choice. And this is the reason why she is in Gryffindor, because she values bravery and courage above intelligence nad because she wanted to be a Gryffindor just as Harry became a Gryffindor and not a Slytherin because he chose to be a Gryffidindor.
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilitites."- Dumbledore had explained in book2. Hermione chose Gryffindor and this choice showed her try courage which might have not been revealed through her actions at first.

Answer 2

Well, that wouldn't make any sense. Harry, Ron and Hermione are supposed to be the positive characters, so their mere role in the story is supposed to represent a model. There's no way they could be sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor if the Slytherin personality features are the ones we know today. That just wouldn't make sense. It would mean they're the negative characters and from that point on the whole plot of the story would turn upside down. Okay, maybe it wouldn't necessarily have to mean that Harry, Ron and Hermione are negative characters because the Sorting Hat initially wanted to sort Harry into Slytherin and we all know he's far from being evil and selfish. But it really wouldn't make any sense if Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle of all Hogwarts students would be sorted into Gryffindor. Lol. There's no way to give a realistic explanation to this situation. But you have to remember this. The thing that determines the Sorting Hat to decide which House to put a student in is the dominant feature in the student's personality. In Harry's case, the Sorting hat saw the abilities he had and those abilities were stronger than selfishness and evilness and any other Slytherin traits, that's why it wanted to put him into that house. So the only way for Draco, Crabbe and Goyle to be able to enter the Gryffindor House is to prove that their courage or other Gryffindor trait is stronger than any other Slytherin traits found in their personality. So let's say that Draco, Crabbe and Goyle are evil, selfish and cunning, but they're also very brave, therefore their courage gets them into Gryffindor. And let's suppose that Harry, Ron, Hermione are not evil and selfish, but they are very ambitious and cunning, therefore those two featuresw being the strongest in their characters, determine the Hat to put them into Slytherin. Is that explanation realistic enough for you? ^^

Answer 3

i think its bcuz she wants to be in gryffindor.. just like harry,he's suppose to be in the slytherin but the hat put him in gryffindor bcuz he wanted to. if hermione is like any other person who doesnt care where they'll go,she would hav been in ravenclaw by now

Answer 4

She's loyal, brave and intelligent. I think the first two far outweigh the possibility of her being in Ravenclaw, plus I think it was destiny!

Answer 5

Because she is brave and true also. Which is what Gryffindor's founder prided above all. She is a wonderful and true friend more then she is a brain.

Answer 6

I agree with Steph D. Hermione is very courageous; it just doesn't show up until later.

Answer 7

Because she's a loyal friend and will do anything to do justice. Even if she seems reluctant, she has an adventurous side too. Yes, she's also very brave.

Answer 8

True, she is intelligent, but she's also got gutts!