Brunette, bushy-haired and formerly bucktoothed, Hermione was at first a bossy know-it-all who irritated Ron tremendously (and they still bicker a lot), but becomes an appreciated and vital part of their team after a shared traumatic experience with a troll. She has "loosened up" a great deal in recent years, yet kept a good head on her shoulders. Hermione has also developed a social conscience, and makes great humanitarian efforts (if they can be called humanitarian...) towards house elf liberation.

I think Hermione is awesome. The best student Hogwarts has seen for many a year, she can be uptight about rules and school work, but her behavior is certainly preferable over Harry and Ron's constant and often careless rule-breaking. Every time she does something they get angry with her for, she's only acting out of love and concern for them. She is the glue that holds the three of them together (especially when Ron and Harry fight... and I love the befuddlement her emotional outbursts cause them!), yet can stand quite well on her own. She helps Harry with his girl troubles, gives him the idea to start Dumbledore's Army, and the both of them with homework difficulties, although she encourages to solve these problems on their own.
 

In their 4th year she is romantically pursued by Viktor Krum, much to Ron's ill-disguised dismay. It's amusing in a painful sort of way.... I think that Ron's affections would probably be returned, if he could only get his head out of his you-know-where and come to grips with his emotions. These feelings seemed to get temporarily put on hold during their 5th year, when the return of Voldemort became an all-consuming priority. Sigh... I guess we'll just have to see.