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Movies & TV

19th Sep 2018

JK Rowling confirms theory about Hermione’s name in Harry Potter

Alan Loughnane

Hermione

Put to rest…

Harry Potter remains the biggest-selling book series of all time and realistically, we can’t see it ever giving away the top spot on the list.

A series that received widespread acclaim, an often overlooked aspect of the books was the sometimes ridiculous names thrown out by JK Rowling throughout the course of the books.

I mean, Dedalus Diggle is a prime example, take it easy with the alliteration JK. Don’t get me started on Lavender Brown, her first and last names are colours! What is this madness?

Segue over, four Harry Potter books had been released before the first movie was made in 2001. Rowling herself had noticed a slight issue with people’s pronunciation of Hermione (the movie would clear it up when it was later released).

People had been saying it incorrectly. For three books, before she finally spelled it out in The Goblet of Fire, some people had been pronouncing Hermione’s name wrong, which she confirmed recently on Twitter.

In the Goblet of Fire, Rowling wrote: “Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly; he kept calling her ‘Hermy-own.’

‘”Her-my-oh-nee,’ she said slowly and clearly.

“‘Herm-own-ninny.’

“‘Close enough’ she said, catching Harry’s eye and grinning.”

Her words had the desired effect but it was all moot, because the film clarified it less than a year later.

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