Harry Potter: 10 Worst Things Hermione Has Ever Done

At the start of The Deathly Hallows, Hermione wipes her parents’ memories in order to protect them from Voldemort and his followers. It’s a tragic moment, and it would have taken a huge amount of bravery to perform such a spell.

But was it really necessary? The thing is, if Voldemort’s followers did find out where Hermione’s parents lived, a Memory Charm wouldn’t do much to protect them. Sure, they wouldn’t be able to give the Death Eaters any information, but this wouldn’t prevent them from being tortured or killed.

What’s more, the Order of the Phoenix would probably have offered Hermione’s parents some protection if they wanted it, as they were more than happy to help the Dursleys go into hiding. But Hermione doesn’t even consider this option. She just wipes their memories and goes off on her adventures.

Hermione had no idea she would make it back, either. If she’d died during the search for the Horcruxes, her parents would have lived out the rest of their lives completely unaware of the fact they had a daughter.