Hermione

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 18886

Joywitch:"Also, in response to the question about why Hermione decides 
to take  so many classes, I think that people are right that she is 
something of an overachiever, and also that maybe she has something to 
prove since she is muggle-born.  But I also think that Hermione has a 
great love of learning and genuinely wants to know everything, so she 
can not bear to NOT take any classes that may be available."

Hermione gets, or got, much of her feeling of self-worth from her 
achievements. She's driven. "I've memorized all my course-books. I 
just hope it'll be enough!" I'll bet she was never popular before 
coming to Hogwarts because she was "bossy" and a know-it-all. What I 
think she is getting from Hogwarts is another source of self-worth: 
she's saving the Universe. She can give up her bossiness. (well, most 
of it)