Luna vs. Hermione

Luna and Hermione are the two of the main heroines of the Harry Potter series. Luna is a true Ravenclaw and, as we all know, Hermione was a Hat Stall and was considered for the same House, but got sorted into Gryffindor in the end. Even though Hermione is an intelligent and hardworking student, she would never have been a true Ravenclaw. The two are crucial when it comes to the group responsible to Voldemort's downfall. This is because, even though they are intelligent, they both have a very different way of thinking and approaching situations.

Luna is a true Ravenclaw as she has a unique perspective of the world around her and believes in both what she can and she can't explain. Hermione, however, ended up in Gryffindor because of how stubborn she could be and how close-minded she was at times. In Hermione's head, if it wasn't in books with proof to go along with it, she refused to believe it could be possible. This is why Luna and Hermione clashed when Luna finally got introduced as a more central character later on in the series. For example, when Harry questions what's pulling the carriage in Order of the Phoenix, Hermione tells him that it's just pulling itself, like always. This is because she cannot see the Thestral, so she refuses to believe it's possible and let's Harry think he's imagining things. Whereas Luna makes sure that he knows he's not seeing things and that the creatures are actually there. If Luna hadn't been so understanding, Harry wouldn't have had someone to confide into about the creatures only he could see. Instead, Luna makes time to explain to Harry what a Thestral is and the only way people can see them is if they see death. So, in a way, Hermione is the rational side that Harry needs, but he also needs Luna's open mind and wisdom to make it through everything.

We find out that Hermione has the potential to be cruel to Luna, as everyone else does. When she introduced Luna, she slipped up and accidentally called her 'Loony' Lovegood instead of Luna. This gives us a slight insight that, even though Hermione tries to accept people from all walks of life, she thinks how pretty much everyone else thinks about the creative Ravenclaw and how she sees the world through her own eyes.

Even though Hermione claims to be open-minded when it comes to certain aspects of life, there will always be the part of her brain that is drawn to fact and what she can see will always win. Luna has the mind frame needed to believe that anything is possible. As the series comes to an end, I think that Luna does help Hermione open up her mind. Mainly through Luna's father reading Beedle the Bard's The Tale of Three Brothers. Even though it was set out as a children's, trying to teach children morals and such, it was really explaining the Deathly Hallows. The trio wouldn't have known about the Hallows if it wasn't for the Lovegood's blind belief in the legendary objects.

Combined, Luna and Hermione equal a full person. They're only divided into two people to show the traits that a person needs to have a balanced outlook on life. In this case, Hermione is the part of our mind that focuses on what it can see and what is real, whereas Luna is the part of our brain that believes that anything could be possible and keeps a sense of wonder about endless possibilities, however far-fetched and unique the ideas could be. Put together, they symbolise the sort of person that will let nothing get in their way of being themselves, be it intelligent and fact finding, to wise, creative but both of them possessing the strength to face the world, no matter what.