Character Analysis
If She Could Change The World
Since the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hermione Granger has gained a husband (Ron), a hyphenated name, two kids (Rose and Hugo), and a position as the Minister for Magic. Yep; that makes Crookshanks the Minister's Cat.
Despite these changes, she's still Hermione, doing the best she can at everything she tries, and not giving a flying fizzing whisbee if she's popular or not. As she says about the Time-Turner issue,
HERMIONE: I will not be Cornelius Fudge on this one. I will not stick my head in the sand. And I don't care how unpopular that makes me with Draco Malfoy. (1.15.18)
However, Hermione does do one ridiculously stupid thing that seems totally out of character. She hides a Time-Turner in her office and leaves a series of riddles on where to find it. Which begs the question: why? Would she forget where she put it herself?
This isn't a Dumbledore situation either, where she actually wants Albus to find it to teach him a lesson. No, she doesn't want anyone to find it, so the whole clue trail is inept and a serious lapse in what is usually stellar Granger-judgment.
We don't get much character development for Hermione, but we see how she might be different in two alternate timelines.
It isn't pretty.
In one, Hermione is a bitter crankypants (mainly because she doesn't marry Ron Weasley). She's also the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, which is no kinds of fun.
And, in the "Harry's Dead" timeline, Hermione is an underground freedom fighting hermit. This is perhaps where her personality truly shines—we see Hermione willing to take the risks she often took at Hogwarts. She says,
HERMIONE: I'm done with living off scraps, making failed attempts at coups. This is our chance to reset the world. (3.7.53)
Hermione in this alternate reality is smart enough to realize when to keep fighting for what she believes in, and when to hit the reset button…but we're still glad she gets her happily-ever-after.