In honor of Women’s History Month, Byte is doing a month long Byteing Question about the most iconic female characters and why they matter. Every day two writers will look at two characters that are important to them in many different ways. Today, we look at Hermione Granger and Arya Stark

by Mallory Huxford 

When I was growing up, the Harry Potter series was and still continues to be my life. I love and have connections with many of the characters in the series, but not as much of a connection as I have had with Hermione Granger. Whether you have read the books and or seen the movies, when Hermione is first introduced, you can’t help but think of her as an arrogant little brat, but she is one of the most vital characters to the series. Would Harry and Ron have survived without her wits and immense knowledge? Probably not, even if Harry is the chosen one.

Hermione Granger inspires me because she was that weird girl with the frizzy hair that no one liked or wanted to pay attention to and much of my childhood was spent as that weird frizzy haired kid too, but she grew to be one of the most brilliant witches of her time. Hermione isn’t a strong female character just to be one. Despite being put down by her peers and being marked a ‘mudblood’ for having non-magic parents, she still continued to fight for and with her friends, showcase her knowledge, and not be afraid to call someone out on their idiocy.

Throughout the series, we witness Hermione grow as a witch, friend, and a person. She went from “it’s LeviOsah, not Leviosar” to punching Draco in the face (which I believe is still one of her greatest moments). I love that she is such a dynamic character and was willing to risk “getting killed, or worse, expelled” to save her friends. She didn’t take anyone’s crap, no matter what they said about her. Whether she was punching Malfoy in the nose or explaining that she was a Mudblood and proud of it, thank you very much, Hermione didn't let anyone push her around. She didn't even let time itself get in her way. The message was clear from the beginning: Don't mess with Hermione Granger.

Not to mention, she is loyal to her friends. Without Hermione, Harry and Ron would’ve never made it out of deathly situations and probably would have died within the first installment of the series.  She was there for both of them when they got in that terrible fight in Goblet of Fire and she was there for Harry when Ron walked away at the Deathly Hallows. Hermione was ready with her knowledge, girl power, and detail oriented brain to defend them all, no matter the situation that arose. After all, "Books! And Cleverness! There are more important things! Friendship, and bravery!" She had her priorities in order all along.

Hands down, Hermione Granger is one of the most loyal, honest, brightest, bravest, kick-butt females Hogwarts could have. She combines the bravery of a Gryffindor, the smarts of a Ravenclaw, the curiosity of a Hufflepuff, and the mischievousness of a Slytherin. I know that if I were Harry or Ron, I would surely survive with Granger by my side

by Emily Reuben

The Game of Thrones universe is full of diverse characters that grow and develop radically throughout the show. Out of these characters, Arya Stark has probably received the most drastic change in personality. While she has always loathed the idea of being a “lady” like her older sister, as the series’ progresses it becomes apparent that Arya takes her dislike of woman’s perceived roles to heart.

This tomboyish girl quickly becomes one of the most vengeful and progressive characters throughout the entire show. While initially dreaming of being a knight, she instead follows the path of a revenge killer. Determined to avenge those that have wronged the Stark family, nothing can stop Arya from claiming the lives of those who have wronged her.

In a world where women are expected to be little more than trophies or methods to gain power through marriage, Arya breaks these set expectations.  She is constantly told that she should “act more like a lady”, but this attitude does not stop her from training to be one of the most feared assassin’s in all Westeros.

I always grew up wanting to hang out with my older cousins, but since I was a young girl and they were teenage boys, I was always told that I would get hurt or that I was too young to do the same activities they did. Arya faces much the same problem, wanting to be a knight when she grows up instead of a lady. She even goes so far as to secretly practice at swordplay with her teenage half-brother, Jon Snow.

Despite wanting to be a knight, Arya never wishes that she was a man, specifically asking her father if there have ever been any female knights before. She does not deny her own femininity; she just sees no reason for it to stand in the way of her doing whatever any boy in her place could do. Similarly, when trying to be with my cousins, I never wanted to be a boy like them; I just wanted a spot on their team.

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