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In canon, I recall Hermione riding a broom once -- when escaping the Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement during the Battle of Hogwarts. Even then, she was sitting behind Ron and Ron was in control of actually flying the broom. Are there any other instances of Hermione flying on a broom in canon? Why doesn't Hermione fly on a broom?

Please, no Wiki links or answers. I personally find the Harry Potter Wiki(a) to be inconsistent in its accuracy. I'm looking for a canon (the 10 canon books) or a JKR-based answer.

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    IIRC, she was generally afraid of and bad at riding, but didn't she also help chase down the winged keys in Philosopher's Stone (book, not movie)?
    – Josh
    Apr 6, 2012 at 1:19
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    Just a thought... I think JKR was dodging the 'Witch, flying on a broom' image for Hermione.. Especially since 'ermione was a bit of an Author Avatar. [WARNING! That's a TVTropes link -- follow it, and you could lose hours..]
    – K-H-W
    Apr 16, 2014 at 3:47
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    Considering that HP mostly follows the rules of political correctness I find it strange, that Rowling decided to perpetuate the myth of bad female drivers...
    – Darth Hunterix
    Oct 20, 2015 at 11:11
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    @DarthHunterix that's wrong. Just because one witch is bad in driving a broom, doesn't mean that JKR supports stereotypes. There are zillion perfect female broom drivers (Ginny, Cho, Griffyndor team had once all chasers female, not mentioning Holyhead Harpies).
    – mcepl
    Jul 21, 2017 at 9:59
  • two-aside quidditch in the weasleys backyard
    – ava
    Mar 30, 2021 at 15:08

6 Answers 6

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Hermione did fly in the first book, when the three were trying to catch the enchanted key, and again to get back out:

"You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy..."

But she really wasn't keen on flying from the beginning:

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"
"UP!" everyone shouted.
Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you're afraid, thought Harry...

And in DH, ch. 4; the Seven Potters:

'Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by Thestral -'
Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile; Harry knew that Hermione, too, lacked confidence on a broomstick.

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    Don't forget Prisoner of Azkaban. Not broom-related, but she did rather dread flying on the back of Buckbeak.
    – Iszi
    Apr 6, 2012 at 12:36
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    I have no sources, but I always thought it was sort of a bit with her. Her Achilles heel, perhaps - broom flying (or perhaps flying or just heights in general) is the one thing that Hermione doesn't excel at.
    – hairboat
    Apr 6, 2012 at 14:41
  • @hairboat Otoh she seems to do fine on the back of a certain dragon. And she even worries about it after they leap off it's back. I want to say it was Ron who likened her to Hagrid in that. Maybe she is afraid of heights but I don't recall (which doesn't mean much) her showing that with the dragon. Maybe the circumstances didn't allow her to show it; that's certainly possible too.
    – Pryftan
    Nov 17, 2017 at 0:58
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She flies on a broom when she plays Quidditch with Harry, Ron and Ginny while she and Harry are staying at the Burrow before their 6th year at Hogwarts. Even here it is clear that she didn't really fancy the idea of brooms:

Harry remained within the confines of the Burrow's garden over the next few weeks. He spent most of his days playing two-a-side Quidditch in the Weasley's orchard (he and Hermione against Ron and Ginny; Hermione was dreadful and Ginny good, so they were reasonably well matched) and his evenings eating triple helpings of everything Mrs. Weasley put in front of him.

(from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 6: Draco's Detour)

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There are a few cases of Hermione flying on a broom herself - some we see directly, and some only referenced.

In Philosopher's Stone, twice in the last chapter:

They seized a broomstick each and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys.

A few sentences later ...

Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upwards, the key dodged them both and Harry streaked after it ...

And finally, after the potion room, Harry tells her to go back, using the brooms:

... grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy - go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him.

At the Burrow before school, in Half-Blood Prince:

He spent most of his days playing two-a-side Quidditch in the Weasley's orchard (he and Hermione against Ron and Ginny; Hermione was dreadful and Ginny good, so they were reasonably well matched) and his evenings eating triple helpings of everything Mrs. Weasley put in front of him.

I wouldn't count the escape from the Room of Requirement in Deathly Hallows, as she was on the back of Ron's broom rather than flying herself.

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    What does this add that the other answers from years back didn't address?
    – user68699
    Mar 27, 2017 at 7:49
  • @user68699 The mention and quotes from her flying a broom by herself in Philosopher's Stone, while trying to catch the key. It's the only time we ever actively see her flying herself.
    – Cooper
    Mar 27, 2017 at 11:54
  • Yes, but Kevin's answer mentioned that passage already
    – user68699
    Mar 27, 2017 at 12:09
  • @user68699 I thought the actual quote would help :)
    – Cooper
    Mar 27, 2017 at 23:41
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To address the second question, we have the following passage in Chapter Nine of Philosopher's Stone:

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book — not that she hadn't tried.

It would seem that she doesn't often fly because, not being something that can be learned out of a book, she was unable to get very good at it.

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In the movie, Hermione pilots a broom by herself as they're escaping the fire in the requirements room. Harry and Ron pick up Malfoy and his co-conspirator (can't remember the name), and Hermione leads them out of the room. Another reader told me that Ron only finds two brooms in the book, so they may have changed that for the movie.

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  • This contradicts what is written in the question itself. Do you have any evidence that this was the case that you could edit in? Also is this from a books or movies (or both) perspective? The question seems to be asking for books based answers.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Nov 9, 2019 at 12:40
  • Sorry, my memory of the book is imperfect, and the book is with my daughter now. I have just reviewed the Fiendfire scene of the last movie looking for something else, and Hermione is definitely flying her own broom. Would you like a screen shot?
    – Paul Race
    Nov 9, 2019 at 13:07
  • That would help back your answer up aye.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Nov 9, 2019 at 14:47
  • Hermione in the lead, Ron behind on her left (your right) Harry further behind on her right (your left). Also, if Hermione is riding with Ron, how does Ron manage to pick up Malfoy's little friend? schooloftherock.com/faithandfantasy.com/wizarding_world/…
    – Paul Race
    Nov 9, 2019 at 15:27
  • Someone offline tells me that Ron finds TWO brooms in the book. So maybe they changed that for the movie. If so, my bad.
    – Paul Race
    Nov 9, 2019 at 20:23
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In the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when flying on Buckbeak with Harry, I am pretty sure she screams 'But I don't like flying' as Buckbeak decends.

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    Could you add the relevant quotation verbatim to your answer? Also, the asker said she prefers canon, which usually means books. Could you provide the relevant passage from the book (if any)?
    – Gallifreyan
    Feb 23, 2017 at 8:55

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