Harry Potter
The Musings of a Know-It-All
My name is Hermione Granger.
I am classed as a know-it-all in school. I get one hundred percent on almost every test and I apparently outshine my classmates.
It's not easy being a know-it-all. Despite what people think, it is hard and sometimes irritating to do all of that studying and there are times when I want to shout 'screw this' and throw my quill at my parchment in frustration. There are times when I want to weep because of my lot in life. Yes I am glad that I have a brain that allows me to take in all of the information and that I can pass the exams with such apparent ease, but there is only so much that one person can take before they finally crack.
Being a know-it-all is never easy. When others have trouble with an essay they turn to you, expecting an answer and you're afraid to say 'no' because of the mockery that always follows. People don't seem to realise just how hard it is for those who try hard in school, get decent grades and are therefore the ones that everyone turns to.
Your parents expect you to succeed. They try to encourage you, but they're really just pushing you into a spotlight that you don't want to be in. the rest of your relatives are like that too. They try to help if you're confused, but they just seem to make things feel worse when they try and talk to you. Everything that they say just seems to sound patronising. Like you're not capable of taking some control of your life. Your teachers try to push you in the direction of academic excellence, like your parents, once again, pushing you into an unwanted spotlight. Your peers jeer and jest you however when they're stuck they'll try and sweet talk you in a way that is so utterly and obviously fake that you just want to chuck something at them.
The only saving grace is those who really are your friends. You get treated like an equal twenty four, seven and even when they want help they won't feign politeness. They'll just laugh and joke with you. Sure, they comment on your slightly unusual over interest in books, but they don't say those things to be mean. plus the fact that they really do care. Friends are a treasure that you should never forsake. Where books and magic fail, friends will still stand strong.
It's strange, people don't seem to realise that know-it-all's have feelings too, until they befriend one. Yes, we can be irritating. I know that I can sound like a real pain sometimes and there are times when I do need a good mouthful to get me to shut up, but doesn't everyone have days like that?
It's just good to remember that know-it-all's have good days and bad days too and that not all know-it-all's are academically adept for entirely good reasons. We are all human and we all make mistakes. But just because someone's clever doesn't always mean that they've had the best upbringing. That's just their way of dealing with it and preventing themselves from falling over the edge.
I'm fortunate. My life has been good in comparison to others, but it's always best to remember that two people who may act in the exact same was, may in fact tick in a completely different way. If you're classed as a know-it-all then you'll know where I'm coming from, but if you know someone like me then you may now have a better understanding of the way that we think. Maybe now you will realise that even if some of us are worlds apart, we may not be all that different after all.
Hermione Granger
We all know a Hermione Granger know-it-all. I know one very well. 'why' I hear you ask. Because I am one. I wrote this based on my own thoughts and feelings. I, like Hermione, have been trapped by the academic curriculum and the expectations of others. There are days when I want to cry and there are days when I can't help but laugh. But there are also those days when I just can't force myself to give a damn and those are the days that hurt the most.
So if you're one of those guys that jeer when the class know-it-all is walking down the corridor with a blank look on their face, you'll find that it hurts far more then when the know-it-all retaliates from the point of view of your 'victim'. Just remember that every word you speak and everything you do affects other people. Though they may not show it, when words hurt like that, they hurt bad. And if you are to hurt someone even more for your own sick enjoyment, then you are a part of the worst band of people known to man.
But to those who will listen to the written words of this fourteen year old, high school student and use them to try and understand others and at least try to make them feel better and accepted, thank you. I may not know who you are and I may never know who you are, but know that you will always have my gratitude. Thank you for reading.
Farewell.
Dragon's Ghost
I do not own Harry Potter. I make no profit from this piece.