Rowling said in the same interview that until about halfway through the third book , his good friend Hermione Granger â `` written as the smartest student in Harry 's yearâ `` would have beaten Harry in a magical duel . Rowling said in the same interview that until about halfway through the third book , his good friend Hermione Grangerâ '' written as the smartest student in Harry 's yearâ '' would have beaten Harry in a magical duel .