Hermione's first year at Hogwarts started out like any other new student's year would. Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express and was ready to attempt to make some friends, but was even more willing to show off her smarts. On the train, Hermione meets Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter for the first time, immediately correcting them on their limited knowledge of basic spellwork.

Later on, Hermione struggles as she doesn't make the friends that she was hoping to. She doesn't immediately become friends with Harry and Ron, despite common belief. In fact, Ron brings the young witch to tears a few weeks into the school year. And though it may seem odd, this is the night that a troll is released within the Hogwarts school, endangering the uninformed Hermione, who is still upset within one of the hall bathrooms. So, as all of the other students retreat to the safety of their dorms and common rooms, Harry and Ron set off to save Hermione from the troll, beginning the first of many quests for the trio.

It is after the three defeat the troll that they become friends. As Harry and Ron face the scolding and potential punishment for their rash actions in taking on the troll themselves, Hermione jumps in and takes the blame for the situation, exposing Harry and Ron as the hero's they were in risking their own lives to save that of someone they had hurt. From this point on, the three are inseparable. However, this isn't the most trauma of their time at Hogwarts, not even of just their first year.

Harry, always one to attract trouble, discovers that there is something within the castle that is guarded, yet still unsafe. The young wizard wishes to protect the famous, powerful item known as the Philosopher's or the Sorcerer's Stone. Though Harry, brave beyond belief, hadn't wished to endanger his friends, Hermione and Ron refuse to allow him to face such danger alone and join Harry on a truly dangerous journey.

Hermione, while assisting her two fellow Gryffindors, used her extensive knowledge to get the young trio out of some of the trickiest levels of the highly perfected protection of the Stone. These 'levels' were all tests made by the Hogwarts staff and Dumbledore himself in order to prevent anyone from reaching the Stone. The bravery of the three was complimented by Hermione's intelligence, Harry's determination, and Ron's selfless decisions in the bravest game of wizards' chess that the world has ever seen.

Once Harry defeats Voldemort, himself and all of his friends were rewarded by gaining all of the points needed for Gryffindor to win the House Cup. Hermione specifically earned fifty House points for the "use of cool logic in the face of fire".