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Today, Emma Watson turns 25. Yes, Hermione Granger is a quarter-century old.

Emma Watson can now boast that she’s succeeded where many other child stars have failed. She’s gracefully matured into a brilliant and articulate young woman known for her intelligence and integrity. She hasnt just accomplished this in spite of being Hermione — she’s managed it because she was Hermione Granger. Watson is so inexorably linked to the fictional heroine that we might never see her in any other sort of light.

Watson might have put some distance between herself and Hermione when she appeared in the big screen adaptation of Stephen Chbosky’s beloved YA novel, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, but her inherent moral light still shone through. Her character, Sam, shimmied in a corset for a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening scene, hooked up with an older man, and lamented being haunted by her promiscuous past, but none of that “bad girl” behavior stuck to Watson. With her fresh face and sensitive doe eyes, we could only see her as an Earthbound angel. In short, we saw her the way our hero, Charlie (Logan Lerman), did.

Watson might have tried to go “full bad girl” in The Bling Ring. She played Nicki, an inanely vapid and morally bankrupt teen who is so obsessed with fame that she breaks into the homes of celebrities and steals their belongings. Her character was based on Alexis Neiers, a Los Angeles rich kid who was filming a reality show for E! at the time of the real-life “bling ring” scandal. All of the movie’s trailers focused on the fact that “Hermione was going bad.” In truth, Watson had only a supporting role in the film and even when she was “bad,” it wasn’t entirely convincing. Once more, her innate purity hampered the transformation. Just as Nicky is a hollow, two-dimensional person, Watson gave a hollow, two-dimensional performance. Her “goodness” oozed out of her in every scene. This isn’t a negative critique though; her performance enhanced the satiric tone of the film.

Watson might be on the verge of pushing her image even further — or not — in a new film coming out later this year: Regression. The actress plays a victim of sexual abuse and allegedly filmed a topless scene. There are also rumblings that preview viewers didn’t like the scene, though it’s unclear if that’s because it wasn’t a “sexy” topless scene or if it was upsetting seeing the squeaky clean Hogwarts sweetheart stripped down in that context.

It’s possible that Regression will play on our expectations of Watson and we’ll discover that her character has been manipulating everyone else the whole time, but it’s clear she was cast in the role because she exudes goodness. Even when Watson dips her toes into mature content, her inherent virtue is used to full effect. We’re supposed to pity this cardigan-clad girl whimpering in fear to Ethan Hawke.

There’s something sweet and smart about Watson that I’m not sure she’ll ever shake and it’s profoundly tied to Hermione Granger. If you think I’m overstating this, consider the rabid excitement from fans and entertainment outlets alike that she’ll be playing Disney’s most bookish heroine, Belle, in a live-action adaptation of Beauty and Beast.

We want Emma Watson to be a “good girl,” and she knows it. She’s an intelligent woman who is clever enough to use her image to her full benefit in the roles she chooses. Every role I mentioned capitalizes off of our emotional connection to her as goody-two shoes. She doesn’t see it as a weakness, but an opportunity. Which is why I’m less interested to see if she will ever go “bad girl,” than I am intrigued to watch what kind of woman she’s becoming.

[Where to Stream Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two]

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[Photos: Everett Collection]