Original: Rowling said in the same interview that until about halfway through the third book, his good friend Hermione Granger  — written as the smartest student in Harry's year — would have beaten Harry in a magical duel.
Simplified: Rowling said in the same interview that until about halfway through the third book, his good friend Hermione Granger –written as the smartest student in Harry's year– would have beaten Harry in a magical duel.