First, I don’t have characters worked out, but I’m collecting names and I’'m considering [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]. Would you wonder if she’d been named after the [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] if you came across another one?
And second, I’m looking for classic, old fashioned but maybe slightly unusual names. My list here-
[name_m]Seamus[/name_m]
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m]
[name_f]Emma[/name_f]
([name_f]Cecile[/name_f]?)
[name_m]Dermot[/name_m]
([name_m]Hugo[/name_m]?)
[name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]
I think [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] would be fine if she doesn’t look or act the same as [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] [name_m]Granger[/name_m], but I wouldn’t use [name_m]Seamus[/name_m] in the same story. There’s another [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] character called that.
[name_m]Seamus[/name_m] is one of [name_f]Hermione[/name_f]'s classmates. As long as your [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] doesn’t act or look like Miss [name_m]Granger[/name_m], I think you’re fine. It might also help to give other characters equally unusual names.
I think [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] is still too fresh in people’s minds to use the name without getting: “hey, they copied HP!” I would avoid it but it’s up to you. [name_m]How[/name_m] about any of these names: