In one of our favorite developments from the first season finale of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie made it clear to Stefan:

She's no longer an innocent, overwhelmed witch. This character means serious business, especially when it comes to keeping Elena safe.

Asked by The New York Post this week if that trait will be a focus of season two, Katerina Graham made it very clear: Oh yes! Here are a few excerpts from her interview:

Does season two pick up immediately after events from the finale?
Yep, it’s pretty insane. And I will say that Bonnie is really, really tough in the first episode back. She is not playing around. Bonnie will eff you up if you mess with her! She is also going to have to deal with Katherine. And that’s a whole new beast. Literally.

Will her powers will only continue to grow?
She’s going to become even stronger. But it’s important she stay vulnerable, too. You don’t want someone to raise hell with no motivation behind it. You can never forget the loss of a loved one and I don’t think she’ll ever get over losing her grams. That was her rock to this world. She wouldn’t do anything simply out of a hate for vampires. I don’t think she could ever justify that.

The Vampire Diaries returns with new episodes on September 9.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.