It’s been more than a decade since ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows‘ gave fans their long-awaited “happily ever after.” 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were married with two children, while Harry had built a family with Ginny. For ‘Harry Potter‘ fans, that ending was set in stone until J.K. Rowling herself cast a new spell on it.
In an interview with Wonderland magazine, Rowling admitted she sometimes thinks Hermione should have ended up with Harry instead of Ron. But what did Rowling really mean when she said Hermione “probably should have been with Harry“? Was it regret, realism, or just reflection from a writer who’d grown older alongside her characters?
J.K. Rowling’s Confession That Stunned ‘Harry Potter’ Fans
During their talk, Rowling reflected on the romantic choices she made in the books, and what she said next caught everyone off guard. She admitted, “I wrote the Hermione-Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfilment. That’s how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron.“
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That doesn’t mean Rowling disliked Ron and Hermione as a couple. However, she accepted that the choice stemmed from emotional reasons rather than logical ones. Laughing, she said, “I know, I’m sorry, I can hear the rage and fury it might cause some fans, but distance has given me perspective on that.“
Even Emma Watson agreed that Ron and Hermione might not have been the perfect match. Rowling even couldn’t help but joke that if the two characters had married in real life, they would “probably need marriage counselling,” where Ron had to work on his self-esteem while Hermione had to learn to be less critical.
Later, when Rowling’s words spread online, fans were divided, as expected. On Mugglenet.com, one of the biggest Harry Potter fan communities, reactions poured in from around the world.
One fan wrote, “WHAT??? I am heartbroken! Ron and Hermione’s relationship is wonderful because it’s far from perfect at the beginning and slowly develops into my favourite couple in the whole series!” Some think that Ron and Hermione’s flaws made their love story more believable. Their romance grew naturally; the imperfections, they said, were what made it real.
However, not everyone shared the same sentiment. Another fan argued, “Hermione deserved someone better. Ron would have been insecure, and it would not have been a healthy relationship. Harry had always said good things about Hermione, and both of them being powerful wizards and brought up as Muggles would have made them compatible.“
Why Harry And Hermione’s Relationship Made Sense
Fans who support Harry and Hermione as a couple believe their bond was built on trust, loyalty, and deep understanding. Throughout the series, Hermione was the one who stood by Harry’s side through everything: danger, doubt, and heartbreak. When Ron walked out during the Horcrux hunt, Hermione stayed. When Harry lost faith in himself, Hermione reminded him who he was. The trio’s friendship was built on mutual respect and courage.
Even Rowling admitted she could feel something more between them when writing ‘The Deathly Hallows‘. She said, “In some ways, Hermione and Harry are a better fit. When I wrote Hallows, I felt this quite strongly when I had Hermione and Harry together in the tent.” Interestingly, film screenwriter Steve Kloves noticed the same thing.
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Kloves added a soft, emotional tent scene between the two in the movie, where they dance to cheer each other up. Rowling said she loved it because, “it was articulating something I hadn’t said but I had felt. You do feel the ghost of what could have been in that scene.” And the moment shared between them, the comfort between two people who shared the same struggles, the same values, and the same pain, made it very special.
Many fans believe they would have made a stronger, calmer couple. Both were intelligent, brave, and kind; equals in every way. Still, not everyone was ready to let go of the couple that became canon. For many fans, Ron and Hermione’s love story was about balance. Like, the two opposites finding their way to each other through friendship and growth. Ron was insecure, funny, and messy. Hermione was confident, serious, and precise. Yet together, they made each other better.
Maybe both sides are right in their own way. Stories, after all, don’t stop growing when they end. The way readers see them, and even the way authors see them, can change over time.
