It has been a good few years since the final Harry Potter book was released, but J.K. Rowling has rekindled interest in the series by revealing that she feels she made a mistake with the ending and that she now feels the books would have worked better if Harry Potter ended up with Hermione instead of Ginny Weasley.
The author explained that she ended up placing her own feelings before those that would have made the book work better as a piece of literature, “I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment. 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,” she told Wonderland magazine, adding that in reality the couple would most likely have ended up needing relationship counselling!
One angry fan Tweeted JK, arguing: “WTH! No! Ginny is perfect for Harry because it gives him a huge family-the Weasleys which he want & needs.”
Another, ecstatic fan, felt relieved: “Oh my god, @jk_rowling has vindicated my Harry/Hermione shipper heart. After all these years”.
Emma Watson, who, of course, played Hermione in the Harry Potter films, said she tended to agree with Rowling. The 23-year-old actress said: “I think there are fans out there who … wonder whether Ron would have really been able to make her happy.”
To be honest, I don’t find this a huge revelation, or even one that needed to be made. I feel that in real life you don’t always end up with the person that makes ‘logical sense’, but who is to say that relationship won’t work out? Sure Hermione and Harry would have made a great couple, but so too do Ginny and Harry.
Pamela Ingleton, an academic who has written about Rowling’s habit of revealing more about her stories after their publication, said she can understand why some passionate Harry Potter fans would feel angry that JK was “entering on their territory”.
She said: “She is still constantly intervening in the process of understanding and reading these characters and these stories.
“In some ways she is speaking for the books instead of letting the books speak for themselves.”
Jennie Ivins
I saw it as Harry and Hermione from those very first moments on the Hogwarts Express. Rather surprised Ron and Hermione were together long enough to have kids. Despite their apparent differences, Harry and Hermione were the same where it counts, and perfect complements to each other. Rowling is right. She was wrong. But would that have left Ron and Ginny? Ewwwww!
Very true. I read somewhere that maybe Neville and Ginny would have made a good pairing… I think Ron would have made a good Bachelor 😛
I always thought Hermoine was too bossy for Harry. Ron and her argued but it seemed to be healthy arguing. Harry and Hermoine always seemed platonic to me.