Hellobee Boards

@Mae: Agree, I liked the Ron/Hermione match because I wasn't expecting it at all!

@mrbee: yea, that's the only upside, that the trio could all be "family" at the end of the day!

I personally LOVE that Hermione and Ron ended up together. To me, Harry and Hermione would have been too predictable and would have felt like the whole thing was just this perfect-romance-in-the-making...I kind of would have felt a little bit duped. Plus, I think the best romantic relationships start from best friendships. And Ron and Hermione would have had to work at their relationship? Welcome to the real world - don't all relationships require work?

And I agree with others - Ginny and Harry always felt forced and awkward to me.

I never liked the Harry/Ginny relationship because it was a little too “hero-worship” for me. I mean, you marry the friend of your big-brother that you have a crush on as a little girl? Who also just happens to be you know, sort of the saver of humanity? That will never work out long term, too many built-up expectations, not enough time spent with the “real person”. Sort of like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes – just too-too!

I liked how JKR waited until later books to introduce any sort of hint of romance between Hermoine and either boy. Not enough stories focus on how boys and girls and men and women can actually be just friends. Like, really, really good friends. And they don’t always have to wind up in love with each other! Too often, the friendship is just a vehicle for a romantic relationship which is stressed as the “real”/lifelong relationship - - but a friendship is a totally valid relationship, too! I just loved how she kept reinforcing the friendship over the course of all the novels, which I think is an excellent message for both guys and gals.

@yoursilverlining: I completely agree with that! I was so glad there were no "real" romances introduced until so late in the books!

I'm the opposite of everyone else! I actually really like Harry and Ginny together - I think they're cute, and that's it's just funny now how she was about him when she was younger. She held up on her own pretty damn well that last year, and I felt like they were pretty well matched. Although I can definitely see Harry and Hermione together too.

But Ron and Hermione? I don't know, I mean yeah, the kiss scene and everything is super cute, but he had a lot of growing up to do to be good enough for her. The way he took off on them in the last book...I mean yeah, he came back...but he always got jealous pretty easily and wasn't great about thinking things through...I definitely think they would have ended up in marriage counseling. And hopefully he would have been able to mature enough for it to work out.

I do agree with PPs thought that I'm glad there was no romance until late in the series, and that it was nice to have them all end up actually being family.

I don't know, I like the way it ended up. I feel the core of the stories was Harry's friendship with Hermione and Ron. And yet at the same time, he was always a little bit set apart from them. I think it was more...balanced?...to put Ron and Hermione together and Harry with Ginny (or at least someone other than Hermione). and I like, as @MrBee pointed out, that Harry truly became one of the Weasley family.

haha saw this yesterday.
HArry + Ginny doesn't do it for me. I always wished he and Hermoine would end up together!

I loved Harry/Ginny in the books; not so much in the movies. Ginny was a much better developed character in the books and I just liked her a lot more. I'm a fan of Ron/Hermione. Yeah, I can see that they might have needed a little counseling, but that's no big thing.

I read this yesterday! I thought it was interesting to read the author's perspectives and I understand it. It would have been super expected to put Harry and Hermione together.

@Shutterbug: I agree! I loved the brother/sister type relationship between the two. I would be lying though if I said that I never wished they had ended up together. Like others have said, I was annoyed by Ron's immaturity and definitely think Hermione was way too good for him!
@mrbee: I actually thought he might end up with Luna for a little while too!!

Like others, it was nice the way they all ended up as family though.

I was disappointed by this announcement. I like Hermione and Ron together. I think it would have been too obvious for Harry and Hermione to be together. I also think their personalities are a both very intense. I like the way Ron and Hermione kind of balance each other a bit. I do not believe they had marital problems.

My sister and I watched Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2 while snowed in last week (before this recent news broke). We were discussing the infamous Harry/Hermione dance scene that appears in Deathly Hallows part 1, but isn't in the book. A lot of fans took offense at it, but it doesn't bother me too much. I feel like J.K. Rowling had enough input on the movies that she could have had it axed if she really hated it. I always thought it portrayed the deep friendship between the two, but some people think it shows underlying romantic tension. Interesting to think about after Rowling's proclamation about them.