Shipping — We don't have a clue!

[Robert Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 97199

I don't think we don't have a clue what JKR is going to do about 
relationships in Book 6 or 7.  In her recent interview, she was 
asked whether Harry and Hermione were going to end up together, and 
she said something to the effect that "haven't I left enough clues 
for you to tell?"  Well, both H/H and R/H shippers will agree.  H/H 
shippers are going to say "Yes!  The clues point to them hooking 
up!" and R/H shippers and others with say "Yes!  The clues point to 
them not hooking up!"  That is just the problem: everything can be 
read different ways.  We just don't know.  

We can go over every syllable of Books 1-5 and still not know what 
is going to happen next.  JKR can change things completely if she 
wants to — like what she did in OOTP to Ginny's character, and the 
90 degree turn in what had looked (at least to me and many others) 
like Hermione and Ron getting together.

In particular, I don't think we have a clue as to what my favorite 
character — Hermione — wants in a boyfriend.  Harry just doesn't ask 
her any personal questions, so we really don't know what is going on 
in her head.  It is wide open as to JKR could do.

As for Harry: all we know about him is that he has been distracted 
by a pretty face.  He is going to be very busy in Book 6 (and may be 
messed up) and not in the mood for any serious relationship.

It also may be that no one will want to be Harry's boyfriend.  It 
would be tough.  I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 
thinking that if I were a teenager back in Sunnydale High, I would 
not want to be her boyfriend.  She is obviously very impressive and 
beautiful, but I don't know if I would really want to do all one 
would have to do to be her boyfriend.  Maybe JKR will have Hermione, 
Ginny, and Luna have the same reaction to Harry.

I'm not saying that predicting should be easy — I'm saying we can't 
predict at all here.  We can't draw any line from the info JKR has 
given us to what will happen in Books 6 and 7.  We don't know what 
is a "clue," what is a "red herring," and what is something we are 
just reading into a passage because we like a particular couple.  I 
like theorizing.  But especially in the area of shipping we are just 
trying to make the facts fit whatever relationship we want, not 
really figuring out what JKR is really going to do.  We do not 
have "clues" in the sense of pieces of a puzzle but just a lot of 
pieces from which we can make any picture we like.  

So enjoy what you're doing — it's certainly the most popular topic 
in the forums.  But it's just a fun time-killer until Book 6 comes 
out, so don't take your ideas too seriously and don't get mad at 
other people.