"A Little Romance"

[Richard Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 127776


Over the weekend, I bothered to read three essays on my least 
favorite subject — shipping.  They had to do with Harry and Hermione —
 two were pro-HH (one at mugglenet analyzing GOF and one at HP 
Lexicon analyzing OOTP) and one was anti-HH (at HP Lexicon analyzing 
all the books) — and I have to say that the anti-HH essay had the 
strongest arguments.  Harry certainly loves Hermione like a friend 
and would give his life to save her, but his reactions to her do not 
indicate any boyfriend-girlfriend type interest on his part at all.  
Of course, Hermione's personality might change radically (like the 
revelation of Ginny in OOTP), but unless that happens there is no 
reason to think that she is the type of girl that Harry would be 
looking for for a girlfriend.  He needs her as a friend, but he is 
more annoyed by her bossy, lecturing, and nagging nature than 
attracted to her.  Her voice and her way of talking annoy him.  He 
avoids her at times, lies to her, and ignores her (usually good) 
advice.  She doesn't laugh at his jokes (which is more important than 
it sounds).  They do not have fun together when Harry needs someone 
to give him a few laughs.  She is not a sympathetic listener.  He 
hides his feelings from her and confides in others.  All in all, 
Harry needs someone else for a girlfriend.  He needs Hermione to be 
just who she is — she is important to him as she is even though it 
means she is not girlfriend material.  The essay "D'You Really Think 
They're Suited?" at HP Lexicon documents all these points and is well 
worth reading, if you can make it through 30 pages.

Also a second point.  In her March 2004 interview, JKR was asked if 
Harry would fall for another girl or would be too busy for romance?  
She answered that "he'll be busy but what is life without a little 
romance?"  But I think romance will once again not be a prominent 
part of HBP, and shippers who analyze each syllable for clues are 
going to be disappointed.  JKR will pay a lot more attention to the 
plot about Voldemort and make romance a side issue at best.  (In the 
end, Cho was just a side plot in OOTP.)  This is an adventure series, 
not teenage romance novels.  So there probably will be a 
little "gratuitous romance," as it were, but nothing serious.  All 
shippers are probably not going to be happy.  (There is a recent 
essay at mugglenet on this too.)

Richard Jones