On the other hand, romance is strange, and people end up together that you never quite expected.
I think it's more interesting the "meta" around this question — that Rowling had a vision for how things ended, and, even with misgivings as they progressed, stuck to it. I see that sometimes in my own writing (and GMing, for that matter) — the tension between sticking with the plan even if tempted to leave it, and being able to adapt and change even if it means tearing a bunch of stuff up, is, I suspect, a constant in most creative minds.
Reshared post from +Terrence Lui
Sticking to Previous Choices
J.K. Rowling has said in an interview that she made a mistake in pairing Ron and Hermione. This of course has a lot of fans up in arms. Frankly, I agree with her. Always seemed strange and a little bit forced that Hermione ended up with Ron And quite frankly, I never understood why Harry ended up with Ginny.
She admits that she wrote it that way because that's how she first imagined it. I think we have all been in situations where we have made one decision an stuck with it even if it later proves not to be the best one. In this particular case, I'm sure that as the story evolved, and the series became a bigger success than she could have ever hoped for, she clung to the idea as she first imagined it perhaps in a hope to stay true to the story. However, storytelling is fluid and she just failed to recognize that she had taken these characters in directions she hadn't first imagined.
What do you think? Was it better the way it was written or do you think Rowling is right now and that she made a mistake?
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/rowling-hermione-married-harry-potter-article-1.1599445
J.K. Rowling says Hermione should have married Harry Potter, not Ron Weasley
The British best-selling author, 48, admitted in an interview with “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson that she should have paired Hermione Granger with the titular character, instead of his red-headed sidekick Ron Weasley.
I much prefer it the way it was written ; what's interesting in HP are the little bits that do not belong to the "hero genre" clichés. Harry is the hero ? Hum… yes, mostly, but in the end, without Neville slashing Nagini, so much for the story… Harry is the hero ? Yes, but he doesn't get the girl, she choses the sidekick… etc. There are many, many other examples of events that are just a little bit off, compared to what they would have been written by a lesser author.
In a way, it's much more lifelike to not have things happen "as they should", because in real life, events hardly follow carefully laid out plans. That's why, in my humble opinion, HP truly belongs to the litterature, and isn't just a bestseller alongside hundreds of other books.
Hermione with Ron. Harry should have met someone after school. I felt like the Ginny romance was forced on him, and that by book 7 he hadn't matured enough to hold onto relationships well.
I like that hermione and harry are just friends. I felt like it humanized harry and prevented hermione from being objectified.
If I remember correctly, ginny crushed on harry for a while before he noticed her later in the books.
I really hope Rowling doesn't pull a Lucas 10 or 15 years from now and make Harry shoot first.
Yeah, Ginny was pure First Girl Wins, and I was never a big fan of that. But I like Ron and Hermione. I think it makes more sense, and it was definitely a new approach from a storytelling perspective.
Originally in Star Wars, Lucas tried to make Luke and Leia be a couple, but that didn't work out. That's why Leia and Luke kiss so much in the early films.
I think that story depends on how Lucas feels the day he is asked. Sometimes he says it was never the intent as he knew they were siblings and he made it happen in case the first film had to stand alone "at bequest of the producers"… Other times he claims he changed it because he just changed his mind… Lucas is a fickle one 🙂
I agree with the "meta" of not having the Great Hero win the girl (or even win the battle primarily by himself). That said, again, the Ginny/Harry thing never made sense to me (yes, she crushed on him early, but that's neither a basis for a long-term relationship nor does it explain what Harry saw in her. At least as well as I recall either the movies or the books.
I think I agree with +Melissa Walsh that it would have made more sense (but be less fairy tale of a story) for Harry to have ended the tale alone — in his own way modeling his mentor, Dumbledore.
Hermione and Ron possibly work as one of those "Huh, never saw that coming" kinds of relationshps. Though I could see all sorts of problems down the line, esp. if Hermione was holding a torch for Harry, but had stepped aside for various reasons.
The other side that I liked about the way it ended was the underlying theme of family. Potter never had a sense of true family before the weasleys and hermione was alone after erasing the memory of her family.
Putting Ron with hermione and harry with ginny makes them all family.
Well, it's a law of biology that you statistically mate with people the most different from you within your circle of relationship ; this has to do with both preservation of social status and genetic variety.
Ginny and Harry makes perfect sense in that regard. He's tormented, shy, uneasy, bit of a loner. On the other hand, she's outgoing, fun, dynamic, no nonsensical, and rooted in a caring family. They're both eager quidditch players and share a deep bond since t. 2. It's almost unavoidable they got attracted to each other.
I know IRL a couple of friends that are freakingly close to that scheme – met at 15, split some time during studies, got back together, married, 4 children ; he's a MD, intellectual, don't like being in crowds, wears glasses and untamed hair (no scar though) ; she's a teacher, loves having children running around, quite athletic…
I was happy with Ron and Hermione, and I was happy with Harry and Ginny because I pictured Ginny growing up to be just like her Mother who happens to be one of my favorite characters in the book. When Molly had that last battle, I cheered out loud (fortunately, I was alone). I wasn’t happy when Rowling announced that Dumbledore was gay, and I could have lived without this announcement as well. I think she should keep her thoughts to herself.
@Ellie – I’m not sure why she shouldn’t be able to comment as much as anyone else — but, then, same for Lucas, and you can see all the trouble that got him into. As long as she doesn’t revise the books themselves …
It's less that Harry and Hermione were a good match than that Ron and Hermione were a very, very bad one, IMO.
I too prefer the way it was written. I actually think its more realistic (in the story created) and to be honest the whole hero gets the girl theme is overdone.
I don't know why literary figures can't have relationships they regret – the rest of us do.