This is one half of a dueling column. See the Ron/Hermione argument here.
Harry and Hermione getting together is something that several fans thought should and would happen as the Harry Potter stories developed so many years ago, and rightfully so.
While some people claim that the leading man getting with the leading lady is stereotypical and boring, we think that in the case of Harry Potter it just makes sense.
Harry and Hermione have such a fantastic relationship with each other that often times, when each of them dated someone else, their significant other would find themselves jealous of the the H/Hr friendship. In Goblet of Fire Viktor Krum found himself so jealous of Harry that he instigated a private conversation with the man himself, which surprised Harry since the older Quidditch star considered him a rival. Heck, even Cho Chang was jealous of Hermione’s relationship with Harry in Order of the Phoenix.
On the other hand, it’s not often that we see someone jealous of Hermione and Ron’s relationship.
Several times in the novels Hermione told Harry how much she admired him. In Half-Blood Prince (page 180) she tells him that his comments are as worthy of memorization as the words of a text book:
Hermione: “Well, I thought he sounded a bit like you.”
Harry: “Like me?”
Hermione: “Yes, when you were telling us what it’s like to face Voldemort. You said it wasn’t just memorizing a bunch of spells, you said it was just you and your brains and your guts-well, wasn’t that what Snape was saying? That it really comes down to being brave and quick-thinking?” Harry was so disarmed that she had thought his words as well worth memorizing as The Standard Book of Spells that he did not argue.
That passage is an example of the high esteem Hermione held for Harry, which in our opinion, is higher than that she held for Ron, at least when school was in session. You know it’s a big deal when Hermione likens your words to the importance of a textbook.
Here’s another fantastic example of the feelings Hermione felt for Harry. Again, from Half-Blood Prince (page 219):
“I dunno why the team’s this popular all of a sudden.”
“Oh, come on Harry,” said Hermione, suddenly impatient. “It’s not Quidditch that’s popular, it’s you! You’ve never been more interesting, and frankly, you’ve never been more fanciable.”Ron gagged on a large piece of kipper. Hermione spared him one look of disdain before turning back to Harry. ”Everyone knows you’ve been telling the truth now, don’t they? The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times. And now they’re calling you ‘the Chosen One’-well, come on, can’t you see why people are fascinated by you?”
Harry was finding the Great Hall very hot all of a sudden, even though the ceiling still looked cold and rainy.
“And you’ve been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway….”
“You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look,” said Ron, shaking back his sleeves.
“And it doesn’t hurt that you’ve grown about a foot over the summer either,” Hermione finished, ignoring Ron.
“I’m tall,” said Ron inconsequentially.
Hermione flat out tells him that he’s never been more fanciable. And, as she’s complimenting Harry, she completely ignores Ron, which isn’t the first nor the last time she does so in the series.
There are several moments Harry and Hermione have a connection without Ron, whether it’s an inside joke or a realization they both have. They work so well together, and we can see them having a successful relationship if Rowling had gone the way she truly wanted.
Here’s an example of how hot things could’ve been between the two, if only this was more than just a vision:
And lastly, here’s a third quote that shows Harry’s jealousy for Hermione’s dating choices from Half-Blood Prince (page 316-317):
“Hermione! Hermione!”
“Harry! There you are, thank goodness! Hi, Luna!”
“What’s happened to you?” asked Harry, for Hermione looked distinctly disheveled, rather as though she had just fought her way out of a thicket of Devil’s Snare. “Oh, I’ve just escaped- I mean, I’ve just left Cormac,” she said. “Under the mistletoe,” she added in explanation, as Harry continued to look questioningly at her.“Serves you right for coming with him,” he told her severely.
“I thought he’d annoy Ron most,” said Hermione dispassionately. “I debated for a while about Zacharias Smith, but I thought, on the whole-”
“You considered Smith?” said Harry, revolted.
Harry didn’t want Hermione going out with either Cormac or Smith, and it couldn’t be more clear that he was jealous of who she brought to the party. Granted, Romione shippers would say that Hermione chose Cormac because he’d annoy Ron, not Harry, but this still goes to show that Harry had enough feelings for Hermione to be jealous of whoever she brings to the party.
No matter who you ship you can’t deny that Harry and Hermione have had a constant connection through-out the entire series, and that they make a fantastic pair, platonic or not. We believe that in the end this connection could’ve grown to be a healthy romantic relationship if Rowling had gone the route she intended, and while we’re sad it was never canon we’ll be shipping it anyway because it just feels right.
Thanks to the HP-Lexicon and Subtle Signs for the quotes.