Hermione Granger was the brightest witch of her age, and who she dated is irrelevant.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling shocked fans when she revealed that in hindsight, she questioned Ron and Hermione’s relationship. Following the bombshell, many Potter fans have divided angrily along the old shipping lines – Harry Potter vs Ron Weasley.

Dueling columns: Harry and Hermione vs Ron and Hermione

But one character has been distinctly overlooked in the heated debates that have followed – Hermione Granger, the woman at the centre of both (potential) relationships. It seems like everyone has their own opinion on who Hermione is best suited for.

But why do we care?

It’s no wonder that fans try to ship Hermione with absolutely everyone, (step aside Harry and Ron, because Snape, Draco, and Ginny are just a few of the other contenders) because she is amazing. Why wouldn’t you want your favourite character to end up with her? Don’t believe us? Let’s do a quick run-down of just a few of Hermione Granger’s many achievements.

At the age of 11, Hermione managed to defeat a system of magical traps that was meant to deter even the most talented of wizards, took the blame when her two (idiot) friends took on a troll single-handedly, and got 112% on her Charms exam.

At the age of 12, she brewed a successful Polyjuice Potion and discovered how a Basilisk (who had been a secret for 50 years) was traveling around Hogwarts. At 13, she received a secret Time-Turner for the express purpose of taking more classes, helped free an innocent man and Hippogriff, discovered that her Professor was a werewolf (and kept it a secret), and slapped Draco Malfoy in the face.

Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first — SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster.

In her fourth year at Hogwarts, she formed the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.), coached Harry for the Triwizard Tournament, learnt that the reporter who was slandering her was an illegal Animagus, and kidnapped her. At 15, she initiated the formation of a secret society dedicated to training underage witches and wizards, against the express wish of her government, conjured a Patronus, broke into the Department of Mysteries, and began calling Voldemort by his name.

Hagrid: “An’ they haven’t invented a spell our Hermione can’ do.”

At 16, Hermione earned 11 O.W.L.s (ten Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations), was invited to Professor Slughorn’s “Slug Club,” and Confunded Cormac McLaggen. And instead of attending her final year of Hogwarts, she left school in order to help her friend, modified the memories of her parents so that they no longer knew that they had a daughter, and helped save the Wizarding World from the most evil person, probably, ever.

So let’s stop reducing Hermione’s importance to who she may (or may not) have dated. Harry Potter was not a book about a love triangle, so let’s stop pretending that Hermione’s relationship is the most interesting facet of her personality.

If the Harry Potter books tells us anything, it is that neither Harry nor Ron would have gotten very far without Hermione to rely on. She never dumbed herself down despite being mercilessly teased, and she always stood up for her friends and her beliefs. She risked her life multiple times, she even risked being expelled – and we know what a big deal that was.

So whether you prefer Hermione and Harry, or Hermione and Ron, one thing is abundantly clear: either of them would have been damn lucky to have her. And so were we.

Thanks to the HP Lexicon for the quotes and the Harry Potter Wiki for the background information.