Only a few days remain until the release of book 6. Everyone wants to know who the half-blood prince is, and quite a few of us are hoping for some advancement (or even resolution!) in the romance department. Possible pairings abound; I won't even try to list them all. Debate abounds as well. Seren Quirke has already written an excellent editorial condemning the shipping wars, so here I shall simply say that to some people, being for their ship means being against everyone else's. Implied in quite a few arguments is, "Ugh, I would hate it if [insert any two characters here] got together."

But will anyone really hate it? When true love finally arrives for our main characters, are the members of sunken ships really going to be that disappointed? Think about it. "Who will fall in love with whom?" J.K. Rowling has known from the beginning. She knows Harry, Ron, and Hermione inside and out in a way that we mere readers probably never will. She knows their needs and longings. Having said that, do you really think she'll pair one character with another when they really don't belong that way?

Now, I'll admit that I wouldn't mind seeing Ron win Hermione's heart (if he hasn't already). But if Harry and Hermione get together in the end, I can honestly say that I'll be fine with it. Why? Because when it happens, it will make perfect sense. JKR will have set it up in the books for all to see… as she may well have been doing already, even if I don't see it right now.

I think we'll all be able to read the romantic bits of books 6 and 7 with a smile, even though those moments may be bittersweet for some. In the meantime, may the Great Debate continue on...as long as no one fails to keep an open mind. After all, this is J.K. Rowling we're talking about.

Anything could happen.

7/13/05

Posted by: Sara