My being an old chook and all, I still remember my teenage years. The uncertainty, normal body parts growing, and of course members of the opposite sex. The shipping within Harry Potter is cute to me and if I remember my shipping correctly, I am a member of the HMS Heron with a side of chocolate. (Apologies if I got it wrong. I am a Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione shipper.)

The romantic development between Ron and Hermione throughout the books never ceases to bring a huge smile to my face: Ron with all his over-protectiveness and Hermione protesting too much are but a few of the many tell-tale signs to someone of my years. People, please! I know the books are more about shipping wars but that does not stop us from dissecting the relationships between the characters in the book. This being a story about growing up, personal relationships and interaction between people of the opposite sex are a normal component of that growing-up process.

We all want the best for these characters we love so much, and that includes a mate worthy of our favourite loved one. To me, Ron and Hermione are a perfect match: Ron being calming to Hermione's intensity, Ron's jokes to Hermione's seriousness, and many other opposites and similarities between them. We can all pull the quotes from the novels to express this, but as it has been done so many times before, I do not wish to do that. So onward with my speculation into the world of Book 7.

The problem I see between Ron and Hermione is that they will not or do not wish to share their personal feelings with each other. Nevertheless, I foresee a push coming in Ron's direction. Yes, our Ron will get a hearty push from the most unlikely person. Picking up information from JKR's interviews and MuggleNet's own book seven information, I theorize Ron will get, at the very least, a shove from none other than Viktor Krum!

You read correctly, the famous Vicky. Giving this much thought, I see Krum coming to Bill and Fleur's wedding celebration. Reading between the lines in GoF, the Tri-Wizard contestants became close with each other, and if Hermione stayed in contact with Krum, who is to say Fleur did not stay in touch with him as well and invite Krum to the wedding? It is plausible that the internationally famous Bulgarian Seeker turning up at the wedding would be an event worthy of Miss Delacour.

Now Krum would know Hermione's feeling towards Ron as Viktor and Hermione are not together, though not through lack of trying on Viktor's behalf. I would not put it past Hermione to ask Viktor, or Viktor himself, to try to make Ron jealous. Or it may just happen on its own as a by-product of Hermione and Viktor being in the same place at the same time, knowing Ron. Viktor will not know anyone else at the wedding, except the trio and Fleur. I can see Viktor dancing and chatting the evening away with our dear Miss Granger, trying, in a last ditch attempt, to woo her away.

I hoped, as I am sure many of you did during the last scenes in HBP, that Ron and Hermione would get together. They were in each other's arms, but NO, JKR turned our attention back to our hero. We waited patiently for more information as the novel continued, collectively holding our breath, but alas, the end of the book approached too quickly; thwarted yet again!

If this scenario does in fact occur, then I can only dream of Ron's barely contained anger and final step towards admitting his feelings for Hermione.

10/02/06

Posted by: Sara