Caution: Harry/Hermione or Ron/Hermione – The shipping wars erupt across the fandom

The Sunday Times is today reporting that J.K. Rowling has changed her mind about Ron and Hermione, stating that Harry and Hermione would’ve made a better match. All we can say is be wary of the reporter’s spin; the wording of the article changes from version to version.

The story has arisen from an interview between Jo and Emma Watson – who portrayed Hermione Granger and wife of Ronald Weasley – in this month’s Wonderland magazine, which will be guest edited by Emma herself. Until we get this article (which is released on Thursday), we need to be careful about claiming to know Jo’s thoughts.

The printed article suggests that only Emma believes Harry and Hermione would’ve made the better match, while the online article states both actress and author agree.

As far as the content of Jo’s reported speech is concerned, it is clear that she believes Ron and Hermione would’ve faced relationship issues in the years following the end of the books. The quotes provided by the Times, however, detail more about Jo’s writing choices than the relationship itself:

“I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfilment. That’s how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron.”

Whether Harry/Hermione would have been a more successful couple or not is obviously a subject of great debate within the fandom, yet Jo’s choice at the time of writing was one made from her own personal image of the characters and where she wished the plot to go. Hindsight may have given her a new perspective on alternate possibilities, but we can’t deny Jo’s original plan and the deep love of the Ron/Hermione relationship felt by fans and author alike.

We patiently anxiously await for the official print version to come out Thursday. Do you prefer the Ron and Hermione relationship as told in the stories or the Harry and Hermione relationship developped by shippers for years? Let us know in the comments below.

Tomorrow’s Sunday Times front page:Lib Dems savage Gove over sacked schools boss & Exclusive David Hockney interview pic.twitter.com/1uN9psyzve

– The Sunday Times (@thesundaytimes) February 1, 2014