To still be annoyed that Hermione married Ron?

[ThomasRichard]

I know, the last book came out years ago, but I’m re-reading them now with DS and it’s got me annoyed all over again. He’s a mediocre, sulky man-child, while she’s a brilliantly talented witch. Why would she ever marry him?!

Book 7 of the series is the most disappointing of all of them - it felt a bit rushed at the end, it seemed to lose its way mid through and having Ron and Hermione together, just no!!
I loved all the books though, so well written and clever, despite my reservations about book 7
i love her Robert Galbraith books and i do hope she doesn't let Strike and Robin have an affair in her new book thats out soon. That would be wrong too.

It was almost like "lets get this over and done with". But, overall, brilliant series and I guess we all prefer to have an ending than not.

I'm with colouringinpro on this one

Me, a little older wink thinks at some point she would definitely meet someone who sparks her intellectually, but I suspect she would stay loyal to Ron, but maybe to her detriment.

Harry marrying Ginny annoys me more than Hermione and Ron - completely unrealistic - Ginny has no personality. He must have been desperate for one!

I don't like them together (see previous post about Harry and Draco porn ) but I totally understand why he would marry her. He had a shitty childhood, no real family* and no stability. Marrying Ginny offered him everything he wanted, including entry to a family that he loved deeply.

• I like in the last book where Harry realises that Dudley has made him a cup of tea and left it at his bedroom door. I like to think Dudley grew up a lot and I would have liked to see a bit more done there to mend fences. Perhaps well into the future they had a family relationship of sorts? Maybe Dudley's kid was magical?

amused I think JK has said something somewhere about Harry and Dudley having a perfectly civil relationship as adults.

Man, I'd love it if he had a magical child though, that never crossed my mind!

QuimReaper

Ahh good, I'm glad!

I agree on the 7th book feeling a bit messy. I have a theory that she didn't come up with the idea of the Deathly Hallows until quite late, and certainly not that the cloak was one of them - I definitely don't think she knew that from the start, anyway. For one thing, Ron recognising it as an invisibility cloak right off the bat isn't consistent with it being a unique object. It was in ingenious plot aid as it allowed so much sneaking around, overhearing conversations, etc. which was needed to progress the plot, and she needed to find a way to get the cloak into Harry's hands, so I think it was just dumb luck that she had Dumbledore say that James left the cloak in his care, and she realised later that she could exploit that detail as a Hallows plot point.

I also think she ran out of steam on the Horcrux hunt a bit. There was so much drama around the hiding place of the locket, with the cave, the potion, the boat, the inferi guard, etc., and then the others were a bit pedestrian. The whole "oh, P.S., Fiendfyre is another way to destroy horcruxes, and oh look, Goyle (or was it Crabbe?) knows how to make it" felt very shoehorned in. And it irritates me every time that Voldemort could think he's the only one who knows about the hiding place in the Room of Requirement. Where the fuck did he think all the other crap in there had come from?! It's so clear that countless thousands of students and teachers had found it!

I think that Voldemort didn’t think that he was the only one who knew about the room of requirement but that no one would be looking for the diadam (?) there among a pile of discarded objects.
His arrogance probably would lead him to believe that no one would look for such a special thing in such a mundane place. Agree with you though, it’s a lot less impressive than the earlier horcruxes!

Dogs true that nobody would find it, but in his internal monologue he says something about how "he alone had plumbed the castle's deepest secrets" or similar, implying that he didn't think anyone else knew about the room. It's possible he thought all the junk that was in there was just generated by the room to better conceal the relevant object, but it's not a risk I'd be taking. The Chamber of Secrets would have been a much better gamble.

(Also Harry says that Riddle thought he was the only one who knew about the room, but it isn't clear how much of that is from his hearing Voldemort's thoughts and how much is conjecture.)

I'm also unconvinced by his putting the cup in the Lestrange's vault in Gringotts. I'm rereading at the moment (if you couldn't tell!) and I'd always remembered it just being in there as a temporary measure, like how Lucius had the diary, but I noticed this time that Harry makes a big deal out of Gringotts being a symbol of the wizarding world, a vault key being a sign of magical status, it being the first thing he would have seen when he first entered the wizarding world (Diagon Alley), etc. It all makes sense, except for him using someone else's vault. I think he'd want one of his own, it doesn't really fit with all the stuff about his being a lone ranger. I know the ancient vaults have the most protection, but I think using someone else's vault would feel like a humiliation.

I like neither Ron nor Ginny! Harry should've married Hermione. Ron could've gotten with Luna, and Ginny with Neville.

Quim I’m with you on using the Lestranges’ vault, if he’d wanted the prestige of an ancient vault, surely Voldy would have just made someone give him theirs or take over one who’s owner had been killed. He doesn’t seem like on to ask to share!

Was fine with Ron and Hermione getting together, but not getting married. She’d have had many better options!

She may have continued in the relationship with him as a result of the trauma of losing all contact with her parents? And as PPs say if he grew up and got over himself he could be a decent SAHD.

I like to think Dudley grew up a lot and I would have liked to see a bit more done there to mend fences. Perhaps well into the future they had a family relationship of sorts? Maybe Dudley's kid was magical?

Oh, I would like to know about Harry and Dudley's future relationship too! That cup of tea moment stuck with me far more than a host of 'big' moments in the last book.

Would love Dudley to grow up to be kind, to see Harry and family, and have DC who were witches or wizards!

And Petunia to dump Vernon and seek to atone for her abusive of Harry and prejudice, perhaps by doing voluntary work on muggle / wizarding relations!

I always imagined that at some point Dudley got back in contact with Harry and they had a big heart to heart where Dudley apologised to Harry for being so mean throughout their childhood, and Harry accepted and they both acknowledged that Dudley was in a way also a victim of Vernon and Petunia.

I think after that they would just have a Christmas card sending relationship. They wouldn't have enough in common to meet up for friendly chats.

Lots of stuff is out there on Pottermore and the Wikia page (which puts it together). If you haven’t seen a cursed child it can be difficult to avoid spoilers though. JKR has address things such as Dudley and Harry

This is why we have fanfiction!
seriously, Ao3.org is the best

I hated the whole epilogue, it was wrapped up far too neatly in a big red bow.

I have to say that Ron and Hermione had the best names for their children.

There's a lot of fanfic stories written by an author called Northumbrian - it's all canon and I think it delves really well into why Ron & Hermione and Harry & Ginny work so well.

Alternatively, Isolation is the best Dramione fic I have ever read and even JK herself has mentioned it. I think the author is Bexchan.

You can find them both on fanfiction.net. There's even some incredible Harry & Hermione fics out there that also make perfect sense. All about which perspective you read it from.

I think Hermione has some self esteem issues relating to being muggle born and teased a lot. She also likes to be the cleverest so being able to Lord over Ron would suit her. Harry would not have suited her to over emotional and doesn't think things through.
Ron also has self esteem issues so having Hermione constantly proving him wrong will eventually wear him down till he snaps and they divorce.
Harry and Ginny work well in my opinion if you are basing it off the books. Ginny is fiesty she doesn't take his nonsense when he is brooding. She stands up for herself and others. Remember she was friends with Luna when others were calling her loony. She is passionate, funny and gives harry the family he always wanted. It makes perfect sense.

Northumbrians fanfics are really good. Completely outing myself as a Potter geek here.

JKR has address things such as Dudley and Harry

I haven't seen Cursed Child yet and want to avoid spoilers, so I tend to avoid places like Pottermore for now.

I was always terrified she would marry Hermione and Harry off. That would have been devastating.

@chinupshouldersback - perfect formulation !!