I am in the league of those who do not believe that the `obvious` Hr/R has to or will happen to resolve the so-called `sexual tension` supposedly governing the Hr/R dynamic to pave the way for H/Hr.

I believe that Hermione`s devotion to and care for Harry clearly shows that she loves (not merely crushing on, attracted to etc) him, and to imagine that she will go into a `relationship` with Ron cheapens all that she feels for Harry and the way her character is portrayed in canon, IMHO.

I don`t really expect any major shipping hints to be dropped during the wedding (if there is one) except for the dissipation of his attraction to Ginny.
I, for one, do expect a `sudden` realization of love on Harry`s part near the end of the book after an intensified-gradual build-up of H/Hr (throughout DH). Emma in `Emma` had a similiar epiphany, and I won`t really consider it bad writing because I think the progression of the H/Hr dynamic from the previous books is more than enough justification for a `sudden` realization.

However, if there is one thing I hope to read in DH, it would be Harry`s `pain` with regard to Hermione and any of her presumed love interest. I want Harry to feel the sort of unrequited love (not the chest monster, jealousies etc connected with his fling with Ginny) that I have always thought Hermione laboured/continue to labour under while he were crushing on other girls.
I am not hoping for an angst-fest, but a few instances here and there would be satisfactory.

All hopes and wishes aside, I have to admit that I am willing to accept whatever way she wrote H/Hr, as long as their enduring dynamic is maintained and they end up together .

Many thanks and cheers (climbing back into lurk-wood).

Uuumm, could you please elaborate further on that Malinda, cuz my first reaction was W- T- F- !

You think as soon as Harry sees Hermione is "available", he's gonna fall in love with her? Or you think he's gonna see some kind of model for a relationship in R/L? Neither seems very plausible...

I think Harry is too daft. He needs to be sledgehammered with R/Hr getting together.

I personally don't think R/L can be an item that early in the book anyways. Yes, there is a strong developing background to them in OOTP/HBP, but Ron is still far far away from getting together with her. Luna's ready, but Ron's not there yet. It would be somewhat abrupt and awkward if it happened that early.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but personally I think that Harry seeing something between R/L would make him question the anvil sized hints he saw for R/Hr. And that could put H/Hr in motion in some ways.

Since I'm one of those who doesn't think that Ron actually fancies Hermione, I doubt Harry needs to be sledgehammered by seeing them together. In my opinion, of course, Ron has shown by both his words and his actions, especially in HBP, that he doesn't fancy her. 'Free agent' 'Going just as friends,' snogging Lavender. That to me, killed any chance of Ron and Hermione being an item. Harry, however, hasn't put that together yet. And I expect it to be a long process before that happens.

Ron has admitted to having Luna grow on him, so he may already be halfway there to liking her, therefore having something happen at the wedding between Ron and Luna might not be such a stretch. I doubt that it would be anything major, but I could possibly see a chaste kiss as she left. If Harry sees that, and sees that Hermione is not bothered by the possibility of Ron and Luna being together, that may start him doubting all of the anvils that he thought he saw. And we certainly know that he is no expert on relationships.

My two sickles worth, anyway

Kayemsi

Yea I can picture him seeing Ron and Luna and going into 'protect Hermione' mode, spending time with her, (maybe knitting! hey a girl can dream right) to help make her feel better, and take her mind off of not ending up romantically with Ron.

Well why didn't he when he thought Ron was with Lavender?
Because maybe he realizes, say at the wedding, that Ron never fancied Hermione, I'm pretty sure he believed, minus ron and hermione's antics that they'd end up togther eventually.

...but then, can't you see Harry beginning to realize how much he likes spending time with Hermione, and how he's jealous of the feelings Hermione might have for Ron...Harry feeling dissatisfied with his new feelings (that he probably misinterprets or doesn't understand) and then Hermione would interepret the ways he's acting around her as missing Ginny. She could question him about Ginny and then bingo--he realizes he's over Ginny and that the new person he feels things for is...

I agree with you. On top of that,before the whole Lavender/canary attack debaucle,Ron was still planning to go to the party with Hermione as friends. A fact Herons like to overlook as they're convinced that Ron only kissed Lavender to make Hermione jealous. I don't think he even saw her at the portrait entrance as it was Harry that glimpsed her first. Notice how he looked startled at the news that she's going with McLaggen,but he doesn't get in her face about it like he did with Krum,if we're to believe he's secretly pinning for her. If he really wanted to go to the party with Hermione as a romantic date,then he should have broken things off with Lavender way before the end of the year.

oh come on!! Ron didn't go out with lav lav because he wanted to make hermy jelous(I wish JK would confrim me ) He was jelous of everybody who had kissed someone.( I wrote this idea here again sorry I don't remember ) I still believe that hermy was crying all trough the book because of HARRY!!!( this idea makes me sigh ) but she used ron's behavior to avoid anything that may damage their 'friendship',because she knows that HARRY can't do anything without her and still HARRY couldn't realise that because he was too busy running after GİNEVRA!! and in no time GİNEVRA becomes the most important character by pushing hermy to the backround and about the 'beam' that hermy gives to harry when he kisses GİNEVRA. well first of all I can say that it was important for HARRY to have hermy's approval because she was the first one he looked after the 'kiss' ( yeah well my whole world crashed and burned in that particular scene and I was lying on the floor unconcious when I read that hermy was beaming) anyway, well I think and I am sure that JK wanted to take our attention to somewhere else by putting won won and GİNEVRA to the scene( and she did a brilliant job ) while she was taking hermy and harry's relationship to a next level secretly and that's why she put all the disturctions on our way to the light because she doesn't like to be predicted easily. BTW note that she always does the opposite thing people think( I mean everybody is sure that it is going to be hermy and won won so this is the reason I didn't start to suffer a breakdown yet )

kay, so i havent contributed to portkey for a very long time, to which i feel very bad.

but i have to say that harry's realizing moment in DH is going to have to do with his mission.

i mean harry has lost so many people in his life and book seven isnt going to be easy at all. so i think when harry is in his rebel state, there will be a phrase like "and at that moment he realized that the only person he wanted to talk to was hermione" or something like that. because she has never let harry down, she always wants the best for him so i think that it will finally hit him.

let me know what you think

I think it's going to come as a gradual but furtive realization to Harry. It'll be a slow process of Harry gradually realizing how much he needs and cares for Hermione, but during the actual process Harry won't really fully recognize how he's come to consciously realize his feelings for Hermione until the very end of his realization process.

The wedding seems like a good opportunity for some nice H/Hr moments and for Harry to question just what he saw in R/Hr, but I doubt everything will be all out on the table so soon and abruptly.

I think Harry will consciously realize his feelings for Hermione toward the latter half of the novel either when the stakes are nearing their highest, or when they are in fact at their peak. Nothing overly dramatic, though. Just a simple realization of how he has slowly come to recognize his feelings for her.

IMO that makes the most sense.

our hero Mr. Harry Potter is just simply clueless ...
I love him but sometimes I wanna throw things toward him LOL
coz he so late to wake up and smell the coffee, I can't believe he never evaluate his relationship with hermione and what he truly feels for her
... always attracted to pretty ladies and sport chicks

in hard way, I think harry could started to see romantic light to his so-called-voice-of-truth ... hermione has another nearly dead experience again (but she must be survived)
in soft way, I guess krum appearance and their talking able to help

Well I don't think he needs to see R/Hr to get a clue. I think once he sees Ron and Hermione aren't getting together as he thought he finally figure stuff out. I hope though that Harry doesn't just suddenly realize how much he loves Hermione. He can come to conclusion that maybe he likes Hermione more than a friend. But towards the end finally come around to realize how truly special she is to him.

I never really thought Ron liked Hermione like that either. He always seemed like a dead honest guy who says whatever is on their mind no matter how rude or insensitve it is. Plus he didn't even try to have a relationship with her in HBP. But thats just my opinion.

hello..

been lurking the threads lately, and just thought id share my piece of mind..

being a H/H shipper since forever, my theory is this..

from reading all 6 books, it already seems as if Ron and Hermione ultimately are going to get together... which makes me sick to my stomach i might add... hehehe..

anyways, thought Harry and Hermione prolly wont get together, i HONESTLY believe that Harry will see SOMETHING in Hermione, whther it be potential gf, or very beautiful girl, more than friends, etc.

Having Harry see Hermione in a whole new light, or admitting (whether it be to himself or out loud) that he loves Hermione is just as good for me...

I disagree. I think it will take Harry seeing his best friend dating the girl he doesn't yet know he's in love with to jog those jealousy juices and get things flowing. I think if he sees R/Hr not together, it will be the same as ever--Hermione the best friend, rather than Hermione the girlfriend.

I'll have to disagree with you here. I think Harry thinks that Ron fancies Hermione, so he has consciously decided not to think about Hermione that way. So when he finds out that Ron DOESN'T fancy Hermione, the blinders will fall off and he'll be able to look at her in a new light.

I agree with you. I would hate to see the jealousy plot. JKR has obviously overused it with Ginny and Cho.

So I'm supposing we Harmonians are saying no to jealousy for the most part... something right over easy.

Harry may be The Chosen One, but he's still a teenage boy. And if its one thing that wakes up a teenage boy, it's jealousy.

YES!! *clings* This is exactly what I'm thinking. Ron and Hermione are FINALLY comfortable in a friendship of their own that doesn't totally revolve around Harry, who might see them behaving in the same sort of comfortable, almost intimate way he has often acted with Hermione in the past -- sharing a look, perhaps a whisper in the ear, or even a close, lingering hug. All Harry has to do is believe that R/Hr are a couple but they don't actually have to be a couple; it's Harry's perceptions that matters. This is another Emma parallel that's already playing out -- just as Emma believed that Mr. Knightly and Harriet were together, Harry believes that Hermione and Ron are together. My memory of EMMA is woefully bad, but didn't Harriet at some point set Emma straight on this? That is what I hope will happen. Remember, Harry and Ron have never really talked about what Hermione means to either of them, because (IMO) doing so would force Harry to realise his feelings much too soon.

If I remember correctly, Mr. Knightley sets the record straight, not Harriet. Emma thinks he's about to tell her that he's in love with Harriet (Emma can't bear to hear it, but decides to listen because she wants him to be happy), but Mr. Knightley confesses his love for Emma. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

You're probably right; as I said my memory of Emma is very rusty. So if DH mirrors Emma this way, Hermione would set Harry straight, and my guess is that it would happen at a very significant moment in the plot -- possibly the reiteration of her "books and cleverness" speach from HP1 -- only this time she finishes the thought.

My memory is hazy as well (has it only been a year since I read Emma last?) but I think we are mixing up two scenes into one. I think there is the scene where Harriet goes on and on about how wonderful Mr. Knightley has been to her, but Emma doesn't know that Harriet is really talking about Mr. Knightley's advice regarding marrying the farmer that works for Mr. Knightley (I can't seem to recall the guy's name). That's when Emma really starts consciously processing her own feelings towards Knightley and decides to suffer in silence. Then Knightley confronts Emma towards the end and Emma assumes it's to tell her about him proposing to Harriet, but instead he confesses that he loves Emma. I also seem to recall there is a brief period between Emma accepting Knightley's proposal and finding out that Harriet doesn't care for Knightly romantically where Emma continues to anguish over the little triangle.

Yes, I think you're right, Ronin. I also remember Emma worrying about Harriet's feelings after she and Knightley got together.

Ronin10, you are right. That farmer guy was called Robert Martin, if i remember correctly. Though i also remember Harriet indeed praising Mr. Knightley's manners towards her in the ball, where he took her hand and was her partner for the dance. Even though Harriet said this briefly and then went on the talk about that farmer, Emma thought all of that was about Harriet's infatuation with Knightley.

It's been just a few months since i last read Emma, still i can't remember everything clearly. Obviously my mind is too busy with a certain wizard boy and his problems (and his first and only problem-solver ).

S.

Martin! That's it. I kept wanting to say Morgan.

I'm going to hope for the scenario that Harry is mistaken on the Ron/Hermione front. Keeping the main character in the dark or making an incorrect conclusion is a classic way for an author to create red herrings.

Harry believes that it is Ron and Hermione. I personally have always believed that Hermione has great self-awareness because of her analytical mind. She knows it is Harry in her book. Perhaps it has always been Harry, which certainly can be seen through her actions. As far as Hermione being happy for Harry and Ginny, I can't tell you the number of girls that I know, who have help the boy they like with another girl.

I can see combinations of everything that all of you have mentioned.

I also think that it could evolve from Harry trying to prepare himself to face Voldemort. He will realize that Snape was right. He will have to learn non-verbal casting and to close his mind. I could see him partnering with Hermione to do this. I could imagine their shocked reactions if they knew what was in the eachother's mind concerning the other.

excellent points to think about

I absolutely agree--

I think the DoM scene is ridiculously important and the fact that Harry's blocked it out makes it even MORE and not less imperative. If the scene was 'over with' and 'upsetting but not shattering' Harry would've brought it up just the same way he thinks of Hermione's CoS time in the hospital wing when he's in St. Mungos. JKR could've had Harry just think of it once, when he thought of the DoM or about Sirius. Again--the fact that it still hasn't been adressed, when he had such a strong reaction to it, cements the scene's future role.

I think we can all take it for granted that with the trio out to get voldemort they're gunna' do everything they can to make sure he doesn't know where they are (and all the hiding places in the world mean nothing if voldie can just tap into harry's subconscious). Occulmency is a GIVEN and Snape reffering to it : 'you'll never get anywhere if you don't keep your mouth shut and your mind closed' (or something like that) validates that Harry's lessons aren't over.

We need to see Harry analyze how important the scene was to him. He needs to talk it out with himself. He needs to talk about why he was the way he was in HBP--and Hermione needs to tell him that nearly dying in the DoM gave her, her HBP personality. They need this talk. Occulmency is the way to begin it. Harry needs to relive that memory and once the talk starts up, or maybe a few hours later, or right when he sees the memory he'll realize that Hermione means the world to him.

your mentioning of the trio here...
has anyone noticed that... JKR never refers to Harry, Ron and Hermione as a "trio"? has anyone wondered why? then relate this to the fact that Hermione well... you know, has been such a big role in Harry's life with her prescence in the most crucial moments of the books.

think about it this way:

H+R+HR= a "tricycle" (or however you spell it)
now take off one of the back wheels of the tricycle (-R), isn't it supposed to stop working?

ok then...

H+HR-R= a "bicycle"

I know what you mean with the bicycle/tricycle analogy (watch someone on the boards though be a triclying champion ) and I've gotta' say (in accordance of course) regardless of whether or not JKR refers to them as a trio, and regardless of their behaviors in HBP that Hermione and Harry have been the center of the book and Ron's been the background. JKR knows that no relationship in the series even compares to what the two of them have together.

Which is why in my 'occulmency scenario' I had him learning with Hermione (it only makes sense after the summoning charm) but also because what emotional moment could he really have with ron if ron saw himself in one of Harry's worst memories (wait, WOULD ron be in one those memories...because I seriously remember him running PAST ron in the DoM)...but Hermione, Hermione's all over the memories, all over his emotions...wouldn't one of the most powerful moments of the book be hermione seeing once and for all how much harry cares for her, because we all know harry's not the type to say it.

But you know that could change.

harry need to experience loosing hermione ...
the song "when you're gone" by avril lavigne really describe what I mean

I really love:
harry's jealousy in the beginning ootp when harry upset because he thought hermione same with lavender, and when he thought how happy ron and hermione together without him
harry's unconscious jealousy to the hermione asking ron to the party so that he broke some bowl or something
... it's not described as obsession jealousy "mosnter-in-chest",
but I wish those above jealousy repeated again in DH becoz I think those jealousy = simple and cute

but maybe any of you have different opinions, I understand that

I'd like to see Harry come to the realization as he observes Bill and Fleur's wedding events. It would be wonderful if Bill tears his shirt or something and Fleur fails to help him, but Hermione repairs Harry's glasses again without even thinking about it. Harry might then begin to recognize how intimate they have always been with each other.

I can imagine, then, that as Harry hears B/F's vows he is struck by how much they apply to his feeling about Hermione. Maybe the vows will cause Harry to remember moments he's had with Hermione. The minister (or whomever performs the ceremony) might include statements in the ceremony (they always include 'words of wisdom in these ceremonies- right?) that trigger Harry's thoughts about Hermione like: you must marry your best friend; you much trust in each other; you must keep each other's council; be together in sickness and health, etc...

I'd prefer that the jealousy angle is not applied to H/Hr because I'd like their love to be somewhat above that, something more....profound. (plus, it's been done already with H/Cho and H/G)... I'm hoping for a deeper connection that transcends anything we've seen before (something akin to the J/L connection maybe).

The truth is (IMO) real love means you never have to be jealous. If you really love someone, you want only their happiness and well being; and, although you'd like to be the one who makes them happy - your primary focus is not on yourself and your desires - it's on your true love and their needs/wants. Further, if you are so lucky as to be loved in return, the faith you have in your beloved should make you feel secure/safe so you never to worry that they would stray. [climbs down from my soapbox]

If Harry truly loves her, seeing Hermione happy with someone else would not inspire jealousy. I believe this is why Hermione is able to be happy for Harry and Ginny. I believe she loves him. I want Harry to discover his love for Hermione early DH. But I don't think he should act on it until the end of the book. I believe that acting on his love for Hermione and learning of her love for him will give him the strength and protection he needs to defeat LV.

I doubt any of it will happen this way - but, it's fun to dream.

Paisley

Well, I still stick on the thought of bieng under a life and death situation for the realisation. So here's my scenario: Our all known trio will be in the battle field with the other order members and hermione will be fighting with dlohov again and he will hit her with a curse and when harry sees this he will be sooo panicked that he will forget about voldie and will carry her to a safer place to take care of her than hermy will be brought to st. mungo's and he will wait night and day without sleep by her side ( because he will think that it his his fault the usual thing ) while he waits for her to wake up he will remember all the things hermy has done and the things they did together than she will wake up and at that priceless moment harry will realise his feelings (or whatever he wants to call it ) but he will push all the toughts to the back of his mind by thinking that she's his best friend and that it was just relief he felt and bla bla... but as the book progresses it will be too difficult for him not to think about the days in st.mungo's ( how romantic it is ) and the feeling or the 'strange'( as he will call them) things he felt as she woke up or as he waited... anyway I think that the realisation part will be when the final duell with voldie comes and I am verry sorry to say that hermy will sacrifice herself for harry or hermy will try to save him but one of the death eaters will sieze her or will hurt her and then he will feel such a powerful force(LOVE ) that he will destroy voldie. after the battle finishes harry will want to know what the power he felt was and I blieve that hermy will bring an explanaiton to him or lupin minerva or dumbledore's portrait but I think DD making the explanaiton is better so that harry can be fully aware of his LOVE for hermy:wub: the rest doesn't interest me as long as it is this way let me know what you think of thid scenario:D

I don`t think they need to 'wake up' exactly. And I certainly don`t want to see another jealousy.

I`ve always thought that all Harry/Hermione need is few days together, just the two of them. You know, send Ron on some errand for couple of days and let them have some fun.

Yeah just send on an errand to find the perfect food he wouldn't be back for days.

Well I don't think Hermione would need a wake up call as much as Harry. How else can you explain him realize how much she does from him. And just to what extend he cares and feels for her.

The jealousy thing has been overused enough in the series. I mean I think HBP was good enough in the jealousy compartment.



I think paisleypi quote sums it up well.

I could come up with thousand different ways how to seperate Ron and H/Hr for few days. I don`t understand what`s your problem with that idea.

As Hermione not needing to 'wake up' I coudn`t disagree more. Sadly the books don`t really show Hermione being already madly in love with Harry Potter.

As Hermione not needing to 'wake up' I coudn`t disagree more. Sadly the books don`t really show Hermione being already madly in love with Harry Potter.

I beg to differ, maybe not the han solo/princess leia type of madly in love, but there are so many of Hermione's actions that show what she feels under the surface...like her coming up with the lie in umbridge's office...some stuff's just irrefutable...

Yes. That`s it. It`s under the surface. In other words, she has to realize something too.

Seriously, this is just not about Harry. It`s about both of them. It`s not like it is his fault and stupidity that they are not couple yet.

Or maybe you think so, but I don`t.

I was agreeing with your statement I was just giving a funny example of what they could of done. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was disagreeing or making fun of your statement. Just Ron.

And I didn't say she wouldn't need it I just said she wouldn't need it as much as Harry. We only have Harry's POV right. So I've noticed his cluelessness with girls (IMHO). Hermione I think is a bit more in tune with her feelings and emotions than Harry. Probably due to different upbringings.

So I hope that clears up my statements.

Ah. I misunderstood your post, then. Sorry.

The problem with Harry is that we don`t really have his POV. We actually see only small fraction of his thoughts. We see that part that JKR wants to see us. And these books are for children, so if you get my point, it isn`t really clear how clueless he really is.

But you are probably right. Hermione is perhaps bit more mature in this regard.

Yes. That`s it. It`s under the surface. In other words, she has to realize something too.

Seriously, this is just not about Harry. It`s about both of them. It`s not like it is his fault and stupidity that they are not couple yet.

Or maybe you think so, but I don`t.

If you're going to make a point you need to actually have something to back it up, like say an example, (maybe from the text?) and not just 'it's not like it is his fault and stupidity that they are not a couple yet'; because from my perspective most of the way Hermione acted in HBP is incomphrehensible without her own knowledge of her feelings for Harry. Take the scene in HBP when Cho gets a mention: Ron's infamous 'i love you' scene. Hermione had no problem mincing words with her two friends at first and while everyone assumes that it's the 'i love you' that silences Hermione for the 20 minutes until she's done correcting ron's homework a more careful eye can see that she stops talking right at the mention of Harry's break up with Cho. It's Harry's relationships that upset her--not Ron's.

And 'under the surface' is not a way of saying she hasn't realized it yet. Characters very rarely, if ever say exactly what they mean; the scenes where they do come out and reveal who they are and what they're thinking are usually those gut-wrenching Casablanca-esq scenes. Subtexting is part of what a writer does, to deny its existence is unacceptable. JKR has shown us that her characters don't say exactly what they mean--i.e. Hermione's describing what Cho's words and actions really meant on their date. And furthermore it's not that it's his fault per say that they're not a couple, but he's the one more inclined to act on his feelings while hermione represses them out of insecurity.

As someone who enjoys writing myself, I agree with most of this. The one thing I'll nitpick is JKR's characters not saying exactly what they mean. In the way the sentence is structured, it implies that none of the characters say exactly what they mean. From what I've read in the books (keep in mind though, that I haven't completely finished the series yet--I'm in the middle of GoF, but I know a lot about the series from fanfiction and these forums), Ron tends to wear his emotions on his sleeve and says exactly what's on his mind most of the time. It's actually part of what bodes so well for us Harmonians, as the two most telling statements about the relationships amongst the Trio come from Ron in regards to his relationship with Hermione--when he tells her that she missed the point when she tells him that he should have asked her to the Yule Ball first, instead of as a last resort, and in HBP when he describes himself as a "free agent" after Hermione asks him to the Slug Club party. Luna can be pretty straight-forward most of the time too, but we haven't seen nearly as much of her, so it's hard to use her as a counter-example.

I know HBP show jealousy is bad thing, but I wish somebody could show me in tv series or movies or in real life that a perfect couple never feel jealous at all ... sorry, really sorry, coz I bet there's no perfect couple exist in this world, the one truly exist is the couple who can be jealous for the third wheel come between but the couple grow up together become better pairing

harry/hermione are soulmates, complete each other and have beautiful relationship, so much better than any pairings in HP world
but harry/hermione also human beings (eventhough just fictional characters),
they have to be realistic
but of course the jealousy will not be the major point which bring them closer, coz I support more the feeling lonely of not having hermione around him is the major one to wake him up

anyway, you all have great talking and discussion about harry's wake up call

IMO those are two of the biggest clues to Ron's actual feelings toward Hermione. Ron is definitely the most WYSIWYG of the trio - what you see is what you get. Ron didn't ask Hermione to the Yule Ball because he didn't want to. He didn't see her as someone ANYONE would ask to the Yule Ball, then when she ended up there with Krum, Ron felt she was consorting with the enemy, he couldn't believe someone as famous as Krum would ask someone like Hermione (i.e. someone not pretty or popular). Ron didn't mind going to Sluggy's party with Hermione until he got the idea that it was a date rather than going as friends. He did NOT want to be her date, but instead of telling her that directly, he showed her that he wasn't interested in her by snogging Lavender very publicly. Agreed that Luna is very direct, but usually not in a way that ticks people off, which Ron does a lot. Ron seems to like her directness as of the end of HBP, or at least he doesn't mind it anymore.

I hope Harry wakes up to his feelings during the book so we're spared R/Hr and eventual H/G.

But I fear it's going to be something very dramatical like in the very end, when Hermione is in danger and then he realizes he loves her.

Maybe it's even Voldemort who shakes him up, like threatening to take away what he loves the most, and he doesn't know what it is, or thinks i's something else (lemme guess...Weasleys?... )until he sees it's Hermione. And then he'll have such a shock and be so desperate.

bah. Just daydreaming...

one thing for sure: harry must experience something HUGE to knock his head and melt his heart ->
for realizing who's his real woman,
the one he needs to be at his side,
the one who can balance and complete him,
his soulmate ...
you all can name who's the girl?
SAY IT !!!

Has Jo discounted the possibility of the Mirror of Erised reappearing? If not, would it be impossible/cheesy for Harry to stumble across the mirror and see himself and Hermione "reflected" in it?

I'd love to see what Harry would see in the Mirror of Erised now that's he's not eleven and vulnerable in spirit

Or even better...what Hermione would see in the Mirror of Erised, especially if Harry was standing right next to her.

Or even better again, if Harry WASN'T standing right next to her... (because then we'd all know that if she saw herself with him [entwined with him, perhaps I should say], it wasn't just a mirror malfunction).

Only problem with that is it would involve a POV shift in the storytelling, and that doesn't happen very often.

I think a lot of it stemmed with the ongoing "competition" between the two (the one that happens mostly in Ron's mind). HIS idol couldn't care less about him, but was fawning all over Hermione. I'm sure it was a massive blow to Ron's ego that, again, he falls short of being as 'good' as Hermione at something.