Friday, September 12, 2014

Relationship Spotlight: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

 
It’s only fitting that this team is the first non-pair to break its way into the relationship spotlight.  Come on, who doesn’t love the trio?  Even when the books occasionally get bogged down by unfortunate plot developments and interminable boy-girl drama, the relationships between these three keep me coming back, and the movie producers won a jackpot with the onscreen chemistry between Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. 
 
They spark from their first moments together on the Hogwarts Express.  Their near-instant union may seem surprising, since they come to the school of witchcraft and wizardry from very different places.  Ron is from what you’d call a culturally-magical “Pure-Blood” family, immersed in the wizarding world from infancy, while Harry – with magical heritage but reared with no knowledge of it by his abusive Muggle relatives – and Muggle-Born Hermione are thrown into this underground world they’ve never seen before. 
 
And yet, when you think about it, there’s one tremendously important similarity between them on that first day:  they’re all desperate to prove themselves.  Harry has only just been introduced to the heroism of his murdered parents, as well as his own fame as the dark-wizard-vanquishing Boy Who Lived.  He’s the most recognizable figure in the society he’s just entered, and with everyone waiting to see if he’ll live up to his promise, he just wants to become a wizard his parents would have been proud of.  Ron, the second-youngest in a big family, has grown up in the shadow of his older brothers, all of whom are known at Hogwarts for their academic achievements, athletic skill, or popularity.  The family legacy weighs heavily on his somewhat insecure shoulders, and he feels immense pressure to pass muster.  And in addition to Hermione’s natural overachieving tendencies, she’s likely done enough preparatory research to at least have an idea that her kind aren’t universally welcome at Hogwarts.  With people like Malfoy looking down on her and spewing bile about “mudbloods,” this very smart girl is out to prove that her genetics don’t determine her magical abilities.
 
So they come together, each bringing different skills and qualities to the table.  From Harry’s relentless bravery to Hermione’s voluminous knowledge to Ron’s fierce loyalty, they work best as a unit, a fact proven every time there’s a temporary falling-out between any of them.  Together, they get more accomplished, defeat larger threats, and even have more fun than they do in pairs or individually (OT3 shippers, insert joke of your choice here.)  It’s a lesson that they unfortunately have to learn more than once, in part because they spend much of the series as temperamental teenagers who get in their own way, and in part because of Harry’s martyr-y tendency set forth alone to protect Ron and Hermione from his dangerous destiny.
 
But that never works for long, because for good or bad, Hermione and Ron have thrown their lots entirely in with Harry.  Despite whatever squabbles or disputes come along, there’s nothing they won’t do in support of him, and when the serious business goes down, they face death by his side with nary a thought.  For seven books and eight movies, they keep each other company, keep each other sane, and keep each other alive.  They’re one another’s sources of strength and hope, at times of aggravation and jealousy, but also of courage and comfort, and above all, of love.  Trio for.  The.  WIN!

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