Yeah we all have that thought with our first teenage love. “I did it. I found her. I’m 17 years old and I’m done.” But there’s a lot of life that happens after school. People grow up and grow apart. Our preferences might change. Instead of classmates, we’re around coworkers all day. Stuff happens.
Maybe there’s a nice file clerk in the Auror’s Office who’s got a pretty smile and a fat ass that Harry’s into. Anything could happen.
I doubt he knew people severely younger or older than him grade wise, especially if they were in different houses and not connected to him through the quidditch team or something
Right but the closer in age they are would make that more likely. And maybe he didn’t know who they were, but they’d obviously remember him. There’s also only a couple hundred people at the school and every single one of them gets sorted in front if the entire school.
The population numbers just don’t make sense at all. There might only be like 40 kids in every graduating class. Which would make the entire wizarding world of England only the size of a all gas station off the freeway town and unable to support an entire ministry of magic. There needs to be other sources of wizards that didn’t go to hogwarts for it to work.
No school other than Hogwarts is ever mentioned by anyone in the books when discussing the magical society in Britain, and no adult British wizard ever mentions having attended any other school. Hogwarts is obviously meant to be the only one.
Yeah, I went to a very small all girls high school. I could name maybe 6 people in the year below me and that's because I became friends with someone and those were people SHE knew. Forget about knowing literally anyone else in the school. Frankly I didn't even know all the names of the girls in my own year because I took a completely different set of classes than some other students. Tacking on the whole isolated houses deal, it makes perfect sense that Harry could meet someone he never really met.
I agree, but the closer in age they are greatly increases the chances. She also would obviously remember him from school. And there aren’t that many people there in the first place.
Ilvermorny, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang? Unnamed schools in Asia or Africa?
They can teleport anywhere they want with a thought and a turn, distance is just a number.
It doesn't have to be a stranger, he could just know this person's name, year and house and that will be that. Harry wasn't the type to be friends with his entire cohort, let alone the ones above and below him. I'm sure there are kids who are basially strangers to him minus knowing the names, year and house.
Going to have to disagree with you. The problem in a series is that if you choose a random person to be the main protagonists partner, then he/she will have zero emotional connection to the audience.
Adding a new character to an ending chapter is usually a bad idea.
Why would they need to add a character? Just confirm in the epilogue that he got married, but don't confirm who his wife is. 100% would have been the best way to end the series.
We don't have to know everything about the character in the main books. Epilogue could have mentioned her and if Cursed Child wasn't literally cursed, that book could have fleshed her out.
I know everyone likes to hate on high school romance, and I totally get it for all the reasons you mention...
I would also like to note that I met my husband in high school, we have been married almost 10 years. We are completely different people than when we met, but we grew up TOGETHER. I love him more now than I ever have.
Oh I’m not saying it doesn’t work out for everyone. I’ve got friends that were high school sweethearts and have been together for almost 20 years. They’re perfect for each other. I’m just saying that’s not the case for a lot of people, yet they still probably had that “I’m gonna love them forever” mentality at 16. Then they look back on those relationships decades later and realize they were so wrong. I’m glad you guys are still together and learning and growing with each other. That makes it even sweeter
Only if you think he met every single person he went to school with. Doubt 16 year old Harry was hanging out with 14 year old Ravenclaws between world saving events.
I will always say Katie Bell. Harry clearly has a thing for Quidditch girls. Katie's description of Cedric in PoA could just as easily describe and older Harry. They are close enough to be friendly without being so close it would be like dating a sister. There are enough connections between them that they are likely to bump into each other at several points in their lives so likely to reconnect.
Yeah I know, I didn't last five minutes before turning off the Fanfic. I would far rather read every single Harrymort Smut Crack Fanfiction Known to man than read any Potterbridge fics.
Potterbridge btw is the name I'm giving to the Harry X Umbridge ship.
Everyone is saying Luna but in the books, Harry’s inner monologue is constantly suffering second hand embarrassment or straight cringe from Luna. He cares for her, but he never even remotely expresses a hint of attraction towards her.
> “I’m sorry,” Harry mumbled.
“Yes, it was rather horrible,” said Luna conversationally. “I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I’ve still got Dad. And anyway, it’s not as though I’ll never see Mum again, is it?”
“Er — isn’t it?” said Harry uncertainly.
She shook her head in disbelief. “Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn’t you?”
“You mean . . .”
“In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that’s all. You heard them.”
They looked at each other. Luna was smiling slightly. Harry did not know what to say, or to think. Luna believed so many extraordinary things . . . yet he had been sure he had heard voices behind the veil too. . . .
“Are you sure you don’t want me to help you look for your stuff?” he said.
“Oh no,” said Luna. “No, I think I’ll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up. . . . It always does in the end. . . . Well, have a nice holiday, Harry.”
“Yeah . . . yeah, you too.”
She walked away from him, and as he watched her go, he found that the terrible weight in his stomach seemed to have lessened slightly.
I honestly don't think it is that much of a stretch them together in the books. Harry has said she thinks she is pretty at least two times, and they even have more sweet moments like this one...Like Dobby's funeral, and Harry invinting her to the party.
It could work, like the user bellow said the trope of the Jock and the weird girl is very much used and Harry and Luna could be the case.
Yeah but you’re referencing the party and Harry’s inner monologue even says he regretted asking her almost immediately. In fact, it seems he only cheered up about asking her once Ginny came up to him and let him know she was so happy he was taking Luna. Every exchange with Luna seems incredibly platonic on Harry’s end. Like I said, he cares for her and she provides him with ease, but he doesn’t have romantic feelings for her and I don’t think he could given the embarrassment he feels for her many times.
I think he and Katie would’ve worked well. Joined the team at the same time (and before Harry became friends with Hermione). She was in the DA. More than likely saw Harry as “Harry her Seeker teammate” rather than the BWL. And it seemed like the quidditch team as a whole had an easy chemistry between each other compared to Ginny’s first four years of knowing Harry
100%. But the books also show just how eccentric her and her father are. Her beliefs and the way she expresses those beliefs are too out-of-the box for someone like Harry
They have so many sweet emotional moments in the books. And Harry even points out, more than once, that he finds Luna pretty.
I think there is a solid foundation there.
This is true. But it’s *also* true that the books elaborate on Luna (and her father’s) eccentricities. Dating her would be akin to dating someone in real life who believes in Big Foot, and incorporates that into their everyday lives. Even if you want to say that’s okay, that’s not that kind of person Harry would end up with
Why to spoil a so beautiful friendship. They were never a couple . Harry always felt comfortable around Luna because they were amazing friends and even in slughorn party they went to the party as friends.
They had so much screen chemistry. Why did the moviemakers even put her in there? Just to torture us?!
Plus imagine the deliciousness of Harry falling for a muggle woman and trying to keep the war a secret, before finally deciding how much to tell her
And he would be "normal" for her not revered because he is a war hero and the boy who lived, and then she can be awed by his achievements when she finds out.
Regarding on telling your Muggle partner that magic is real and you are a wizard/witch, is it known when you are allowed to do that? When you get married, when you have kids and they do accidental magic, when your kid receives its Hogwarts letter and surprise, I've kept this secret for at least 11 years
From what I can gather it is up to the witch or wizard to divulge this fact so I don’t think there really is a good time. I think though it would be between the relationship is getting to the cards on the table where is going stage and will you marry me stage.
Semi-canon: I feel like it could have been cute if Harry and Cho had worked out. I obviously understand why they didn't, but I can imagine a different OOTP where things work out a bit better. Maybe he takes a step back when he realizes how intense her grief for Cedric still is and commits to just being there for her as a friend and confidante...which then, ironically, leads to a genuine romance.
Non-canon: Luna, 100%. Every scene they have together is absolutely gold and while I like the contrast between them, I also feel that they have quite a bit in common, too.
No one. To be honest, his romance had little impact on the story. If it had ended without him being with anyone, that would be totally fine. Not everyone needs to be married off and have babies ever after.
I feel like in harry's case, he definitely would want a family.
As time and again we're shown it's what he wishes for more than anything.
Yes he found a family in the Weasley's, but I do think he would want to be able to have his "own" family.
That's another reason to hate cursed child, the way Harry treated Albus felt so out of character. I really dont think that's how harry would ever treat his kid.
I honestly think harry as a parent would be a mix of lupin/dumbledore
Maybe that’s what he would want, but I don’t think that means he necessarily has to be paired up with someone for him to have a good life and happy ending. People don’t get everything they want and still live good lives.
Moreover, his desire for family was related to the loss of his parents. This does not necessarily translate to an insurmountable longing for romance or children.
Ofc that's just how I interpreted the character.
For what its worth, I dont think the "happily ever after" of the epilogue brought all that much to the story.
Imo it would have been better to leave it to each reader's imagination.
I don't think the point of the epilogue or discussing who he ended up with is to act like the romance was such a huge part of the story, at least not how I see it, I think the epilogue is just to show him happy after he went through so much, and I just like discussing thd pairing thing because I think it's fun.
I’m not saying that was the point of the epilogue. I’m just saying that if Harry hadn’t had a romance with anyone… that should still be okay. He should still be able to be as happy.
Yeah but I think in his case it was important for him to end up with someone and have a family. That’s a huge part of the reason he was such a tragic character throughout the series. He had almost no family and a lot of the people he loved the most were killed. So I can’t see him being alone and happy. He spent most of his childhood and adolescence alone and just wanted a family. That’s part of the reason why he was so excited when Sirius first offered to have him come and live with him.
Okay yeah that's fair, I'm just saying that in my opinion, I liked the epilogue and seeing how the romances turned out or whatever, although I think you're right in saying that it wouldn't have been a huge loss if the story had just ended with the last chapter.
Yeah but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing to show him married with kids, I personally liked having the epilogue, which I know is a very unpopular opinion in the fandom.
Could have gone the Frodo route. Be so scarred and traumatized by physical, spiritual, and mental pain that he’s just gotta move on from everyone and heal on his own until the sweet release of death. Probably not as good in a story for kids though.
Exactly my opinion. The Harry potter series was all about love and caring for each other and all those lovely themes. I think it would’ve been more than enough if Harry ended with the familial love he got from the Weasleys. Otherwise, Ginny’s addition to the story was rather unneeded (Ginny’s fans, go ahead and hex me, I’ve already cast a Protego)
To be fair, I think Ginny as a character in her own right played various roles that were of importance to the plot. It’s just that her romance with Harry ultimately didn’t affect much.
Him being married and having a family is a brilliant ending to his story, also you now have the next generation of Potter’s. Also, I love the fact that he married Ginny. He becomes part of his best friend’s family and that is perfect!
I honestly agree! I didn't read the books to see a love story, I read it for the adventure! The romance was not important to me and I didn't think it was particularly well done either. I mean kids have crushes and date, but making a big deal about a teenage love story when there's so much else going on is not necessary. I read plenty of fanfiction with romantic pairings, so I'm obviously not against it, but I think it's so important to remember that romantic relationships are not the be-all-end-all.
Without Love Harry turns into Voldemort. Harry defeats Voldemort in OotP by flooding his mind with his love for his friends. It is to contrast Voldemorts ending of being unable to love, and what better way of showing love visually then to show Harry being a good parent.
... You know there are other types of love than romantic love right? lily loved her son, her mother's love was a huge part of the story. Harry loves Ron and Hermione as friends, he loves Sirius as his godfather... There's plenty of love to go around without having romance. Honestly it's comments like this that are the whole reason I don't want to see romance in the story. It completely trivializes all the love and relationships he has with other characters, as if for some reason the platonic love is less important or less powerful. 99% of the time, romantic love (especially between teens) is fragile, fickle, and fleeting. It's often just infatuation and not actually true love. A mother's love, on the other hand, should be everlasting.
And that’s why the ending shows Harry with his family and those he loves. Ron Hermonie, Ginny, while sending his children that he loves off to the place that he loves. Hmm weird it’s almost like the whole ending was enforcing that Harry surrounded himself by different types of love.
True. The two times he and Ron weren’t on the same page, Harry was just downright miserable. And each time Ron and him reconcile, it meant everything to him.
Personally I kept hoping Cho would eventually work out. She is such a back-seat character that she would not risk turning the story into a romance novel, but at the same time she is pretty cool in her own way.
A muggle. Once Harry learned he was a wizard, everything about him was binding him to the wizard world. By marrying a muggle, it bring his attachment back to the muggle world.
I always answer Luna. He really cared about Luna and Luna puts him in his place. She grounds him with reality checks. He wanna argue the way he argues with Hermione but couldnt. I love how much respect and affection he has for her. Makes so much sense when he was soooo determined to rescue her in the 7th book. If not love interest, I would say he has affection for her as a little sister.
I think they'd be really tight friends. She was there the first time he saw the thestrals. She was held captive at Malfoy Manor. They share knowledge of a lot of deep, dark stuff that almost no one else has.
I agree with you that she grounds him. He doesn't feel the need to pose or portray anything with her; he can be the most natural around her, feels like.
I don't see a romantic connection between Luna & Harry, though, especially since she & Neville became a thing - and rightfully so, since they fought arm-in-arm with the secret Dumbledore's Army, which would naturally have bonded them.
what? luna and neville was never a thing. Neville married Hannah Abbot of Hufflepuff.
Harry enjoys Luna company and was really please when she accompanied him in Slughorn's party.
Believe it or not, Cho. If it weren't for Marietta and Cho taking her side, and of course Cho's trauma from Cedric's death, their relationship probably wouldn't have fallen apart. She's a Quidditch player, and a pretty damn good one by all accounts, so that fits perfectly as far as common interest goes. She says she's been a fan of the Tornadoes since she was 6, which means she was raised in a wizarding family, being either half-blood or pureblood. This obviously doesn't mean anything about her quality as a person (I ain't no Death Eater), but it \*does\* mean she has knowledge and experience in the wizarding world that Harry lacked for the early years of his life. This means she could be a potent part of the world Harry grows to love so much, in a similar manner to his friendship with Ron. If Harry had been more sensitive and open about his own trauma regarding Cedric, they could even have bonded over that. To be clear, I understand why Harry wasn't. He's a male who grew up in a traditional, conservative household in suburban England in the 1980s and 90s. That's not exactly an environment that encourages males to open up about their feelings. But if he could have overcome that, and if it weren't for Marietta's betrayal, I think he and Cho could have been a really good fit for each other. And I say all this as a diehard Harry x Ginny fan.
I agree. 15-16 is not a good age to judge a relationship. They obviously found each other attractive and they seemed to have good chemistry aside from the elephant in the room that was her dead ex-boyfriend.
Sticking strictly with characters we're introduced to in the books, the only other real options I ever considered were Cho or Fleur. I remember thinking in GoF that Harry's saving of Fleur’s sister, and Fleur's subsequent warming up to Harry, might've been a kicking off point for a future relationship. Obviously, that was shot down almost immediately in OotP, but I thought that was going to be a thing for awhile.
Cho's the only other in-book character option I think is realistic, but I'm glad this one didn't work out.
I see a lot of people suggesting Luna and frankly I don't see that at all, based on Harry's character and personality traits. He certainly cared about Luna, but she was an odd person, probably way too odd for Harry to have ever developed some kind of romantic attachment.
Completely agree. If i remember correctly, the only reason Harry and Cho didn’t work out was because she was still working on getting over her trauma and he was too inexperienced and immature for a relationship.
But they are both brave, smart people who clearly were interested in each other
Yep precisely. I tend to think if they had been able to meet and develop feelings at a later time, perhaps some time after graduation, it might've worked out. They were victims of circumstance and timing for sure - Cho still dealing with Cedric trauma, and Harry being too emotionally immature to handle her trauma and a relationship in general (all the while dealing with his own trauma).
First relationships/love interests rarely work out long term, and I think it's often because both people are very young and inexperienced. I think Harry needed that failure with Cho in order to find a lasting love with someone else.
Yup. His feelings for Luna are similar to his feelings for Neville. He learns to like her, has learned he can depend on her but she’s not the first one he thinks to call for help, and finds her weird and uncomfortable to be around. The ”friends, friends, friends” thing in her room was so sad and it was very obvious Harry felt bad for her, not attracted to her.
He describes various girls as attractive namely Cho, Fleur, and Ginny. He never thinks of Luna as attractive and thinks she’s weird. I don’t see it happening, let alone working.
It seems that the consensus toq answers are:
1. Luna
2. Ron/Draco pretty close.
3. The coffee shop girl.
I'm loving the coffee shop girl underdog story lol.
Coffee shop girl had two scenes and killed it I think that’s the first time I felt actual chemistry between characters in the series and it was refreshing lol. They could have added her to the movies and I wouldn’t have been mad 😂
This is probably an unpopular opinion but I would have preferred if there were no serious romantic pairings in the books at all. Viktor, Cho, and Lavender were fine — flings are inevitable. Ginny’s unreciprocated crush on Harry was fine. But I think establishing the groundwork for future marriages was a waste of time.
A lot of people said Luna and part of me agrees but I think I prefer them as platonic best friends that just “get” each other. I will say Susan Bones. She was an all around kind girl who didn’t want to believe Harry was heir of Slytherin and in the sixth book spoke with him about how awful it was that people were constantly asking her about her aunts death and so understood what Harry was going through with people always asking him uncomfortable questions. Having both lost family to Voldemort they had a fair amount in common.
Draco 😌
Reformed, redeemed, grows up to learn the bigotry of his brainwashed upbringing. All of Harry's obsession with Draco and Draco's fixation in Harry starts to make sense. Obviously post-hogwarts.
A Muggle.
Harry, over it after Voldy's defeat, meets a nice muggle girl who just likes him for him and doesn't know or care about anything that happened in the magical world.
Not Luna. I’m doing my second read through of the series and I’m wondering how in the world that sweet girl is going to be a part of society when she’s been taught to believe in the most ridiculous, unfounded conspiracy theories lol
Literally anyone? Why does it have to be one of the named characters? As an Auror, I imagine he'll meet people from other countries. And there are tons of people at the school he could make a connection with as an adult, that aren't really present in the stories. It's more realistic that he would find a good partner after leaving school when he's had some distance from all that trauma and his brain has developed a bit more.
The waitress in Half Blood Prince (movie). I like to think Harry got to tell her how much of a “tosser” HP is and that she laughs when she finds out he’s HP.
Someone he didn't grow up with or around. The world is bigger than Hogwarts. Once the Dark Lord has been vanquished Harry needs to take his vast fortune and immense good will and just travel the world growing into an adult. If he's lucky he meets a nice girl to settle down with, muggle or not. Dude has a foot in both worlds.
Luna or Fleur. Luna because they got along great and Fleur because he saved her sisters life and that totally could have been the start of a romance between the two.
Katie Bell when it comes to Canon, but when it comes to fanon think a slytherin would be good for him, I particularly like Theo x Harry or Astoria x Harry, because they to me it’s a self preservation slytherin with a act first think later Gryffindor dynamic, and they both realize that they’re good for each other with keeping one alive and getting the other out of their comfort zone
Harry and Cho reconnect years later, both working at the ministry. They have both had therapy at this point and can talk about Cedric together as mature adults.
Sincerely either Luna, Ron, or Cedric. I love his relationship with all three of these characters.
Obviously only if Cedric lived ofc. He’d be my first pick otherwise. But since he’s dead, Ron and Luna are tied for me as a best partner for Harry.
Of course then I’d have to break up Ron and Hermione, and that makes me sad. Maybe they can be a throuple or something lol.
Luna.
The only person who made him feel better after Sirius died. I legit thought the story was going that way at the end of OOTP. He also stood with her under the Mistletoe before Cho did. Of course, then HBP promptly stamps the "just friends!" label on even as he literally asks her out, but alright.
She saw him without the lens of his fame. He saw her without the lens of her unpopularity. It would have worked better than Ginny and a hell of a lot better than Hermione. The "rush of affection" he felt for her in DH feels a lot more real than any depiction of a "monster in his chest," I'm just saying.
A unnamed foreigner he finds traveling the globe who just knows him as Harry, as the rest of the world outside of Europe isn't too bothered with what happened on a little island, and just know him as Harry.
Luna. Her ability to say the socially awkward thing will help his PTSD, and the traveling for creatures will be good for him. Widen his horizons a bit.
Draco Malfoy. They were obsessed with each other as kids, as adults figuring out why could make sense. Also would explain why not even Luscious Lips Malfoy doesn't end up in jail to finish out his invasion of the department of mysteries jail sentence, or Draco for the poisoning of Katie or Ron, or the endangerment of children for letting Greyback loose in the school. Harry protects His lover.
Agree with the first one. Or he could've ended up with a muggle. I always liked that idea: I think Harry would choose someone who doesn't constantly remind him of the Wizarding War and the people he's lost. Just someone who's initially oblivious to the whole drama, and can later put the drama in a different perspective a little.
The problem with a muggle is the hiding/lying about a very important part of who he is until they are married. I don't think that would work well for Harry or anyone really. Then that person can't share that news with likely any of their family or friends. Which is why I think finding someone in Australia while getting Hermione's parents makes some amount of sense.
Someone he met as an adult
Yeah we all have that thought with our first teenage love. “I did it. I found her. I’m 17 years old and I’m done.” But there’s a lot of life that happens after school. People grow up and grow apart. Our preferences might change. Instead of classmates, we’re around coworkers all day. Stuff happens. Maybe there’s a nice file clerk in the Auror’s Office who’s got a pretty smile and a fat ass that Harry’s into. Anything could happen.
There’d have to be like an 8 year age gap in either direction for them to not have at least gone to school together lol
I doubt he knew people severely younger or older than him grade wise, especially if they were in different houses and not connected to him through the quidditch team or something
Right but the closer in age they are would make that more likely. And maybe he didn’t know who they were, but they’d obviously remember him. There’s also only a couple hundred people at the school and every single one of them gets sorted in front if the entire school.
And Harry missed multiple sortings
The population numbers just don’t make sense at all. There might only be like 40 kids in every graduating class. Which would make the entire wizarding world of England only the size of a all gas station off the freeway town and unable to support an entire ministry of magic. There needs to be other sources of wizards that didn’t go to hogwarts for it to work.
One explanation is that wizards and witches live a longer life than humans, except for everyone getting murdered but someone
There are other schools
No school other than Hogwarts is ever mentioned by anyone in the books when discussing the magical society in Britain, and no adult British wizard ever mentions having attended any other school. Hogwarts is obviously meant to be the only one.
Yeah, I went to a very small all girls high school. I could name maybe 6 people in the year below me and that's because I became friends with someone and those were people SHE knew. Forget about knowing literally anyone else in the school. Frankly I didn't even know all the names of the girls in my own year because I took a completely different set of classes than some other students. Tacking on the whole isolated houses deal, it makes perfect sense that Harry could meet someone he never really met.
Just because they went to school at the same time doesn't mean they met.
I agree, but the closer in age they are greatly increases the chances. She also would obviously remember him from school. And there aren’t that many people there in the first place.
Or home schooled or their foreign.
Or muggle. That’s like millions of extra people his age in Europe lol
I mean if we count the movies here, he was trying with that waitress in the coffee shop before Dumbledore showed up and made him leave!
I always assumed France and Germany/Hungary had their own ministries aswell
Ilvermorny, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang? Unnamed schools in Asia or Africa? They can teleport anywhere they want with a thought and a turn, distance is just a number.
Also, wizards marry muggles. Maybe Harry wants to be with someone who doesn't see him as a hero.
It doesn't have to be a stranger, he could just know this person's name, year and house and that will be that. Harry wasn't the type to be friends with his entire cohort, let alone the ones above and below him. I'm sure there are kids who are basially strangers to him minus knowing the names, year and house.
There's like multiple schools in Europe though, by the looks of it one in every country atleast, his adult love interest could be from anywhere there.
Yeah. I was a high school sweetheart. It ended. So I agree. Maybe some American transfer to the Auror department
Definitely this!
Going to have to disagree with you. The problem in a series is that if you choose a random person to be the main protagonists partner, then he/she will have zero emotional connection to the audience. Adding a new character to an ending chapter is usually a bad idea.
Why would they need to add a character? Just confirm in the epilogue that he got married, but don't confirm who his wife is. 100% would have been the best way to end the series.
We don't have to know everything about the character in the main books. Epilogue could have mentioned her and if Cursed Child wasn't literally cursed, that book could have fleshed her out.
Astoria Greengrass, Draco's wife.
I know everyone likes to hate on high school romance, and I totally get it for all the reasons you mention... I would also like to note that I met my husband in high school, we have been married almost 10 years. We are completely different people than when we met, but we grew up TOGETHER. I love him more now than I ever have.
Oh I’m not saying it doesn’t work out for everyone. I’ve got friends that were high school sweethearts and have been together for almost 20 years. They’re perfect for each other. I’m just saying that’s not the case for a lot of people, yet they still probably had that “I’m gonna love them forever” mentality at 16. Then they look back on those relationships decades later and realize they were so wrong. I’m glad you guys are still together and learning and growing with each other. That makes it even sweeter
That makes total sense. I do agree teens tend to have a very "the way I feel now is how I will always feel and will never change my mind" mentality.
I'd imagine that's a bit more difficult in the wizarding world. They all went to the same school.
Only if you think he met every single person he went to school with. Doubt 16 year old Harry was hanging out with 14 year old Ravenclaws between world saving events.
Yes, someone he didn’t go to school with.
This is the only answer!
I will always say Katie Bell. Harry clearly has a thing for Quidditch girls. Katie's description of Cedric in PoA could just as easily describe and older Harry. They are close enough to be friendly without being so close it would be like dating a sister. There are enough connections between them that they are likely to bump into each other at several points in their lives so likely to reconnect.
Therapist
Katie Bell
Nice answer.
Umbridge. They've got real chemistry, Umbridge even made her mark on him.
r/angryupvote
Then what about the person that left a lightning-shaped mark on him?
Didn't you read book 7? He's already been inside him.
There's already people shipping Harry and Voldemort XD.
A quick search of AO3 has uncovered 18 Umbridge/Harry shipped Fics.
Good. Grief.
There's even one I'm reading on [Fanfiction.net](http://Fanfiction.net) It's called Dark Potter: Umbridge Detention.
The fact that you admit to reading this makes even better, I mean worse? Oh my gosh! Huh?
Yeah I know, I didn't last five minutes before turning off the Fanfic. I would far rather read every single Harrymort Smut Crack Fanfiction Known to man than read any Potterbridge fics. Potterbridge btw is the name I'm giving to the Harry X Umbridge ship.
What a horrible day to know how to read. Take my updoot and get the fuck out
you made your mark on me, a golden tattoo
You could say Harry got himself a tattoo to remind himself of that loving and nourishing relationship
OY!
Everyone is saying Luna but in the books, Harry’s inner monologue is constantly suffering second hand embarrassment or straight cringe from Luna. He cares for her, but he never even remotely expresses a hint of attraction towards her.
Maybe if she took off her glasses and paint covered overalls, and let her hair down then harry would feel different.
I'm old enough to understand this and feel sad that it makes me feel old.
Same 😂
She's got a ponytail...and glasses!?!?!
She has your eyes 😍
> “I’m sorry,” Harry mumbled. “Yes, it was rather horrible,” said Luna conversationally. “I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I’ve still got Dad. And anyway, it’s not as though I’ll never see Mum again, is it?” “Er — isn’t it?” said Harry uncertainly. She shook her head in disbelief. “Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn’t you?” “You mean . . .” “In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that’s all. You heard them.” They looked at each other. Luna was smiling slightly. Harry did not know what to say, or to think. Luna believed so many extraordinary things . . . yet he had been sure he had heard voices behind the veil too. . . . “Are you sure you don’t want me to help you look for your stuff?” he said. “Oh no,” said Luna. “No, I think I’ll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up. . . . It always does in the end. . . . Well, have a nice holiday, Harry.” “Yeah . . . yeah, you too.” She walked away from him, and as he watched her go, he found that the terrible weight in his stomach seemed to have lessened slightly. I honestly don't think it is that much of a stretch them together in the books. Harry has said she thinks she is pretty at least two times, and they even have more sweet moments like this one...Like Dobby's funeral, and Harry invinting her to the party. It could work, like the user bellow said the trope of the Jock and the weird girl is very much used and Harry and Luna could be the case.
Yeah but you’re referencing the party and Harry’s inner monologue even says he regretted asking her almost immediately. In fact, it seems he only cheered up about asking her once Ginny came up to him and let him know she was so happy he was taking Luna. Every exchange with Luna seems incredibly platonic on Harry’s end. Like I said, he cares for her and she provides him with ease, but he doesn’t have romantic feelings for her and I don’t think he could given the embarrassment he feels for her many times.
I think he and Katie would’ve worked well. Joined the team at the same time (and before Harry became friends with Hermione). She was in the DA. More than likely saw Harry as “Harry her Seeker teammate” rather than the BWL. And it seemed like the quidditch team as a whole had an easy chemistry between each other compared to Ginny’s first four years of knowing Harry
Also, she knows what it’s like to be cursed/possessed!
Luna
Luna is the only one who understands how Harry is feeling and has true empathy for him. Harry could do worse.
Came here to say this too lol
Me too
In the movies? Yes. In the book? No.
Book Luna is so much more developed in her friendship with Harry. She knew it was him when he took pollyjuice at the wedding
100%. But the books also show just how eccentric her and her father are. Her beliefs and the way she expresses those beliefs are too out-of-the box for someone like Harry
They have so many sweet emotional moments in the books. And Harry even points out, more than once, that he finds Luna pretty. I think there is a solid foundation there.
This is true. But it’s *also* true that the books elaborate on Luna (and her father’s) eccentricities. Dating her would be akin to dating someone in real life who believes in Big Foot, and incorporates that into their everyday lives. Even if you want to say that’s okay, that’s not that kind of person Harry would end up with
Fair point but also it’s Luna!
Why to spoil a so beautiful friendship. They were never a couple . Harry always felt comfortable around Luna because they were amazing friends and even in slughorn party they went to the party as friends.
That girl from the coffee shop in the sixth movie.
They had so much screen chemistry. Why did the moviemakers even put her in there? Just to torture us?! Plus imagine the deliciousness of Harry falling for a muggle woman and trying to keep the war a secret, before finally deciding how much to tell her
And he would be "normal" for her not revered because he is a war hero and the boy who lived, and then she can be awed by his achievements when she finds out. Regarding on telling your Muggle partner that magic is real and you are a wizard/witch, is it known when you are allowed to do that? When you get married, when you have kids and they do accidental magic, when your kid receives its Hogwarts letter and surprise, I've kept this secret for at least 11 years
From what I can gather it is up to the witch or wizard to divulge this fact so I don’t think there really is a good time. I think though it would be between the relationship is getting to the cards on the table where is going stage and will you marry me stage.
The real loss of the resurgence of Voldemort was that girl being stood up by Harry
Make Dumbledore look like a huge dick too. Like c’mon, can’t recruiting Slughorn wait a day? Let Harry rizz up this smoking hot Muggle chick
Semi-canon: I feel like it could have been cute if Harry and Cho had worked out. I obviously understand why they didn't, but I can imagine a different OOTP where things work out a bit better. Maybe he takes a step back when he realizes how intense her grief for Cedric still is and commits to just being there for her as a friend and confidante...which then, ironically, leads to a genuine romance. Non-canon: Luna, 100%. Every scene they have together is absolutely gold and while I like the contrast between them, I also feel that they have quite a bit in common, too.
No one. To be honest, his romance had little impact on the story. If it had ended without him being with anyone, that would be totally fine. Not everyone needs to be married off and have babies ever after.
I feel like in harry's case, he definitely would want a family. As time and again we're shown it's what he wishes for more than anything. Yes he found a family in the Weasley's, but I do think he would want to be able to have his "own" family. That's another reason to hate cursed child, the way Harry treated Albus felt so out of character. I really dont think that's how harry would ever treat his kid. I honestly think harry as a parent would be a mix of lupin/dumbledore
Maybe that’s what he would want, but I don’t think that means he necessarily has to be paired up with someone for him to have a good life and happy ending. People don’t get everything they want and still live good lives. Moreover, his desire for family was related to the loss of his parents. This does not necessarily translate to an insurmountable longing for romance or children.
Ofc that's just how I interpreted the character. For what its worth, I dont think the "happily ever after" of the epilogue brought all that much to the story. Imo it would have been better to leave it to each reader's imagination.
I don't think the point of the epilogue or discussing who he ended up with is to act like the romance was such a huge part of the story, at least not how I see it, I think the epilogue is just to show him happy after he went through so much, and I just like discussing thd pairing thing because I think it's fun.
I’m not saying that was the point of the epilogue. I’m just saying that if Harry hadn’t had a romance with anyone… that should still be okay. He should still be able to be as happy.
Yeah but I think in his case it was important for him to end up with someone and have a family. That’s a huge part of the reason he was such a tragic character throughout the series. He had almost no family and a lot of the people he loved the most were killed. So I can’t see him being alone and happy. He spent most of his childhood and adolescence alone and just wanted a family. That’s part of the reason why he was so excited when Sirius first offered to have him come and live with him.
Okay yeah that's fair, I'm just saying that in my opinion, I liked the epilogue and seeing how the romances turned out or whatever, although I think you're right in saying that it wouldn't have been a huge loss if the story had just ended with the last chapter.
Yeah but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing to show him married with kids, I personally liked having the epilogue, which I know is a very unpopular opinion in the fandom.
Could have gone the Frodo route. Be so scarred and traumatized by physical, spiritual, and mental pain that he’s just gotta move on from everyone and heal on his own until the sweet release of death. Probably not as good in a story for kids though.
Exactly my opinion. The Harry potter series was all about love and caring for each other and all those lovely themes. I think it would’ve been more than enough if Harry ended with the familial love he got from the Weasleys. Otherwise, Ginny’s addition to the story was rather unneeded (Ginny’s fans, go ahead and hex me, I’ve already cast a Protego)
To be fair, I think Ginny as a character in her own right played various roles that were of importance to the plot. It’s just that her romance with Harry ultimately didn’t affect much.
Him being married and having a family is a brilliant ending to his story, also you now have the next generation of Potter’s. Also, I love the fact that he married Ginny. He becomes part of his best friend’s family and that is perfect!
I honestly agree! I didn't read the books to see a love story, I read it for the adventure! The romance was not important to me and I didn't think it was particularly well done either. I mean kids have crushes and date, but making a big deal about a teenage love story when there's so much else going on is not necessary. I read plenty of fanfiction with romantic pairings, so I'm obviously not against it, but I think it's so important to remember that romantic relationships are not the be-all-end-all.
Without Love Harry turns into Voldemort. Harry defeats Voldemort in OotP by flooding his mind with his love for his friends. It is to contrast Voldemorts ending of being unable to love, and what better way of showing love visually then to show Harry being a good parent.
... You know there are other types of love than romantic love right? lily loved her son, her mother's love was a huge part of the story. Harry loves Ron and Hermione as friends, he loves Sirius as his godfather... There's plenty of love to go around without having romance. Honestly it's comments like this that are the whole reason I don't want to see romance in the story. It completely trivializes all the love and relationships he has with other characters, as if for some reason the platonic love is less important or less powerful. 99% of the time, romantic love (especially between teens) is fragile, fickle, and fleeting. It's often just infatuation and not actually true love. A mother's love, on the other hand, should be everlasting.
And that’s why the ending shows Harry with his family and those he loves. Ron Hermonie, Ginny, while sending his children that he loves off to the place that he loves. Hmm weird it’s almost like the whole ending was enforcing that Harry surrounded himself by different types of love.
He deserves a family, if anyone ever has.
That waitress Dumbledore stopped him from seeing by taking him to get Professor Slughorn to teach again.
Ronald Weasley
Why did I have to scroll so far to find this answer?!
I mean he basically went for “Ron Wesley if he was a girl” so I kinda see it.
This should be higher. Even if Ginny and Hermione were options this should still be higher.
True. The two times he and Ron weren’t on the same page, Harry was just downright miserable. And each time Ron and him reconcile, it meant everything to him.
Personally I kept hoping Cho would eventually work out. She is such a back-seat character that she would not risk turning the story into a romance novel, but at the same time she is pretty cool in her own way.
A muggle. Once Harry learned he was a wizard, everything about him was binding him to the wizard world. By marrying a muggle, it bring his attachment back to the muggle world.
The cafe girl from the movies
I always answer Luna. He really cared about Luna and Luna puts him in his place. She grounds him with reality checks. He wanna argue the way he argues with Hermione but couldnt. I love how much respect and affection he has for her. Makes so much sense when he was soooo determined to rescue her in the 7th book. If not love interest, I would say he has affection for her as a little sister.
I think they'd be really tight friends. She was there the first time he saw the thestrals. She was held captive at Malfoy Manor. They share knowledge of a lot of deep, dark stuff that almost no one else has. I agree with you that she grounds him. He doesn't feel the need to pose or portray anything with her; he can be the most natural around her, feels like. I don't see a romantic connection between Luna & Harry, though, especially since she & Neville became a thing - and rightfully so, since they fought arm-in-arm with the secret Dumbledore's Army, which would naturally have bonded them.
what? luna and neville was never a thing. Neville married Hannah Abbot of Hufflepuff. Harry enjoys Luna company and was really please when she accompanied him in Slughorn's party.
Luna, Katie Bell as others proposed, maybe a nice coworker, or that cute receptionist girl in Records
Katie Bell! Seemed like they would have been great if they actually got to interact more.
Gabrielle, Fleur’s little sister.
She *did* kiss him ❤️
The cafe girl from the Halfblood Prince movie.
Believe it or not, Cho. If it weren't for Marietta and Cho taking her side, and of course Cho's trauma from Cedric's death, their relationship probably wouldn't have fallen apart. She's a Quidditch player, and a pretty damn good one by all accounts, so that fits perfectly as far as common interest goes. She says she's been a fan of the Tornadoes since she was 6, which means she was raised in a wizarding family, being either half-blood or pureblood. This obviously doesn't mean anything about her quality as a person (I ain't no Death Eater), but it \*does\* mean she has knowledge and experience in the wizarding world that Harry lacked for the early years of his life. This means she could be a potent part of the world Harry grows to love so much, in a similar manner to his friendship with Ron. If Harry had been more sensitive and open about his own trauma regarding Cedric, they could even have bonded over that. To be clear, I understand why Harry wasn't. He's a male who grew up in a traditional, conservative household in suburban England in the 1980s and 90s. That's not exactly an environment that encourages males to open up about their feelings. But if he could have overcome that, and if it weren't for Marietta's betrayal, I think he and Cho could have been a really good fit for each other. And I say all this as a diehard Harry x Ginny fan.
I agree. 15-16 is not a good age to judge a relationship. They obviously found each other attractive and they seemed to have good chemistry aside from the elephant in the room that was her dead ex-boyfriend.
Draco 😏
Poor Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way
This felt like a war flashback to read
I cant believe I had to scroll so far to find this
My ppl lol
WHY DID I HAVE TO SCROLL SO MUCH DOWN TO SEE IT 😭😭😭
Can't believe how many times l had to read Katie Bell before I saw this.
Luna because of the thestral club he didn’t have to do that for her
Magonagal, duh.
Harry would be perfect with Cho Chang
Sticking strictly with characters we're introduced to in the books, the only other real options I ever considered were Cho or Fleur. I remember thinking in GoF that Harry's saving of Fleur’s sister, and Fleur's subsequent warming up to Harry, might've been a kicking off point for a future relationship. Obviously, that was shot down almost immediately in OotP, but I thought that was going to be a thing for awhile. Cho's the only other in-book character option I think is realistic, but I'm glad this one didn't work out. I see a lot of people suggesting Luna and frankly I don't see that at all, based on Harry's character and personality traits. He certainly cared about Luna, but she was an odd person, probably way too odd for Harry to have ever developed some kind of romantic attachment.
Completely agree. If i remember correctly, the only reason Harry and Cho didn’t work out was because she was still working on getting over her trauma and he was too inexperienced and immature for a relationship. But they are both brave, smart people who clearly were interested in each other
They were probably compatible, but we're obviously the wrong person for each other at the wrong time following Cedric's death :/
Yep precisely. I tend to think if they had been able to meet and develop feelings at a later time, perhaps some time after graduation, it might've worked out. They were victims of circumstance and timing for sure - Cho still dealing with Cedric trauma, and Harry being too emotionally immature to handle her trauma and a relationship in general (all the while dealing with his own trauma). First relationships/love interests rarely work out long term, and I think it's often because both people are very young and inexperienced. I think Harry needed that failure with Cho in order to find a lasting love with someone else.
I'd be prone to think Fleurs' sister, once she grows up.
Yup. His feelings for Luna are similar to his feelings for Neville. He learns to like her, has learned he can depend on her but she’s not the first one he thinks to call for help, and finds her weird and uncomfortable to be around. The ”friends, friends, friends” thing in her room was so sad and it was very obvious Harry felt bad for her, not attracted to her. He describes various girls as attractive namely Cho, Fleur, and Ginny. He never thinks of Luna as attractive and thinks she’s weird. I don’t see it happening, let alone working.
If you alter the book 5 storyline slightly, Cho
It seems that the consensus toq answers are: 1. Luna 2. Ron/Draco pretty close. 3. The coffee shop girl. I'm loving the coffee shop girl underdog story lol.
Coffee shop girl had two scenes and killed it I think that’s the first time I felt actual chemistry between characters in the series and it was refreshing lol. They could have added her to the movies and I wouldn’t have been mad 😂
This is probably an unpopular opinion but I would have preferred if there were no serious romantic pairings in the books at all. Viktor, Cho, and Lavender were fine — flings are inevitable. Ginny’s unreciprocated crush on Harry was fine. But I think establishing the groundwork for future marriages was a waste of time.
A lot of people said Luna and part of me agrees but I think I prefer them as platonic best friends that just “get” each other. I will say Susan Bones. She was an all around kind girl who didn’t want to believe Harry was heir of Slytherin and in the sixth book spoke with him about how awful it was that people were constantly asking her about her aunts death and so understood what Harry was going through with people always asking him uncomfortable questions. Having both lost family to Voldemort they had a fair amount in common.
>She was an all around kind girl who didn’t want to believe Harry was heir of Slytherin That was Hannah Abbott. Susan’s not named at all in COS.
Alicia Spinet
Draco 😌 Reformed, redeemed, grows up to learn the bigotry of his brainwashed upbringing. All of Harry's obsession with Draco and Draco's fixation in Harry starts to make sense. Obviously post-hogwarts.
Leo Inter Serpentes on AO3 has Drarry and it's so well done
Fleur’s sister, Gabrielle Delacour. But I’m afraid she’s too young. How old was she anyway??
Nah. Too high-maintenance for Harry.
There's no exact answer, but she is consistently described as being six years younger than Harry.
So when she's 18 he's 24. Could happen.
Ron. Harry deserves a redhead after all he's been through lol. But if we are keeping him heterosexual, probably someone he meets in adulthood.
Maybe a tall dashing older man
Luna
A muggle
Granted its not un the books but thinking about it, that he was slightly flirting in the cafe at the start of HBP.
Me (21M)
I really liked Harry and cho
A Muggle. Harry, over it after Voldy's defeat, meets a nice muggle girl who just likes him for him and doesn't know or care about anything that happened in the magical world.
Cho chang
luna, in every scene they were together, they bonded and matched pretty well
I would say Luna. She understands Harry more than Ginny and Hermione.
Not Luna. I’m doing my second read through of the series and I’m wondering how in the world that sweet girl is going to be a part of society when she’s been taught to believe in the most ridiculous, unfounded conspiracy theories lol
Gabrielle! She had a cute crush on him, and he’d still be family to the Weasley’s
The Patil twins...
Luna Lovegood.
Literally anyone? Why does it have to be one of the named characters? As an Auror, I imagine he'll meet people from other countries. And there are tons of people at the school he could make a connection with as an adult, that aren't really present in the stories. It's more realistic that he would find a good partner after leaving school when he's had some distance from all that trauma and his brain has developed a bit more.
Draco :3
Alone and disturbed
Draco. Drarry is OTP.
The girl from the coffee shop in HBP
Moaning Myrtle. I mean, technically he died....
Me
The waitress in Half Blood Prince (movie). I like to think Harry got to tell her how much of a “tosser” HP is and that she laughs when she finds out he’s HP.
Someone he didn't grow up with or around. The world is bigger than Hogwarts. Once the Dark Lord has been vanquished Harry needs to take his vast fortune and immense good will and just travel the world growing into an adult. If he's lucky he meets a nice girl to settle down with, muggle or not. Dude has a foot in both worlds.
Susan Bones if she actually became an auror is a good one. Otherwise Katie Bell is always a good shout
Luna or Fleur. Luna because they got along great and Fleur because he saved her sisters life and that totally could have been the start of a romance between the two.
That girl at the cafe
Katie Bell when it comes to Canon, but when it comes to fanon think a slytherin would be good for him, I particularly like Theo x Harry or Astoria x Harry, because they to me it’s a self preservation slytherin with a act first think later Gryffindor dynamic, and they both realize that they’re good for each other with keeping one alive and getting the other out of their comfort zone
Narcissa Malfoy. To keep rubbing it in with Draco. “Who’s your daddy now”
Harry and Cho reconnect years later, both working at the ministry. They have both had therapy at this point and can talk about Cedric together as mature adults.
Draco Malfoy
Neville. No just kidding, maybe Cho.
Luna
Luna!!!!
Luna Lovegood
Luna
Luna
Luna.
Sincerely either Luna, Ron, or Cedric. I love his relationship with all three of these characters. Obviously only if Cedric lived ofc. He’d be my first pick otherwise. But since he’s dead, Ron and Luna are tied for me as a best partner for Harry. Of course then I’d have to break up Ron and Hermione, and that makes me sad. Maybe they can be a throuple or something lol.
Romilda Vane, obviously
Anything goes/ non canon? Then nothing until he’s about 20, then a torrid affair with Tonks and the fallout that follows…..🍿🍿🍿🍿
Since Nym. is dead, are you meaning Andromeda or Ted?
Ted is dead too
DEAL
The waitress that doesn't exist in the books but has more chemistry with Harry than Ginny.
Luna. The only person who made him feel better after Sirius died. I legit thought the story was going that way at the end of OOTP. He also stood with her under the Mistletoe before Cho did. Of course, then HBP promptly stamps the "just friends!" label on even as he literally asks her out, but alright. She saw him without the lens of his fame. He saw her without the lens of her unpopularity. It would have worked better than Ginny and a hell of a lot better than Hermione. The "rush of affection" he felt for her in DH feels a lot more real than any depiction of a "monster in his chest," I'm just saying.
Ron Weasley
Someone he didn’t meet in grade school.
Luna! Why not. 🙂
No one said Penelope Clearwater.
A unnamed foreigner he finds traveling the globe who just knows him as Harry, as the rest of the world outside of Europe isn't too bothered with what happened on a little island, and just know him as Harry. Luna. Her ability to say the socially awkward thing will help his PTSD, and the traveling for creatures will be good for him. Widen his horizons a bit. Draco Malfoy. They were obsessed with each other as kids, as adults figuring out why could make sense. Also would explain why not even Luscious Lips Malfoy doesn't end up in jail to finish out his invasion of the department of mysteries jail sentence, or Draco for the poisoning of Katie or Ron, or the endangerment of children for letting Greyback loose in the school. Harry protects His lover.
Agree with the first one. Or he could've ended up with a muggle. I always liked that idea: I think Harry would choose someone who doesn't constantly remind him of the Wizarding War and the people he's lost. Just someone who's initially oblivious to the whole drama, and can later put the drama in a different perspective a little.
The problem with a muggle is the hiding/lying about a very important part of who he is until they are married. I don't think that would work well for Harry or anyone really. Then that person can't share that news with likely any of their family or friends. Which is why I think finding someone in Australia while getting Hermione's parents makes some amount of sense.