5 Things Harry & Hermione Taught Me about Love (Even Though J.K. Rowling Never Meant Them to)
The last installment of the Harry Potter movie franchise comes out this weekend, and for many it is the bittersweet end of an era that has spanned the entire length of their childhood. I didn’t discover the books until I was 18 years old; I vividly remember purchasing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at LAX before hopping on a plane to start my college career halfway across the country. As I sat in my dorm room on that first night away from home, I felt a lot like Harry: eager for acceptance, apprehensive about making new friends and just a little bit lonely.
After finishing the first book, I snapped up every subsequent book in the series and saw each of the movies more than a few times.
My experience with the world of Harry Potter spans the length of my 20s, so while I didn’t “grow up” with Harry, I most certainly came of age while reading his story. So here’s my deep, dark Harry Potter secret: I always thought that Harry and Hermione should have gotten together. I know they never dated or kissed or did any of those other things that romantic couples do. But that doesn’t mean that Harry and Hermione still didn’t teach me a whole lot of lessons about love…
