Top 5 Moments of my Favourite Fictional Couple

I have always been an avid reader, and as such, I had a lot of notions about what love was supposed to look like from a very young age. There were some decent examples (Elizabeth and Darcy, Percy and Annabeth, etc.), and then some rather awful ones. Through it all, Harry and Ginny was always my absolute favourite couple. They were my role models for an ideal relationship, even before I could understand why. To this day, that has not changed, but I have been able to better understand what drew me to them in the first place, and the elements of their relationship that I admire so much.

1. Christmas on the Closed Ward, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

“I didn’t want anyone to talk to me,” said Harry, who was feeling more and more nettled.
“Well, that was a bit stupid of you,” said Ginny angrily, “seeing as you don’t know anyone but me who’d been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels.”
Harry remained quite still as the impact of these words hit him. Then he turned on the spot to face her.
“I forgot,” he said.
“Lucky you,” said Ginny coolly.
“I’m sorry,” Harry said, and he meant it.

As J.K. Rowling said herself, Harry canbe “a scary boyfriend in a lot of ways.” His temper often drives Hermione to tears and Ron to silence, as in this particular instance. Ginny is the sole character who has never failed to stand up to him when he is being unreasonable. She is the only person who can get through to Harry when he is upset, and she is able to calm him down and make him see sense when he is too angry to respond to anyone else. Following this conversation, Harry finds himself feeling much better, having at last confronted the issue that had been troubling him.

2. Careers Advice, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

“Are you OK, Harry?” Ginny asked quietly.
“I wish I could talk to Sirius,” he muttered. “But I know I can’t.”
More to give himself something to do than because he really wanted any, Harry unwrapped his Easter egg, broke off a large bit and put it into his mouth.
“Well,” said Ginny slowly, helping herself to a bit of egg, too, “if you really want to talk to Sirius, I expect we could think of a way to do it.”
“Come on,” said Harry hopelessly. “With Umbridge policing the fires and reading all our mail?”
“The thing about growing up with Fred and George,” said Ginny thoughtfully, “is that you sort of start thinking aything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”
Harry looked at her. Perhaps it was the effect of the chocolate – Lupin had always advised eating some after encounters with Dementors – or simply because he had finally spoken aloud the wish that had been burning inside him for a week, but he felt a bit more hopeful.

This is the first scene in which we see Harry and Ginny alone (outside of the Chamber of Secrets), and it highlights several important aspects that make their relationship great. Encouraged by Ginny’s persistence, Harry confides in her in a way that he was not comfortable doing with anyone else. Ginny is once again able to raise his spirits because she did not dismiss his feelings the way Hermione did when Harry approached her. She does not show uncertainty or doubt in the way that Ron does, but instead proceeds to come up with a plan that successfully realizes Harry’s wish. Unsurprisingly, Harry refers to her as his “best source of comfort” a year later, after Dumbledore dies.

3. Sectumsempra, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

“Her imitations of Ron anxiously bobbing up and down in front of the goal posts as the Quaffle sped toward him, or of Harry bellowing orders at McLaggen before being knocked out cold, kept them all highly amused. Harry, laughing with the others, was glad to have an innocent reason to look at Ginny.”

Harry and Ginny’s shared sense of humour comes up dozens of times throughout the course of the series, and it is such a defining part of their relationship; they laugh easily together and they have fun. Ginny’s wit and humour are chiefly responsible for Harry’s attraction to her, and it is what separates her from any other girl in the series.

4. The White Tomb, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

“She met his gaze with the same hard, blazing look that he had seen when had hugged him after winning the Quidditch Cup in his absence, and he knew that, at that moment they understood each other perfectly, and that when he told her he was going to do now, she would not say “Be careful,” or “Don’t do it,” but accept his decision, because she would not have expected anything less of him.”

Harry ends his relationship with Ginny at the end of the sixth book, deeming it too dangerous for her to continue. Although Ron later mentions that she was “really cut up” by it, she reacts with the maturity that Harry needs in the moment. She does not cry, but respects his decision. While it is very easy for someone in Ginny’s position to smother Harry with concern and attention, she does not, and Harry loves her precisely for that reason.

5. Godric’s Hollow, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

“Ginny had been banned from going into Hogsmeade. Snape had reinstated Umbridge’s old decree forbidding gatherings of three or more students, or any official student societies.
From all of these things, Harry deduced that Ginny, and probably Neville and Luna long with her, had been doing their best to continue Dumbledore’s Army. This scant news made Harry want to see Ginny so badly it felt like stomach ache.”

This passage highlights my absolute favourite part about Harry and Ginny’s relationship: their independence. While many, many people fall apart completely after a break up, Ginny valiantly continues to fight a battle on her own end. Throughout Harry’s hunt for horcruxes, she does not sit around waiting or pining for him, but instead takes on leadership of the DA and does a brilliant job of rallying resistance at Hogwarts. As J.K. Rowling said, “they are total equals. They are worthy of each other.”