Which literary character has two close friends named Ron and Hermione?
And the answer: Harry Potter.
In the Harry Potter series of books by J. K. Rowling, Harry loses his family at an early age, but makes several loyal friends at Hogwarts. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley are his closest friends, and the trio get into good trouble together.
Naturally, "The Boy Who Lived" needs a proper posse to defeat the Dark Lord, Voldemort, and his evil friends. From their introduction in the first novel to their epilogue in the very last, Ron and Hermione are as essential to the unfolding of the Harry Potter books as the titular character himself. Here are a few lesser known facts about this witch and wizard:
- Ron was one of the first characters imagined for the Harry Potter series. On the train ride from Manchester to London where J.K. Rowling first dreamed up Harry, his best friend wasn't far behind. She describes:
"I didn’t know then that it was going to be a book for children – I just knew I had this boy, Harry. During that journey I also discovered Ron..."
Conversations with J.K. Rowling (2001)
2. Hermione was almost a Ravenclaw. She later notes that, during the Sorting Hat ceremony, how "... the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw during my Sorting, but it decided on Gryffindor in the end." Hermione previously mentioned that she considered Gryffindor house to be "by far the best," so chances are the Sorting Hat detected her preference, which is how she became a Gryffindor.
3. Ron is a pure-blood wizard. The Weasleys are a "pure-blood" family, meaning they have no muggles (non-magical) or muggle-borns in their family tree. Lots of expectations to live up to, we're sure!
4. Hermione is muggle-born. Both of Granger’s parents are muggles who work as dentists. At age 11, she discovered she was a witch, and was sent off to study at Hogwarts. With Hermione alongside Ron and Harry, all the different wizarding backgrounds are represented: muggle-born, pure-blood, and half-blood.
Learn more about Ron and Hermione here.
