he has found a true friend and loyal confidant. They go beyond blood, beyond family. Her honor has never waivered and her faith in him has never been broken. She's the one person in his life who has never abandoned him. Hermione would stand with Harry and go with him through Hell and back, to the very end of it all without ever faulting or waivering. She's helped keep him sane in the midst of all the insanity in his life more than any other character, including Ron and Ginny.

she's found a true and equal partner. He's helped her realize that while he's strong, so is she, and she can save herself and make her own decisions. He's been the one to worry about her when everyone else has made fun. With Harry, Hermione has found a genuine caring and respect for her, without any head games, mistrust or insecurities. He's never tried to change her and he likes her- just as she is.

Even if canon has now told us that they ended up with other people, those of us who have read these books and watched these films know that they belong together. Their bond is stronger than any other in the entire series and their friendship holds more passion and connection than any other relationship in the entire 7 books combined. They are true partners. The easy way they communicate, the simple gestures of respect and friendship and, most of all, the sense of clarity they have only when they're with each other are just a few of the many reasons why I ship for Harry and Hermione. There are many who don't see it, and it's a shame; they're missing out on a wonderful and beautiful thing.

	Harry James Potter was born on July 31st to James and Lily Evans- Potter. He's got his mother's vibrant green eyes and his father's looks. More importantly, he's got a thin, lightening shaped scar on his forehead left by the his attempted murder by Voldemort. In OOtP, he learned about his role in the prophecy and why Voldemort wants to kill him so badly. He became enraged when Sirius died, and has alienated his friends in his anger at the circumstances he's been thrown into. Harry learns that love is his only defense against evil, and his friends are his greatest power in all of this. Dating is hard enough for a normal teenage boy and Harry is no exception. Harry had a long time crush on ravenclaw Cho Chang, but it ended quickly when Harry got tired of her bashing Hermione at every turn. They broke off what little relationship they did have. Harry didn't seem to care much, realizing Cho was more trouble than she was worth. Harry also has a relationship with Ginny Weasley (who becomes his main love interest for the story), but it's really Hermione who, in my opinion, he's closest to. Harry's relationship with Hermione has often been a problem, not for each other, but for the people around them, in the press and with Hermione's other suitors including Ron Weasley and Viktor Krum. Viktor was threatened by Harry and didn't like how close Hermione seemed to Harry. Ron has always been insecure and has nursed a crush on Hermione, but he generally shows it by being childish and immature in most of his dealing with her. Despite these obstacles, Harry has come to realize how important Hermione is to him. Hermione is constantly helping him at major risk to herself, and is always the first one to defend him. When he thought she'd died in the MoM, he literally fell to his knees and dropped his wand. He couldn't think. It took Neville telling him that Hermione was still alive for him to breath. It's often been Hermione that Harry's turned to, especially in the last few books, with more personal problems. His relationship with Ron was still strong, but Ron was often too focused on his own problems and life to be as there for Harry as he was when they were both younger. Harry does go on to defeat Voldemort in the final book with a lot of help from everyone, especially Hermione.
	Hermione Jane Granger was born on Sept 19 to muggle parents and is the only witch in her entire muggle family. Her parents, both middle class dentists, are extremely proud of their exceptionally bright daughter. Hermione had to erase her parent's memories of her in order to save their lives in book 7, which is an act that was both purely selfless and incredibly difficult, showing once again the type of hero Hermione really is. While Hermione used to be a bit bossy, she's loosened up quite a bit in the past few years and is now an appreciated and vital part of Harry's life. She's the glue that holds them all together. She helps Harry through most of his problems and she's saved his life countless times. She's always there to help Harry, even if it means walking into certain death. In each book, there's always a point where Harry and Hermione are alone together for some substantial time during a crucial period, and it's always Hermione that centers Harry, calms him and helps him to see past his initial response to any problem. She's a true and loyal friend and she's always the first to help someone in need. Often taunted for being a "mudblood," and tortured by Bellatrix LeStrange in book 7 because of this, Hermione understands what it's like to have power and be slighted simply because she isn't a "pure blood," so she treats all creatures with the same respect. Because of an extremely active school life, she had little social life to speak of in early books. Viktor Krum was our first look into a more social Hermione. She managed to turn a few heads, including Harry's, at the Yule Ball and Harry's jaw dropped when he saw her in her gown; he questioned how he never saw her as beautiful before. In school, Hermione has never received less than top marks and knows most books by heart before she even gets to class. She's the brightest student to ever enroll at Hogwarts, with exception of Riddle/Voldemort, and is more powerful than almost any student in the school. The spells she knows and her vast abilities as a witch often surprise even her closest friends and she's often been the one to 'save the day' even though Harry seems to get a lot of the credit. She mirrors Dumbledore in the way she handles herself, her power and in her ability to see beyond the immediate problem. When Harry is in the darkest of times, it's usually Hermione, or Hermione's efforts, that help him back up. Harry and Hermione can often read each other's minds, particularly Hermione, who often knows what Harry is thinking without him even saying a word. Hermione often acts as Harry's conscience, as it's her voice he hears when he makes decisions. She often follows Harry despite what harm could come to her because she cares about him and won't leave his side - even when he's worried about her safety and tries to leave her behind (OotP). A funny fact about Hermione: originally, Hermione's last name was Puckle. Lets thank the muses for making JK change it!