It is well known by now that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are the ultimate friendship goals in Harry Potter. From saving each other from trolls in the bathroom to helping one another through romantic turmoils, these friends almost always have each other’s backs… but not always. Sometimes, the golden trio finds itself drawn to unnecessary tension and drama. Here are five times Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the greatest friends and five times they were just awful to each other.
Best Friends: Ron And Hermione Stood Up For Harry
True friends are able to back you up no matter what, even when the rest of the world turns their back on you. In Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, everyone at Hogwarts and in the magical universe seemed to hop on the bandwagon with the belief that Harry Potter was a liar.
When Harry tried to tell everyone that Lord Voldemort was back, no one wanted to believe him. Luckily, Harry had Ron and Hermione to stick up for him, and they believed every word he said about the dark lord’s return. Whenever someone would call Harry a liar who was just seeking attention, Ron and Hermione would defend Harry regardless of what others thought, even if it would hurt their friendships outside of the golden trio. Now that’s true friendship.
Worst Friends: Yule Ball Drama
Harry Potter is an adventure fantasy series, but sometimes when it comes to the teenage angst and drama within the golden trio, JK Rowling’s series can often feel more like an episode of 90210 than anything else. We’re not complaining, because who doesn’t love some good old romantic angst? In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, feelings started to bloom between Ron and Hermione, which, unfortunately, caused more harm than good in their fourth year at Hogwarts.
Ron became a possessive prince to Hermione at the Yule Ball, and Harry did nothing to stop it. He just stood there and let them hash it out. Although he probably thought it was best not to get between their fight, if he was really a good friend to Hermione, he would’ve called Ron out for his behavior towards her.
Best Friends: Standing Up For Hermione’s Muggle Heritage
Whenever someone would refer to Hermione as a Mudblood, Ron and Hermione would go out of their way to stand up for their best friend. In the magical universe, referring to a muggle-born as a Mudblood is considered a terribly offensive slur. Harry and Ron refuse to sit idly by when people discriminate Hermione because they will do anything to defend her and protect her from harm’s way. That sounds like a solid friendship to us.
Worst Friends: The Tri-Wizard Tournament Fallout
There was a terrible fallout for the golden trio in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Perhaps hormonal changes were to blame, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn’t get it together during their fourth year at Hogwarts, and they rarely were able to see eye to eye like in the olden days.
When Harry’s name gets drawn out from the Goblet of Fire because it has been tampered with, Ron gets envious and jealous of Harry and starts to regard him as an arrogant prick. Ron refused to believe that Harry didn’t put his name in that cup, and that’s just not something a best friend would do. Hermione could have definitely done more to try and talk Ron out of his unfair framing of Harry as some sort of entitled egomaniac.
Best Friends: They All Change For The Better
Everyone has faults and that nobody is perfect. Even fictional characters who are designed to be role models are capable of making mistakes, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are simply human. They are flawed, and it is because of this that we love them even more.
It is pretty evident as the Potter series progresses that the golden trio is constantly evolving and becoming more open-minded because of each other. Hermione learns to let loose a little, Ron learns to be more caring and considerate, and Harry learns that he can’t do everything alone. They all become stronger and better people because of the beautiful friendship they have formed throughout their years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Worst Friends: They Fight Over Silly Things (A Lot)
This is mostly thanks to Ron and Hermione’s never-ending banter. Although it is common for friends to get into fights and at times it is healthy for relationships to let it all out in order to clear the air, the golden trio, in particular, seems to fight a lot more than most healthy friend groups. There is almost always drama going on between them, and, at times, it feels as though they are looking for reasons to stir up a fight.
One of the silliest fights they ever got in that lasted for almost an entire school year was when Ron and Hermione fought over their pets in Prisoner of Azkaban. Ron thought Hermione’s cat Crookshanks ate his rat Scabbers. Even if the cat ate his rat (which she didn’t) it wouldn’t be Hermione’s fault, so the fight was just stupid and unnecessary.
Best Friends: Pure Bond
Sometimes, people choose their friend groups simply based on social status or class. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have no reason to be friends with each other because they all come from extremely different walks of life. Harry comes from a broken home, Hermione has muggle parents, and Ron has a loving family, but they are dirt poor.
They all have different blood statuses and their social statuses vary greatly. It is because they have no reason to be friends that their bond is so pure. It is clear that they are so close simply due to the fact that they feel connected and truly care about one another rather than banding together because of similar statuses.
Worst Friends: Lack Of Trust
Unfortunately, there seems to be a common theme throughout Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s friendship that revolves around a lack of trust in one another. In every book and film, one of the golden trio members has come up with some reason to mistrust the other, even if there is no logic to back up this feeling. One example of this is from Half-Blood Prince when Ron, for some reason, is terrified of the idea of Harry and Ginny getting together as a couple. Ron doesn’t trust Harry with his sister, even though he should know by now that Harry would never hurt her.
Best Friends: Would Die For Each Other
This is most evident in the final installment of the Potter series, during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sometimes have their faults, but despite all their turmoil, it is clear that they would die for each other in a heartbeat. They are constantly fighting for each other in the final battle at Hogwarts and they would gladly risk their lives in order to save their friends. Now that is an unconditional bond right there.
Worst Friends: Frequent Tension
It is clear that Harry, Ron, and Hermione love each other very much. At the end of the day, these characters share an incredible bond that we would be lucky to have. Yet, it is no secret that there is frequent tension between this group, and, even though friends are meant to make each other feel relaxed and at ease, this doesn’t seem to always be the case with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Whether it’s Hermione berating the boys or Ron letting his jealousy towards Harry and Hermione get the best of him, there is undeniably a good amount of friction amongst this trio.
