Essentially, the idea behind OBHWF is that any eventual marriages or relationships will somehow tie most characters in the Harry Potter series to the Weasley clan. Since they are a pure-blood family anyway and the pure-blood families are all linked, many of the characters, beyond the obviously named Weasley ones, are already related to them.

In PoA, Sirius tells us he’s a Weasley cousin already. So is Tonks since she is Sirius’s
first cousin. In this way, the Weasley’s are also tied to the Lestranges and the Malfoys. Therefore, what’s left is to unite the characters who aren’t yet tied to the family.

Namely: Harry, Hermione, and the various and many women the Weasley boys just might marry.

From my first reading of the series, I’ve been of the opinion that there isn’t much chance that Harry and Hermione will end up together. Something in their relationship is too anemic.

While it’s true that Harry is not my favorite of the main characters, I don’t think I do him wrong by claiming that he can be a bit of a lout. Sure, he’s been set upon by a great deal of grief. That’s a given. Still the fact that he constantly allows his choler to erupt all over his closest and truest friends is a sure sign that he’s quite capable of being an ass.

In many ways, this is what makes the series so readable. Ms. Rowling has created a flawed hero–the way any hero should be. Thus, he’s easier to believe in, as opposed to some remote superhuman being. His weakness makes him all the more believable, but it also makes him an unlikely match with Hermione.

Throughout the series, and especially in OotP, Hermione has been unable to handle Harry’s various and often dark moods. Which isn’t to say she hasn’t tried. She’s really quite the trooper. But, in the end, she hasn’t seen as much of the evil as Harry has (at least not thus far) and she doesn’t have the understanding of darkness that he does.

This doesn’t mark any kind of weakness in her–far from it. She gives all appearances of being able to adjust to just about anything in her own way. Given the opportunity to face Voldemort, she has done so and with tenacity and ability unequalled. It is not, then, a weakness that keeps her from really being able to deal with Harry’s moods.

Instead, it’s a difference in fibre. Put Hermione in Harry’s position, let her have lived his life, and I doubt she’d end up as moody as he has. Something tells me that if she survived his life, it would be with rationality and without moroseness. She’s cool logic to his heated emotion.

At first this might seem to link them and in some ways it does. They do act as foils for each other and they make a good team for handling the evils coming at them. Their divergent personalities and outlooks help them to see problems in different ways. In a sense, they are conflict personified and it is this conflict that allows them to work so well in a crisis. In a state of stasis, however, this conflict would eat away at them. Harry would continue to seek adventure while Hermione would cling to stability. Eventually dischord and resentment would tear them apart.

On the other hand, Ron, with his flaming red hair and big, loving family, is possessed of both the fire and foundation that Hermione seems to need.

Similarly, Ginny Weasley is a good match for Harry. Unlike Hermione, Ginny knows justhow to handle Harry’s moods, because like Harry, she’s felt the direct and cold touch of evil in the form of Voldemort. She’s been a part of some of the darkest goings on in the series (in CoS especially) and thusly has a deep understanding of it. However, along with this well of darkness, she is also possessed of a reserve of rationality, which keeps her grounded. Because of that, she can understand and sympathize with Harry’s moods without falling victim to them.

The scene that shows this best is in OotP where she very pointedly, but not bitterly, reminds Harry that he’s far from being the only victim of Voldemort and not even the only one who’s been possessed by him. Her words act like a slap in his face and his sulkiness is abated. With her fiery emotions and the capable handle she has on them, she is the best match for Harry Potter.

While I happen to love all the Weasleys, Ron and Ginny are my favorite characters in the series. This is probably true because, of all the main characters, they are the most well rounded. Ron is Harry with a deeper sense of family and foundation. He’s just as passionate and desirous of being a hero as Harry is, but he’s more grounded and tempered by the love of his family.

It doesn’t do him justice to say that he’s Harry-light, though, because essentially, he’s more like the evolved form of Harry. Harry, not unlike ancient man, is locked in a life and death struggle. Whereas Ron is free to pursue a lifestyle beyond simple survival. This is what makes him, much more than Harry, a ready partner for Hermione.

Ginny is the fieriness of Harry’s emotion tempered with both logic equal to that of Hermione and the foundation provided by her family. She is everything Harry is: smart, passionate, capable, deep. She is also everything he needs: rational, rooted, blunt. While Hermione complements Harry as a workmate and friend only,Ginny complements him at every turn. This is what makes her, much more than Hermione, a ready partner for Harry.

It is because of all of this that I am a supporter of the idea of One Big Happy Weasely Family. Obviously, the specific ships I support are:

• Arthur/Molly
• Ginny/Harry
• Ron/Hermione

As to those ships that link Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Tonks, and Percy to other people, I’m pretty open. Though I suspect Percy will link up with Penelope (or, maybe not) and I hope Luna, Lupin, and Neville end up in the mix somewhere.

With the release of HBP, OBHWF shippers have cause to shout a resounding “Woo Hoo!” It’s more than clear that Ron and Hermione want to be together. Lupin have been brought into the Weasley family fold by Tonks. Fluer and Bill are marrying. And, of course, Harry and Ginny finally got together. Though they agreed to put their relationship on hold at the end of the book, I really believe they’ll come together again when and if Harry frees his life from Voldemort–assuming they both survive. So, WOO HOO!

I think H/G and R/Hr shippers have one thing to say to you H/Hr shippers and that’s:

Nyah nyah nya boo boo

We were right and you weren’t.

Okay, that wasn’t very mature, but it was pretty much what I thought when I finished up HP&tDH. Of course, because Fred died it is arguable that the OBHWF theory didn’t work out–how happy can they really be with Fred dead? (I know I wasn’t happy and am still not.) The thing is death is inevitable in all families–granted it usually isn’t caused by a Dark Wizard, but it still happens–so I think the death of Fred doesn’t really negate the idea of One Big Happy Weasley Family. They brought Harry and Hermione into the fold, Percy was reunited, and they eventually went on to lead happy and productive lives (though I wish we could have found out more about what happened to George later in life).

Therefore I declare OBHWF a success.