If there's one thing the Harry Potter series has always strived to point out, it's that love is a power like no other, capable of conquering even the darkest magic and saving thousands in the process. Lily Potter's sacrifice serves as the biggest example of this power throughout the story. She selflessly gave up her own life to save her infant son from a terrible fate.
While the series doesn't tend to focus on romantic love, there are many couples who've become iconic for their excellent compatibility or complete lack thereof.
10 Worst: Harry & Cho Had Vastly Different Temperaments
Harry met Cho during a Quidditch match against Ravenclaw in his third year and immediately developed a small crush on her. She was one year older than him, a talented Quidditch player like himself, and was incredibly popular with both boys and girls in her house. He finally took his chance to ask her out in his fourth year; however, he was rejected as she was already attending the Yule Ball with her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory.
After Cedric's traumatic death, Harry and Cho reconnected and shared an uncomfortable kiss and an even worse single date that irreparably damaged their relationship. As Harry wasn't particularly receptive to Cho's emotional status, their attempts at dating fell completely flat, and each eventually moved on to other partners.
9 Best: James & Lily Are Proof That Romance Takes Work
Despite not being on the best of terms since the beginning, James and Lily went on to have one of the most celebrated romances in the Wizarding World. Initially, Lily thought of James as a pompous troublemaker who tended to bully those he disliked (including her then best friend, Severus Snape) – an attitude James only reflected upon after a heated discussion where she'd called him an "arrogant toerag."
Thereafter, he strived to become a better person and finally gained Lily's trust and affection during their seventh year, when they were both made Head Boy and Head Girl, respectively. They got married shortly after school, fought alongside the Order of the Phoenix, and had a child together. Their matching Patronuses (a stag and a doe) also showed their compatibility.
8 Worst: Snape & Lily's Friendship Was Ruined By Jealousy & Bigotry
During their childhood, Snape and Lily lived in a small northern town named Cokeworth, where they met and became friends, even before attending Hogwarts. Once at the castle, they were sorted into different houses but continued their friendship despite the small strain this caused in their relationship.
Now a Slytherin, Snape slowly began to distance himself from Lily, hanging out with Death Eater-wannabes like Avery and Mulciber, and fully immersing himself in the Dark Arts. Their friendship finally broke when he called her a Mudblood and she then began going out with James Potter, whom she later married. Years later, while he did what he could to save her son, Harry, he did so out of a selfish love for Lily and not out of goodwill.
7 Best: Bill & Fleur Stood By Each Other Even In The Darkest Times
Fleur first noticed Bill during the Triwizard Tournament, but only began a relationship with him while she interned at Gringotts, where he'd taken a desk job to be of help to the Order of the Phoenix. To the Weasleys' surprise and dismay, the two got engaged after only one year together, a move that was considered rushed by the Weasley matriarch.
In the summer of 1996, Fleur terrorized the Burrow with her blunt and forceful personality, which made her persona non-grata with the family, who thought her vapid and frivolous. This changed completely when she declared her love for Bill even after he'd been attacked by a werewolf and could've possibly turned into one himself. They married a year later and had a long life together with their three children.
6 Worst: Ron & Lavender Never Managed To Form A True Connection
Lavender and Ron were housemates for six years before taking an interest in each other, though for very different reasons. She seemed to develop a real, if annoying, crush on him that only turned into a romance after Ron, tired and embarrassed of his inexperience, gave in and kissed her after winning a Quidditch match.
Their relationship quickly turned exhibitionistic, as they were seen frequently making out in public and kept making all their friends uncomfortable. Their lack of real connection took a toll on both of them, with Ron avoiding Lavender at every opportunity and leading her to be jealous of his close friendship with Hermione. Eventually, to Ron's (and Hermione's) relief, Lavender ended their romance.
5 Best: Tonks & Lupin Made It Work Despite Their Differences & Insecurities
The Order of the Phoenix was reformed after Voldemort's shocking return, prompting Tonks to meet ex-Hogwarts professor Remus Lupin. The two clicked instantly, forming a solid rapport during shared missions (despite their ten-year age difference), and slowly fell in love with each other, though Lupin would continuously deny his feelings for her as he thought himself unworthy.
After Tonks publicly declared her love for Lupin in Half-Blood Prince, the two began a serious relationship and eventually married during the summer of 1997. Upon finding out about Tonks' pregnancy, Lupin fled to Grimmauld Place, where he confronted an irate Harry and later returned to his wife, who received him with open arms. The couple died shortly after the birth of their son, Teddy Lupin.
4 Worst: Dumbledore & Grindelwald Had A Turbulent, Toxic Relationship
After his seventeenth birthday, Dumbledore met Grindelwald and the two formed a strong friendship and partnership over their common views and goals, which included ownership of the Deathly Hallows and dominance over the Muggle population. Some unspecified time afterward, the two began a romantic relationship that lasted for a couple of months until the skirmish that would ruin them forever took place in the Dumbledores' home and ended in Albus' sister's death.
During their separation, Grindelwald gained power in the continent while Dumbledore taught at Hogwarts. They crossed paths once more in 1945 when they dueled for the last time and Dumbledore became the owner of the Elder Wand. Grindelwald was then sent to Numergard, where he remained until Voldemort killed him over five decades later.
3 Best: Harry & Ginny Had Compatible Personalities That Made Them A Perfect Match
Harry and Ginny's relationship is perhaps the most misunderstood romance of the entire series, mostly due to the movies' awful depiction. Their love for Quidditch, similar fiery personalities, and devotion to their families made them a perfect match. Ginny's childish crush on Harry turned into something stronger as the years went by, and she took Hermione's advice to relax and be herself around him. By Harry's fifth year, he considered her a close friend, but things wouldn't change until his sixth year.
After seeing Ginny kissing her then-boyfriend, Harry began questioning his feelings for her and, after much debate, concluded he'd fallen for her. After dating a few months, they broke up so Voldemort wouldn't target Ginny and reconciled soon after the Battle of Hogwarts had taken place. Harry and Ginny then got married and had three children, who feature in the Epilogue.
2 Worst: Voldemort & Bellatrix Was A Match Made In Hell
Harry Potter fans couldn't have been more shocked than when they read The Cursed Child. Not only had the screenplay changed canon forever, but it'd also managed to confess the unexpected—Voldemort and his most faithful Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, had, somehow, been involved in a secret romantic tryst that produced a daughter.
Bellatrix's obsessive love for Voldemort had long been confirmed, but the fact that Voldemort had reciprocated, if only in a sexual manner, shook the entire fandom. Bellatrix supposedly carried their child during Deathly Hallows, giving birth to her in Malfoy Manor before the Battle of Hogwarts, where she and her Master ultimately succumbed to their deaths.
1 Best: Ron & Hermione Was The Best Developed Romance In The Series
Ron and Hermione's relationship is arguably the romance of the entire series, as it was developed over several books and movies and had the most changes over time. After a very rocky start in their first year, Ron and Hermione became two-thirds of the inseparable Golden Trio and slowly found themselves falling for the other.
Most of their budding romance during their Hogwarts years was marked by jealousy, bickering, and the occasional flirting. Despite making fun of Hermione whenever possible, Ron was always quick to defend her in front of others, especially those who looked down on her for her lack of magical ancestry. After years of dancing around each other (and driving Harry insane in the process) the two finally got together during the Battle of Hogwarts, got married sometime after, and had two children.