Harry Potter is an amazing franchise that has shown no signs of slowing down since the release of Deathly Hallows. Part of this is because of new movies, plays, and even theme parks that help keep the spirit of the series alive. The other part is the fans themselves. The intense fan love for this series means there has been a steady stream of fanfiction and fan art over the years. And the popularity of sites such as DeviantArt has made it easier than ever for fans to link up with like-minded fans and create brand new works of art.

Along the way, there has been more ‘shipping for these characters than just about any other fandom. If you can imagine two characters being in a relationship, we guarantee you’ll find quite a few pictures and stories that help bring that fantasy to life. Some of these ships are as sweet as a Hufflepuff, and some of them are so dirty that even the Slytherins would blush. We’ve brought you the best ‘ships in all of Harry Potter along with great images from the fan community...don’t forget to visit their pages and consider commissioning art or simply making a donation!

15 HERMIONE/MALFOY

 

In the Harry Potter books and movies, Hermione and Draco Malfoy have a very antagonistic relationship. This stems from Draco’s obsession with “pure” magic blood, causing him to often call Hermione a “mudblood.” However, many fans have imagined this hatred turning into a different kind of passion.

Over on DeviantArt, user samieann has envisioned what the beginnings of such a romance might look like. We see Hermione wondering if Draco’s proximity means he wants a kiss, followed by the blushing denials of Draco (who again busts out the “mudblood” slur). If you want to see more of how this could go, you don’t have to look very far...this is the kind of fanfiction that practically writes itself! Just be sure to say “mischief managed” to clear out your browser history.

14 HERMIONE/HARRY

In a lot of ways, Harry and Hermione are the original Potter ‘ship. When the series began, most fans simply assumed that Harry (our main male character) and Hermione (our main female character) were destined to be together. It’s only later that she ended up with Ron instead...a decision that even writer J.K. Rowling now regrets!

This ‘ship is for the fans who want these two characters to drop the Weasleys they ended up with and make some magic together. And DeviantArtist deslea has helped to bring this fantasy to life with her custom 3D art. The image itself is pretty tasteful, serving as an echo of the melancholy dance the characters share in the Deathly Hallows film adaptation. Presumably, genius-level Hermione will be teaching Harry some entirely different lessons later in the evening!

13 HARRY/TONKS

Tonks is a character that seemed to come out of nowhere. In stark contrast to many of our characters, she does wild experiments with her hair and nose. She’s basically as close as the good guys get to having a punk rock queen on their team, so many fans were a bit disappointed when she hooked up with the relatively strait-laced Remus Lupin.

And quite a few of those fans would be happier to see Tonks and Harry hook up instead. Over on DeviantArt, user theintrovert helps bring this particular fan pairing to life. The fun image captures what would likely be their relationship dynamic, with Tonks taking charge and Harry relying on her for protection. Just be careful there, Potter -- she may want to see some animagus skills after she’s been in love with a werewolf!

12 DUMBLEDORE/MCGONAGALL

Most of the Harry Potter ‘shipping concerns the younger characters. This is understandable, as there are plenty more of them, and most Potter fans discover the series when they are young. However, Dumbledore needs love, too...and not all fans were excited by the after-the-fact revelation that he was gay and his last real hook-up was the evil wizard Grindelwald.

However, ‘shipping is all about switching things up! Many fans would much rather see Dumbledore in a relationship with another beloved character: Professor McGonagall. Anita-Garbo on DeviantArt has helped to bring this fan pairing to life by imagining these characters hooking up when they were each younger. Dumbledore looks like he’s on his way to Woodstock and McGonagall looks like a naughty librarian. Is that a Goblet of Fire or is it getting a little hot in here?

11 CHO/CEDRIC

Part of what makes Harry Potter such a great series is seeing our characters dealing with very human drama even as they tackle magical life-and-death issues. In the case of Harry himself, this occurred when we see his clumsy-but-cute relationship with Cho Chang. They didn’t stay together, but certain fans didn’t mind….they’d rather Cho stick with what she had!

Before she dated Harry, Cho went out with the popular Cedric Diggory. Obviously, his life was cut short by Voldemort during the Tri Wizard Cup, but many fans like to think about the long relationship they could have had. On DeviantArt, user AniPokie helps bring their relationship back to life with a very sweet image of Cedric embracing her from behind. Honestly, his happy smile is enough to make us sad about his death all over again!

10 NEVILLE/LUNA

Harry Potter has an amazing variety of characters. While we tend to focus on the main characters, the whole supporting cast is full of life and personality. Two of the best examples of this are Neville and Luna. He’s the ally who goes from dud to stud, while she’s the charmingly weird outcast. To fans of this particular ‘ship, these are two great tastes that taste great together!

And DeviantArt user frostyshark has helped make this relationship into a reality. You can clearly see their personalities shining through: she looks confused but talkative, while Neville looks nervous about making magic happen with both his wand and with Luna. We wouldn’t worry too much about that wand, Neville: your ability to finally escape the friend zone makes you a powerful wizard indeed.

9 HERMIONE/SNAPE

While some Harry Potter characters have enough fanfiction and fan art to fill a few books, Severus Snape has enough to fill a few libraries. There’s something about this dark and brooding antihero that revs many people’s engines, and being portrayed onscreen by Alan Rickman only made him sexier. Many fans would like to see this dark (ish) wizard begin hooking up with Hermione!

Most of the time, Snape’s interactions with Hermione seemed focused on mocking her for her knowledge. However, DeviantArt user kara-lija shows us what it looks like when Snape is more interested in taking clothes away from Gryffindor instead of points! The two are in the middle of a pretty hot embrace, no love potions required. We’re not quite sure how this relationship would work, but we can only hope Snape makes her call him “The Half-Blood Prince” behind closed doors.

8 GINNY/RON

So when you clicked on a shipping article, you knew it might get weird, right? Sometimes, fans of Harry Potter have clearly been influenced by other media and other stories, and they like to mash these things together. And that’s why the kind of fans who thought Lannister brother/sister romance was hot in Game of Thrones like to ship Ron Weasley and his sister Ginny.

DeviantArt user NinnyTreetops gave us a look at what this would look like, with a very dominant Ginny in control of a very submissive Ron. The artist actually said the image was meant to portray merely sibling rivalry...but it took fans no time at all to suggest Ginny was about to “pounce...like a randy cat,” and the image was added to the small pool of fan pairings with these characters.

7 LUNA/RON

Author J.K. Rowling has been very blunt in recent years that even she thought the Ron and Hermione relationship was a mistake. This has caused a lot of fan debate, but it also raises a clear question: just who should Ron Weasley end up with? For a group of Harry Potter fans, the clear answer is Luna Lovegood.

Deviant Artist BerenicePotter has given us a fun glimpse of what this relationship could actually be. Any good relationship is all about bringing out the best in one another, even when that’s very different from who you think you are. Here, the typically flustered and worried Ron is cool and confident. And the typically aloof Luna seems intimate and at peace. Overall, this is the kind of image that makes you forget about Ron x Hermione altogether!

6 TOM RIDDLE/GINNY

The heart of any ‘ship is reading between the lines. Fans take a few scattered clues and moments between characters and weave a tapestry of the relationship that could have been. Of course, reading between the lines can take us to some dark places...which is where the Tom Riddle/Ginny Weasley shippers practically live!

This unlikely relationship has been animated by DeviantArt user deslea. The artist describes going for the feeling of things being “creepy and uncomfortably seductive here,” and we think she hit the nail on the head! As icky as it may seem, this is pretty much what Riddle was doing: using his appearance as a handsome and confident young man to lure an innocent girl into doing things she hasn't done yet, but wants to.

5 HARRY/DRACO

Not all of the ‘ships in the Harry Potter community are of straight relationships. In fact, quite a few fans enjoy fantasizing about what happens when there’s time to kill in those boys’ and girls’ dorms. And if the same-sex Potter shipping fandom had a mascot, it would definitely be the ‘ship between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy!

These two characters hate each other throughout the series. However, DeviantArt user Yuki-Almasy gives us a glimpse of what happens if they find a more pleasurable outlet for all that energy! Part of what makes the image so fun is that it captures the personalities of the characters. Draco is casually dominant and seems to be offering a sweet bribe while Harry is simultaneously confused and excited.  He's going to what’s going on and is very game for getting to the bottom of this newfound relationship.

4 HERMIONE/BELLATRIX

Bellatrix is a divisive character in the Harry Potter community. On one hand, she’s a great villain: she’s got a wardrobe that makes you want to go shopping with her and a violent streak that keeps you far, far away. However, it’s tough to read (or watch) her torture of our beloved character Hermione. Some fans, though, want to see her kiss it and make it better!

Over on DeviantArt, user Rowena Jackson gives us a very different scene between the characters. Instead of Bellatrix carving things into Hermione’s flesh, the two are in a mutual embrace and in the middle of passionately kissing one another. It’s a simple scene that is also very sweet...but the artist leaves us no illusions about who is on top in this relationship!

3 LUPIN/SNAPE

Professor Snape is a man with many different sides. At first, he seems like an angry and inscrutable antagonist for our heroes. However, we eventually see that the angry adult Snape is the product of everything from childhood bullying to being cast into the friend zone by Lily Potter. This helps explain why he’s such a jerk to Professor Lupin, who Snape blamed for being friends with the bullies (such as James Potter).

Some fans, though, think that these characters should make up. But not before kissing! And that’s exactly what Deviant Artist ChezareBordjia is making happen with this picture. In it, both characters are young once again, and the artist shows what would have happened if Lupin pulled Snape in back then instead of pushing him away. The relationship would have other benefits, too...it’s hard for Lupin to miss his doses if he’s shacking up with a Potions teacher!

2 DUMBLEDORE/GRINDELWALD

Obviously, Harry Potter fans love author J.K. Rowling. However, one enduring criticism of her is that many “facts” characters are things that she tells us after the fact instead of showing us. One of these things is the gay relationship between Dumbledore and evil wizard Grindelwald. The main Harry Potter books do not really tell us much of this, nor do the movies show us...and unless they want to upset overseas markets, we’re not likely to see this relationship in any Fantastic Beasts movies, either.

This is where the fans come in! Deviant Artist chernyshov has given us a glimpse of what daily life would be like for these two lovers. For many ‘shippers of these characters, it’s good to see the kinds of gay relationships that the actual books and movies shrink from giving us. Maybe next time, these two will be exploring something other than a dungeon?

1 HERMIONE/VIKTOR KRUM

Eventually, Hermione ends up with Ron Weasley (and no, we can’t tell you what she sees in him). It seemed like there was little time in this brainy wizard’s life for love, but she previously had an intense relationship with visiting wizard Viktor Krum. And for many ‘shippers, their relationship never really ended! It’s not hard to see why. During this time, Viktor Krum was a perfect gentleman: strong, confident, and respectful. He served as a counterpart to the juvenile jealousy of Ron and Harry.

On DeviantArt, user WickedSnowWhite captures this dynamic perfectly: Viktor and Hermione are happily dancing while Ron and Harry completely lose it. We can’t blame you, Hermione...and we don’t think Victor has ever had any broken wand issues like Ron has!