While Harry Potter may be the main character with his own love interest, the Harry Potter franchise’s most famous romance is between his best friends, Hermione and Ron. In a way, he can be seen as a third wheel during the whole build-up to their relationship, but he never openly acknowledges it. That is, except in one deleted scene from Half-Blood Prince.

Ron and Hermione’s relationship is teased throughout the Harry Potter movies until both finally give in to each other in Deathly Hallows. But in Half-Blood Prince, the tension between them reaches a peak. Ron’s oblivious status seems somewhat chronic at this point, while Hermione’s approach toward him is affective but also vengeful when he starts a close relationship with Lavender Brown. At the end of the movie, much changes in Harry, Ron and Hermione’s lives, but the “Romione” relationship is not yet out in the open. Even so, Harry acknowledges it during a deleted dialogue in the very last scene of the film.

Harry Potter Knows He’s the Third Wheel

Ron and Hermione’s relationship is one of Half-Blood Prince‘s main storylines. After lots of teasing in previous Harry Potter films, the sixth chapter finally embraces how they relate, with an utterly oblivious Ron and a discreet but dedicated Hermione. The film also approaches how Harry starts his own relationship with Ginny. Ron briefly dates Lavender Brown after he becomes a star Quidditch player and spends all his time snogging her publicly. Hermione stops speaking to him, but in the end, when Ron is poisoned, it is Hermione that he asks for as soon as he wakes up, and his relationship with Lavender comes to an end.

Harry witnesses how all of this unfolds, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise when, accepting that Ron and Hermione will be with him in his search for Horcruxes, asks her to “keep the snogging to a minimum.” It’s a comeback joke to what Hermione previously told him regarding his relationship with Ginny. Anticipating that the three of them will be spending a lot of time together, it is a funny way of expressing that he’s okay with being the third wheel in the group. The dialogue was, however, cut from the theatrical release of the movie, likely to maintain a somber mood after Dumbledore’s death.

Despite the Quips, Harry Potter Is On-Board With the Romione Ship

In the same cut dialogue, Hermione gets back at Harry, implying that no snogging would happen because they were not officially in a relationship. “Besides, he’s barking,” she continues, to which Harry replies, “Funny, he says the same thing about you,” referring to Ron previously claiming that she was mad. Hermione scoffs at that and adds that the main difference is that she is exceptionally perceptive. To this, Harry adds that they are both “brilliant.” It’s a rare moment where Harry gets to have some insight into what Hermione and Ron do not want to admit to themselves just yet. Plus, It also shows off more of their friendship dynamic and lets Harry have a sassy moment, which confirms he’s okay with their relationship.

When Deathly Hallows begins, Harry seems surprised that Ron and Hermione’s intimacy is out in the open with small gestures and moments, although the two don’t actually admit their feelings to each other. Romione’s relationship finally reaches a grand moment when the pair kiss in the Chamber of Secrets during the Battle of Hogwarts.