Here’s Who Harry Potter Really Should’ve Ended Up With, According to Myers-Briggs Science (Well, Sort Of)

I have to admit that when I first tried to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at age nine, I got bored and abandoned it. Hard to believe, right? Luckily, I gave the books another chance and fell in love with the spells, the houses, the sorting hat, the butterbeer and—most of all—the characters. 

Like 99% of the internet, I zeroed in on the couples I shipped the hardest. Was Harry’s true soulmate ever really Ginny Weasley? Or was there something deeper brewing with Hermione—or even Cho Chang? When Deathly Hallows finally wrapped up with Harry settling down with Ginny and Ron marrying Hermione, half of fandom cheered while the other half launched a thousand fanfics in protest. Ah, good times.

But did these characters actually choose correctly? Or would Harry have been better off with another member of the Hogwarts crew? Let’s dust off our wands, pull up the Myers-Briggs charts, and see which pairing truly had the most magical compatibility.

Harry and Ginny, ISFP and ESTP – True Gryffindor Chemistry

You could say that Harry and Ginny were endgame from the start. She develops a crush on him right away and hides away in embarrassment whenever he comes near. On rare occasions when the two do speak, she is cripplingly shy around him. When she eventually grows into the strong, fearless Ginny we all know and love, it seems inevitable that Harry would take notice. But even though the two end up together in the books, are their Myers-Briggs types truly compatible?

One might think the legendary Boy Who Lived would be an attention hog. But throughout the series, ISFP Harry remains the boy in the cupboard under the stairs, where no one ever noticed him. His Quidditch proficiency shows how he loves to live in the here and now—no Seeker could be as good as he is without being fully present (SPs make great athletes, especially in fast-paced sports). He’s also incredibly loyal and values his deep relationships. Remember when he tells Lord Voldemort, “You’re the one who is weak. You will never know love or friendship. And I feel sorry for you”? That’s very ISFP.

Here we’ll be focusing on badass book Ginny, not the watered-down version in the films. The book version is an ESTP through and through. Like Harry, she excels at Quidditch. And like Harry, she moves on impulse rather than thinking through the consequences of her actions. Lord Voldemort exploits this vulnerability in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, using his diary to control her. Toward the end of the series, she goes through boyfriend after boyfriend, quickly growing bored, before settling down with Harry.

As Sensing-Perceivers, Harry and Ginny are both adventurous and spontaneous. Check out their kiss in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: “Harry looked around; there was Ginny running towards him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her.” 

Will there be challenges in this relationship? Perhaps. While Harry admires Ginny and is attracted to her energy, her bold personality could overwhelm him over time. He also seems to like that Ginny isn’t as emotional as Cho Chang, but her closed-off nature could become an issue later down the line. But on the whole, Harry and Ginny are definitely compatible and would likely have a perfectly happy marriage.

Harry and Hermione, ISFP and ESTJ – The Most Powerful Pair at Hogwarts

Harry and Hermione’s relationship is strictly platonic in the books, but they actually would make a highly compatible couple. Even JK Rowling has said that, in hindsight, Hermione should have married Harry and not Ron. 

Hermione is an ESTJ with the fitting name of the “Supervisor,” considering how often she takes charge and corrals Harry and Ron into saving the day. She’s rule-abiding, as we can see from the iconic:“Now if you two don’t mind, I’m going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed - or worse, expelled.” Her diligence shows right away in that first encounter with Harry and Ron, when she rattles off a full paragraph in true extravert fashion and adds, “I’ve learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough.”

An ISFP and ESTJ fit great together. Hermione is drawn to Harry’s free-spirited nature and Harry appreciates the stability and support that Hermione provides, particularly after Sirius Black’s death. Unlike Ron and Hermione—the couple that actually ends up together—these two rarely fight and get along well throughout the story. They are straightforward communicators—Hermione frequently cuts through pleasantries to the hard truth, which Harry appreciates.

Despite their marriages to other characters, Harry and Hermione may be perfect for each other (an idea that the movies hinted at much more than the books). But compatibility isn’t all it takes to make a relationship work, which is our segue to…

Ron and Hermione, ESFP and ESTJ – A Clash Hotter Than Seamus’ Misfired Spell

Yes, I know we’re talking about Harry’s potential soulmates but we can’t assess Harry and Hermoine as a couple without also considering Ron. The signs came early on that these two opposites might eventually become an item, and they were largely based on the old “pulling pigtails” trope—the couple that bickers is the one destined to wed. 

And boy, do Ron and Hermione bicker. They’re constantly at each other’s throats, causing Harry to snap, “Can’t you give it a rest? … You’re always having a go at each other, it’s driving me mad.” Hollywood romance fantasies aside, a couple that fights all the time is not exactly the recipe for wedded bliss. 

Ron’s an ESFP, only one letter off from Harry, which is part of what makes the two such great pals. Like Harry, Ron is spontaneous (he steals his father’s car and flies it to Hogwarts!) and he loves Quidditch. He is most at home when doing things rather than sitting around and planning; he quickly gets bored with schoolwork. Ron has a sense of humor that comes out with lines like this: “Why spiders? Why couldn’t it be ‘follow the butterflies’?” in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He likes to be the center of attention and often feels overshadowed by his brothers and Harry’s fame.

An ESFP and ESTJ can make a relationship work, but they must balance one’s love of structure with the other’s need for freedom. As we see through their many arguments, Ron and Hermione frequently butt heads over her rigidity and his more relaxed attitude, and these issues would likely continue into their marriage. Ron can be pretty dense when it comes to dealing with emotions, which could be rough on straightforward Hermione.

Ron and Hermione’s differing personalities can bring out the best in one another, too. Hermione offers stability, while Ron can help her unwind. They also care deeply for each other, and that kind of love can help any relationship succeed, despite compatibility.

Harry and Draco, ISFP and ESFJ – The Most Magical Match No One Saw Coming

I had to throw in one entry for all the fanfiction lovers out there. Harry and Draco Malfoy are enemies throughout most of the series, but fans ship “Drarry” as the soulmate couple. And they could be onto something. Based on their Myers-Briggs types,  Harry and Draco would make a fantastic couple.

ESFJ Draco cares a lot about his reputation and social status. He shows great loyalty to Slytherin and his family name, and he’s great at reading people and using their vulnerabilities for his own gain, like when he bullies our heroes with his goons Crabbe and Goyle. These qualities shouldn’t be attractive to gentle, reserved ISFPs like Harry. But Draco is very insecure beneath that confident front. He feels conflicted about his family’s values and struggles with his own feelings, as we can see when he can’t kill Harry in the Battle of Hogwarts.

ISFPs and ESFJs go so well together since they share an interest in practical, real-world matters and are frank communicators. Both Harry and Draco are deeply loyal, and their relationship would reflect this. Organized ESFJs allow ISFPs to feel grounded, while ISFPs provide a fun-loving, flexible quality to the relationship.

Like Hermione and Ron, Draco’s preference for organization and order could bump up against Harry’s freewheeling spontaneity. There is also, of course, the fact that Harry and Draco are both heterosexual and hate each other’s guts. But we can still dream, and all the more vividly now that we know their personality types are a good match.