In real life, the bushy-haired, swotty, know-it-all probably wouldn’t have ended up with somebody who was more interested in sports than their homework. This at least was the shocking revelation of J. K. Rowling this week. Shocking, at least, for anybody who dragged their parents out at midnight to buy all three of the final Harry Potter books as soon as they possible could (automatically buying my love for at least the next month in the process). 

Rowling’s admission that perhaps Hermione and Ron weren’t the best match for each other after all instantly reignited bitter fan discussions about who Hermione should have ended up with.

Now I’ll admit I filled large parts of my childhood speculating wildly about what was going to happen in the next Harry Potter adventure and arguing bitterly with my brother about it. But the fact that grown adults were still debating the issue with quite so much passion made me pause.

On the one hand it’s a tribute to the enduring popularity of Rowling’s books that those of us who grew up reading about Hogwarts really do feel as if Hermione is our friend. But I can’t help thinking this is only part of the answer. The real reason is that just like relationships amongst our real friends, however accepting of their decisions we normally are, when it comes to relationships we rarely mind our own business. We’re simply too nosy.

Amongst my own friends, a ‘wedding sweepstake’ was jokingly introduced last year, with people laying claim to the couple they thought would be the first to get married amongst the people we knew. With considerable mortification and merriment subsequently being inflicted on everybody involved.

So perhaps it’s no surprise the eternal question of Ron and Hermione vs. Ron and Harry continues to delight fans of the series. We’re simply too nosy for our own good.

Other crucial student discussions happening overseas this week include whether or not a statue of a nearly-naked man sleepwalking that has appeared at Wellesley College is 'creepy', 'very creepy' or only 'mildly creepy'. So far 300 people have signed a petition for the statue to be removed after its life-like nature started to scare students coming across it unexpectedly at night. Personally I think we cannot possibly judge until something similar is introduced to the front lawn of the Senate House. So watch that space.

Closer to home I can report that it is still wet. My normally pleasant view of the college lawn has been transformed into a muddy lake overnight, as even the Cambridge streams burst their banks. Even the rowers have decided to give outdoors a miss with today’s races. They were cancelled after some boats struggled so much that they capsized and ended up getting a rather unwelcome bath in the river this morning. A fate that will surely have stirred the heart of even the most ardent of boatie-haters.