We would like to say that from the moment that these three laid eyes on each other, they knew that they would be friends forever… though that’s not quite how it happened. Harry and Ron may have been gobbling-sweets-at-first-sight, but it took battling a maladroit mountain troll to bring Hermione into the mix, as you do. Once the three had discovered the true meaning of friendship (which turned out to be clubbing a dangerous magical beast unconscious and then co-ordinating a lie about it to their teachers) there was no stopping them. They were a force to be reckoned with. A friendship so solid that nothing could permanently separate them. A trio that might be better as a quartet, if there’s room for one more, please?

Why? Well, for one thing, there’s power in numbers. It wouldn’t matter whether we were fighting Lord Voldemort or bickering with our fellow students (Ron, Malfoy and vomiting slugs spring to mind), there would always be someone in the other corner – whether it’s Harry for his quickfire Defence Against the Dark Arts skills, Hermione for her whip-smart problem solving, or Ron for… calling someone a git, probably. At the very least, someone would be ready with a curse (whether the magical kind or just some strong words…) even if they might not always hit their target (as Goyle’s fungi-covered face proved thanks to Harry). This permanent source of support would be invaluable, especially when things were high stakes. We might not have the threat of Dark wizards looming over us, but having trusted people to help you with the big Muggle life decisions – like analysing what it means when your first kiss is crying, for example – would be ideal! Thanks to their complementary skills (Ron’s jokes vs. Hermione’s actually useful advice) we would get the full package of support.

That’s not to say this friendship was perfect. All friendships can stray into troubled waters and these three were no different. However, we always admired the way that they had the ability to love each other even when they didn’t like each other. Such as the time Ron stopped speaking to Harry when his name was pulled out of the Goblet of Fire. He might have thought Harry was fame-seeking and annoying – but he also didn’t want to see him incinerated by a moody Hungarian Horntail. Or when Hermione fell out with the other two because she turned Harry’s Firebolt over to McGonagall for inspection. In that instance, she was willing to risk their ire to keep Harry safe.

Oh, and it would be super useful to be part of a group of friends that have a habit of saving the world. Imagine being able to casually mention – ‘yeah, I actually battled a giant Basilisk with a ruby-encrusted sword one time’. Or ‘you know it’s funny, I flew out of Gringotts on the back of a dragon and then went to help defeat one of the Darkest wizards of our generation’ – instant cool points. Plus, all of these adventures sound far more thrilling than our big weekend plan of de-grouting the bathroom tiles.

That’s not to say that Harry, Ron and Hermione were only about fighting battles. Yes, this trio spent a lot of time saving the wizarding world from Voldemort’s tyranny – but it didn’t mean that they couldn’t have a lot of fun along the way too. That’s what we want from our best friends – people that not only help you through the hard times but make the joyous ones a hundred times better too – we experience the lows together, and we chase the highs together. For every showdown at the Department of Mysteries, there’s always a makeshift Quidditch match in the Weasley orchard. For every skirmish with Dolores Umbridge, there’s always a cute common room hangout and a game of chess waiting on the other side. Or a wholesome stroll around snowy Hogsmeade. Or a quick sit-down in the Three Broomsticks for a lovely Butterbeer. We’d fight a hundred Voldemorts to quite simply have a laugh with these three at the end of the day.

Ultimately, Harry, Ron and Hermione are just three brilliant people – and we want in! They might not be perfect individuals, but as a friendship group they just worked. Whether it was the bigger battles against trolls or the smaller grapples with homework – they were an inseparable unit – one to be admired and one we would have very much liked to join, if anyone knows if they have any openings. No worries if not.