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Is there anywhere, from JKR's writings to innuendo in books, that implies that Harry had a "serious" relationship before marrying Ginny?

Or was Harry a virgin his whole school life?

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    See "Why aren't the kids doing it?. Basically, the series is targeted at children and they aren't those kind of books. Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 16:45
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    Just wondering but why would you want to know? What effect would knowing this have on the story or the universe in general?
    – TheLethalCarrot
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 16:53
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    @TheLethalCarrot Related: Is “I am curious about X” sufficient justification for asking questions on SFF.SE? (spoiler: yes).
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 17:12
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    @Randal'Thor I know that "rule" is in place, doesn't mean I agree with it and doesn't mean it makes this question decent. Such questions shouldn't exist on a site like this but do due to "rules" like the one you linked... but this question is not the place to discuss things like this.
    – TheLethalCarrot
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 17:14
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    The timelines in the question -- Harry's life before marriage and his school life -- don't completely overlap, and Deathly Hallows covers nearly a year in which he was still single but no longer a student. Is "before marrying Ginny" the important boundary?
    – Gaultheria
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 18:27

3 Answers 3

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Yes

From Twitter:

Is this true? "In 2009, J.K. Rowling announced that Harry Potter lost his virginity in the second half of Goblet of Fire but had to edit it out because her editors said it would cause parents to complain and call Bloomsbury during office hours."

J.K. Rowling: I never wrote it, never announced it & never had it edited out, so it's basically what we British call 'a load of cobblers.'

Now I'm curious, who did he lose it too?

J.K. Rowling: #NeverHappened

How would YOU know?

J.K. Rowling: Fair question. He tells me everything.

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    Sounds like yes...
    – TheAsh
    Commented Dec 10, 2017 at 15:06
  • How did he lose it in GOF like Rowling said if he didn’t have his first kiss until OOTP with Cho?? Makes no sense.
    – sls
    Commented Mar 28, 2022 at 3:19
  • @sls Rowling didn't say that. It was rumoured that she said that, but Rowling herself had denied it. You haven't read the answer properly.
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Mar 28, 2022 at 6:46
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There are no indications in the novel that Harry had any sexual relations prior his relationship with Ginny Weasley. The sole indication that he's ever had sex is the presence of his children in the closing pages of the final book.

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  • How about JKR's interviews, does she imply anything?
    – TheAsh
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 16:42
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    @TheAsh - Nope. It's a children's book, dude.
    – Valorum
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 18:28
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Their relationship hadn't developed past the "kissing" stage while Harry was still at school.

There is one passage in Half-Blood Prince which can seem to be interpreted as innuendo.

“You’d think people had better things to gossip about,” said Ginny, as she sat on the common room floor, leaning against Harry’s legs and reading the Daily Prophet. “Three dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it’s true you’ve got a hippogriff tattooed across your chest.”

Ron and Hermione both roared with laughter. Harry ignored them.

“What did you tell her?”

I told her it’s a Hungarian Horntail,” said Ginny, turning a page of the newspaper idly. “Much more macho.”

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 25

However, as we see in the next book, their relationship clearly hadn't developed past kissing yet.

“So then I thought, I’d like you to have something to remember me by, you know, if you meet some veela when you’re off doing whatever you’re doing.”

“I think dating opportunities are going to be pretty thin on the ground, to be honest.”

“There’s the silver lining I’ve been looking for,” she whispered, and then she was kissing him as she had never kissed him before, and Harry was kissing her back, and it was blissful oblivion, better than firewhisky; she was the only real thing in the world, Ginny, the feel of her, one hand at her back and one in her long, sweetsmelling hair —

The door banged open behind them and they jumped apart.

“Oh,” said Ron pointedly. “Sorry.”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 7

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    I don't think your conclusion is wrong but your passages don't back it up. You can kiss someone like you've never kissed them before and still have had sex with them in the past. Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 17:01
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    Kissing somebody like you've never kissed them before doesn't mean you haven't kissed them before. In fact it implies the opposite.
    – Moogle
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 17:25
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    That hungarian horntail thing - I hate it when people see sexual innuendos everywhere. If you look long enough and hard enough, you will find them, I think it speaks more of the reader than the author. (I know this answer is just an observation)
    – n00dles
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 18:38
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    @n00dles - I was more of trying to point out that it's a passage often interpreted (albeit incorrectly) as innuendo.
    – ibid
    Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 18:40
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    It also does kinda imply that at least Romilda Vane thinks Ginny's seen Harry shirtless though, while other people haven't (since it would be easy for anyone to dispute a rumor like that if he just routinely went around shirtless). Commented Oct 30, 2017 at 21:10

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