As the battle escalates, Harry, Hermione and Ron split up—with Harry searching for the Horcrux, and Hermione and Ron going after the means to annihilate it. The sword of Gryffindor, which they used to destroy Salazar Slytherin’s locket in “Part 1,” was lost to them at Gringotts, but Ron has a revelation. Rupert Grint clarifies, “He has the idea to use a Basilisk fang to destroy the Horcruxes, they way Harry did with Tom Riddle’s diary in the Chamber of Secrets.”
The Basilisk was killed, but his skeleton—with fangs intact—remains. Ron and Hermione make their way down to the Chamber, the design of which was unchanged from the series’ second film, with one addition: the skeleton of the long-dead Basilisk, which was specially sculpted by Nick Dudman’s department.
Pulling out one of the fangs, Ron hands it to Hermione, who, with a bit of bolstering, stabs it into the cup, which spews a torrent of anger and terror that leaves them drenched and breathless. Without a word, they fall into each other’s arms for the kiss that fans have been awaiting.
It was a moment Grint and Watson had also been anticipating, albeit for different reasons. “Because I’ve known Emma since we were little kids, I thought it would feel weird,” Grint admits. “No disrespect to Emma, who is obviously lovely, but I just couldn’t imagine it. I got quite nervous about it the more I built it up in my head.”
As it turns out, Watson shared his anxiety. “The fact that Rupert and I have such a strong friendship is actually what made it a bit uncomfortable,” she confides. “If you’ve grown up with someone who is literally like a sibling to you and are then put in a situation where you have to kiss them, in a romantic sense, it’s really awkward.”
Understanding their concerns, David Yates did not tell them when they would be filming the kiss until the evening before and then gave each a bit of directorly advice. “I told them just to forget Rupert and Emma and let Ron and Hermione take over. They totally committed to it, and it was charming…absolutely smashing.”
