Twin Discussion Part 1

[joywitch999]

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No: HPFGUIDX C6304
From: joywitch999
Subject: Twin Discussion Part 1
Date: 8/8/00 7:00 pm  (ET)

I was supposed to introduce this weeks character discussion of the Weasley
twins, but I am very late. Sorry about that, folks, but considering the
number of posts lately it seems that there is no shortage of things to
talk about, so no harm done! <g>. Here goes:

Fred and George Weasley (Part 1)

We first meet the twins in King's Cross Station, in SS/PS. Fred is
giving his mother a hard time by pretending that he is George. This
sets up the pattern - the twins are incorrigible clowns, and Fred is the
"dominant" twin. However, we immediately see that they are nice guys -
they see that Harry is having trouble and help him get his trunk onto
the Hogwart's Express. Throughout SS/PS, we learn more about Fred and
George - they get good grades in school, everyone thinks they're funny,
Hagrid often has to chase them out of the Forbidden Forest, they are the
beaters on the Gryffindor house Quidditch team (according to Oliver Wood,
they are "human Bludgers").

Although the twins are always sarcastic and relentless about teasing
people, they are clearly very warm-hearted. Although they torture Percy,
they also force him to sit with them during the Christmas feast, since
"Christmas is a time for family." They try to send Harry a toilet seat
to cheer him up when he is in the hospital ward after his fight with
Quirrell. However, Fred and George don't seem to think of Harry as
anything other than Ron's friend until CoS, when they seem to really
become friends.

At the beginning of CoS, the twins help Ron rescue Harry from the
Dursleys, and in the process revealing that they have some important
Muggle skills - they know how to drive a car, and are skill lock-pickers
(Ron, too, has these skills). At this point Fred and George don't seem to
be that close to Harry - they don't even know of his rivalry with Draco
Malfoy. However, during Harry's stay with the Weasleys he and the twins
clearly get to know each other. There almost seems to be some competition
between the teams of Fred/George and Ron/Harry - While Harry and Ron are
flying the car to Hogwarts they can't wait to see the looks of envy on
Fred and George's faces. Clearly it is the mischievous Fred and George,
rather than the straight-laced Percy, who the role-model.

In the Hogwarts-based chapters of CoS, Fred and George make only
infrequent appearances - mostly during Quidditch matches - until the
school starts suspecting Harry of being the Heir of Slytherin, and the
twins are practically the only ones to come to Harry's defense, although
of course in their usual sarcastic manner:

"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming
through..."
Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior.
"It is *not* a laughing matter," he said coldly.
"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."
"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his
fanged servant," said George, chortling.

However, Fred and George relentlessly tease Harry about Ginny's Valentine,
showing that *nothing* is off limits to the twins if it is funny.

(to be continued)