[HPforGrownups] Re: Evil Ron?

[Morag Traynor]

No: HPFGUIDX 16213

>
>He's also a 14 year old boy.  They pull your hair on
>the playground and call you names to show that they
>*like* you.  I'm amazed Ron has gotten along as well
>as he has with Hermione. ;)
>
>
>
>Andrea II, putting up her "Don't Mess With Ron" bumper sticker
>
Not to mention how well he gets along with Harry!  Really, for a boy who has 
been overshadowed by his bigger, stronger, cleverer, better-looking and more 
successful brothers all his life, he is positively saintly in his loyalty to 
his smarter, more famous friends!

I was glad he had his quarrel with Harry - I was beginning to wonder if he 
was human.  OK, he is a bit mean to Hermione, but then she never apologised 
over the Crookshanks-Scabbers incident either (I know there was nothing to 
apologise for in the end, but there was a long period of time when no-one 
knew that.)

I know he has his less-than-perfect moments but he is a real, believable 
*boy*, not a hero like Harry.  I also wonder, from other postings, whether 
there is a cultural factor - I think a lot of Ron's negativity, pessimism, 
automatic grumbling, sarcasm, wit and constant wise-cracking is just the way 
us Brits talk a lot of the time.  "Oh no, Mum's sent me another lumpy maroon 
jumper - she knows I hate maroon" is just British for "I love my mum and I'm 
really proud of her".

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned one of his best qualities - his sense of 
humour.  When things threaten to get too serious, or too scary, Ron makes 
Harry and Hermione (and us) laugh, and both the H's might be a l-e-e-tle bit 
precious without Ron's down-to-earthness.

Only example I can come up with in a hurry, but there are lots:

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" 
said Hermione in alarm.
"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.

Put me down for one of those bumper stickers, Andrea.

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