[Ron Week]: More Questions--and more and more...

[linman6868 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 16217

Ebony wrote:
>   
> > Ron's talent, as someone noted, seems to be most visible in 
> Potions.  
> 
> He cuts up dandelion roots neatly.  What else?
> 
> When I was in college, I did street evangelism.  I'm going to 
finally 
> uuse some of the lingo that some of the people we witnessed to 
> did.  "Recite chapter and verse, please."
> 
> Please, someone show me this in canon.  I'd like to know.

I was mainly going off the mention of Ron's meticulously cut roots in 
PoA, which Snape made him give to Malfoy.  Ron seems to know how to 
be precise in such a way that implies he can appreciate the "subtly 
shimmering vapours" that move Snape to rhapsody.  Also, I seem to 
recall Ron being very careful to mash his scarab beetles just right 
even before Hermione distracts him with Krum in GoF.  But I could be 
imagining that one (darn this thing with lending out the books!)  
Admittedly, Ron's meticulous attention to the task in Potions could 
be an attempt to keep Snape off his back, but even that indicates his 
recognition of what will stave off the threat--something that does 
him real justice when he plays chess.  Even so, I don't recall him 
screwing up in Potions at all (unlike Harry whose Confusing 
Concoction won't thicken in PoA), whereas there are numerous examples 
of him crashing and burning in Charms and Transfiguration--I always 
laugh at the part where he has to put that feather out with his hat--
is it in PS/SS? or CoS?.

On another note, Amanda mentioned the likeness between Ron and 
Sirius.  Maybe this is one reason Sirius is really blunt with Ron 
("She has the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron.")  I could 
also see Ron being suspected for a spy, as Sirius was.  Both 
innocent, both weak enough to be suspected.  If Sirius is second-
guessing himself at the point of the Fidelius Charm, it shows he's 
learned something about himself that Ron has yet to learn.  Perhaps 
the "prank" on Snape gave Sirius the wake-up call?

Oh yeah, and one more thing.  I noticed when writing that filk about 
Ginny that Harry avoids doing to her the thing that Ron does to 
Hermione (yes, it's Pick on Ron Night):  He doesn't ask *Ginny* to 
the ball knowing he's sure to get a yes.  Admittedly, there's not 
much of a window of time for him to do this before he finds out she's 
going with Neville, but it doesn't even seem to occur to him that 
that could have been an option.  Ron's approach, however, is one that 
reflects the downside of a chessmaster's outlook:  "spraying pawns 
ahead of the fray" (Russellian reference for anyone who cares), he 
attempts to arrange the board as efficiently and strategically as 
possible, without reference to the feelings of his pieces.

Lisa