Other Weasleys (Percy, Fred)

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 16500

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Ebony AKA AngieJ" <ebonyink at h...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
> > =Warning: listies who accompanied Fred to the Yule Ball may want 
to 
> > skip this post <eg>=
> > Aha!:  On chat the other day, I was trying to remember the 3rd 
> thing I'd noticed was a Fred, not George, nasty trick on Ron.  
Susan 
> has now supplied it and added a fourth.  Thank you, Susan.
> > 
> > My point was that we lump Fred and George together (at least I 
do), 
> > but all the instances I can think of of childhood traumas 
inflicted 
> on Ron by "the twins" were in fact Fred's doing.  Sorry, Ebony!
> > 
> 
> Don't be sorry.  I do think Fred's the leader of the two... and I'm 
> not half as defensive about Fred as I am critical of Ron.  I also 
am 
> quick to defend Percy most of the time, but Penny's done a great 
job 
> of it over the past couple of days.
> 
> Fred can defend himself, I'm sure.   
> 
> > 1) (least serious IMO) telling him you have to wrestle a troll to 
> get Sorted (PS/SS)
> > 2) changing his teddy bear into a giant spider (CoS)
> > 3) giving him an acid pop that burned a hole in his tongue (PoA)
> > 4) (most serious IMO) Beating his puffskein, apparently to death 
> ("I used to have one of these" "What happened?"  "Fred used it for 
> Bludger practice":  clear implication is that the past tense is due 
> to the Bludger practice) (FB)
> > 
> > So, my question is:  what's with Fred?  Are other people growing 
as 
> > disturbed by the overall picture of him as I am?
> > 
> 
> Nope.  But then again, I'm not hugely protective of either Ron or 
> animals.  We established this fact in chat.  ;-)

Yes, I remember this as well, and I think I suggested that Ron *may* 
have been joking - kind of sarcastic thing he would say.  (And you 
did admit the possibility Amy!

On the points above - 
1) This is akin telling children in the UK that when they start 
secondary school they will have their head flushed down the toilet, 
either on their first day, or their birthday.  I think everyone knows 
that it's not true, and I am sure that Ron would not be stupid enough 
to think that at 11 years old he would have to wrestle with a troll.

2) Didn't Fred turn Ron's teddy into a spider because Ron had broken 
his toy broom?  I can't for the life of me find the quote, but I am 
sure it's in CoS somewhere.  I actually side with Ron on this one.  
My evil younger brother used to take great delight in collecting the 
largest, hairiest spiders he could find in our out buildings, in a 
bucket, and throwing at them.  I am very phobic of spiders as a 
result, and have never truly forgiven him for it.

> We don't hear if Ron ever did anything to the twins or Percy to 
> provoke these reactions.  There are two sides to every story.  If 
> Ron's like most younger sibs, then... never mind.

We do - see above!
> I close with a long quote from PoA.  Please, note Fred vs. George 
> below.
> 
> *******************************
> "Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath, the mud.
> "How're you feeling?"
> 
> It was as though Harry's memory was on fast forward. The lightning -
-
> the Grim -- the Snitch -- and the dementors...
> 
> "What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.
> 
> "You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been -- what -- fifty feet?"
> 
> "We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking.
> 
> Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely 
> bloodshot.
> 
> "But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"
> 
> No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into Harry like a 
stone.
> 
> "We didn't -- lose?"
> 
> "Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He 
didn't
> realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the
> ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won 
fair 
> and square... even Wood admits it."
> 
> "Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.
> 
> "Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown
> himself."
> 
> Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred
> grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.  "C'mon, Harry, you've 
> never missed the Snitch before."
> 
> "There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.
> 
> "It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points"
> 
> "Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw 
and
> Slytherin --."
> 
> "Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said
> George.
> 
> "But if they beat Ravenclaw..."
> 
> "No Way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against
> Hufflepuff..."
> 
> "It all depends on the points -- a margin of a hundred either way."
> 
> Harry lay there, not saying a word. They had lost... for the first 
> time ever, he had lost a Quidditch match.
> 
> After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to
> leave him in peace.
> 
> "We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself 
> up, Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."
> 
> The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them.
> 
> **************************
> 
> --Ebony AKA AngieJ

I love this quote.  I am a staunch believer in the fact that George 
and Fred are even more loveable and perhaps even sensitive 
underneath.  IMO, they are good-natured, kind-hearted people who 
enjoy a bit of fun, which as Harry admits, is sorely needed.  Even in 
their very first scene they help an (as yet) unknown first year onto 
the train with his trunk.  How many other people would bother?  I 
also love the scene when they rescue Harry from the Dursleys' house 
in CoS.  I know they are trying to get around Molly, but "They were 
starving him, Mum!" (George) gets me everytime.
They are also almost always supportive of Harry, with the exception 
of when he loses the house points in PS.  Remember in Cos when Harry 
is relieved that Fred and George think it so ridiculous that Harry is 
Slytherin's Heir, that they spend all their time making fun of 
it?  "Make way, Heir of Slytherin coming through!" (paraphrase).
IMO, Fred and George use their humour and pranks to show how they 
actually feel about things, but have the sense to know (as in the 
scene above) when it is not appropriate.
Catherine