Weasley Poverty - Ron - Heraldry -

[Rita Winston]

No: HPFGUIDX 21139

Lisa Inman wrote:

> Each member of the Burrow seems to have their 
> particular way of dealing with the infamous 
> Weasley poverty,

While I believe that the Weasleys were never wealthy (The Burrow is
described as "It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen,
but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several
stories high"), I suspect that they aren't as poor as all that. They not
only have a large (albeit ramshackle) house and never seem to go hungry,
but they managed to scrape up Comet 260 broomsticks for the twins and
enough textbooks for all those kids. I'm thinking that the problem is
trying to spread the available money over So Many kids. Bill and Charlie
could have had school stuff bought new for them and the usual amount of
pocket money when they went to Hogwarts, as there were no smaller mouths
to compete with them at the time they started school. And Ron and Ginny
could have their allowances increased after Fred and George finish
school and the parents are back down to supporting only two kids.
*counts on fingers* that would be books 6 and 7, when they will have
other things to worry about.

Lisa Inman wrote about Ron:

> His brothers before him have all run the spectrum
> of How To Carry Proudly the Weasley Name, and he's
> going to have a *very* difficult time trying to 
> find his own niche without being either a 
> cookie-cutter or a loser.  

I think the older brothers have left part of the spectrum unclaimed: I
don't recall any canonical evidence that any of them are musical, play
an instrument, sing, draw pictures, act in theatre. 

I keep hollering at Ron (but he never listens) that he should learn to
play guitar (or at least harmonica): it was my childhood observation
that kids who play portable live music get a lot of favorable attention
from other kids, who like to listen or sing along. And someone on list
(I think it was Steve Vander Ark) mentioned playing guitar as having
been a good way to attract girls. (I took guitar lessons, altho' I
wasn't trying to attract girls, but I am tone-deaf and it was hopeless.)

Sketching in a realist style can also be popular with the other kids:
accurate and/or humorous caricatures of fellow students and teachers are
like magic to us Muggles, and no doubt MORE amazing than magic to the
wizard folk.

Or if style at chess comes from the same abilities as skill at poker (or
bridge), he could take up playing poker (or bridge) for money and gain
some fame/respect among his schoolmates as well as enough money for some
new clothes. MAYBE even a decent broomstick. A summer job wouldn't do
much for the fame, but would help with the finances..

> He shares Charlie's love of Quidditch, but like
> Charlie doesn't regard it as a career option, 
> and it's not mentioned that he's even tried out 
> for a spot on the Gryffindor team.   

I believe Ron would have tried out for the team if there had been
try-outs. I believe there haven't been any try-outs yet. In Book 1, the
team already had all positions except Seeker filled with returning
players and one Chaser up from the reserves, but I gather that she had
been chosen end of previous year. Then Harry was given the Seeker
position without try-outs. It seems to me that the team members made a
decision (or Wood decided and the rest went along with him) that they 1)
would not have reserves, 2) would keep the same first-string players as
long as those players were at school. The first of our familiar team to
finish school was Wood, at the end of Book 3. Finally, a vacancy on the
team: I thought there would be try-outs for the Keeper position in Book
4, but there wasn't any House Quidditch in Book 4. I want them to have
House Quidditch in Book 5 (altho' VWII may interfere) and I can't decide
which I would prefer: 1) Ron gets the Keeper position and is really
good, better than Wood, and is recruited by pro teams, or 2) Ron is
beaten out for the Keeper position, by sports-loving but Muggle-born
Dean Thomas, or by a girl, or by some little second-year baby -- the
emotion stress of Yet Again not getting what he wants, especially losing
it to someone he would probably consider (albeit unconsciously) to be
less worthy of it, might be maximised if the person who beat him out was
not merely a girl, but his very own beloved baby sister Ginny.  
 
Professor Amanda Binns wrote:

> I'm off! to continue my work, pontificating,
> edifying, and generally shining the light of 
> heraldic knowledge into the narrow, frightening 
> world of mall heraldry kiosks.

What?! I can't imagine that you would do the Carry Nation thing (smash
them up with an axe)...

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