C.R.A.B. - SB Strange Behavior - PoA ad - PP house - Fudge under control

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

No: HPFGUIDX 25837

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., cynthiaanncoe at h... wrote:
I was wondering if Ron might be 
> something close to a squib.  I can't think of very many instances 
in 
> which Ron proves a talent in a particular branch of magic.  He has 
> trouble on Lupin DADA exam and can't throw off the Imperius curse.  
I 
> don't think he's ever transfigured anything.  His Banished cushions 
> don't land in the bin.  He makes up his divination homework.  He 
> invents goblins on the test.  Nothing good ever happens to Ron in 
> Potions.  He isn't good enough at Quiddich to make the house team, 
> even by his third year.  He can't even land on the cushions when 
> stunned, for cryin' out loud.  He's good at chess, but even Muggles 
> are good at chess.


Now, I think a few people out there know that I'm not the biggest Ron 
fan out there, but I don't think that what you're saying is entirely 
fair.  I don't believe that Ron is even close to being a squib.  He 
suffers in the first couple of years of school with a wand which 
didn't "choose" him at best, and at worst, was snapped in half and 
malfunctioning.

As far as his lessons are concerned - we don't know enough to judge.  
For example, the making up stuff in History of Magic - how do we know 
that's not just some off-hand comment many teenage boys would make to 
seem cool?

Potions:  JKR particularly mentions how meticulous Ron's approach is 
with his ingredients preparation.

Charms:  True, he did get Wingardiam leviosa wrong, but had managed 
to perfect it in time to use it on the troll's club in order to knock 
it out - not only having the strength of mind to make it fly, but to 
direct it adequately.

DADA:  Against the boggart, he managed to overcome his fear of 
spiders (made worse by the encounter with Aragog in the previous 
year) in order to help defeat it (loss of spiders etc.)

I can't think of many more examples, but I think that the above shows 
that he shouldn't be written off academically/magically just yet.

Catherine, who can't believe that she is actually writing a post in 
defence of Ron!