Who is the bravest?

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48304

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Grace Saalsaa" <SaalsG at c...> wrote:
> Being mortally terrified of caterpillars, I was thinking about Harry
& Ron's adventure into the dark forest.  I do believe that Ron is as
phobic about spiders as I am about (shudder, skin crawling)
caterpillars.  ... ... ...
> 
> So, this got me to thinking about who is really the bravest
Griffindor, and I think its Ron.  Facing a huge phobia in the dark
forest is a very brave thing to do.  ... ... ... Ron also follows
Harry into his adventures when he really doesn't have to.  Afterall,
its usually Harry's problem(s) and not Ron's. 
> 
> What do you think?  Is Ron the bravest?
> 
> Grace


bboy_mn who is also a Ron fan agrees:

In my fanfic, Harry calls Ron 'a thousand times a hero' because he
faced his greatest fear magnified a thousand times, and he set that
fear aside for a friend and for the greater good. It was no small feat
for Ron to do this. A phobia is something deeply ingrained in our
psychology, and it takes tremendous strength of character to override it.

In the chess game, he gave his life for the greater good. No, he
didn't die, but considering what the consequences of being 'taken' in
a giant wizard's chess game means, he as good as gave his life. The
Queen took pieces without mercy, she shattered hard stone with a
single blow of her arms. Ron, unless he was delusional, should have
had every expectation of dying. Yet he sacrificed himself without
hesitation. 

In the Sheiking Shack, Ron stood, on a broken leg I might add, against
one of the most notorious, dangerous, powerful, and presumed insane
killers in the wizard world, and said, 'you'll have to kill me before
I'll let you kill my friend'. There's more in PoA, but you've all read
the book so I won't detail them all.

Is Ron Brave? OOOOHHHHHH YES, without a doubt he is brave, loyal, and
selfless. 

In a way, I didn't like the way they potrayed Ron in 'that thing'; you
know that thing where you sit in a room and they flash lights on the
screen while you stuff yourself with popcorn and drink so much
lemonade that you have to pee desparately half way through, but don't
dare leave for fear of missing anything.... you know... that thing
that can't be named. Ron screaming and whining with fear while Harry
is bravely stoic (at least some of the time). But in a way that's OK.
Being brave or courageous is not being without fear. Only a fool is
not afraid. A hero is deathly afraid, but overcomes that fear to do
what must be done for no reason other than... it must be done. 

Ron is brave, and Ron is a hero. Is he the bravest? When you've reach
that level of bravery, you are so far above the rest of us mudane
muggles that quantifying it ceases to matter. He is far braver that
me, and that is measure enough.

That's my story and I AM DEFINITELY sticking to it.

bboy_mn