TBAY: Ron and the Best Game of Chess Ever (Was The Betrayal)

[violetbaudelaire2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 39891

After reading thoughts  about whether Ron could be  duped into 
unintentionally betraying Harry, I thought I would take some time 
to examine the chess game from SS, as we know that Ron is 
good at chess; so good that it is the one thing he can beat 
Hermione at (as an offshoot: Hermione says not all wizards are 
good at logic- who are these wizards? And if she's so good at 
logic, why isn't she a better chess player?)

Ron choses the pieces that each one of the Trio will become, 
Harry a bishop, Hermione a castle, and a knight for himself. 
Though I am by no means an excellent chess player (I'm not 
bad), I see this as an interesting choice. Bishops are quite 
powerful, they have a wide range of movement, and bishops (in 
general) suggest a certain kind of stoicism, or holiness. Ron 
appoints Harry as bishop- he sees Harry as a stoic figure, 
powerful and fluid in movement. Harry will move diagonally 
(hmm... diagonally...Diagon Ally)

Hermione becomes the castle- this is obvious, she is the rock 
sold fortress. Castles move straight left to right/up or down. 
Hermione is definitely very straight and rigid.

Ron makes himself a knight- he is  the overshadowed  little 
brother/friend, desprately looking for glory, hence the knight. 
Knights, while powerful, have very limited moves, and good 
chess players can be sneaky and stealthy with  their knights 
(BTW, to win the game in SS, Ron says he'll "take one step 
forward and she'll take me" SS- US page 283. I hope this is 
some error on JKR's part or an incomplete thought on Ron's, as 
knights *never* move just one step in *any* direction, and Ron's 
not much of a chess player if he thinks so.) 

Back to Ron the Knight: He makes excellent use of himself as 
knight, and takes quite a few pieces, thereby demonstrating his 
power (and, incidently, his prowess at logic and strategy). But the 
biggest thing Ron does is *sacrifice himself for the good of the 
team*. He is desperate for glory, honor, adventure, but he knows 
when to step back and let others take over. Granted, all three 
have  their special talents and their time under the trap door is 
one in which they can show off these talents, but Ron is the one 
who puts himself in harms way to help Hermione and Harry (not 
just those two, but also himself, if you view them as an 
inseperable Trio).

Someone may be able to hoodwink Ron into a betrayal, but I 
think this would be difficult. Ron, while feeling overshadowed by 
Harry's fame, would give sacrifice himself to protect Harry.  
Possibly Ron will become a martyr.

I know this is getting long, but there are other acts by Ron which 
support my idea that Ron will be  a martyr rather than betrayer: 
He volunteers to be manacled to Pettigrew (and also a 
werewolf). Yes, I know this was because he was quite offended 
by the Scabbers/Pettigrew thing, but it also shows bravery and a 
willingness to go to great lengths to protect his friend. In GoF, 
though he has a petty jealousy of Harry, he still goes downstairs 
to check on him (while Harry is talking to Sirius in the fire), and 
after he is wholeheartedly convinced that someone is trying to kill 
Harry, Ron offers his friendship and protection.

I think Ron has weaknesses, but he will be  tough to trick, only 
because his  friendship for Harry is too strong. 

-Submitted for your approval by VioletBaudelaire