Mrs. Weasley

[serenadust]

No: HPFGUIDX 44938

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "dcyasser" <dcyasser at y...> wrote:
> --->  Freya writes:
> > 
> > > I don't see Molly as some horrible parent.  The go naked 
comment 
> was
> > > a reaction to Ron saying he wouldn't wear the second hand 
one.  
> I'm
> > > sure she is just as frustrated that she cannot provide brand 
new
> > > things for each of her children and she must be tired of 
having to
> > > state over and over the obviouse, lack of funds.  We see her 
being
> > > nice to Harry and I don't find that out of sorts.  I think she 
> feels
> > > very sorry for poor no family Harry.  She tries to mother him 
in a
> > > way.  That does not mean she is taking away from her own 
chilern 
> to
> > > do so.

Dona responds:
> Ah, but I do think she is taking away, because when she appears at 
> Hogwarts in GoF, she has moved beyond simply sharing with Harry 
what 
> she gives to Ron. She (and Bill, too) are there entirely for 
Harry, 
> and Ron doesn't even know about it. 
> 
> Since everyone is revealing their Weasley-like pedigree, I will 
> add for the record that I am the sixth out of seven. I remember 
> looking through my sister's clothes and picking out the things I 
> couldn't wait to get handed down to me.  And we often had "extra" 
> kids around the house, adding to the mayhem, having meals, getting 
> attention from my mom. However, she would never have shown up at 
my 
> school, without my knowledge and/or OK, to stand in as surrogate 
> parent for a classmate, while not showing all that much interest 
in 
> how I was doing...
> 
> I think this plays into Ron's psyche more than the money, the hand-
me-
> downs, the maroon and the corned beef.  In the hands of an expert 
> manipulator, (and we do know some!) this could be construed as 
> betrayal - Molly throwing over Ron in favor of famous Harry. 
> 

I'm sorry Dona, but I must disagree with you here.  While Ron has 
certainly shown that he has some "issues" with his family's poverty, 
and possibly with the special treatment Harry receives in the WW, 
I've never seen any evidence that he resents his mother's 
showing attention and affection to Harry.  JKR could have easily 
shown some indication that Ron is bothered by Molly's visit to 
Hogwarts, the hugs and gifts she gives Harry, or any of the other 
ways she shows her concern for Harry.  If she so much as mentioned a 
frown or sullen look from Ron on any occasion when she fusses over 
Harry, then I might think that you have a point, but I just can't 
remember a single instance where this happens.

There were a series of posts on the list last spring, where we 
discussed Molly's treatment of Ron vs Harry.  I don't have any of 
the message numbers at hand now, but if you searched through last 
April/May messages under Molly's name, you may find them interesting.

I think that Ron would be amazed at the idea that his mother's 
affection for Harry takes anything away from him.  He's always been 
very generous in sharing his family with Harry, and seems to know 
instinctively that that is exactly what Harry needs and wants more 
than anything else.  Ron has his insecurities in other areas (as do 
Harry and Hermione), but he seems to be completely secure as far as 
his mother's love is concerned.

Jo S., Molly fan