Much Ado About Money (concerning the Weasleys)

[Fred Waldrop]

No: HPFGUIDX 59517

fredwaldrop at y... writes:

Do you really believe that by making Ron wear a robe that looks like 
a girls dress will help him grow up? How on earth did you come up 
with that idea?
As for it being a lesson, I can not see any lesson except that his 
mother does not care what her son looks like. And as for "dealing 
with what you have", wouldn't it make more sense to show him how to 
fix something that isn't right instead of just trying to use it like 
it is? That is what most people said about broken his wand, if he had 
asked for help, he would have received it, and his wand would have 
been in better shape. But instead of that, you say he needs to fix 
things himself and never ask for help, or just live with it like it 
is, no matter how bad it looks or works.
And them not having much money has nothing to do with the fact that 
if SHE would have taken a couple minutes and taken the lace off, the 
robe would have been much more exceptable. But, as you say, 
apparently her son is not her number one priority, and that is a sad 
thing to say about any mother. Good thing Lily did not have the same 
attitude or this would have been a very different book.
Also, I do not remember reading anything about Fred or George having 
to wear girls robes. Neither do I remember reading that Ginny had to 
wear a boys robe to the dance. The only person that had to 
dress "inadequate" was Ron. And it would NOT have cost ONE KNUT for 
her to have removed the fringe and lace from Ron's robe, just a 
couple of minutes of her time.


SnapesSlytherin at a... wrote:

Are we positive that it *really* looked like a girl's dress?  We are 
talking about the POV of a fourteen year old boy -- things look 
different to them.  I personally think it *will* help him grow up 
because it's not about what you look like on the outside, it's who 
you are on the inside.  Ron had better well learn that because things 
are about to get a lot darker in the WW, and no one is going to have 
time to listen to him complain about the state of his robes.
It's not about Molly not caring, but she has other kids to attend 
to.  For all we know, she has just had a talk like this with Fred and 
George.  To focus on your point about the robes of Fred and George, I 
think that if the twins got robes like that, they would take it 
better.  They'd manage to laugh it off - Ron hasn't learned how to 
laugh at himself yet.  I can just see the twins spinning about, 
telling everyone they're the "latest fashion"."Her son is not her 
number one priority"?  Ron isn't her only son.  She has to worry 
about Fred, George, and Ginny, too.  She can't focus all her time on 
Ronnykins.  I think Molly's family is her priority numero uno, but 
how would it look if she dwelled on Ron?
This all goes back to asking for help.  Ron never asked anyone.  He 
just went off on one of his "everything I own is rubbish" tangents.  
Molly didn't really want him to go naked.  She's stressed (and with 
all the kids she has, it's amazing she isn't crazy!  I had to watch 
nine little girls during musical and 
they almost drove me crazy.)
I do notice, though, that no one faults Arthur for not removing the 
lace.  He was there, right?  I know that he was off running around 
because of the QWC disaster, but didn't they see him before they 
left?  When everyone talks about Ron's wand or anything of Ron's, 
they blame Molly.  What about Arthur?  Is he 
blameless?
~*~*~Oryomai~*~*~


Hello everyone, Fred Waldrop here:

Unless we are to assume that Ron is lieing about what the robe 
looked like,(and Harry seemed to pretty much agree with Ron, "In some 
trepidation, Harry opened his last parcel on his camp bed. It wasn't 
as bad as he expected..."), so yes, I do believe it looked like a 
girls dress. And I still can not see how making a 15 year old boy 
wear something that looks like a girls dress will make him grow up. 
Everyone keeps saying Ron did not ask for help, but accually, Ron did 
ask for help, in his own way. He might not have begged his mum to fix 
his robe, but he did basicly ask for help.
(Page 156 & 157, GoF, US)
Mum, you've given me Ginny's new dress.... Of course I haven't, said 
Mrs Weasley. That's for you. Dress robes.
What?, said Ron, looking horror struck. Dress robes! repeated Mrs 
Weasley.... You've got to be kidding, said Ron in disbelief. I'm not 
wearing that, no way.
Everyone wears them, Ron! said Mrs Weasley crossly. They're all like 
that....
I'll go starkers before I put that on, said Ron stubbornly.
Don't be silly, you've got to have dress robes, they're on your 
list....
I'm never wearing them, Ron said stubbornly. Never.
Fine, snapped Mrs. Weasley. Go naked....
As a child, I had to wear second hand cloths, and while I did not 
complain that much, I too had my limits. And where does everyone get 
that Ron complains a whole lot. In the 4 books, covering 4 years, I 
do not think I remember Ron complaining about his situation more than 
3 or 4 times, if that many. How is that being immuture? I will bet 
that most of everyone else in this group complained a whole lot more 
than that. 
Also, I do not understand why people keep talking about "it's what's 
on the inside, not the outside that counts". Are you all that old 
that you do not remember how it was at 15? how many boys out there 
would just put on something that looked like a girls dress and not 
complain? I WOULD have went naked before that (accually, I would not 
have went to the ball at all. I know I did not have enough money to 
go to my prom, so I stayed home).
And lastly, I never said she had to spend ALL of her time with Ron, 
but some are saying she should NOT spend even a few minutes with him. 
He is her son, and unless people think Ron is better at magic than 
Molly, why couldn't she take a minute to take the lace off instead of 
argueing about how Ron must wear the robe as is, or go naked?

Fred Waldrop
ps; As for Arthur not helping, I do not remember if he was at home at 
that time. But if Ron had waited up for him to come in from work and 
ask him to help then, I bet a lot of folks would be talking about how 
inconsiderate he was for keeping his poor old tired dad up to do 
something so trivial as fixing his robe.