How many Rons per Hermione - numerical analysis of Ron's alleged decline

[adsong16]

No: HPFGUIDX 81997

> Robyn:
> Yes, I would definitely agree that Ron's importance to Harry 
> diminished in OotP, and for many reasons.  One important 
> reason, IMO, is that the plot required that Ron give way to Sirius, 
> as the most important person in Harry's life.  In GoF, Ron was 
> the thing that Harry would most miss, during the second task.  In 
> OotP, however, it wasn't Ron that LV tricked Harry into believing 
> had been taken captive, and which ultimately lured him to the 
> Ministry of Magic, it was Sirius.  I think that Ron will return to a 
> more prominent role in the remaining books, unless, gasp, JKR 
> is preparing us for Ron's demise.

Me (Gorda):
I have to admit I had not noticed a diminished appearance of Ron in OoP. 
Rather, I was struck by how much more important as a character he has 
become. JKR seems to be moving him out of the "sidekick" role: he became 
prefect, not Harry, and he helped Gryffindor win the Cup, which would 
ordinarily have been Harry's job. He also lasted longer in the DoM fight than 
Hermione (although Hermione has become important in other respects). My 
point is that Ron is becoming much more than just Harry's best friend, so even 
if his name was mentioned less, it seems to me that JKR is striving to make 
the trio much more even as far as carrying the load of the story, IMHO.