The tragedy of Ron Weasley

[Jami DeQuardo]

No: HPFGUIDX 91382

  In message # 91368, "johnbowman19" <jhnbwmn at h...> wrote: (snipped to 
highlight relevant portion of post)
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Ron has common  sense you know (how could someone possibly trick you 
into betraying  your best friend? and causing them harm?).
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Did you miss the introduction of the Imperius Curse in GoF?  I think 
it's quite clear how a chracter weakness such as a tenfdency to feel 
inferior, resent his family's poverty ("Why is everything I owe 
rubbish?!") and to see his best friend as a rival who appears to be 
chramed to have everything Ron has not might lead to this weakness of 
Ron's to be used against him.  WE all have weaknesses and just like 
Harry's weakness for saving people and heroics was used against him in 
OotP, I think we will see Ron's weaknesses turned against him.   Of 
course you'd like to see him overcome this, but, only time will tell.  
Watching a character fight the temptations of his own weaknesses is the 
most basic of epic storylines.  I'd bet a thousand galleons we'll see 
it in 6 or 7.

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I try my hardest to outdo  my brothers and sisters, and I am sure Ron 
does too.
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Er, but he does NOT try very hard at all.  Percy obviously had ambtion 
in spades.  Even Fred and George had an unquenchable entrepreneurial 
spirit.  Ron, however, doesn't want to take notes in class, he doesn't 
want to do his own homework (he'd rather copy from Hermione) and he'd 
much rather play a game than study.  I'd say he doesn't try very hard 
at all to outdo his family and it's even worse it seems because he has 
Harry and Hermione beside him which means he's very unlikely to 
outshine either of them in intellect.

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His two closest brothers are  screw-ups and he has already surpassed 
them by being a prefect. I  think he has already surpassed Percy in 
character because he is more  loyal. Ron has more common sense and 
friends then Percy ever did. We  do not know much about Charlie and 
Bill save their jobs and  personalities. Charlie was a great chaser, 
but Ron is a great  keeper. Bill is cool and so is Ron. Why should Ron 
feel inferior?
<SNIP> Ron won the cup almost single-handedly. He was carried off the 
field on the shoulders of his peers.
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Ok, I definitely do NOT think the twins are screw ups.  Even Hermion 
sees that they are indeed clever.  They simply do not place emphasis on 
school marks or a job at the ministry.  They set goals, take risks and 
give a full effort to acheive their goals even despite their mother's 
not only lack of support but active squashing of their hopes (in GoF 
she destroyed thier ordering forms and confiscated their products any 
time she found them).

In compariosn to Charlie (who was a Seeker, btw), Charlie was one of 
the BEST Seekers.  In PS, McGonagall describes Harry's flying to catch 
the Remberall as something 'Charlie Weasley couldn't have done'.  
Chralie's skills seem to be legendary even beyond his time at Hogwarts. 
  In comparison, Ron had one--ONE-- game where he wasn't abysmal.  He 
does not warrant being termed 'a great keeper' as you say.  He's 1-3 
good performances to poor and he would've been replaced before he got 
the one good one if there'd been an alternative.  Before that last 
game, despite the fact that everyone knew G-dor could take the Cup if 
they won, not one of them was daring to hope because of Ron's past 
Keeping. (p602, UK Adult Ed)  I'd say much of the turn about when they 
did win and Ron played well was do to being jubilant when they'd never 
felt they had a hope.  Also, Ron did not win the game on his own.  
Quidditch is a team sport and without Ginny catching the Snitch or 
ewveryone else working topgether, they would not necessarily have won.  
    In Ron's recalling of the match (beginning of Ch 31) you never once 
hear him mention any of the other players for G-dor until he talks 
about the look on Cho's face when Ginny got the Snitch.  He wasn't a 
very gracious *team* member there while he gave only the most detailed 
accounts of *his* prowess in the air.  Reminded me an awful lot of his 
boastful (and exaggerated) recollections of the Second Task in GoF.

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How many boys are in  Griffyndor in Harry and Ron's year? A lot. Ron is 
chosen because DD  didn't want Harry to do it. This means in DD's eyes 
Ron's maybe second  best, but second best in the eyes of the most 
powerful wizard in the  world? That is not bad. Ron is chosen because 
DD thinks he is just  as capable at being a prefect as Harry would have 
been. Ron is his  replacement in DD's eyes. Wouldn't that fill you with 
confidence?
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First--there are only 3 other boys in G-dor for thier year.  Yes, JKR 
gave some chat a number of years ago with the notion that she felt 
Hogwarts had a great number of students, but the fact is now, we've 
never seen them.  There are five boys in the year.  Five.
Second, the definition of "second-best" means that one is not 'just as 
capable' as the other.  And no, knowing I was a sloppy-secoind choice 
and "replacement" would not fill in my confidence especially when it's 
known that I'm the best friend of the first choice.  Look at the other 
choices--Seamus--DD may not have wanted to risk Seamus having authority 
over Harry and rightfully so as Seamus was not a fan of Harry's.  
Dean--good friend with Seamus it's always appeared and we don't know a 
lot about him.  Neville--did not have the confidence or experience to 
subjectively evaluate actions to carry out an authrity figure role.  
Ron--best friends with Harry and Hermione and who DD could be assured 
would look to the reliable Hermione for being the "lead" prefect and 
also who would stand beside Harry at all costs.
The overall point is that Ron would NOT have been the Prefect if Harry 
didn't already have the burden of saving the freaking world.  Period.  
DD knew it, Shaklebolt knew it, Hermione knew it--and I personally 
threw my book across the room when I read Ron was the Prefect--it was 
not earned IMHO.


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  All of Harry's accomplishments have been aided in  some way by Ron. 
And have been through too much to not trust each  other and to be 
jealous of each other.
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Ron didn't help in away for Harry to accomplish the 1st Tak ion 
GoF--where was he?  Oh yes, he was busy being jealous and believing 
Harry to be a liar.  I think your memory may be a tad selective.
Ron didn't help HArry survive the Dursleys for ten years.  Ron didn't 
help Harry face Quirrelmort (he was left behind on the chess board).  
Ron was caught behind a pile of rocks and didn't help Harry defeat a 
Basilisk and Tom Riddle.  Ron was in the hospital wing when Harry and 
Hermione Time Turned and saved Sirius and Buckbeak.  Ron wasn't with 
Harry when he had to be tied to a headstone and have his blood stolen 
to give rebirth to his parents' murderes.  Ron didn't help Harry to 
face done dozens of Death Eaters and one newly resurrected Voldemort.  
Ron didn't help Harry learn Occlumency as he should have and Ron was 
busy spouting off how he liked 'Uranus' and Accio'ing brains to help 
when Harry went after Bellatrix to avenge Sirius and ended up facing 
Voldemort--yet again.  Ron has never--not once--even seen 
Voldemort--none of Harry's friends have.  Only Dumbledore and Snape 
might be able to say they've seen Lord Thingy.

Okay, this post is way too long and I'm ending it here.  Basically, I 
just wanted to refute some overly selective arguments that were trying 
to support Ron as the equal hero to Harry.

Arya


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