Ron&twins; Percy out (Was: Re: OotP Harry not a prefect & his Inner Voice)

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 115211


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich:

> 
> 2.  Ron badly needed to get away from the twins.  Whether they meant
> to or not, Fred and George were cramping Ron badly.  F&G's opnions
> mattered tremendously to Ron and if they didn't like something, then
> he didn't either.  Ron's worst moment was his refusal to confront the
> twins when they were experimenting inappropriately on first years for
> their products.  He wimped out of confronting them because he was
> afraid of their contempt and scorn.  
> 
> Is it really a coincidence that Ron had his first good Quidditch game
> AFTER the twins left Hogwarts? I don't think so.  I think that
> worrying about how the twins perceived his playing was a major drag
> on Ron's performance all through the fall.
> 
> So yes, I think we did get to see more of Ron as a result of his new
> position.
> 
> Magda

Finwitch:

I agree that the twins opinion has great weight on Ron. And indeed
that makes him less nervous about the game - and thus better at it -
after the twins aren't there. Their opinion still does weigh on him,
I'd say. I don't know if these sibling-dynamics ever totally leave us.

They sure didn't leave Percy. He's the 'odd man out' in
sibling-dealings. Bill&Charlie, twins, Ron&Ginny - Percy never had
that one to pair with. He upset Bill by insulting their father (and
what Bill says counts much for Percy) And now he's cut himself off the
family, and even gone as far as to defy Fudge just because he's now (a
bit too late, perhaps) agreeing with Percy's family in the belief
about Voldemort having returned?

Sure, Ron is looking up to the twins - they are the *paired* older
brothers he had at home most of his life. (Bill left for Hogwarts when
Ron was 2). Not to mention that Ron's worst fear got started after he
had upset Fred (by breaking Fred's toy). I think he got accustomed to
avoid upsetting people after that, particularly Fred&George.
Fred&George told Ron about Hogwarts (nasty things that weren't true),
that weird 'turn this rat yellow' spell that didn't work... I wonder
what Ron thought when he found that out? Did he confront the twins
about it and twins would tell him that 'ask no questions and you won't
be lied to' or some such?

Finwitch