Almost normal

[Barry Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 115403

Youngest of six brothers but with a younger sister.
An awkward position in the family structure, likely to be put-upon by 
his brothers but usurped from the position of 'favourite' which often 
attaches to the youngest in a large family. And certain to be 
out-fitted with cast-offs and hand-me-downs outgrown by his elders.

Some consider this as possibly a sign of indifference or lack of  care 
by Molly, but if there's one thing you practice in such situations it's 
the old-fashioned virtue of thrift - scrape and save, make do and mend. 
The WW  seems to be a cash society - no chance of putting it on your 
card, hoping to pay it off sometime, somehow. Austerity  rules; no 
Galleons for frivolities at chez Weasley.

But when he does have an apparent windfall (the Leprechaun
gold)  what does he do with it? Gives it to Harry as repayment for 
omnioculars - and more importantly has the grace to make a joke about 
it - "Now you'll have to buy me a Christmas present!" As if the usual 
exchange of boxes of Chocolate Frogs somehow equated to something as 
expensive as the glasses.
It's a not-so-subtle indication that money isn't what he wants most - 
but he does wish he could be as generous to his friends as he'd like to 
be.

Ron understands the need for his parents to be careful with the cash. 
He doesn't like it, but he does understand it; he knows things are 
tight - as evidenced by his tentative request  for a new broom in OoP. 
But wonder of wonders! Yes! Apart from a new wand (a necessity and 
bought with the competition prize money) it may well have been the 
first big present he's ever had that was new. Even though the model 
isn't the  best available it's the best that Molly can afford - and 
he's *proud* of it.

This tells us an awful lot about Ron. He's a realist. Settle for what's 
possible rather than pining for the unobtainable. Though he does have 
his dreams, his reaction to the images in the Mirror shows us that - 
even if they were generated by DD. It's worth noting that the images 
were not related to wealth or power but to what could be achieved by 
his own efforts - and so maybe not so unattainable after all. All he 
needs is some inspiration, a little application, a touch of incentive; 
and isn't  that what the Mirror provided?

All his life he's followed in his brothers footsteps - and with five of 
'em it's going to be difficult to step out of the shadows and not be 
'the second (or more) to do it'. Head Boy, Prefect, Quidditch star - 
it's been done, but in Quidditch at least there's an opportunity to be 
an original - Charlie was a Seeker, Gred and Forge were Bludgers, but 
Ron will be a Keeper. A role all  his own where he won't be compared to 
those who went before.

He's the archetypal Griffindor; not too bright but brave and loyal. And 
IMO bravery is much more than swanning off to rescue whoever, it's 
suppressing your fears and *then* going out and rescuing whoever. This 
is one of the main differences between Ron and Harry - when has Harry 
been afraid for his own skin before embarking on one of his escapades? 
Ron is often apprehensive and on one occasion downright petrified - but 
he goes. And sacrifice (when necessary) is not beyond him; even when he 
didn't know what the outcome would be he sacrifices himself on the 
chessboard.

Loyalty matters too;  he's loyal to Harry, to Hermione (even to the 
extent of trying to hex Malfoy with a broken wand), to DD and to his 
family. And he expects it to be reciprocated. His anti-Percy sentiment 
is IMO because Percy isn't being loyal and has probably been edging 
away from his family for some time; now he's finally broken ranks and 
gone over to the 'enemy'. Unforgiveable. And Ron's loyalty to Harry is 
tested in GoF; he's upset and angry  because he believes that Harry 
doesn't trust him enough to tell him that he was going to put his name 
into the Goblet and afterwards to tell him how he did it, not because 
of feelings of jealousy or envy. The realisation that it wasn't down to 
Harry at all brings instant rapprochement. Harry didn't mistrust  him 
after all.

So what does the future hold for Ronald Bilius Weasley?
Can you ever imagine such a character becoming ESE? I can't; not if 
Harry doesn't become even more self-centred than he was at the start of 
OoP. That could test any friendship to destruction. Not ESE then - or 
at least not voluntarily. He did seem to be worryingly susceptible to 
the Imperius Curse in Crouch!Moody's class - something to look out for 
in  the future maybe.

There are those that hope for Ron as Seer. Certainly there have been 
times when he's made an apparently scathing or dismissive comment, only 
for it to come to pass in one way or another. Don't see it myself - 
Swami!Ron is a touch too fanciful for my taste; I prefer to see it as a 
sort of  running joke slipped in by JKR,  with the possibility that at 
some stage it'll backfire on us when we don't expect it.

Will he survive? Hmm, difficult. I  think one of Ron and Harry will 
make it, but not both. Somebody's got to be left behind for Hermione to 
  boss around and two  would be one too many. And so far in the course 
of the 5 books he has collected more than his fair share of injuries 
and hexes - bitten by Norbert, crunched on the chessboard, zapped by 
his own wand, arm broken by Sirius, hexed by a DE, attacked by brains. 
Is Jo trying to tell us something? R.B.Weasley - walking disaster area 
with a target on his back?

I  hope not; he deserves a break - even if it's because he's the only 
kid in his year that reads as half-way close to being your average  
teenager. The rest are a right collection of wierdos and misfits. 
Personally I'd rather see Ron survive than Harry.
And if he can escape death maybe he can escape Hermione too.

Now that's what I'd call a happy ending.

Kneasy