The Weasleys' Muggle Cousin (Was Re: CHAPDISC: HBP5, An Excess of Phlegm)

[hpfan_mom]

No: HPFGUIDX 144144


> Betsy Hp:
>After all, one of Arthur's brothers is a squib (an accountant,
>IIRC).  Why doesn't Arthur go for a visit to see how the other half
> live? That'd be a perfect time to ask some 
> questions.  
> 
> Sherry now:
> 
> i think it was a distant cousin.  not a brother.  I think it's 
something
> like Arthur's second cousin or something like that.  And i know 
it's
> probably been 20 years since i've seen my second cousins.  It 
would be
> pretty horrible if it was on of Arthur's brothers.  i can't even 
remember
> which book mentions that, but I'm quite sure it was a distant 
cousin.

hpfan_mom:

Page 99, Scholastic version, PS/SS:

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as 
interesting as Ron found him.

"Er - yes, I think so," said Ron.  "I think Mom's got a second 
cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

Interesting . . . it's Molly's cousin who is the Muggle.  And Arthur 
is totally infatuated with all things Muggle, to the point of trying 
to make a career of it.  Meanwhile, Molly (presumably) denies him 
access to this cousin -- I'm assuming that since the Prewetts were 
pure-bloods it's the cousin who's been cut off for being out of 
place, not the other way around.

What an interesting dynamic, Arthur crazy to know about Muggle ways 
and Molly's cousin unavailable to him.  Ah, marriage. :)  In any 
other book, Ron's line would likely have had no more significance 
than its face value.  And perhaps even JKR is entitled to her 
throwaway lines.  After all, what's more uberMuggle than being an 
accountant?  (Maybe an actuary.)

Or maybe it's meant to alert us to the fact that even pureblood 
families throw off Squibs (e.g., the worry about how Neville would 
turn out).

hpfan_mom