In defense of George (Was: Poor Fred :( )

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 174298

JW wrote:
<snip>
> As Molly observed in OotP (the scene with her boggart at 12 GP) - 
there were nine Weasleys, half already in the order.  It was too much
to hope that all would survive.
> 
> So who would fall?
> 
> My analysis:  Ginney, Arthur, Ron and Bill already came close; I saw 
> no reason to bother them again.  As you observed, Charlie and Percy 
> would not generate sufficient dramatic impact, so they were safe.
> 
> That left Molly and the twins.  The books lack solid parent-figures; 
> hence, I doubted that JKR would kill off the strongest mother-figure 
> of all.  That means Molly was safe.  Of the twins, Fred is the 
> dominant while George is the subordinate.  The loss of Fred would 
> maximize dramatic impact - it is more shocking when the strong die, 
> leaving the weaker to survive as best they can. <snip. I liked
"Weaslings," BTW>

Carol responds:
Not to mention that Molly's boggart involves the death of someone she
loves, not her own death, which is not foreshadowed by that scene.

But I disagree that Fred is "stronger" than George. As far as I can
see, they are absolute equals in the production of Weasley's Wizard
wheezes, and there's no question that they're a team.

And I agree that Fred is the ringleader (as JKR herself has said), but
(as she also said), he's also the crueler. He's the one who gives
Dudley the ton=Tongue Toffess (though George is in on the joke). But
as I mentioned to someone offlist (sorry--too many people to keep
track of), George is more paychologically astute, has a slightly
stronger moral sense (he's the one who objects to blackmailing Ludo
Bagman, but then snatches the letter out of Fred's hand to mail it
himself, demonstrating solidarity with Fred in opposition to nosy Ron
(whom George sarcastically but accurately predicts will become a
Prefect). It's George to whom Harry hands the bag of gold from his TWT
winnings, George who figures out why Hermione wants to know how to get
into the kitchen (to preach freedom to house-elves), George who runs
with Ginny to hug his mother when she arrives at 12 GP to tell them
that their father will live (Fred collapses on a sofa, IIRC).

Who but George could joke about being "holey" after his ear has been
blasted off? That was incredibly brave and selfless of him. How else
could he have swept aside Fred's and his mother's fear and concern
except with self-effacing humor? If one of the Twins had to die, and
Mrs. Weasley's Boggart foreshadowed that one of them would (I agree
that the characters who had already had near-misses were "safe"), I'd
rather it was Fred. Far from being weaker than Fred, IMO, he's the
better man.

Carol, wishing that Snape could have survived to heal George's ear
with his chanted countercurse (assuming that's possible), but thinking
that George would only laugh at my suggestion