Ron and Parseltongue

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 183306

> 
> Montavilla47:
> Of course, we also don't know that "open" is a one-word
> command in Parseltongue, either.  It might require any
> number of different syllables and sounds.


Pippin:
It's "a hiss and a snarl" (DH 19) or alternatively, "a horrible
strangled hissing noise" (DH 31), though possibly Ron's attempt to
imitate himself is inaccurate, or Harry would have heard him saying
"open."  Ron is also able to recall "Gamp's Law of Elemental
Transfiguration", though he told Hermione to "speak English" the only
time she mentioned it.

Montavilla:
> Ron's kind of an amazing guy, when you think about it.
> He's got a killer talent for Wizard Chess in one year, then
> hardly ever plays again.  Then he goes from being barely
> adequate as a Quidditch Keeper to winning the big game
> to barely adequate again to winning the big game again.

Pipin:
Ron plays chess reasonably often in the first five books. Who can
forget the threat to Harry's quivering castle at the end of OOP?

 But no one had  much time to play  in HBP, and Hermione apparently
didn't think to pack either chess or gobstones in her magic bag in DH.
Too bad, it would have made all that downtime much more bearable. But
it's just like her <g>. So is polishing a sword that doesn't need
polishing -- she did give Harry a broomstick polishing kit as a
present once.

As for Ron's recurring confidence problems, what is so amazing about
that? Anybody who's ever had confidence problems or any other kind of
emotional hangup could tell you that beating  it once doesn't mean
it's gone forever. 

Pippin