IN DEFENSE of Ronald Bilius Weasley

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Let me start by admitting to this dude's faults, because some may be unaware of why Ron is a contentious character. Ron is not as skilled or intelligent as Hermione, not as driven or brave as Harry, and altogether not as valuable as a warrior or co-conspirator. Between him running out on the Horcrux hunt and treating Hermione awfully in Half-Blood Prince, we have reason to see Ron and the weakest link...but I'm not so sure. Because I'm obsessed, here is a list for other observers about why Ron is absolutely VITAL to the mission:

  1. Starting with the obvious, this guy is hilarious. Hermione and Harry and dull socks of ambition and talent. Frankly, they are insufferable without Ron, even if they remain successful.
  2. Ron is generous. He's insecure about being poor, but never hesitates to share his time, energy, or family. He gets jealous sometimes, but he wants to be useful and he finds ways to be regularly. If you are not sure that he has found ways to be useful, may I list:
    1. Chess game
    2. Rescue mission in the Ford Anglia
    3. “Brilliant” with Tonks and the 7 Harry's plan
    4. Basilisk Fang idea in Hallows
    5. Defends Harry against Seamus in Order
    6. Doesn't get mad about Harry and Ginny
    7. Goes with Harry on 1000000000 stupid suicide missions because they're friends.
  3. He rounds out the trio's lopsided dynamic. Harry has the balls. Hermione has the brains. Ron has the emotion. Let's put it this way: if Hermione should've been a Ravenclaw and Harry should've been a Slytherin, then Ron certainly should've been a Hufflepuff.
  4. All of this boils down to the truest Ron: the guys who represents, for the reader outside of the story and the characters within, all that is actually good in wizarding life. Who else but the Weasley's can represent a home life that anyone would actually want to have? Hermione's family is full of muggles and doesn't understand wizarding life, while Harry's is truly disturbing. Dumbledore has tragedy and trauma since boyhood, like Neville, Voldemort, Lupin, Sirius, Snape, etc. Ron is funny and loves food. He hates that there is a war because he wants to be home. Who else, in this whole murderous story, wants to be home?! Not fantasized home like Harry and Sirius, but a real, tangible home with real family dynamics? Ron shows the trio that something is worth fighting for: home. All three of them end up with the Weasley blood in their family line. It is the most wholesome part of the wizarding world. To act like Ron is some less valuable character is to say that it doesn't matter if Harry knows why his parents fought and died. As Harry sums up after Order: they have something Voldemort doesn't. Something worth fighting for. No wonder Ron left. He was the only one with people to go to. No wonder he had priorities other than fighting evil sometimes. I think in the reconstruction era of Harry Potter we would see Ron's true colors. He would be a backbone of family value to Hermione as she led the wizarding world and he would remind Harry to spend time with his family even if there was a dark wizard out there. WEASLEY IS OUR KING.
Hey. My name is Luke Stoltzfoos. I am a ex-church leader, an English-teacher-in-training, a millennial, a dad, a puzzler, and an all-around stranger. If you lurk about here, you'll see creative writing like short stories, poems, or something more nerdy like reviewing a book, movie, etc. It won't be on a consistent schedule, but when it comes I hope you like it. If you do, feel free to subscribe via email so you don't miss it whenever I get the time to write.

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