While Harry Potter may be the star of the series and Hermione may be the (beautiful) brains behind the operation, we can’t help but have an overwhelming love for a certain Ronald Bilius Weasley.
Now, we’ve always loved Ron Weasley and we’ve always been his biggest supporters. But, once we got wind of J.K. Rowling wishing she hadn’t paired him and Hermione, we couldn’t help but wonder why. After all, we always found Ron to be such a charming character and we thought that J.K. Rowling really fleshed out the intricacies of their relationship well. However, considering that she had once planned on killing him off and the full interview makes it seem like Hermione was settling by marrying Ron, we can’t help but jump on the defensive.
While this recent JKR news certainly breaks our hearts, it definitely doesn’t change the way we feel about Ron. In fact, it really brings out the protective mama bears in some of us because we interpreted JKR’s quote as being about Ron more than Hermione or their relationship. Ron Weasley has been insulted too many times for our liking and we’ve decided that now is the best time for us to take a stand. We just don’t understand how anyone could not love this face!
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Yes, there are a million reasons why we love Ron Weasley and we couldn’t possibly name them all if we sat here for a week. So, we thought we’d share just a few of our favorite reasons with you.
1. Ron Weasley is and always has been super adorable.
Every time he exclaims “Bloody hell!” or notes something completely obvious, we can’t help but chuckle. But in the most loving way. Even when he’s at his most obnoxious or cringe-worthy (like when he parades Lavender in front of Hermione), we still can’t help but think he was adorable. For instance, the pained look on his face when he uses Hermione as an “owl” in The Goblet of Fire makes us just want to give him the largest hug in the world. And then there’s the fact that his appetite is insatiable. So entertaining. Oh, and Ron playing an amazing game of quidditch after thinking that Harry slipped him some Felix Felicis? Fantastic. And when he sits, unknowingly, with quite a bit of dirt on his nose on his first Hogwarts Express ride? So cute! Ron has such endearing qualities that make it impossible not to think that he’s adorable (even when he goes through his awkward albino pug phase in the first two movies).
It’s really just an added bonus that Ron Weasley grew up to be so damn sexy. But for real. In Deathly Hallows, he’s tall, athletic, and incredibly handsome (in both the book and the movie). We can’t help but swoon (and squeal on some occasions).
2. He has always been incredibly brave.
What other 11-year-old sacrificed himself for his friends while on a dangerous mission against dark magic? Also, remember that time Ron Weasley was 12 and he walked into a forest full of giant spiders to help his friend? In the words of one of our staff writers Ariana, “That’s basically the equivalent of 12-year-old Harry willingly walking into a forest of dementors without his wand.” Ron is brave enough to face his fears and do the right thing time and again, no matter what the cost and without asking a lot of questions.
3. He’s a fierce friend and just incredibly loyal, through and through.
Never once has Ron Weasley ever betrayed Harry’s trust. Never. Even when he had all the reasons in the world to do so. By just being friends with Harry, Ron put his entire family in trouble and was never once completely safe. Though he may have questioned his friendship a few times during the series, Ron never strayed from Harry’s side. He stuck with Harry through thick and thin, including those times when the rest of the wizarding community thought Harry was crazy in Order of the Phoenix. Ron Weasley is a Gryffindor through and through.
4. Ron Weasley is clever and able to think logically in stressful situations.
Not used to seeing that, are you? Cleverness is usually ascribed to Hermione, not Ron. But we find ourselves constantly asking “Why not Ron?” No, he may not be the greatest academic student, but he’s clever in so many other ways. For instance, how many people do you know who are chess savants? And how many of those chess masters are 11 years old? Ron uses his quick thinking and chess strategies to defeat a wizard’s chess board that was bewitched by wizards much older and wiser than himself. So there’s that.
There’s also the time where Ron remembers that basilisk fangs just so happen to destroy horcruxes and that there happens to be one in the Chamber of Secrets. Not only that, but Ron remembers a series of Parseltongue words that mean “open” in order to open the door to the chamber after only hearing Harry saying them once before! In both of these situations, Ron is able to think clearly when the others around him begin to feel the pressure. There are quite a few other occurrences in the books where Ron is able to give good, logical advice to Harry or Hermione in stressful situations. The world really needs to give Ron more credit when it comes to being clever.
5. He has a great sense of humor.
Seriously though. Rollerskating spiders? Who comes up with that kind of stuff? Fred and George Weasley aren’t the only two in the Weasley clan who know how to make people laugh. Ron’s just more subtle about it. Weasley is our King… of one liners and witty quips, such as “Percy wouldn’t recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby’s tea cozy.” Ron is really skilled at diffusing tension and easing anxiety with his humor.
6. He’s a caring and attentive boyfriend (no matter what ANYBODY says).
Never once does Ron neglect to treat Hermione like the treasure she is while the two are dating. He does his personal best to try to understand what she wanted and learn how to make her happy. He had a female guidebook, for heaven’s sake! And yes, he did abandon his best friend and his lady friend in the middle of nowhere in Deathly Hallows, but that was a moment of weakness and, as humans, we’re all allowed a few.
However, if you’ll recall another moment during Deathly Hallows, Ron plays the piano with Hermione at 12 Grimmauld place at a time when her anxiety and stress was at peak levels. If you watch the scene, his “playing” is a great comfort to her and is really a beautiful moment between the two of them. Overall, Ron makes a great match for Hermione because, while they aren’t polar opposites, his personality balances hers out. His humor and levity makes a good match for Hermione’s more serious look on life, creating a middleground that is prime for a family.
Also, in reference to J.K. Rowling’s quote about Ron and Hermione probably needing marriage counseling: What’s so abnormal about that? Marriage is the joining of two individuals who love each other. That doesn’t guarantee that they’ll always be happy or that they won’t be without their fair share of conflicts. Calling out the fact that they would probably have needed marriage counseling should not be seen as reflective of Hermione or Ron’s character.
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Continue on to page 2 to see all of the other qualities we love best about Ron Weasley.
7. He’s a family man.
Ron Weasley would do anything for his family. For instance, at age 12, he risks his life going down to the previously uncharted Chamber of Secrets to save his sister from clear and present danger. Not only is this an incredible example of Ron’s bravery, but it’s also a testament to the bond he has with his siblings. He constantly talks about his older brothers Bill and Charlie, especially about everything they’ve accomplished. He’s clearly traumatized in the books when Percy denounces his family. He even wears the sweaters his mother knits for him even when he doesn’t care for them. Ron cares about his family more than almost anything, and that clearly shows through his portrayal in the books and the movies. We’d go so far as to say that, because he’s a big family man, he makes a pretty great father to Rose and Hugo, not to mention a wonderful husband to Hermione.
8. He remembers all of the ‘little people’ like himself.
Who else would think of the house elves during such a traumatic event like the Hogwarts battle? Ron knows what it’s like to be one of the little people, a member of the working class who, many times, is walked all over by the middle and upper classes. Whenever Ron comes into contact with Draco, Draco never forgets to remind Ron how much money and “power” his family has in comparison to the Weasley clan. These constant reminders have made Ron aware of all of the other mistreated and underprivileged beings around him, including the house elves. Yes, it takes a while for him to warm up to the idea of SPEW, but, deep down, his compassion for the little people (figurative and literal) has always been there.
9. He’s sensitive and doesn’t hide his emotions.
While a lot of people (Harry and Hermione included) hide or even completely sublimate their emotions, Ron is more open and honest with his. When he’s angry with Harry, Harry knows through Ron’s body language, if not a curt conversation. When Ron is excited about something, such as the Chudley Cannons, everyone knows that he’s excited. He doesn’t keep his emotions a secret or a mystery. However, as mentioned above, he does have the ability to keep himself from reacting emotionally in a moment of stress or danger, which is definitely a strength.
Ron’s emotional transparency is most noticeable when he’s burdened with wearing the horcrux locket. He’s not weak-willed as so many people suggest. Like a lot of Gryffindors (such as Sirius and James), Ron feels things really strongly and at extreme levels, which is great in terms of loyalty. But this also means that his strong feelings are also more easily manipulable by the horcrux because they’re always so close to the surface. The fact that he is malleable by the horcrux simply demonstrates his humanity. Harry’s been carrying around a horcrux his whole life, so the guy’s had practice. So Ron is affected by the horcrux just like any of us would be, which just shows us how relatable his character is.
Which brings us to our next point…
10. He’s also pretty insecure at times, just like the rest of us.
Ron’s insecurity makes him an incredibly relatable character. All he wants is to be loved. As one of seven, Ron has constantly had to work hard to earn attention. He was neither the oldest nor the youngest child, so he wasn’t automatically granted attention. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, all Ron sees when he looks into the Mirror of Erised is himself in positions of admiration and attention. His insecurities are also apparent during the times when he argues with Harry about being seen as the sidekick or as a lesser man. But, if ever put in the same position, we can’t say that we’d feel any different from Ron and that’s ok.
11. It’s these last few traits that really make him a strong individual.
Throughout the course of the books, as well as in his life before the books begin, Ron deals with a lot. While he certainly is loved, he’s clearly not the one of the favorites in his family. He’s Harry’s best friend, which means that no matter what he does, the spotlight will always be on Harry. For instance, Ron plays the excellent game of chess to help Harry retrieve the Sorcerer’s Stone but nobody ever really mentions that. Plus, Harry yells at him all the time during his super moody phases but Ron just takes it in stride. In our opinion, he’s one of the most underestimated and under-appreciated characters in the series.
12. He’s a flawed character who’s special by not being special.
Ron Weasley isn’t perfect. We all know that. Sure, his mouth gets the best of him sometimes and he may use anger to hide his insecurities. He may not be a perfect student or an incredible athlete. He’s average, incredibly humble, and has just as many flaws as the rest of us, and we love him for that. Wholeheartedly. It’s his flaws that accentuate his personality and make him feel real. He’s just a boy whose two best friends happen to be the brightest witch of her age and The Boy Who Lived. Ron Weasley lives life as best as he knows how and does what he believes to be right. The fact that he isn’t famous or outrageously intelligent is what makes him special. He’s just a normal person that all of us can relate to and love.
13. He was most certainly Katy Perry’s inspiration for “Roar.”
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We had to. He just made such a fantastic lion. No doubt about it. That scene in the film version of The Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely one of the most memorable scenes of the whole series and we can’t get enough of it. It’s a sort of surreal moment in that Ron portrays the house mascot which, in itself, is supposed to represent the best qualities of all of the students in Gryffindor. So Ron is outwardly portraying a few of his greatest qualities. And he does it in such a mesmerizing way. We love it.