Ah, another Weasley… As many fans of the Harry Potter fandom can undoubtedly attest, the moments with Ron Weasley and his family were one of the most endearing aspects of the series. From Molly Weasley’s handmade Christmas sweaters, Ron’s hilarious banter, or Fred and George’s wild pranks and antics, it always seems like the Weasley family could find a way to exude joy. Throughout many of Harry’s adventures, Ron was (nearly) always there to stand by his friend and pick up the pieces when times were bleak. Even though Harry was undeniably the main hero of the series, he wouldn’t have made it without the help of Ron Weasley. Although Ron put up the facade of being a lighthearted jokester, we’ll take a closer look at some of his struggles and what was going on beneath the surface while at Hogwarts.
Eccentric and charming, the Weasley family is known for their own special quirks.
Whether it’s Arthur Weasley’s insatiable curiosity about the Muggle world, or Molly’s brief obsession with Gilderoy Lockhart, the Weasley’s are certainly unique in their own right. However, we wanted to address a few things that people may get wrong about the beloved Wizarding family. Although it may seem otherwise, not all of the Weasley’s played Quidditch at Hogwarts, and there was actually a dark reason for Molly’s dislike toward the Death Eaters. If you need a quick overview on some of the little-known details about the red-headed family, scroll through these 20 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About The Weasley’s.
The Weasleys/Black/Malfoys are distantly related
Given that Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy have such a heated rivalry throughout the series, this one might come as quite a surprise: the Weasley, Black, and Malfoy families are all related. According to Pottermore, Septimus Weasley married Cedrella Black, who was later removed from the Black family tree for marrying a “blood traitor.”
Although not explicitly stated, it is surmised that Arthur Weasley is related to Sirius through Septimus. In OOTP, Sirius mentions that Molly Weasley was a cousin by marriage, and in fact, he was referring to her uncle Ignatius Prewett, who married Lucretia Black. Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's mother, is actually Sirius Black’s first cousin, making Draco his cousin once removed. Sure, some of the relations are quite a stretch, but they’re still related in a distant fashion due to their wizarding families being pure-blood.
Not every Weasley played Quidditch
In the Harry Potter series, Quidditch remains a perennial hot topic throughout the school year at Hogwarts. Over the years, many of the Weasley family were actively involved in the sport, showcasing their skills on the Quidditch pitch. Although it might be easy to assume that all the Weasley kids played Quidditch, not all of them picked up a broom.
For example, Percy stuck to Prefect duties during his time at Hogwarts, and it is not clear if Bill ever played. Charlie, the second eldest of the Weasley family, was Quidditch Captain and played as a Seeker during his time at Hogwarts. Fred and George played as Beaters, while Ron later became a Keeper, and Ginny as a Chaser and Seeker at different times.
There is another Weasley (The Ghoul in the Burrow)
With the budding number of Weasley's, we confess, it is hard to keep track of the tribe at times. If you wanted to be technical, there is another member of the Weasley family that isn't discussed much. In fact, this member of the household dwells in an attic, and can be a bit of a menace at times.
According to the informative textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a ghoul is described as a “slimy, buck-toothed ogre” and is referenced multiple times in the series. For the Weasley family, they have a ghoul living in the top of the Burrow, much to Ron’s dismay. At one point, the ghoul imitates Ron by wearing a red wig and pajamas, acting as a stand-in for the wizard while being scouted by the Ministry.
Molly Weasley actually wasn’t in all the films
With her love of knitting sweaters (and sending Howlers), when it comes to Molly Weasley, the matriarch of the Weasley family, what’s not to love? Acting as the foundation of the family, you might assume that Molly was present in all of the Harry Potter films, but in fact, there’s one she is notably absent from.
Unfortunately, actress Julie Walters did not appear in The Goblet of Fire, due to length restrictions regarding the film. “To be honest, I was a bit hurt not to be in it,” Walters said in an interview. “The kids love the Harry Potter films so much and I get lots of mail about it. I can understand why they’ve had to pare down the film as the book is so long, but I am really hoping I’ll be in again for the next one.”
The “Rubber duck” line was improvised
With a constantly inquisitive nature, Arthur Weasley remains one of the most purely innocent characters when it comes to his fascination with Muggles. Throughout the Harry Potter series, Mr. Weasley asks Harry a barrage of questions regarding growing up in the Muggle world. Keeping true to the character’s spirit, actor Mark Williams accidentally added in an extra line that would eventually make its way into the final film.
During the bit where Mr. Weasley brings up the “rubber duck” line, actor Chris Rankin (Percy) revealed in an interview: “I think we did 20 takes, every one was, “What is the purpose of a dipstick?, what is the purpose of a lollipop?” etc. So, we did it every time something different came out and we laughed and laughed and laughed at that.”
Ron is not dumb, he actually had a lot of expectations to live up to
Throughout most of the Harry Potter series, Ron Weasley is undoubtedly mislabeled as being dimwitted. Sure, he's been accused of having the emotional range of a teaspoon, but to get a feel for where he’s coming from, let’s take a closer look at his upbringing and background.
Being the sixth child to attend Hogwarts, Ron feels an immense amount of pressure built up from family expectations. His eldest brother, Bill, was appointed Head Boy during his years at Hogwarts, while Charlie was Captain of the Quidditch Team, and Percy was a Prefect. Furthermore, Fred and George were charismatic pranksters, and Ron had to wrestle with comparing himself to other of his family. In the Mirror of Erised, Ron sees himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain, indicating his feelings of being inadequate or never quite living up to others' expectations.
People might think that the Weasleys are not actually pure-bloods
Other families from the Wizarding World have complex family trees and even more complicated sounding names, but when it comes to the Weasleys, that couldn’t be further from the truth. However, it’s easy to see why there is a misunderstanding that the Weasley family is not made of pureblood wizards. In fact, most of the Weasley names sound quite normal: Bill, Fred, and George, when compared with others like Abraxas, Lucius, or even Bellatrix.
Some fans have discerned that many of the Weasley names seem to reference Arthurian style legends. For example, Arthur Weasley, as in King Arthur, or his son Percy’s name relating to Percival, a Knight of the Round table. Other fans have even thought that Ginny’s full name, “Ginevra,” alludes to Guinevere.
There IS a way to tell Fred and George apart
Gred and Forge, er, we mean Fred and George, play some of the biggest forms of comic relief in the entire Harry Potter series. Much to the frustration of literally everyone around them, many struggled to tell them apart. Shh, Molly, we won't tell!
Anyway, Pottermore has put together a short list describing some clear ways to tell the two apart. For example, Fred was referenced over 900 times throughout the books, but George appeared to be the better Beater on the Quidditch pitch. Although both of the twins were notorious for their pranks, Fred seemed to be the one to instigate each situation. At times, George seemed to have more comion, like when Ron was mourning over the supposed ing of Scabbers, while Fred was quick to joke about it.
The Weasley twins are played by actual twins
Nope, that wasn't CGI. The actors who played Fred and George (James and Oliver Phelps) are actually twins in real life, both hailing from Birmingham, England. James is the younger of the pair, but only by thirteen minutes. Amusingly enough, the twins did not have any prior acting credits before auditioning for their roles in the Harry Potter films.
Both James and Oliver continued to participate in the Wizarding World long after the films had wrapped. The actors often attend fan events, such as the Harry Potter Exhibition and Celebration. You can even spot the pair reprising their roles as Fred and George Weasley in the short film Hogwarts Express between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. James and Oliver Phelps also voiced their characters in the Harry Potter video games.
Percy is actually nice
Throughout most of the Harry Potter series, Percy is certainly one of the least-liked of the Weasley family, but it’s important to that he did have a change of heart later on. Always by the book, Percy was known for being strict and staying steadfast to the rulebook at hand. As an apt characterization, Ron once amusingly pointed out “Percy wouldn't know a joke if it danced [openly] in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy.”
In the series, Percy had a falling out with his family when Voldemort returned to power and refused to speak to them until the Battle of Hogwarts. Later, Percy became appointed Head of the Department of Magical Transportation and he named one of his daughters Molly, after his beloved mother.
