The strongest Weasley

Out of the 9 main Weasleys, who was the most powerful? I would say that Bill was the strongest. He was Head boy at Hogwarts and then he became a cursebreaker for Gringotts. By the end of the 7th book he was a pretty important member of the OOTP.
So in my opinion it's
1. Bill
2. Ginny
3. George
4. Percy
5. Arthur
6. Charlie
7. Molly
8. Ron
9. Fred

Molly, followed by Bill, followed by Ginny.

Isn't Fleur a Weasley by marriage, and Hermione?

Isn't Fleur a Weasley by marriage, and Hermione?

Well, it's about the Weasley family as we knew them in the beginning, before marriages started happening with the kids. :) So it would just be the most powerful out of Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Percy, Ron, and Ginny.

And I suppose that "strength" is kind of ambiguous, as it can be applied many different ways, emotionally and physically being among the most common.

But overall, it takes a lot of strength to give birth and then raise nine children and have them all turn out quite well... so I vote that Molly is the strongest of the Weasley clan, although they're all incredibly strong characters, in my opinion. :)

The strongest Weasley in my opinion is probably all of them. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. And they all showed immense bravery in the last book.

Strength magically, Molly. But if it can mean emotionally, than I would say George since he didn't kill himself.

I think Ginny and George are pretty strong, and Molly, and Bill too

Have to say that Molly, Bill and George are the strongest for me..

Ron
Ginny
Molly
Arthur
Fred
George
Bill
Charley
Percy

Except for Ron, I think these could all be wrong but that's how they stack up for me at this moment in time.

Cheers :tu:

Bill definitely seems to be the strongest, in my opinion!

The twins as well! :)

I think that the Weasley's are strong in their own way, but George has gotta be pretty strong to put up with what happened to him.

I always felt they were all equally strong, each on their own way. Be it character strength or magical capability. But I might just be an idealistic fool for seeing it like that. :)

Ginny seems to really blossomed magically ever since the D.A. and she’s also a hell of a Seeker.

Fred and George were also great Quidditch Players and had to be pretty intelligent to come up with all the Weasley products they were selling.

Hmmm... tough question.

I think I would have to say Molly first for having and raising all those kids and having them all turn out well. Then Arthur, after all he helped raise them too, plus it had to take a lot of guts to keep working in the Ministry after Voldie took over and having to pretend you are okay with everything so you can continue fighting against it all.

After that it gets hard to choose. Prolly Ginny, Percy (after all it does take a lot of strength to go against your family when you believe something they don't, even if you are wrong), Bill, George, Fred, Ron, Charlie (only because we don't know much about him).

Molly is not particularly powerful.

1)Bill
2)Charlie
3)Ginny
4)Ron
5)Percy
5)Arthur + Twins
6)Molly

I've always wondered about Charlie, I had thought we might find out more about him eventually. He's the Weasley we know least about. He was captain of Gryffindor's quidditch team, chose to work with dragons in Romania instead, and took Norbert, er, Norberta. Oh, and timeline speaking, he was in the same year as Tonks.

I think that Ginny would probably be the most powerful of the Weasley's, although she is obviously restricted in the books by a simple lack of education. She clearly shows great potential and appears (from what we are shown) to be the best witch in her year (hence, perhaps, her popularity? HBP). In addition, she would have to be pretty strong in order to be a match for Harry and I think J.K will have wanted their relationship to be equal...

However, the twins show an impressive magical ability in their ability to produce the Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Remember, the produce items that are both admired by the ministry and, more impressively, Hermione (OotP).

Molly clearly has strength that had previously been hidden as she battles (and defeats) Bellatrix, but perhaps this is indicative of a strength lying dormant in her bloodline that she manages to channel through neccessity rather than it being continually at her disposal? (Explaining where Ginny could get her strength from.)

Bill is shown to be highly capable (as is Charlie) but there skills lie in specialist fields with particular skills that I don't believe indicates what I would call "strength". They have intelligence and courage, but their abilities are good without being spectacular. The same could be said of Percy, although we see very little of him and I do not beleive his courage to be close to that of the other Weasleys (despite the final battle in DH).

Ron has strengths in many areas, but his character is based on his development of his emotional side. He is a strong wizard, but is repeatly compared to his brothers in canon, and there is little evidence to suggest that he surpasses them in magical ability.

Finally, Arthur. Strong. Capable. But his naivity and trusting nature appears to let him down on occasions. His strength lies in his love for his family and his care for the safety of others (hence his passion for muggles).

Whew. Anyhoos, my order of magical strength for the Weasleys is as follows:

Ginny
Fred and George
Bill and Charlie
Ron
Molly
Athur
Percy

Sorry that took so long ;)

For me it goes like this:
Bill and Molly
George and Fred
Ginny
Charlie and Arthur
Ron
Percy

I don't know about the rest, but I gotta give major props to Molly. I don't think any of the others could have gone toe to toe with Bellatrix and won.

As for clever and inventive uses of magic of which no one had ever discovered - that one goes to the twins, hands down.

Bill
Charlie
Ginny
Molly/Arthur
Fred/George
Percy
Ron

Bill
Charlie
Ginny
Molly/Arthur
Fred/George
Percy
Ron

You and I share the same sentiments.

Bill
Charlie
Ginny
Molly
Fred / George
Arthur
Ron
Percy

I think Bill and Charlie because they both have fairly tough jobs, working with dragons must be hard work, and you must be good at spells and charms and things to keep them under control!
Ginny next, and then Molly after her show of power against Bellatrix!
Im surprised at a lot of people putting Ron near the bottom though!

The Weasleys all have their talents and strengths and weaknesses separately, but I've always seen them as the family in the books. They're loving and accepting, even when Percy apologizes, and all throughout the series they've become the family of everyone else who doesn't have a family or even those who do, like Tonks. That's where they differ from the Blacks and their cousins. It's their greatest strength as a group. They're all very capable witches and wizards in their own right, but nothing too extraordinary, but as a family they've been able to hold everyone together. When the Trio's out alone, Ron's leaving and the fight between Harry and Remus were serious problems that could've set them back a lot if they weren't resolved, and without the Weasleys tying the Order together incidents like that would've happened a lot more often and wouldn't have been corrected.

Belatrix beat everybody she faced, and then Molly whooped her. All of the Weasley's feared her anger, Molly is the strongest Weasley bar none.

1. Molly
2. Bill
3. Ron
4. Arthur
5. Charlie
6. Twins
8. Ginny
9. Percy

I think Ginny had unseen stores of strength - and talent. She was a great Quiddich player (stealing the brothers brooms to practice in private when little); it took someone with maturity to admire Harry for his strengths and yet agree to break up with him just after finally becoming boyfriend/girlfriend (emotional strength); and I think she had a good grasp of both the technical as well as the theoretical skills of magic making. I wish JKR had developed her character more than she had time for.

I would say Ginny must be the strongest weasly, growing up with all those obnoxious big brothers around! And then after that she went through the Tom Riddle diary disaster when she was very young. In order to continue after all that and with the death of her brother and having to stay back not fighting must have taken an enormous amount of strength!

Ginny
Molly
Bill
Fred and George
Ron
Arthur or Charlie
Percy

Molly was awesome, she has to be the strongest, she completely pwned Bellatrix, and she killed Sirius, who turned into an animagi at school, so that's rather impressive in my book. After that:

2. Bill, he's a death eater pwning machine.
3. Ron, he is way too under rated.
4. Ginny, as she is Harry's missus.
5. George,because of all the joke stuff he can make, and he was pretty impressive in the battle I imagine, to avenge Fred.
6. Charlie, he looks after dragons.
7. Percy, he must be pretty smart, he got like 12 O.W.L.s
8. Arthur, but if it wasn't for him, the ids would have only trned out half as good.

All in all it is really difficult as they are all really strong and have their own strong points, they're like the perfect anti-dark magic unit.

I think:
Molly
Ron
Ginny

Are the top three, but like many people have said, they're all strong in their own way. The Weasleys are one hell of a family.

I think Ron eventually became the strongest. He faced things the others never did and was forced to grow in areas the others never had to.

I believe all of the Weasleys are strong. They all fought in the 7th book (including Percy) But if I had to pick one it would have to be Ron because ever since his first year, he, along with Harry and Hermione, have faced things that others have not.

It is hard to order them by their level of strenght, since they are all good at different things. Ron is the probably the best at Wizarding Chess, which takes skill. Ginny's known for being a powerful witch. Fred & George are powerful wizards who create all those items for their joke shop. Percy's very smart. Bill works as a curse breaker at the bank. Charlie works with dragons. Arthur's good at bewitching muggle stuff. Molly was able to defeat Bellatrix.
Of course, there are other stuff I could add for each character. They're all strong in their own way.

Molly, no doubt in my mind!! If Bella could finish off Frank and Alice LB, the two strongsest aurors at the time she herself must take some beating

Really, the whole thing were Molly killed Bellatrix was just stupid. I don't care how ****** off she was, that just doesn't magically give her the skill to defeat a powerful Death Eater. Stormtrooper Effect anyone?

Anyway, all the Weasleys are strong in their own way, but I would say Bill, Ginny, Fred, and George are on the top of my list.

I'd say Ginny because she's got everything really. She's physically and magical strong like her mother but unlike her mother she's also exteremly emotionally strong (not that her mother's weak but she succums to her emotions too often). Ginny can keep her head on even in intensely emotional situations and doesn't lose her head. I'd say she's all around the strongest. Physically I'd say Charlie cause he works with dragons. Emotionally I'd say Fred and George because they deal can really deal with anything with a smile and a firework. Magically I'd say Molly because she knows so much basic healing and cooking and charms and can really do anything for her family that requires magic, plus the whole Bella b**** thing.....but yah if you were to take into account all the aspects of 'strength' I would say it would be Ginny without a doubt.

Molly! She has always run that family....she wears the trousers, not Arthur!
Bella found that out, the hard way!

i reckon this is my list but it will probably change:

1) Ginny - like katishere said she is an all round strong person, her magic seemed to get stronger and stronger as the series progresse and she is one great quidditch player

2) Arthur and Molly - Arthur is a member of the order, respected person, great father i think that says enough. Molly, well what can i say but bellatrix got her **** kicked lol :lol:

3) Bill - ended up doing very well against the DE's

4) Ron - he has faced a lot with harry and hermione, also in DH when he overcomes the locket when it is basically torturing him must take strength.

5) The twins - must be very talented to come up with all their magical joke inventions, never afraid fight.

6) Percy- very clever, head boy, 12 O.W.L.S etc.

7) Charlie - only beacue we dont know much about him.

has everyone forgotten that Fred had the skill to turn Ron's teddy into a spider, when what, Fred was like 6 years old? If you consider Harry Ron and Hermione's feeble attempts at transfiguration during McGonagalls classes in PS...in one class, only Hermione managed to make any difference to a needle she was meant to be transfiguring. they were 11 years old at the time at least...so Fred must have been a pretty skilled wizard!

It's Ron all the way.

Ron
Ginny
Molly
Arthur
Fred
George
Bill
Charley
Percy

I'm so sure after finised DH.

Its either Ron or GinnySue

Am I confused and thinking about some theory or myth type thing, or did J.K. say something about 'seventh daughter of a seventh son' (referring to Ginny and her extreme magical potency)?

anyways, if I am confused and stupid, she would still have to be up there pretty high, Slughorn seemed very impressed with her on the train.
And I think that Molly is no slouch, but we are all giving too much weight to her duel w/ Bellatrix (yes, i know it was awesome and it is the only time we have seen Molly like that). Under the circumstances she was in, and knowing her, it seems that once again, love is the main factor in what happened.
The twins may not display much power, but they make up for it in ingenuity, as even Hermoine comes to admire their work in their joke business.
Ron has always been the overshadowed one in his family, and that is a main theme of the books (GoF comes to mind), so to me it fits that he is less magically adept than the others.
Arthur we dont have much to go off of, as most of what we know about him centers around his fascination with muggles and their eckeltricity
Bill seems strong enough, he is certainly smart - as you would have to be to get a job as a curse-breaker
Charlie is another unknown, we dont know much past his work w/ dragons
Percy is a prat, no matter what he did to redeem himself (a little late, IMO), and never seemed to have much power, just brains and sucking-up skills.
so:
Ginny
Molly
Arthur
Fred and George (yeah, im lumping them together, sorry)
Bill
Charlie
Ron
Percy

Wow, this is hard. I would say

1. Molly (she killed Bellatrix, you don't see Ginny or George or Bill do it)
2. Bill (curse breaker, head boy, etc.)
3. Ginny (living with a million brothers has definitely toughened her, and she was the head of the DA)
4. Fred and George (you have to be awesome to be able to make a joke shop and enchant stuff like they do)
5. Arthur (full grown wizard, Ministry of Magic, can do that patronus thing, etc.)
6. Charlie (dragon person, you have got to be powerful to do what he does.)
7. Ron (he was so brave in DH and in Gringotts, etc.)
8. Percy (we know he's Head Boy and all, but have we seriously seen some actual magical talent from him?)

Molly, definitely. Without a doubt. Bellatrix defeated EVERYBODY who faced her. But she lost to Molly, so yeah, Molly is definitely the most powerful in my opinion.

Followed by Ron, Arthur and Ginny.

I think we've been largely exposed to Ron's strengths and weaknessed, so I'd say Ron is the strongest of them all.
Ginny also seems to be a good candidate as she's been potrayed as a talented Quidditch player and a somewhat powerful witch(like in OOTP,she bravely fought the DE's)

I do not think Ron is the weakest Weasley at all!

We see him do some pretty impressive stuff, and he did get away from the snatchers.

And he becomes an Auror that revolutionizes the Ministry.

In my opinion, Bill wins hands down. Curse breaker, intelligent and calm in a crisis, a personality to win Fleur, his own place that is quite a sweet pad (shell cottage), ready to go for it attitude (7 Potters eager to help find Moody despite the danger - and his participation in the whole deal), his ability to move past his mauling at the hands of Greyback and his willingness to move out against the DEs on other occassions and help the cause.

The dude was pretty kick in my opinion, he gets my vote.

i think that it's ginny molly fred george bill charlie percy arthur arthur is kindof weak what with his muggle fasination

For me it's Molly and not only because of her magical abilities. She's just such a strong mother figure, not only to her own children but also to Harry. And the way she took on Bellatrix - well that's power! She showed that she will not let anyone hurt her children, no matter who they are. If I could pick anyone in the wizarding world that I would want to be - well it would be one of her children just to have her as a mother.

I agree that molly is the strongest Weasley. There is no stronger force than a mother defending her young.

Ginny, she had to put up with the rest of them, and she married Harry. Only a very strong women would put up with Harry after all that he had been through.

Yeah, Bill had a good shot at being the strongest and I think Molly and Arthur were pretty strong, but kinda were downplayed because you don't see their skills until called upon, they just tried to do their normal thing, never aspired to be any greater than an everyday normal life.

I definately think Ginny probably ranks up there above all the boys but Bill in outright skill, except that I'm not sure about Charlie. But at least above Percy, Fred, George and Ron. Ginny seemed to have a lot of natural talents and skills.

1. George - Simply because he's coping without his twin brother, and there's nothing stronger than that in my opinion.
2. Ron
3. Bill
4. Charlie
5. Ginny
6. Fred
7. Molly
8. Arthur
9. Percy - A complete coward of whom I have very little respect for.

I really don't see the justification to rank Percy as the last when all accounts point to him being near the top of the chart. I think people are equating his initial cowardice and lust for power in books 5 and 6 despite the fact that he was extremely brave in book 7 to show up at Hogwarts and apologize to his family and even admit to Fred's insult.

So my rankings for Weasleys:

1) Molly Weasley (she defeated Bellatrix)
2) Bill (curse breaker, cool and calm in any situation)
3) Percy (he transfigured a Death Eater in a duel, and it's repeatedly mentioned how hard it is to perform human transfiguration, and that too in a duel!)
4) Arthur
5) Fred/George (although their expertise are jokes and pranks, they are very intelligent and able to apply basic magic ie Shield Charms and Disillusionment Charms to ordinary objects making them extraordinary)
6) Ron
7) Ginny (I don't really have anything to base this by, but Jo has mentioned she acquitted herself pretty well in the Battle of Hogwarts)
8) Charlie (we have never really seen him in action, so his placing last has more to do with a lack of information).

Although 19 years later, I'd imagine Ron to be at the top, since he is an Auror and revolutionized the Dept.

Hmm...I'll say Molly as well just because she beat Bellatrix LeStrange. Althought I think some of you are giving Ginny too little credit. I bet she grew up to be a very powerful witch!

I think Bill and Molly have both been considered stronger than they truly are. Most people defend Bill's strength as being calm in dangerous situations, fighting his werewolf contamination (which, when compared with Lupin, means almost nothing except for losing his looks - he is not treated differently, like Lupin is, by everyone else), being a curse-breaker (we know very little about this job, but I would think working with dragons is just as dangerous - yet Charlie is among the weakest in people's rankings), and being Head Boy (which does not demonstrate strength at all - just good schoolboy characteristics).

Molly, on the other hand, is considered strong just because she defeated Bellatrix. I believe there are many other things that constitute strength, and Molly possesses less than most of the other Weasleys. She had her shining moment, but Arthur could easily have performed that same feat if he realized Ginny was in danger. Molly's strength came from her strong love for her family (which, I admit, is her most powerful characteristic), but Arthur has that same love for his children. It was just a matter of, basically, coincidence. If Arthur was there and Molly was off fighting someone else, he would have done the same thing.

Without further ado, my rankings are:


Ron - although this is possible because we know him better than the others in the Weasley clan, his real strength is his love for his friends and family (you will find this true with all of the Weasleys), and he has been in many more "tight situations" than any of the other Weasleys.
Arthur/Molly - although I just preached on the reason for Molly's lack of strength compared to the others, the parents of the Weasleys demonstrate the second most strength because their love for their children compels them to do more powerful things than one would imagine them doing. Their protectiveness of their children gives them their strength.
Ginny - her power is pretty much already explained in her magical ability and believing in what she does.
Fred/George - they show their strength by continuously disobeying rules (although this is also due to that adolescent behavior, it does show their strength) and in their resistance to Voldemort (just by their joke shop - some of their items/slogans took a lot of nerve to develop).
Bill - he fits here for the reasons others have mentioned.
Charlie - I put him behind Bill simply because we do not know as much about him, thus I cannot accurately account for his strength.
Percy - while separating himself from his family did take a type of strength, he mostly shows himself as a coward, power-hungry wizard. We do not see any true sign of strength from him until DH.

I think Molly and Bill are definitly the strongest Weasly's. Molly because she was able to kill Bellatrix and Bill because he's a curse breaker and that would have to take some rela magical talent.

I agree that molly is the strongest Weasley. There is no stronger force than a mother defending her young.
totally :agree:

1. Molly-for reason stated above
2. Ginny-because she is the awsome and I love her :lol:
3. Arthur- He is the rock of the family, he holds them all together with his strength,love, ad compassion.
4. Ron-As Harry's sidekick he has done numerous things to help bring down Voldy.
5. Bill-He seems a lot like his dad in wisdom, strength and compassion
6. Perce- even though (IMO) he acted like a prat he stood up for what he believed in and against his family even though it turned out to be wrong. It also had to take a lot of strength to go back and admit he was wrong.
7. Fred/George- They come as a pair. They are more of the comic relief than anything to me, but the are still built with strength.
8. Charlie-I guess he is bottem just because we don't see him much, but there has to be a lot of strength there to train dragons!!

hmmmm....

1. Ginny - she is strong enough to go on through whatever comes her way and strong enough to accept that Harry has to do things on his own - HOWEVER i don't like her because she has no depth and no flaw, IMO

2. Bill

3. Fred

4. Molly

5. George - i put george after fred because fred is the ringleaders, and JKR has confirmed that. he goes after molly because fred and molly were tied up for me so i had to put george after

6. Arthur

7. Ron - i think he has other qualities besides strength that make him amazing

8. Charlie - again, just because we don't know much about him

9. Percy - 'nuf said :)

I think George is the strongest Weasley as of book 7, because he has to deal with living without his twin. The two of them were inseperable, and while it isnt easy for any of the Weasleys, obviously, to deal with Fred's death, it has been the hardest on George because the two of them did everything together.

And, on a side note, I don't think people in general give Ron enough credit. Sure, he's a little dopey, but he can kick butt too!

After book 7, I'm sure George definately moves up in the ranks, but IMO, Molly Weasley is the strongest, emotionally. She and Ginny are two tough chicks. :lol:

Molly Weasley has to cope throughout the stories of all of her children in danger all the time, especially when Voldemort returns. Percy destroys her in OotP by tearing the family apart. I mean, she's been put through a lot. She's one hell of a mother, and to have all of her children out there facing Voldemort everyday, is not an easy thing deal with. In the same sense, I suppose Arthur is pretty strong too, although he doesn't get a "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU *****!" scene.

And, I agree, Ron isn't given enough credit. We don't really ever see things really really bothering him until DH, when the locket horcrux lists them all. He's got it pretty tough, and he's out there against Voldemort, next to Harry Potter. Very dangerous.

I'm going to base my order just on what we see in the books.

1. Molly. She defeated Bellatrix with out any injury to herself. Bellatrix who was Voldemort's number 2; and an insanely powerful witch was brought low in a twitch of Molly's wand.

2. Fred/George their joke shop was filled with some very impressive bit of magic. They were very powerful, and I think they also had a good understanding of magic as well. If it had been a dual Fred would likely be alive today! :(

3. Ron. When Ron applies himself he can do great things. At 11 he knocked out a troll for heaven sake! Methinks that he is an auror that strikes fear into the heart of many a dark wizard.

4. Bill. A master curse breaker I feel must be someone who is magically inclined to an astounding degree. The fact that he also survived being gnawed on by Fenir Greyback shows that he must have had some strong magical powers to counter the curse.

5. Arthur: Making a car that flies is not kiddie stuff. The man's got talent.

6. Ginny: Turning boogers into bats apparently takes some magical chops.

7. Percy: We never see him do much, but he did get an O every owl I think that shows he has pretty good power.

8. Charlie: Unfortunately we don't see him do much. But he does work with dragons which is not a job for the weak. He must be a very capable wizard.

Charlie, wasn't he built like a gorilla? :)


But I think the girls, Molly & Ginny, run rings around the male Weasleys, in general.

they're all pretty tough, but I think the trophy gos to Mrs. Weasley. I don't think any of the others would have had the courage to go up against Bellatrix Lestrange, except for maybe Mr. Weasley, MAYBE Percy, given the circumstances, but only Molly would have done an AK on Bellatrix. That was the best line of the series: NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU *****!!

Fred/George (together, since that's all we see of them using magic until DH)
Ginny
Arthur
Molly
Bill
Ron
Charlie
Percy

I think that while all were powerful in their own right, they must also be judged by how they use their power as well as what power they have.

That said, I would say that the two most powerful Weasleys were Molly and Ginny. Both showed great magical strength, AND put it to good, responsible use.

1. Molly really showed us that she has the power and bravery of a true witch in the Harry Potter world. She would have been a great asset to the Order in their first battle.
2. Ginny gets her power from her mother. I think what they did in the OoTP movie with her... reducto(?) curse was awesome. That's one part added into the movies that I wish would show up in the books. Though, she did duel with full grown wizards, maybe she should have beat them more often.
3. Fred/George/Arthur. I think they were about equal, or would be when they reached Arthur's age. If any of the three were more powerful, I would have to say Fred's aggression and risk taking would win out.
4. Ron should probably be at three, but I'm excluding his problem solving mind in this ranking. His wizarding skills aren't as up to par from what we saw in the books, but he had the potential.
5. Percy showed himself in the end, but his years of cowardice get him ranked lowest.

I can't really rank Bill and Charlie, but as they both acquired high end jobs, I'd have to say they'd probably rank right under/with the girls.

I'm not sure which Weasley is the strongEST, but I'll just list thsir achievements in no particular order:
1)Ron- no talent for STUDYING, but plenty of courage. He's got great instincts (remember the mountain troll) but he strikes me as the type who'd worship power. Like, he was so angry when Harry announced that he was going to give up the wand. So, on a scale of 1-5, 3.75.
2)The twins-their store products require plenty of powerful magic, and they scraped a handful of OWLs each despite their lack of interest, so I'm sure that there's plenty of talent. 3.75
3)Arthur Weasley-mad about muggles, seems a little strange to a lot of people. But to make a car fly PERMENANTLY? Yup, he's strong stuff! Although not as flashy as some that Sluggy like, 3.5.
4)Molly-an exceptional witch with a certain talent of mollycoddling. But to protect her kids, she killed Voldemort's second-in-command! If that's not powerful, I don't know what is. 4.5.
5)Ginny-we don't hear of her a lot throughout the series, not until the end anyway, but she's courage and loyalty itself(following ron, harry + hermione to the deparment of mysteries, only few DA members to respond to Hermione in HBP). Plus, she's got TALENT. She survived the Department of Mysteries and the fight where Dumbledore died, and could cast a marvellous Bat-bogey hex. Looking good at 4.
6)Percy-supergenius in studies, but not much loyalty there. Deserting the family like that... But anyway, he can hold his own against any Death Eater(DH, jinxing the Minister) however, he can lose control easily(when Fred died) but either way, he's got substance, so a 3.75.
7)Bill-we don't know much about him, but he's something, after all,he manages to be Head Boy, and as we know, Hogwarts only chooses the BEST. Pus, being a curse breaker needs talent. SO...3.75
8)Fnally,Charliekins-he's another character we don't know much about, except that he's brave enough to chase dragons and fast enough to be a good Quidditch player... so, 3.

I'm on a hunt to bring interesting topics back from the dead, lol. I've done twice already. :D

Anyway, if we're talking about magically powerful (which I know we are...) then I'd have to say first Molly, Bill than Ginny. Size does not determine the limits of one's powers.

Bill - he seems competent, independent and successful which equates to "strong" in my book.
Fred & George - as a duo, the same applies to them. Individually, I don't think they would measure up to Bill.
Molly - she's the family manager, so I am not doubting her competence. I rate her three sons higher, though, but that's simply a matter of personal preference.

The weakest - imo ofc - are Arthur (lovely nice guy, but comes across a bit of a doormat as far as I am concerned) and Ron (faithful sidekicks simply don't do it for me). I would rate them high on loyalty, though, but that wasn't the question.

Charlie and Ginny are too non-descript for me to rate them as "strong". Percy is a bit of wimp imo, so he's falling short of being "strong", too.

Is Ginny's "Bat Bogey Hex" thing really all that worthwhile in terms of power? Ron had his own "Slug Spewing Hex" and he did that when he was in 2nd year.

Molly was the strongest Weasley. she had to keep the family going during DH; she had to be brave when Percy left. Plus, Ginny was possesed by a memory of Riddle, Arthur almost died from Nagini, Ron was poisoned, George lost an ear, Fred died. And finally, Bellatrix almost killed her daughter. I think she was the bravest lady I ever saw.

All the Weasleys are strong in their own way. I give props to George though for dealing so well with Fred's death. I mean, if it were me I'd be still clinically depressed if my twin brother died. He started a family and became happy, though I know for a fact he'll never forget. They all cope really well and I'm proud of them for that.

I think Fred and George could almost be compared to the famous Peverell brothers. Very talented, daring, and dangerous occaisionally.

That they probably could, though I don't know much about the Peverell brothers, because I haven't read DH. I know the general idea of what happens, but I don't know everything and I'm trying not to spoil the rest of what I haven't already learned.

Molly, of course. Among the siblings, however, it's a bit more interesting.

In terms of sheer brute magical strength, I'd give the nod to Ginny. The girl is a born warrior.

The cleverest in magical ability and ingenuity would be Fred and George.

I think Ron is the most resilient. (Look what all he has to go through with Harry and Hermione throughout the series, after all--not least facing and eventually destroying the locket Horcrux.)

The weakest would be Percy. He's more a bureaucrat than anything else. :p

Again, what evidence is there that Ginny is all that powerful? Her Bat-Bogey Hex doesn't seem that great considering Ron created something similar when he was in 2nd Year.

Again, what evidence is there that Ginny is all that powerful? Her Bat-Bogey Hex doesn't seem that great considering Ron created something similar when he was in 2nd Year.

She did other things too, not just the Bat-Bogeys. I remember there was a part of the Battle of Hogwarts--which she was specifically told to sit out because she was underage--where the first thing she did was go up to a window and place a "well-aimed" jinx to the Death Eaters below.

Later, she (with Hermione and Luna) was fighting Bellatrix, perhaps the second most powerful Dark wizard after Voldemort himself, and holding her own, including dodging a Killing Curse.

Then there was the Battle at the Astronomy Tower the previous year, and even though she was on Felix then, she still acquitted herself very well against much older and more experienced wizards. Ditto the year before that during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries--where she came away with only a broken ankle (with no Felix this time!) in the same battle where older and cleverer fighters than she suffered much worse.

Throughout the series, people keep underestimating Ginny, and she shows them up at every turn. ;)

She did other things too, not just the Bat-Bogeys. I remember there was a part of the Battle of Hogwarts--which she was specifically told to sit out because she was underage--where the first thing she did was go up to a window and place a "well-aimed" jinx to the Death Eaters below.

Later, she (with Hermione and Luna) was fighting Bellatrix, perhaps the second most powerful Dark wizard after Voldemort himself, and holding her own, including dodging a Killing Curse.

Then there was the Battle at the Astronomy Tower the previous year, and even though she was on Felix then, she still acquitted herself very well against much older and more experienced wizards. Ditto the year before that during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries--where she came away with only a broken ankle (with no Felix this time!) in the same battle where older and cleverer fighters than she suffered much worse.

Throughout the series, people keep underestimating Ginny, and she shows them up at every turn. ;)

Agreed. In addition to solid magical skills, I'd say that some of Ginny's strongest qualities are her nerve, resolve and initiative.

I would have to say that the girl weasleys are more powerful than the guys. Ginny fights full grown death eaters when she is quite young. Also, Molly defeats Voldemort's right hand witch. Not my daughter you *****! best quote of the series.

The OP doesn't define "strong", so I'm judging by who I think would be most formidable to fight against, while taking into account their respective personalities (inner strength).

A lot of this is speculation since we hardly see most of these characters in action, so I'm going by a mix of what we actually see them do, what we can guess based on their jobs and duties within the Order, and their personal characteristics.


1. Bill - He seemed to have a high rank within the Order, and was called upon often for dangerous missions. His job as a Curse Breaker sounds magically challenging; we can probably assume it involves detecting and countering dangerous dark magic, which would require great magical skill, knowledge, problem-solving, quick thinking, and bravery - all traits which would make him a formidable opponent.

(Auror Ron goes here: see below)

2. Ginny - Slughorn saw great potential in her, and I think we can take this as a hint on Rowling's part as to what Ginny is capable of. From a precocious age she was always competing with her brothers, pushing herself to prove she was equal to any of them (and without any of Ron's whining and self-doubt, I might add!) She was a key player in the DoM battle in her 4th year, and one of the figureheads of Dumbledore's Army by her 6th. But what we see most of all from Ginny is the force of her personality: she's not one to flinch from anything, and anyone who angers or underestimates her ends up regretting it.


3. Molly - I stand by my comments I made in her character thread: Molly is known to come from a family famed for its powerful duelists, she shows magical skill (albeit non-combat-related) throughout the series, she fought in both wars, and she has shown incredible strength of character. We have seen firsthand how her particular strengths led to a victory against Voldemort's "best lieutenant" after a prolonged duel, which in my mind does not seem to point to a lucky fluke. (Note: I don't wish to restart a debate about how powerful Bellatrix actually was, or whether Molly's victory was all mama bear rage and no skill, or any of the other topics that were brought up in the character threads. I acknowledge that there are a lot of ways to interpret the information we've been presented in canon.)

4. Charlie - This is the Weasley we have the least information about. The fact that he was Head Boy and now works with dragons certainly seems to indicate a greater-than-average level of magical skill, but I wonder exactly what kind of magic is involved in handling dragons - sure, it's extremely dangerous, but it seems more like Care of Magical Creatures territory than powerful charms and counter-curses and the like. And while Bill returned all the way from Egypt to participate in dangerous missions with the Order, Charlie was assigned to stay in Romania to "make contacts on his days off" (i.e. network on the weekends :rolleyes:), which at least tells us he wasn't considered indispensible as a fighter.

5. Fred and George - I feel like their magical strength has been a bit overrated in this thread. Some of their creations were regarded as ingenious by Hermione and Professor Flitwick, which is quite high praise, but they show little outstanding ability in things that don't interest them, as evidenced by their dismal O.W.L. results. If they were really brilliant they would have been the type to get good grades without really trying, which is how I think James and Sirius were. But as it is, I think they are really creative and inventive when they need to work to meet a practical end, but not very "powerful" per se. I just can't see either of them winning a duel against Charlie, Ginny, or Molly, or George winning against Auror Ron.

6. Book Ron - Throughout the series, I wouldn't count Ron as particularly strong magically. He's presented as an average student and wizard who puts average effort into his studies. His greatest strengths are his loyalty and his (sometimes) keen observation. But he did show some growth (both in character and magical ability) in the 7th book, and the fact that he eventually became an Auror hints that he continued to become much more confident and powerful after that. Because of this assumed drastic, Neville-esque growth, it's hard to place him on this list: as an Auror, I think he'd be above Ginny, but as a student, the way we see him for most of the series, he'd be below Fred and George.

7. Percy - He strikes me as having the opposite problem of the twins: all theoretical knowledge, but weak on the practical side. He's good at following instructions, but I doubt if he has the creative thinking to put it into powerful practice e.g. in battle.

8. Arthur - I don't think he's weak, but I don't remember any reason from the series to think he's particularly powerful, either. He's a good provider for his family, and is willing to stand up for his beliefs, so I would say he has a certain strength of character, but in terms of magic he's overshadowed by the great achievers in his family.

Why is Ginny rated so highly as i can't think of anything that she really did that was that amazing. She is certainly above average but i don't think she is more than that. Ginny fought Bellatrix alone with Hermione and i think Luna but even though it was 3 on 1 Ginny still lost. Ron however beat Bellatrix in a duel only a month or so earlier at the Malfoy Manor.

As for Ron i don't know how anyone could think he wasn't the strongest Weasley as he did a lot of amazing things, in fact Ron did more by the end of 1st year than all his brothers did combined as none of them had ever done anything anywhere near as important as helping to stop Voldemort from returning.

Then there is the fact that Ron becomes a Auror which is a very tough profession and also in Pottermore Ron's wand core which is a Willow is said to only be given to those with a lot of unrealised potential.

3. Molly - I stand by my comments I made in her character thread: Molly is known to come from a family famed for its powerful duelists, she shows magical skill (albeit non-combat-related) throughout the series, she fought in both wars....
Actually no. Neither Molly nor Arthur were Order members in the first war. She only fought in the second war.

Why is Ginny rated so highly as i can't think of anything that she really did that was that amazing. She is certainly above average but i don't think she is more than that.

I agree. I think Ginny is one of the weakest Weasleys actually. With most of them, we never get the chance to see how powerful they are but Ginny gets plenty of opportunities for such development and she is always shown to fail and get her *** kicked.

Ron however beat Bellatrix in a duel only a month or so earlier at the Malfoy Manor.
Well, no. He disarmed her when she had her back turned to him believing both him and Harry were locked up in the basement.

Then there is the fact that Ron becomes a Auror which is a very tough profession and also in Pottermore Ron's wand core which is a Willow is said to only be given to those with a lot of unrealised potential.
That's interesting. I don't think Ron is weak by any means but that potential is certainly unrealized in the books. He is never shown to do anything particularly skilful unfortunately but I could believe that he was magically gifted.

Don't forget at the beginning of Deathly Hallows Tonks (who is a Auror) was praising Ron's dueling ability and telling everyone what a amazing shot he was.

I agree. I think Ginny is one of the weakest Weasleys actually. With most of them, we never get the chance to see how powerful they are but Ginny gets plenty of opportunities for such development and she is always shown to fail and get her *** kicked.

Er, what? Perhaps you could give some examples of these frequent ***-kickings? As I read in the books (with the exception of CoS when she was only in her first year), she's proven herself more than capable time and time again--I gave my own examples only a few posts up.

Er, what? Perhaps you could give some examples of these frequent ***-kickings? As I read in the books (with the exception of CoS when she was only in her first year), she's proven herself more than capable time and time again--I gave my own examples only a few posts up.

Well, perhaps I was too harsh in my last post but I do think she fails a lot. In OotP she contributed with basically nothing and Luna had to carry her around after she broke her ankle. Luna was by far more useful in that battle than Ginny although she made less noise about wanting to join Harry and Co in their quest. In HBP, she is in danger when Amycus (not one of the brightest DEs) casts curses at her. Even under the influence of the Felicis Ginny can't handle him and Harry comes to her rescue. In DH, she is the only one of the three girls to almost get killed by Bellatrix. She seems to be a good Quidditch player and her general skills are, I would say, average but I don't really think she is that powerful.

Well, perhaps I was too harsh in my last post but I do think she fails a lot. In OotP she contributed with basically nothing and Luna had to carry her around after she broke her ankle. Luna was by far more useful in that battle than Ginny although she made less noise about wanting to join Harry and Co in their quest. In HBP, she is in danger when Amycus (not one of the brightest DEs) casts curses at her. Even under the influence of the Felicis Ginny can't handle him and Harry comes to her rescue. In DH, she is the only one of the three girls to almost get killed by Bellatrix. She seems to be a good Quidditch player and her general skills are, I would say, average but I don't really think she is that powerful.

In the words of the Ravenclaw door knocker, "Well reasoned."

Well, perhaps I was too harsh in my last post but I do think she fails a lot. In OotP she contributed with basically nothing and Luna had to carry her around after she broke her ankle. Luna was by far more useful in that battle than Ginny although she made less noise about wanting to join Harry and Co in their quest. In HBP, she is in danger when Amycus (not one of the brightest DEs) casts curses at her. Even under the influence of the Felicis Ginny can't handle him and Harry comes to her rescue. In DH, she is the only one of the three girls to almost get killed by Bellatrix. She seems to be a good Quidditch player and her general skills are, I would say, average but I don't really think she is that powerful.

In my viewing of those sections of the books, I don't find passages to support this.

In HBP, Ginny was doing just fine. She was dodging the hexes. Harry took exception to Amycus's taunts and blasted Amycus with an Impedimenta. That's not the same thing as "being rescued".

As far as OOTP, only Harry had ever been in a battle where you're really in danger for your life and having to defend yourself on the run. No one did well in that round, including Ron, and actually Harry who found himself disarmed in front of Voldemort when Dumbldore stepped in.

In DH, there is no book evidence to suggest that Ginny is the only 1 of the 3 to nearly get hit with an AK -- and actually, nearly getting hit isn't failure.

As far as quidditch, the team put Ginny in Harry's place when Umbridge bans him from the team, so she obviously has above-average quidditch skills as she can very competently play more than one role.

And as another poster noted, Slughorn doesn't just invite anyone to his club, only those with connections, wealth, or talent. Slughorn saw more than the bat-bogey hex that Ginny cast, he saw the focus and power of it as well.

But her Bat-Bogey Hex still doesn't seem any more powerful than Ron's Slug-Spew Hex. And Ron invented that back in 2nd year!

But her Bat-Bogey Hex still doesn't seem any more powerful than Ron's Slug-Spew Hex. And Ron invented that back in 2nd year!

I'm not sure Ron invented that, merely cast it. But I'll have to look back at COS to be sure, but my recollection is that Ron didn't invent it.

I don't think it's merely the fact that a spell can be cast; it's also the strength and effect of it. Obviously Slughorn saw something in the power behind Ginny's spell that impressed him enough to invite her into the club.

But her Bat-Bogey Hex still doesn't seem any more powerful than Ron's Slug-Spew Hex. And Ron invented that back in 2nd year!

Also Ginny only ever did the bat bogey hexes on people that did not defend themselves. She used it on her brothers but because of how they were raised her brothers were very reluctant to defend themselves against their little sister but Ginny was never afraid to attack them when she was angry at them.

Also Ginny only ever did the bat bogey hexes on people that did not defend themselves. She used it on her brothers but because of how they were raised her brothers were very reluctant to defend themselves against their little sister but Ginny was never afraid to attack them when she was angry at them.

Sorry, but where do you find evidence in the books of this? As far as I can recall, the only time we see Ginny and any of her brothers in an argument where the wands come out is in HBP with Ron, and Ron isn't holding back anything and Harry steps between them.

HBP, chapter 14, page 288 U.S. hardcover:

A streak of orange light flew under Harry's left arm and missed Ginny by inches; Harry pushed Ron up against the wall.

However that is the only time. Fred and George imply in one of the earlier books how they are reluctant to fight Ginny even when she is attacking them. I only wish Ron hit her with that spell as she deserved it.

However that is the only time. Fred and George imply in one of the earlier books how they are reluctant to fight Ginny even when she is attacking them.

I don't recall this, can you cite the passage?

I only wish Ron hit her with that spell as she deserved it.

She deserved it for what, not liking that Ron was about to call her a scarlet woman? That Ron was butting in where he didn't belong? That he was projecting his own feelings of inadequacy on her?

I like Ron but he was 100% in the wrong in that conversation.

Anyway, most powerful (not necessarily most magically-knowledgeable) Weasleys:

1.) Ron - Survived numerous duels against older and skilled witches/wizards, disarming Bellatrix Lestrange at one point and helping Neville take down Fenrir. And he survived a few months with a Horcrux around his neck, and becomes an Auror as an adult as well as working at the shop with Fred and George, both of which surely require magical skill.
2.) Ginny - Similar to her brother, survives numerous duel against older and more skilled witches/wizards and survived actually being possessed by Voldemort which is something not many people seem to do.
3.) Molly - While Bellatrix didn't have her own wand and Molly being enraged at the loss of Fred probably helped her become even more powerful, she still won a duel against one of the fiercest Death Eaters around and did non-verbal magic as well during the duel. Also, seems to be a rather skilled Healer, managing to stop the bleeding from George's wound. We know she brewed a love potion, possibly Amortentia, so she is likely skilled there as well.
4.) Fred & George - With their Wheezes they showed great ingenuity and ability in charms, jinxes, potions, and transfiguration. Fred was also skilled at non-verbal magic.
5.) Arthur - Judging from the way he tinkers with Muggle items, I think we can guess where Fred and George got their magical ability and ingenuity from. He can also produce a talking Patronus which is extremely impressive.
6.) Bill - A skilled curse-breaker and duelist.
7.) Percy - Did extremely well in his O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts and judging from DH is skilled at transfiguration and dueling.
8.) Charlie - Survived the Battle of Hogwarts so he must be good at dueling.

I don't think the Weasleys should be ranked. They all have strength ,and for the most part, different qualities about them.

This is in no order:

Ron is strong because of the things he went through, more so then any other Weasley throughout the books. He seems like a pretty good Quidditch player when he has enough confidence, and he also becomes an Auror, which means he obviously has some skill! I don't see any reason for Ron to be marked down as low as he was in the earlier posts in this thread.

Ginny is a good Quidditch player. She did overcome being possessed by Tom Riddle. She seems to be pretty powerful and competent. Overall she's just that perfect, popular girl, isn't she? :lol:

Fred/George are strong businessmen. They dropped out of school and created a successful shop without completing their education. They also made all of their merchandise, which takes very impressive magical skill for two boys. They were also beaters on the Gryffindor team. George is also strong in that he had to get over the loss of his brother. (Which could be said for the whole family, but we know who suffered the most).

Percy is strong in his mind. He did very well on the OWLs and NEWTs, and he was head boy to show for it. He was strong for going against his family for something he believed in. He was also strong for coming back to his family and apologizing.

Bill, like Percy, is also very smart, considering he was head boy. He was a curse-breaker, which I'm sure takes skills.

Charlie is strong physically. He was Quidditch captain in his years at Hogwarts. He also works with dragons.

Not much to say for Bill and Charlie, but what you could say for both of them was that they had the strength to leave their family for their careers and live so far away. Bill in Egypt and Charlie in Romania.

Arthur was able to enchant a car to fly, that's pretty powerful, isn't it? He was also in the Order.

Molly is strong because she can raise 6 boys. :lol: She seemed to be pretty powerful when she took down Bellatrix, which even though it was done by rage, it was impressive.

However that is the only time. Fred and George imply in one of the earlier books how they are reluctant to fight Ginny even when she is attacking them. I only wish Ron hit her with that spell as she deserved it.

I don't recall that in the books. Can you provide a quote?

I don't recall that in the books. Can you provide a quote?

Not easily. All i have is this quote

"You've never been of the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes, have you?" - George Weasley

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Bat-Bogey_Hex

I remember the context was around that quote but i don't remember what book it was in.

Also it seems Ginny has no problem using the Bat Bogey Hex against anyone but we never hear of anyone she uses it against fighting back. Ginny certainly has the worst temper of all the Weasley's (and that is saying something) but that does not make her powerful.

"You've never been of the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes, have you?" - George Weasley

That doesn't mean she attacked them. They could have been sitting around inventing/trying out spells one day and George was the unlucky guinea pig for that one.

Ginny certainly has the worst temper of all the Weasley's (and that is saying something)

Worse than Ron or Bill, maybe, but I don't see how she has a worse temper than Fred or George (Quidditch Ban for attacking Draco), Arthur (attacked Lucius), or Molly (mad enough to kill a person). I would probably rank it Molly, Twins, Ginny, Arthur, Ron, Percy, Bill and Charlie. So more like third-worst. And I'd still say Harry has a worse temper than her and Ginny is about on par with Hermione "Oppugno" Granger.

but that does not make her powerful.

No, you're right. Being a skilled duelist and surviving her possession makes her a powerful witch.

Not easily. All i have is this quote

"You've never been of the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes, have you?" - George Weasley

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Bat-Bogey_Hex

I remember the context was around that quote but i don't remember what book it was in.

Also it seems Ginny has no problem using the Bat Bogey Hex against anyone but we never hear of anyone she uses it against fighting back. Ginny certainly has the worst temper of all the Weasley's (and that is saying something) but that does not make her powerful.

George never says it was used on him personally; all it implies is that he's seen Ginny cast it.

I also don't understand your point by saying "we never hear of anyone she uses it against fighting back". That doesn't make sense to me. Either you're hexing someone because they're about to do the same to you or to someone else, or have greatly insulted your family/friends. And I think it's highly likely that people Ginny's hexed either don't want to mess with her again, or they do try to get back at her; we just don't see it on page. Do you really think it's likely that there would never be someone who wouldn't seek to hex her back?

Molly
Bill
George
Arthur
Percy
Ginny
Charlie
Fred
Ron

I'd definitely say Molly. She defeated Bellatrix (who defeated Sirius and was one of the most important Death Eaters) and managed to raise all those kids.

Also it seems Ginny has no problem using the Bat Bogey Hex against anyone but we never hear of anyone she uses it against fighting back. Ginny certainly has the worst temper of all the Weasley's (and that is saying something) but that does not make her powerful.

Your quote is from OotP I think :) I agree with this comment. Ginny certainly has a temper but that seems to either be a weakness in itself or stem from weakness. She wasn't a weak witch so that's not what I'm saying but she was very insecure in other aspects.


Worse than Ron or Bill, maybe, but I don't see how she has a worse temper than Fred or George (Quidditch Ban for attacking Draco), Arthur (attacked Lucius), or Molly (mad enough to kill a person). I would probably rank it Molly, Twins, Ginny, Arthur, Ron, Percy, Bill and Charlie. So more like third-worst. And I'd still say Harry has a worse temper than her and Ginny is about on par with Hermione "Oppugno" Granger.
Molly killed a person because Ginny was almost killed by that person, Arthur only attacked Lucius once and the twins were, IIRC, responding to Draco insulting their parents. Ginny however, will attack anyone (either verbally or magically) who doesn't like Harry which is a bit over the top, IMO.
Not that Hermione and her birds are better though.


I also don't understand your point by saying "we never hear of anyone she uses it against fighting back". That doesn't make sense to me. Either you're hexing someone because they're about to do the same to you or to someone else, or have greatly insulted your family/friends. And I think it's highly likely that people Ginny's hexed either don't want to mess with her again, or they do try to get back at her; we just don't see it on page. Do you really think it's likely that there would never be someone who wouldn't seek to hex her back?
She hexed Zach Smith because she was pestering her about what happened at the DoM. There is no indication that he was about to attack her or that he did attack her afterwards. In fact we know he didn't since that was when Slighorn interfered. Likewise when she attacked him with her broom. But we don't see Ginny duelling much do we? She duels against Amycus in HBP and doesn't do that well and then almost gets killed by Bellatrix in DH. So yes, I would say that she lacks training in fighting those who aren't afraid to give as good as they get... or worse.

Ginny however, will attack anyone (either verbally or magically) who doesn't like Harry which is a bit over the top, IMO.


Attack anyone? Like who? I count her magically attacking Zacharias Smith after he wanted to know about that cool time that she and her friends were almost murdered and then later again when he insulted the Gryffindor team.

That's one person. So yeah, that doesn't give her a worse temper than the Twins (who were quite aggressive) or Molly (who could be quarrelsome). And I don't get how it's worse for her to attack Smith, who again thought her friends being attacked by Death Eaters in the DoM was a juicy bit of gossip, than it was for Arthur to attack Lucius or the Twins to attack Draco.

It's so odd that the men are held to a different standard. :hmm:

Likewise when she attacked him with her broom. But we don't see Ginny duelling much do we? She duels against Amycus in HBP and doesn't do that well

Did she die?

then almost gets killed by Bellatrix in DH.

Tonks actually did get killed by Bellatrix, as did Sirius. I guess they must be bad at dueling.

Attack anyone? Like who? I count her magically attacking Zacharias Smith after he wanted to know about that cool time that she and her friends were almost murdered and then later again when he insulted the Gryffindor team.

She also verbally attacked Blaise after he scoffed at Harry being the Chosen One.

It's so odd that the men are held to a different standard.
I'm not holding them to a different standard but this discussion is about Ginny. Sure, all the Weasleys had a temper, including Ron. And I consider the twins to cross the line many times especially in their treatment of Slytherins. I think that is bullying behavior but that doesn't make what Ginny does more acceptable. Perhaps gender is at play here. If a man attacked women as often as Ginny attacks men would he be considered fiesty?

Did she die?
No, Harry intervened. She would probably not had died anyway as she was under the influence of Felicis and the Death Eaters were on their way out.

Tonks actually did get killed by Bellatrix, as did Sirius. I guess they must be bad at dueling.
No they were probably very good. I wouldn't expect Ginny to win against Bellatrix nor do I think she was weak because she almost got killed. I'm just saying that there aren't so many examples of her in the books doing something which is above average in the skill department. I don't recall her having any minor successes against opponents more capable than Zack Smith and both Luna and Neville actually did better than her at the DoM. Just my opinion of course.

She hexed Zach Smith because she was pestering her about what happened at the DoM. There is no indication that he was about to attack her or that he did attack her afterwards. In fact we know he didn't since that was when Slighorn interfered. Likewise when she attacked him with her broom. But we don't see Ginny duelling much do we? She duels against Amycus in HBP and doesn't do that well and then almost gets killed by Bellatrix in DH. So yes, I would say that she lacks training in fighting those who aren't afraid to give as good as they get... or worse.
I don't think Slughorn could interfere. Smith would have been stuck with quite a few large batwings flapping around on his face, he wouldn't be in a position to hex her back, at that point at least. We don't know if he tried later, and lack of the incident on page doesn't mean it wouldn't happen; in fact, in the series we're given the opposite impression, that students do this quite frequently, and as is said in the books, Madam Pomfrey fixes people up without asking too many questions.

And I believe the passage about Amycus & Ginny dueling at the end of OOTP is quite different from the way you appear to frame it -- she was doing quite well, but when Harry heard him threaten her, he just blasted him. She wasn't in imminent danger and had the advantage of Felix to boot, and Harry knew this. I'd imagine that in DH a lot of people nearly got killed by Bellatrix and other DE's, so I think it's not fair to characterize Ginny as lacking something just because Bella nearly killed her.

No they were probably very good. I wouldn't expect Ginny to win against Bellatrix nor do I think she was weak because she almost got killed. I'm just saying that there aren't so many examples of her in the books doing something which is above average in the skill department. I don't recall her having any minor successes against opponents more capable than Zack Smith and both Luna and Neville actually did better than her at the DoM. Just my opinion of course.
Sorry, but how did Luna and Neville do any better? Are you saying that Ginny is a bad dueler because she had the misfortune to trip and fracture her ankle? None of them had been in battle before and they were up against seasoned DE's. My point is, they all took a stand and did their best with what they knew. I'd say they did pretty well, considering, including Ginny.

So in my opinion it's
1. Bill
2. Ginny
3. George
4. Percy
5. Arthur
6. Charlie
7. Molly
8. Ron
9. Fred

Percy 4th really? and Ron 8th? really can't see why you chose that, cna't understand your point of view. Percy is a weak character, he seems to have strength to stand up to others and I think that many would say that to be prefect and head boy you must have some kind of strength, I agree on that but that is not Percy's case. In my opinion he always hid his weakness by being prefect and head boy, he didn't want to show his weakness and so used the power he had to appear strong, but he never actaully demonstrated himself as a hero. Plus in the 5th book he did not have the courage to stand up to the truth and simply accepted the ministry verison without thinking.

On the other side Ron is a hero, throughout the sereis he may have shown weaknesses but everybody has them, but he demonstrated to be strong and that he can stand up, be brave, fight for his cause and fight for the girl he loves, which brings me to another point, no one of the Weasley family is vulnerable as Ron, with the fact of always being overshadowed by Harry and loving Hermione for so long, he always thought he'd never be special and that Hermione would never love him, this makes him so vulnerable that doing what he did demonstrates the fact that he his such a strong and brave person.

By the way my order is this:
1)Ron
2)Twins
3)Bill
4)Molly+Arthur
5)Ginny
6)Charlie
7)Percy

And I believe the passage about Amycus & Ginny dueling at the end of OOTP is quite different from the way you appear to frame it -- she was doing quite well, but when Harry heard him threaten her, he just blasted him. She wasn't in imminent danger and had the advantage of Felix to boot, and Harry knew this. I'd imagine that in DH a lot of people nearly got killed by Bellatrix and other DE's, so I think it's not fair to characterize Ginny as lacking something just because Bella nearly killed her.

No, I'm not saying either of these cases prove that she is lacking something. Nor do they prove that she has got something out of the ordinary in terms of power. We see Ginny being powerful mostly with people who can't or don't defend themselves or weren't expecting an attack. We don't even see her have any minor victories (like Hermione, Ron, Harry, Luna and Neville have) against more skilled opponents. Her staying alive doesn't prove that she powerful; she was mostly lucky (under Felicis) or saved by her mother.

Sorry, but how did Luna and Neville do any better? Are you saying that Ginny is a bad dueler because she had the misfortune to trip and fracture her ankle? None of them had been in battle before and they were up against seasoned DE's. My point is, they all took a stand and did their best with what they knew. I'd say they did pretty well, considering, including Ginny.
Ginny didn't trip, a DE caught her by the ankle and broke it. Luna and Neville did better because they stayed conscious for a much longer period of time and managed to help Harry. Ginny was of very little use and she quickly became a liability. I'm not saying that makes her weak but it doesn't show her as particularly skilled. With more training, I'm sure that she would have done great as she seems to put a lot of energy behind her spells and is a good shot.

No, I'm not saying either of these cases prove that she is lacking something. Nor do they prove that she has got something out of the ordinary in terms of power. We see Ginny being powerful mostly with people who can't or don't defend themselves or weren't expecting an attack.
Again, I don't see how this can be said, as we don't see everything in that happens to Ginny in the school year, and what counter-hexes she may have deflected or suffered at the hands of students she targeted. We're not shown on page, so nothing can be proven either way. And if Slughorn, an experienced teacher and self-designed "collector" of unusally talented and/or connected students, thinks Ginny is powerful, I believe he's qualified to make that judgement.

Ginny didn't trip, a DE caught her by the ankle and broke it. Luna and Neville did better because they stayed conscious for a much longer period of time and managed to help Harry. Ginny was of very little use and she quickly became a liability. I'm not saying that makes her weak but it doesn't show her as particularly skilled. With more training, I'm sure that she would have done great as she seems to put a lot of energy behind her spells and is a good shot.
As we are not shown the entire fight at the DOM away from Harry, it is not possible to say what spells were thrown by whom, and likewise not possible to say what spells Ginny cast. So I think it's fair to say that Ginny did defend herself as well as anyone else in the group as they all made it out alive. Ginny did not lose consciousness for very long, just mobility. It was Hermione who lost consciousness (and stayed that way) after Dolohov cast that last spell. I don't think it's fair to say that any of the students became "liabilities", as they all showed up to fight and did their best.

But that just means that we have to rely on second-hand sources for "Ginny's Strength" and rarely SEE anything to justify it. She's mostly a case of "Tell, don't show" which is...well, bad writing IMO.

Luna and Neville did better because they stayed conscious for a much longer period of time and managed to help Harry. Ginny was of very little use and she quickly became a liability. I'm not saying that makes her weak but it doesn't show her as particularly skilled.

I guess Hermione and Ron aren't skilled either as they were dispatched with quickly.

Or, it could be that JKR left Neville and Luna standing to help bring the story of their friendship to another place and have him realizing how worthwhile these two were when at the start Harry was embarrassed to be seen with them.

But that just means that we have to rely on second-hand sources for "Ginny's Strength" and rarely SEE anything to justify it. She's mostly a case of "Tell, don't show" which is...well, bad writing IMO.
Ah...but writing style is for another thread. I think Ginny's activities are kept a bit in the background on purpose. After all, if a fair percentage of the series is from Harry's point of view, he doesn't really notice much about Ginny until he begins to realize he's attracted to her as a romantic partner.

But if the book gives us information that indicates a person's abilities, albeit secondhand, that's still valid. We may not see a lot of Ginny's magical power in first-person accounts, but neither do we see much of many other prominent characters either. We don't see much of actual fighting duels/battles for Lupin, Tonks, Slughorn, McGonagall, etc., yet I'm sure they're all very competent. Sentences like "Kingsley fighting two at once" or "Kingsley battling a pock-marked DE", while not descriptive enough to even confirm what spells he cast or if they were effective, it gives a pretty clear implication that he's very skilled and we know he's an auror. So first-hand on-page description is missing in a lot of instances, and the fact that it's missing for Ginny -- especially when Harry was separated from Ginny, Luna & Ron at the DOM -- in my opinion takes nothing away from the clear implication that everyone who went with Harry to the MOM was fighting the best they could for their experience, and all did well enough to come out of it alive.

Personally, one of the most powerful scenes in the entire series for me (a real tear-jerker) is Molly's fierce battle with Bellatrix in the Deathly Hallows. Her love for her children and family is her primary strength, and proves and refreshes Dumbledore's constant message of "all you need is love" (I'm certain he loved the Beatles ;D) .. Molly is ridiculously powerful - that last fight is evidence of her magical prowess, which was hidden behind her kind nature and her family-orientated mantras. She is underestimated. I believe her to have a sinister strength behind all the shawls and wide smiles. Her careful control over her family is also evidence of this.

I find it interesting that many of you have also split Fred and George, putting them on vastly different ends of the "Scale of Weasley Strength" :) .. However, their strength to me is in their connected identities. Fred's death and George's living as evidence to their individual strength is weak. One of them had to die - for theatrics, for the reader's empathy, and for the rather obvious tragedy of the thing. That it was Fred was a symbolic move for the sake of literature only. If you read back, it is mostly always Fred who delivers the twin's punchlines. He is the closure for the pair. That he should die means that George is left forever unfinished. For these reasons, they ought to be judged as a PAIR, and it makes me sad that George is given precedence just for living, when it was hardly due to his magical abilities being more advanced than Fred's.

... As for Ron, I personally do not see the merit in his character, and would put him last. He serves no purpose other than a space-filler for the trio, and a source of info for Harry and Hermione, who were both raised by muggles. However, even this use is made redundant after a while, and Ron becomes a literary device for conflict and a method for Harry and Hermione's character development. He is the Weakest Weasley, I think.

Bill and Charlie seem as equals. They know who they are, and have faith in who they are. Their strength is in self-knowing, and their decisions are sure. They are very different people, but these merits seem rather equal. I'd place them around the middle of the list.

Arthur, I think, is a remarkably capable wizard who chooses to be the underdog in the name of what he loves, which I respect deeply, and puts him second behind Molly. He has a humility in his strength which makes it harder to place, but lends him a hidden dignity.

... As for Ron, I personally do not see the merit in his character, and would put him last. He serves no purpose other than a space-filler for the trio, and a source of info for Harry and Hermione, who were both raised by muggles. However, even this use is made redundant after a while, and Ron becomes a literary device for conflict and a method for Harry and Hermione's character development. He is the Weakest Weasley, I think.


Funny, I believe just the opposite. To me, Ron was the only one out of the Trio that acted the most like a truly realized human being, and not a character in a fantasy book. He felt the most real and believable, and more interesting/worthwhile than a usual "Chosen One" type and "Generic Teen Genius" type. It's a shame JK didn't give him more to do than be Harry's sidekick after a while.

But that's not really for this thread.

Again, I don't see how this can be said, as we don't see everything in that happens to Ginny in the school year, and what counter-hexes she may have deflected or suffered at the hands of students she targeted. We're not shown on page, so nothing can be proven either way. And if Slughorn, an experienced teacher and self-designed "collector" of unusally talented and/or connected students, thinks Ginny is powerful, I believe he's qualified to make that judgement.
I'm sure he is but I am allowed to disagree with him. Besides, Slughorn praising Ginny is just another one of Rowling's attempts to convince the reader that Ginny is full of good qualities and the perfect girl for Harry. I have no problem with that per se but I don't place too much credibility by it when it comes to establishing how powerful the character actually is.

As we are not shown the entire fight at the DOM away from Harry, it is not possible to say what spells were thrown by whom, and likewise not possible to say what spells Ginny cast. So I think it's fair to say that Ginny did defend herself as well as anyone else in the group as they all made it out alive.
I think Luna says that she helped her out, as well as Ron who got attacked by the brain.

Ah...but writing style is for another thread. I think Ginny's activities are kept a bit in the background on purpose. After all, if a fair percentage of the series is from Harry's point of view, he doesn't really notice much about Ginny until he begins to realize he's attracted to her as a romantic partner.
That's all very well but how am I as a reader expected to consider a character powerful if I am never shown anything (in my opinion) which indicates that? I don't see anything in the books that shows that Ginny is more than average and not at all better at magic than the other teenage characters.
Kingsley and Tonks are shown to duel and win, or at least have minor victories against their opponents so I would argue that it's not fair to compare them to Ginny. McGonagall is shown to fight against Voldemort so I certainly wouldn't put her and Ginny in the same category. These are all minor characters who are shown to be powerful in a convincing manner. Ginny isn't, in my view.

Her careful control over her family is also evidence of this.
I don't see her being that in control actually. She tells her children what they should be doing all the time but none of them actually listen (it's good that they don't since the twins wouldn't a have a business is they did) and carry on with their business despite what she thinks (including Arthur).

Funny, I believe just the opposite. To me, Ron was the only one out of the Trio that acted the most like a truly realized human being, and not a character in a fantasy book. He felt the most real and believable, and more interesting/worthwhile than a usual "Chosen One" type and "Generic Teen Genius" type. It's a shame JK didn't give him more to do than be Harry's sidekick after a while.

But that's not really for this thread.
I agree with this. Ron is the most well developed and relatable out of the Trio, IMO. But yes, character development has nothing to do with how magically powerful a character is.

I gotta vote for Molly. A great fighter, as well as a great mom and wife.

Besides, Slughorn praising Ginny is just another one of Rowling's attempts to convince the reader that Ginny is full of good qualities and the perfect girl for Harry. I have no problem with that per se but I don't place too much credibility by it when it comes to establishing how powerful the character actually is.
...
That's all very well but how am I as a reader expected to consider a character powerful if I am never shown anything (in my opinion) which indicates that? I don't see anything in the books that shows that Ginny is more than average and not at all better at magic than the other teenage characters.
I agree with you about Ginny. In the first four books there's barely anything about her. Then we learn she's an expert at the Bat-Bogey Hex and she accompanies Harry, Ron, Hermione etc to the MoM. In HBP, Slughorn invites her to the Slug Club because - again - she performed a great Bat-Bogey Hex. Other than that, I don't recall anything being shown of any formidable magical prowess she might possess. IMO, whatever aura of power surrounds Ginny is a result of her spitfire characterization. Also, because the other Weasley she shares the most scenes with is unassured Ron, I think her "strength" is even more highlighted.

To me, Ron was the only one out of the Trio that acted the most like a truly realized human being, and not a character in a fantasy book. He felt the most real and believable, and more interesting/worthwhile than a usual "Chosen One" type and "Generic Teen Genius" type.
Agreed. And coming to how "powerful" he was...I think Ron is one of those people who are smart when they want to be and, the rest of the time, they don't really care enough to try. Because of this, his "book knowledge" certainly is lacking, but his presence of mind and innate intelligence do come out in many instances. Some examples that come to mind:

- He's a great chess player.
- He's able to see Lockhart for the fraud he is.
- He's able to talk his way out of a gang of Snatchers.
- He's able to emulate Parseltongue to get into the CoS.

On the whole, I count Ron as one of the strongest Weasley members, if not in terms of magical power than in terms of innate smartness. His ability to acknowledge mistakes and apologize and his loyalty to family and friends also make him one of the strongest in terms of strength of character, IMO.

From Pottermore

Willow (Ron's wand)

Willow is an uncommon wand wood with healing power, and I have noted that the ideal owner for a willow wand often has some (usually unwarranted) insecurity, however well they may try and hide it. While many confident customers insist on trying a willow wand (attracted by their handsome appearance and well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic) my willow wands have consistently selected those of greatest potential, rather than those who feel they have little to learn. It has always been a proverb in my family that he who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow.

Funny, I believe just the opposite. To me, Ron was the only one out of the Trio that acted the most like a truly realized human being, and not a character in a fantasy book. He felt the most real and believable, and more interesting/worthwhile...

Interesting insight. Thank you for making me reconsider! And although that discussion isn't really for this thread, as you say, I suppose his 'human-ness' does give him a certain type of strength... a strength that would have done well in a Wizarding World without Voldemort. However, I still believe that the other Weasleys are more accomplished.
ALTHOUGH... Percy Weasley seems unable to confront reality and to make decisions for himself. He seems like a Follower, and in this respect, Ron choosing to take a difficult path with Harry is admirable.

Percy Weasley seems unable to confront reality and to make decisions for himself. He seems like a Follower, and in this respect, Ron choosing to take a difficult path with Harry is admirable.

On the contrary, Percy made a clear decision not to follow his family's line of thinking when Voldemort returned. He decided on a path that would better his immediate career, instead of the one that would've kept him in his family's good graces. I've always considered this to be a very difficult decision, regardless of whether or not he was right.

On the contrary, Percy made a clear decision not to follow his family's line of thinking when Voldemort returned. He decided on a path that would better his immediate career, instead of the one that would've kept him in his family's good graces. I've always considered this to be a very difficult decision, regardless of whether or not he was right.

I respect your view greatly. Unfortunately it could be argued either way. Percy's family was the minority - the Weasleys held the least accepted view and were often held in contempt because of it. So was Percy strong for going against his family in order to be accepted in the majority? Or was he weak for that exact reason - his desire to be accepted by the majority blinding him to other possibilities?
It's a tricky one. I agree that his motives were partly due to his desire to advance in his career, but to me it always seemed as though that was not the initial cause of his actions, but a by-product of his often narcissistic nature and a need to be congratulated and petted by those above him. Percy Weasley is an odd fellow. But I still see this as a chicken/egg situation, and have thus decided to go on my feelings of his character, which are rather desperately telling me that Percy was weak! (admittedly, my emotional attachment to the subject makes objectivity hard - the scene in which Molly breaks down because of Percy's absence always makes me a tad teary, and has probably given me a slight personal vendetta against the man!!)

I respect your view greatly. Unfortunately it could be argued either way. Percy's family was the minority - the Weasleys held the least accepted view and were often held in contempt because of it. So was Percy strong for going against his family in order to be accepted in the majority? Or was he weak for that exact reason - his desire to be accepted by the majority blinding him to other possibilities?
It's a tricky one. I agree that his motives were partly due to his desire to advance in his career, but to me it always seemed as though that was not the initial cause of his actions, but a by-product of his often narcissistic nature and a need to be congratulated and petted by those above him. Percy Weasley is an odd fellow. But I still see this as a chicken/egg situation, and have thus decided to go on my feelings of his character, which are rather desperately telling me that Percy was weak! (admittedly, my emotional attachment to the subject makes objectivity hard - the scene in which Molly breaks down because of Percy's absence always makes me a tad teary, and has probably given me a slight personal vendetta against the man!!)

I would tend to agree that Percy's decision came from a weakness, not a strength. He seemed to stop thinking for himself and decided to focus only on actions that would, in his mind, put him on solid footing in the Ministry bureaucracy. He adopted their narrow views to ingratiate himself into the system and put on blinders to everything else, including his family.

I would tend to agree that Percy's decision came from a weakness, not a strength. He seemed to stop thinking for himself and decided to focus only on actions that would, in his mind, put him on solid footing in the Ministry bureaucracy. He adopted their narrow views to ingratiate himself into the system and put on blinders to everything else, including his family.

I agree that his decision was based more on weakness, but the fact that he came back to his family, realizing his mistakes, and apologized was what got him higher points in my books. I think it was a very brave thing to do.

I agree that his decision was based more on weakness, but the fact that he came back to his family, realizing his mistakes, and apologized was what got him higher points in my books. I think it was a very brave thing to do.

True, but people sorely overstate the strength of those who come back to the 'right side' after being mislead, and understate the strength of those who manage to stay on the right side the whole jolly time.. So frankly, I find the unwavering dedication of most of the Weasley family to be far more impressive than Ron and Percy's little escapades with not-rooting-for-the-right-team (if I may ;) ), no matter how many points they get for giving us all a couple of nice little "I've seen the light" sub-plots. XD

True, but people sorely overstate the strength of those who come back to the 'right side' after being mislead, and understate the strength of those who manage to stay on the right side the whole jolly time.. So frankly, I find the unwavering dedication of most of the Weasley family to be far more impressive than Ron and Percy's little escapades with not-rooting-for-the-right-team (if I may ;) ), no matter how many points they get for giving us all a couple of nice little "I've seen the light" sub-plots. XD

Ron was never on the wrong side. He was always on the side that believed Voldemort was back and the side that fought Voldemort and his allies.

And none of the other Weasleys were as close or involved with Harry's life as Ron (even Ginny), so them "sticking with him" compared to Ron's two fall-outs doesn't mean much either.

True, but people sorely overstate the strength of those who come back to the 'right side' after being mislead, and understate the strength of those who manage to stay on the right side the whole jolly time.. a couple of nice little "I've seen the light" sub-plots. XD

First off, this is, IMO, close to the christian parable of The Prodigal Son - some book called the bible may add clarification apparently - where a repentant wrongdoer is highly favoured. Applies to Percy W. too of course. Makes me wonder why "wrongdoers" get such a hard time in religion if they're so needed to support this theory but I'm sure that'll be for another thread! Incidentally, biblical phrases or influences sneak in everywhere e.g. "I've seen the light"

I've wondered about Ron's bravery myself but have come up with a "Real Life" correlation which I know interests you Zaffyra. Can't be specific but from reading war/disaster type tales it's very often asserted that bravery is more about doing things against your best, survivalist, instincts. So Ron is quite naturally terrified of Voldemort but stoically sticks with Harry despite his fears.

Like I said, Ron is the only one of the trio that acts like a real human being. This also applies to his reactions (being brave despite obvious fear). It would have been nice for Harry and Hermione to react similarly and show more humanity.

But that's going off-topic.

True, but people sorely overstate the strength of those who come back to the 'right side' after being mislead, and understate the strength of those who manage to stay on the right side the whole jolly time.. So frankly, I find the unwavering dedication of most of the Weasley family to be far more impressive than Ron and Percy's little escapades with not-rooting-for-the-right-team (if I may ;) ), no matter how many points they get for giving us all a couple of nice little "I've seen the light" sub-plots. XD
I agree on your first point that people often do overstate the strength of those who come back to the 'right side' after being mislead, and understate the strength of those who manage to stay on the right side the whole time, but I do not agree that Ron falls in this category of overstated strength. Ron was never on the wrong side - he simply had some human failings that caused two fall-outs - only TWO - in seven whole years. As some people have mentioned above, Ron was the closest to Harry out of all the Weasleys so he did have a harder time than the rest of them. Molly, Fred, George etc did not have to deal with the difficulty and unpleasantness of the "second-fiddle" role. Nobody likes being the sidekick to their hero best friend. I'd say Ron dealt with his position pretty well, on the whole.

I agree that his decision was based more on weakness, but the fact that he came back to his family, realizing his mistakes, and apologized was what got him higher points in my books. I think it was a very brave thing to do.
Personally I don't count that as brave. He came back when it was safe to do so, at the very end, even though he claims to have realized his mistake before that. For me, brave would have been coming back as soon as he knew his error, even though it would put him at odds with the Ministry line. He would have been back ages sooner if he had only thought about something other than his career and how he looked to the Ministry top dogs.

Like I said, Ron is the only one of the trio that acts like a real human being. This also applies to his reactions (being brave despite obvious fear). It would have been nice for Harry and Hermione to react similarly and show more humanity.

But that's going off-topic.

As replying to that last sentence in the 1st paragraph would be off-topic, I'll discuss via OWL.

Regarding Ron, he wasn't always "brave despite the obvious fear". The spider incident comes to mind, Harry coerced him to go. And while I certainly empathize with Ron (don't care for spiders either), he was certainly reluctant, fearful, panicked rather than brave. The same issue crops up in GOF, when he's afraid his best friend has left him behind and has a difficult time getting past that fear. Ditto in DH when he ups and leaves -- yes, I know the horcrux was an influence, but Ron himself tells Harry that the thoughts were already in his head anyway -- fearing that he's not good enough for Hermione and that she would "pick" his best friend over him.

Molly, Fred, George etc did not have to deal with the difficulty and unpleasantness of the "second-fiddle" role.
I would argue that it's even much more difficult and unpleasant to be "first fiddle" in this instance.

Regarding Ron, he wasn't always "brave despite the obvious fear". The spider incident comes to mind, Harry coerced him to go. And while I certainly empathize with Ron (don't care for spiders either), he was certainly reluctant, fearful, panicked rather than brave. The same issue crops up in GOF, when he's afraid his best friend has left him behind and has a difficult time getting past that fear. Ditto in DH when he ups and leaves -- yes, I know the horcrux was an influence, but Ron himself tells Harry that the thoughts were already in his head anyway -- fearing that he's not good enough for Hermione and that she would "pick" his best friend over him.


Harry coerced Ron to follow the spiders in the movie, not the book. In the book Ron was obviously scared but also determined as he wanted to find a way to help Hermione. The spide scene in the book is very different to what is in the movie (at least from how Ron reacts).

Also if Ron could have gotten back in the hunt straight away he would have. It isn't like he took weeks to deciding he wanted to go back, Ron wanted to go back almost instantly. You can't really fault a person for a few seconds (and it was only a few seconds) of weakness especially when you have the insecurities Ron has.

Harry coerced Ron to follow the spiders in the movie, not the book. In the book Ron was obviously scared but also determined as he wanted to find a way to help Hermione. The spide scene in the book is very different to what is in the movie (at least from how Ron reacts).

Also if Ron could have gotten back in the hunt straight away he would have. It isn't like he took weeks to deciding he wanted to go back, Ron wanted to go back almost instantly. You can't really fault a person for a few seconds (and it was only a few seconds) of weakness especially when you have the insecurities Ron has.

I was responding to a comment that seemed to say that Ron was the only one of the trio who acted brave despite the obvious fear. I was merely pointing out that fear got in the way for Ron more than once. I'm not meaning to take anything away from Ron, as the times he pushed past his fear far outnumber when he mis-stepped. But he was not the only one, nor more human or brave than Hermione or Harry.

I think we're getting off-topic from the "Strongest Weasley" (I still think Ron ranks pretty high, higher than Ginny at least) so I replied to you via Owl.

Indeed! - And I do apologize for my vagueness in my comment about Ron's loyalty to the cause - I merely meant that he was not as stringently determined as most of the rest of his family to support the cause (for example, his disbelief in Harry telling him directly that he did not put his name in the Goblet of Fire). {On a side note, I shall attempt to refrain from abandoning the serious nature of such arguments in favour of some humour and linguistical fun ;) .. we are only human, dear forum fellows!}

Dreadfully sorry (here I go again) to stride off the path once again, but I must acknowledge Mr. Ripper's fabulous post:

First off, this is, IMO, close to the christian parable of The Prodigal Son - some book called the bible may add clarification apparently - where a repentant wrongdoer is highly favoured. Applies to Percy W. too of course. Makes me wonder why "wrongdoers" get such a hard time in religion if they're so needed to support this theory but I'm sure that'll be for another thread! Incidentally, biblical phrases or influences sneak in everywhere e.g. "I've seen the light"
I've wondered about Ron's bravery myself but have come up with a "Real Life" correlation which I know interests you Zaffyra. Can't be specific but from reading war/disaster type tales it's very often asserted that bravery is more about doing things against your best, survivalist, instincts. So Ron is quite naturally terrified of Voldemort but stoically sticks with Harry despite his fears.

Fascinating! Thank you kindly: It does seem natural that us fallible beings should favour those in literature who justify our own wrongdoings. Ripper, we really ought to start a thread ;)
... Returning to how this relates to Ron's "strength" -
When you put it that way (Ron's stoicism in the face of fear - which I feel I should point out is not always consistent), I can't help but value his character slightly more. Well argued, and I may be so kind as to bump Ron up my list. Er. Second to last, then? :D
But in all seriousness, Ron's strength, I believe, does indeed come from his humanism, and as I've said before, this would serve him well in most circumstances. His emotional strength does grow throughout the film, and eventually produces what I think is a rather gentle man who has retained some of the insecurities from his younger days. He is susceptible, in my opinion, and that is what makes me place him so low on my list (which is not to say I do not adore his character, or think of him highly - merely that the Weasley family is very accomplished!).

I think we're getting off-topic from the "Strongest Weasley" (I still think Ron ranks pretty high, higher than Ginny at least) so I replied to you via Owl.

As for Ginny - although, as mentioned in previous posts, she is not a hugely filled-out character, JKR clearly directs us to formulating her personality in our minds in a certain way.
It is made obvious that she is a powerful witch, casting magic beyond her years. In an interview with Mugglenet, she even states this as her intention, saying that Ginny was the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter, and that the old fable corresponded with Rowling's writing of her character as such.
Magically, I believe (and the evidence clearly suggests that her magical prowess exceeds Ron's.
This is where the argument becomes difficult, as a metaphysical approach is required. How do we define strength apart from that which is measurable? Sorry to you lovely people who want the practical (as above) or Dumbledore (all ya need is love) approach, but I shall go for a combination.
Emotional strength: Ron is, in my opinion, inconsistent, and inconsistency general (almost certainly in this case) is indicative of insecurity. Insecurity is weakness. Ginny may, in her early years, have a weakness in her reverence of Harry, but she quickly overcomes this, and Hermione observes that Ginny realizes this to be an unhealthy longing, and allows it to take a backseat while her own identity flourishes. This is wise, and gives Ginny a stability toward the end of the series which Ron, sadly, never really gains back. And, obviously, Ginny's decision proves worthy when she and Harry come together naturally.
Social strength: Well, I think it's fair to say that Ginny is a little more apt in this area. Do I really need to explain?... Na, you're all smart bunnies, you know what I mean ;)
Mental strength: Questionable, as we do not really know Ginny well enough. BUT, based on her remarkable recovery from her experience with Voldemort in which her own personality is almost quashed under that of the darkest wizard ever known, I think her mental strength ought not to be questioned. In fact, she talks quite openly about the trauma in later times, which suggests that she has made a full recovery. Ron, however... I'm not sure. He is just so inconsistent that it is difficult for me to say justifiably that he is stronger than Ginny mentally. I'm sure she would not have suffered such great mental torment had she worn the Slytherin locket - let alone left in a brief moment of heat.

CONCLUSION: Ginny is stronger. (In my own own opinion, of course)

What has Ginny done to suggest she is more powerful than Ron? Not only is Ginny not as powerful as Ron but i don't think she is as intelligent either because in OotP when Harry told Ginny about his problem and how he wanted to speak to Sirius Ginny's bright idea was to ask Fred and George.

As for Ginny - although, as mentioned in previous posts, she is not a hugely filled-out character, JKR clearly directs us to formulating her personality in our minds in a certain way.
It is made obvious that she is a powerful witch, casting magic beyond her years. In an interview with Mugglenet, she even states this as her intention, saying that Ginny was the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter, and that the old fable corresponded with Rowling's writing of her character as such.


Actually Rowling pretty much recanted on the whole 7th daughter thing. When asked about it during the webchat after the release of DH she wasn't sure what the fan who asked the question about what happened to that plotline was referring to and said that she thought Ginny did good in the final battle. That was it. Apparently she changed her mind about how Ginny being the 7th daughter would be significant, which is what she had originally said.

I believe (and the evidence clearly suggests that her magical prowess exceeds Ron's.

I don't see any evicence towards that conclusion myself actually. I think Ginny and Ron are equals in that regard.

Ginny may, in her early years, have a weakness in her reverence of Harry, but she quickly overcomes this, and Hermione observes that Ginny realizes this to be an unhealthy longing, and allows it to take a backseat while her own identity flourishes.
I think there is a lot more strength in actually pursuing what you you want or whom you want then giving up so easily and pretending you are over the person. A strong and confident Ginny would have asked single Harry out, not pretending she was over him while still secretly longing for him.

Ron, however... I'm not sure. He is just so inconsistent that it is difficult for me to say justifiably that he is stronger than Ginny mentally. I'm sure she would not have suffered such great mental torment had she worn the Slytherin locket - let alone left in a brief moment of heat.


I think she would. Considering the fact that Ginny is very jealous and insecure even without the locket, in my opinion, I'm sure she would have had plenty of weaknesses which the Horcrux could exploit.

Social strength: Well, I think it's fair to say that Ginny is a little more apt in this area
This I agree with :D

I think she would. Considering the fact that Ginny is very jealous and insecure even without the locket, in my opinion, I'm sure she would have had plenty of weaknesses which the Horcrux could exploit.


Exactly. Look how Ginny reacted when Cho offered to take Harry to the Ravenclaw common room moments before the final battle began. Ginny knew that Harry was all business in that moment and going to the Ravenclaw common room was super important but it didn't stop her being jealous about Cho being the one to take Harry.

I'm pleased I've created such a talking point! ;) Interesting that I never questioned Ginny's strength during the books - and have thus assumed that Rowling intended me to interpret her in that way. This is the reason for my assurance regards her character - I'm a bit of an instinctual reader.

I stand corrected about the "7th daughter" thing. I watched an interview about it recently and I thought the interview too was recent, but apparently not.

Evidence for Ginny's magical prowess being greater than Ron's:
Off the top of my head, I keep thinking of how Slughorn caught her casting an impressive hex on the train - she's been known to produce some pretty impressive curses/hexes - something which we do not really ever see of Ron. Rowling just seems to present her intentionally as rather gifted. To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't receive the same vibe. Whereas Ron, on the other hand, is never said to be anything but mediocre (or less) at, well, everything. Also, everyone expresses surprise when he does/says something intelligent. Which obviously means that he's not the most together or gifted guy ever haha.

In terms of her "mental strength" - I hadn't considered her jealousy - thank you for reminding me! Yes, that is true, but Ron's jealously is far greater, and what's more, he doesn't do anything about, instead showing a wonderful capability of repressing his own feelings and getting angry and then saying that it's "nothing". There's nothing wrong with this, of course - it's a very real and human response, but I just don't see it as strong. Ginny, however, chooses to confront her insecurities.

.. And I don't see her putting her feelings for Harry on the backseat as submissive or self-repressive at all. I mean really, JKR has said herself in an interview that she waited to unite Harry and Ginny until they were both ready for it - until they were both equals. And she also says that Ginny was ready before Harry. So actually, Ginny's choice (which probably wasn't conscious anyway, but merely an instinctual knowledge that she ought to wait to act) was, in my opinion, more wise than not. Blimey, have I really been reading the books in a totally warped way? JKR never insinuates that Ginny was not strong, or that she had made a terrible and self-depreciating mistake in waiting for Harry until the time was right.

Evidence for Ginny's magical prowess being greater than Ron's:
Off the top of my head, I keep thinking of how Slughorn caught her casting an impressive hex on the train - she's been known to produce some pretty impressive curses/hexes - something which we do not really ever see of Ron. Rowling just seems to present her intentionally as rather gifted. To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't receive the same vibe. Whereas Ron, on the other hand, is never said to be anything but mediocre (or less) at, well, everything. Also, everyone expresses surprise when he does/says something intelligent. Which obviously means that he's not the most together or gifted guy ever haha.

Ginny was only known for being able to cast ONE hex and that was the bat bogy hex and from what we can tell she only seemed to cast that hex on people who are unarmed or not expecting it.

Also Ron does plenty of intelligent things and just because Ron seems to think people are acting surprised doesn't mean they are. Also Tonks who as you may remember is a Auror was glowing with her praise of Ron's fighting ability.

Evidence for Ginny's magical prowess being greater than Ron's:
Off the top of my head, I keep thinking of how Slughorn caught her casting an impressive hex on the train - she's been known to produce some pretty impressive curses/hexes - something which we do not really ever see of Ron. Rowling just seems to present her intentionally as rather gifted. To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't receive the same vibe.

I have received the same vibe and I am completely in agreement with you that Rowling intended for us readers to view Ginny as powerful. The problem for me was, that Ginny doesn't really deliver on that point. She is not weaker than any of the other characters but she doesn't strike me as being stronger either. Despite all the amazing things we hear about her. The things other characters say about her simply raise my expectations which is why her weaknesses are even more obvious then they are with other characters.

Yes, that is true, but Ron's jealously is far greater, and what's more, he doesn't do anything about, instead showing a wonderful capability of repressing his own feelings and getting angry and then saying that it's "nothing". There's nothing wrong with this, of course - it's a very real and human response, but I just don't see it as strong. Ginny, however, chooses to confront her insecurities.

I think she more or less confronts others because of her insecurities. Ron represses his feelings too much, that's true. Ginny is the polar opposite of that in the sense that she doesn't repress anything. She expresses her jealousy even when it is misplaced (agains Gabrielle Delacour for example or Cho). She gets upset whenever someone pays Fleur a compliment even though Fleur has never been interested in Harry, which indicates to me that Ginny resents Fleur simply because she is good looking and people like her. But Ginny never confronts this fact, she is convinced that she is being witty and feisty in making those comments about Fleur.

.. And I don't see her putting her feelings for Harry on the backseat as submissive or self-repressive at all. I mean really, JKR has said herself in an interview that she waited to unite Harry and Ginny until they were both ready for it - until they were both equals. And she also says that Ginny was ready before Harry. So actually, Ginny's choice (which probably wasn't conscious anyway, but merely an instinctual knowledge that she ought to wait to act) was, in my opinion, more wise than not. Blimey, have I really been reading the books in a totally warped way? JKR never insinuates that Ginny was not strong, or that she had made a terrible and self-depreciating mistake in waiting for Harry until the time was right.
I'm not saying that Rowling insinuated that but in this thread we are expressing our opinions about who might be the strongest Weasley and obviously we all have our standards. Standards which might be different from Rowling's. I don't see Ginny as submissive but I don't consider someone strong for pretending they aren't into a person they obviously like and have liked for a while. The strong and self confident thing to do would be to ask that person out if they are single. But that's just my opinion. Ginny didn't give up on Harry out of wisdom-- she actually didn't give up on him at all. It makes me wonder whether if Harry had been as passive about his affections as Ginny was they would have ever ended up together. Probably not, IMO.

I think she more or less confronts others because of her insecurities. Ron represses his feelings too much, that's true. Ginny is the polar opposite of that in the sense that she doesn't repress anything. She expresses her jealousy even when it is misplaced (agains Gabrielle Delacour for example or Cho). She gets upset whenever someone pays Fleur a compliment even though Fleur has never been interested in Harry, which indicates to me that Ginny resents Fleur simply because she is good looking and people like her. But Ginny never confronts this fact, she is convinced that she is being witty and feisty in making those comments about Fleur.
Just like to point out that if Ginny was jealous of Cho, it certainly wasn't misplaced. Harry dated Cho, and although it didn't work out for many reasons, they both liked each other, and that's always there even if the dating isn't. So not misplaced.

Regarding Fleur, I think it's fair to say that she came into Hogwarts complaining about everything, and going on and on about how everything they have at home is so superior. That's offputting to anyone. The Weasleys are a very tight-knit family, and she comes into it with Bill and they don't know her very well. Fleur being Fleur, she's pretty assertive, and I'm sure she treated Ginny like a child, perhaps a little condescending or dismissive -- or at least it came off that way. Molly would be protective of Bill, and Ginny would take cues from her mother and there we have it, classic misunderstanding in an emotional setting. I don't see Ginny's reactions as jealousy or a weakness, but rather normal dyanmics given her age and the family circumstances. And it didn't help that Ron kept briefly falling under her Veela influence however briefly, it just added to the problem.

In terms of her "mental strength" - I hadn't considered her jealousy - thank you for reminding me! Yes, that is true, but Ron's jealously is far greater, and what's more, he doesn't do anything about, instead showing a wonderful capability of repressing his own feelings and getting angry and then saying that it's "nothing". There's nothing wrong with this, of course - it's a very real and human response, but I just don't see it as strong. Ginny, however, chooses to confront her insecurities.
I agree with this view. The only jealousy we see in Ginny is either in connection with Harry's relationship with Cho, or the effects of adding Fleur's personality to the Weasley home setting. You're right, Ginny chooses to deal with emotional conflicts (as she did with Ron when he criticized her dating), and I think that's much more productive and healthy. Ron bottles things up and lets them stew, which causes him to suffer more and makes it more difficult to resolve them. So I also see Ginny's approach as the stronger of the two.

This entire conversation is strange to me because both Ginny and Ron wear their hearts on their sleeves. Neither of them know how to repress or compartmentalize their emotions. That's why the horcruxes affected them so deeply, magic is tied to emotions as we see again and again and again, and those two are walking bundles of emotions.

And (topic) the two strongest Weasleys in my opinion.

Except we never see or hear about any difficulties Ginny had after that in regards to Voldemort's possession. With no evidence of it what so ever you cannot just say that recovering from what happened was difficult for Ginny. In fact in PoA Ginny seemed to be completely back to normal.

Except we never see or hear about any difficulties Ginny had after that in regards to Voldemort's possession. With no evidence of it what so ever you cannot just say that recovering from what happened was difficult for Ginny. In fact in PoA Ginny seemed to be completely back to normal.

She was left in the fetal position, shaking and crying after the Dementors swept through the train so no, I don't think she was back to normal.

Please can you refrain from character bashing (e.g. blanket negative descriptions in extreme language, like "a whiny, immature little brat"), claiming to know what JKR's intentions are (nobody knows that except her - all opinions and readings of the text are equally valid here) and telling other posters whether they are on or off topic/telling them off for character-bashing (that's what the mods are here for. If it's really bugging you, report the post.)

I am this far from closing the thread. Some of you are acting like you want to be forum banned.

Also, please can you make sure you clearly state how each of your posts relates to the topic. People shouldn't have to be forced to read previous posts to make sense of the link between your post and the topic. It would help if the words "the strongest Weasley" were used.

ETA: It looks like I'm going to have to delete some posts.

OK, Dipping toe nervously back into the water....

1-Arthur
2-Bill
3-Percy
4-Molly
5-Ginevra
6-Ronald
7 & 8 - Fred & George
9-Charlie

Reasoning? Here goes. I did a list of emotional strength and then a list of magical strength as I saw it. I tried to bring in age, responsibility and the characters attitude to that, the fact that working for MoM takes hard work and good skills, knowledge of the character (which is why poor ol'Chaz is last) and so on. Then the lowest score won. I thought it would be Bill but Arthur is the man.

I think he must have a lot of skill to get into the MoM in the first place. He is strong enough to work outside the inner clique of the MoM whilst keeping good humour knowing he's seen as an oddball and even "traitor". He also shows interest in his kids and has passed on a tolerant ethos to them which he believes in. He works himself to exhaustion to be able to support his family and yet live by his ideals.

But wouldn't that mean that Auror Ron is most likely the strongest Weasley by the end of the series?

I am not sure I am getting your point, so please clarify for me, if you don't mind:
You are ranking Arthur highest because - regardless of any skill (which you infer to be high on the basis that he was actually allowed to work for the MoM in the first place) -, he was dedicated to his family and his ideals?


I did a list of emotional strength and then a list of magical strength as I saw it.
I think he must have a lot of skill to get into the MoM in the first place. He is strong enough to work outside the inner clique of the MoM whilst keeping good humour knowing he's seen as an oddball and even "traitor". He also shows interest in his kids and has passed on a tolerant ethos to them which he believes in. He works himself to exhaustion to be able to support his family and yet live by his ideals.

This implies that "strength" from your perspective is related to family loyalty and personal values (which are referenced in various points throughout the books) rather than magical ability (which seems to be simply infered from "working in the MoM").

Did I understand your position correctly? Not meaning to argue here, just trying to understand your position.

But wouldn't that mean that Auror Ron is most likely the strongest Weasley by the end of the series?

Becoming an auror takes additional training and strengthening/adding to skill levels. The way I see it, that could make Ron the "strongest" if we're only talking about skills training. But I don't see strength as only learned skills or abilities, as I think there are so many other qualities which contribute to that notion. So from my viewpoint, I wouldn't put Ron as the strongest Weasley. I'm inclined to put Arthur in the top position at the moment, and Percy the last.

I am not sure I am getting your point, so please clarify for me, if you don't mind:
You are ranking Arthur highest because - regardless of any skill (which you infer to be high on the basis that he was actually allowed to work for the MoM in the first place) -, he was dedicated to his family and his ideals?



This implies that "strength" from your perspective is related to family loyalty and personal values (which are referenced in various points throughout the books) rather than magical ability (which seems to be simply infered from "working in the MoM").

Did I understand your position correctly? Not meaning to argue here, just trying to understand your position.

I am ranking Arthur highest because he combines both Magical skill and personal strength. I felt I could to do that as the thread seemed allow one to define "strength" and my perspective is that to be an "all-rounder" like Arthur makes him strong. As I also said, it surprised me a little as I thought it would be Bill but when I considered all the extra responsibility that Art carries it swung it to him.

The MoM generally requires high NEWT scores to gain entry (unless its more of a sinecure like Ludo Bagman seems to jag!)so I have rated Arthur highly for that by inference, yes. After all, NEWTs are assessed by trained wizards/witches to a set standard. I can't remember Arthur's magical talents ever being called into question by a trusted source - so not Lucius:lol: ( but stand to be corrected!) and he's a member of OotP. I omitted that in interests of brevity.

As I said in my post, he works hard in a difficult workplace (for him) whilst keeping good humour and his own set of values. And I agree with his values so that has influenced me, too. Especially as I feel that the MoM is quite a "Dark" place in many ways but don't think that's part of this thread so I'll look elsewhere for that or start one up.

Hope I have clarified things for you, Divvie.

Personally I don't count that as brave. He came back when it was safe to do so, at the very end, even though he claims to have realized his mistake before that. For me, brave would have been coming back as soon as he knew his error, even though it would put him at odds with the Ministry line. He would have been back ages sooner if he had only thought about something other than his career and how he looked to the Ministry top dogs.


I think it was brave because he could have easily hid away, not apologizing or owning up to his mistakes because he couldn't be so sure if his family would want him back (Molly and Arthur would welcome him back, but his siblings aren't so forgiving). I think my main point is that he did it, even if it may have been long overdue. I don't condone what Percy did in the long run, but I do consider his return to the family a strong thing to do.

I think it was brave because he could have easily hid away, not apologizing or owning up to his mistakes because he couldn't be so sure if his family would want him back (Molly and Arthur would welcome him back, but his siblings aren't so forgiving). I think my main point is that he did it, even if it may have been long overdue. I don't condone what Percy did in the long run, but I do consider his return to the family a strong thing to do.
Interesting. I see it as the easy thing for him to do. I don't think that Percy would ever think his family wouldn't take him back. It was just the embarassment of admitting his mistake, and finding the right moment to leave the Ministry (probably during the chaos at the breakout of the war). So in my book at least, not really brave because there's no downside for him.