Molly Weasley: Character Analysis

[Nicole]

Molly Weasley nee Prewett, a pureblood witch who was in Gryffindor House in her Hogwarts days, married to pureblood Arthur Weasley, mother to seven children, and sister to Gideon and Fabian Prewett who died in the service of the original Order of the Phoenix during Voldemort War I (VWI).

Molly seems to have taken on the role, willingly, of being Harry's surrogate mother. And to give her credit, she seems very sincere in her care and concern for Harry though she sometimes seems to 'overdo' her mollycoddling. Molly also clearly regards the death of her family members (note that Harry is among those Molly sees dead) as the worst sort of terror (boggart encounter at Grimmauld Place).

Some questions to start the discussion, keeping in mind that the discussion is expected to evolve beyond these:

1) What does Molly's boggart say about her character?

2) Even though her brothers were members of the Order of the Phoenix when they died in VWI, Molly was willing to join the Order for this second war. She didn't hesitate a bit when Albus asked for her help in GoF. What does that say about her character? What do you see as Molly's contribution to the Order?

3) Molly is married to a man fascinated with Muggles and Muggle artifacts. How does the way Molly deals with her husband's obsession reflect on her personality? What prejudices might she harbor from her pureblood upbringing, if any?

4) What role will Molly play in Book 7? Will she try to influence Harry, Ron, Hermione and/or Ginny? She came to accept the twins' ambitions as legitimate (to operate a joke shop), will she accept Harry and Ron (and Hermione, too, of course) as the legal adults they are (Harry will be a full wizard instead of an underage one shortly after the story of Book 7 begins)?

5) Molly has the wedding of her eldest son coming up early in Book 7. In HBP, she was very dissatisfied with Fleur at the beginning but seemed ready to embrace the young woman when Fleur 'stood by her man' Bill. What does that say about Molly's character?

6) Molly and Sirius had very different views on how to treat Harry in OotP and how much information to give him. How did that disagreement affect the relationship between Molly and Sirius? Between Molly and Harry? Was she mollycoddling Harry, protecting him the same as she would have done for one of her own sons, or was she right about Harry being too young to be told the things Sirius and others revealed?

7) The Weasley family seemed to have been living at the brink of poverty at one point during the series, but did Molly grow up poor? She never directly complains about the lack of money, though she expresses a desire for a house-elf (and it isn't hard to imagine any mother not wanting more help with household chores!). What does Molly's handling of financial affairs say about her personality and possibly about her background?

Please remember that this is a discussion thread. All criticism should be constructive. You can say "Molly made a mistake by doing such and such" but not "Molly is an insufferable, overbearing, evil wench". Posts that are considered bashing may be deleted by staff.

[LouisaB]

Originally Posted by Nicole

1) What does Molly's boggart say about her character?

To me it tells me that she is selfless. Her greatest fears are not for herself but for those that she cares about.

I also think that it might stem from having lost members of her family in the first Voldy War. Her greatest fear has, in a way come true, but there is still a lot she can lose. I have wondered/speculated if perhaps the younger Molly's boggart included the deaths of her brothers which, having come true, has added to her fears.

Originally Posted by Nicole

2) Even though her brothers were members of the Order of the Phoenix when they died in VWI, Molly was willing to join the Order for this second war. She didn't hesitate a bit when Albus asked for her help in GoF. What does that say about her character? What do you see as Molly's contribution to the Order?

As a Gryffindor I wouldn't have expected anything else from Molly. Her brother's died as heroes and although I don't think that she is motivated by any sort of revenge I do think that perhaps their deaths could have prompted her to join up so that she could play her part.

I see Molly as the heart of the Order. She keeps things together, organises the more mundane activities (cleaning Grimmauld Place for example) and ensures that everyone under her care (not to mention some who aren't) are all right.

I see her as very much a mother to them all.

Originally Posted by Nicole

3) Molly is married to a man fascinated with Muggles and Muggle artifacts. How does the way Molly deals with her husband's obsession reflect on her personality? What prejudices might she harbor from her pureblood upbringing, if any?

I imagine that she treats his obsession with some humour but perhaps a little exasperation, particularly considering that some of his inventions are borderline illegal, against the rules of his own Department at the Ministry of Magic no less.

I think that when it comes to his obsession she might even treat him as much like one of her children as the children themselves.

I don't think she has any prejudices from her pureblood upbringing, no more so that Arthur himself. I think that if she had then we would have seen some evidence of that by now.

Originally Posted by Nicole

4) What role will Molly play in Book 7? Will she try to influence Harry, Ron, Hermione and/or Ginny? She came to accept the twins' ambitions as legitimate (to operate a joke shop), will she accept Harry and Ron (and Hermione, too, of course) as the legal adults they are (Harry will be a full wizard instead of an underage one shortly after the story of Book 7 begins)?

I think that Molly will have something to say about Harry and his decision not to go back to Hogwart's. I think that she will be the one to talk him out of this decision.

I think that she may have a lot to say about Ron leaving school if he still wishes to follow Harry. Likewise with Ginny. However Ginny of course is a year younger and so circumstances would be different if she decided to leave as well, I don't think it is a coincidence that her birthday is at the start of the school year.

Fred and George had a business opportunity and didn't need to further their education in order to follow their dream to operate a joke shop. Harry's dream of being an Auror would be gone if he left school.

I think that Molly will continue to do what she does for the Order as well.

Originally Posted by Nicole

5) Molly has the wedding of her eldest son coming up early in Book 7. In HBP, she was very dissatisfied with Fleur at the beginning but seemed ready to embrace the young woman when Fleur 'stood by her man' Bill. What does that say about Molly's character?

I have to say that I was very disappointed in Molly's treatment of Fleur during the Christmas holidays in HBP. In particular, leaving her out of the presents of jumpers. Especially when other non-family members had received them. I was extremely relieved when she accepted her in the hospital wing.

What it tells me about her character is that she is not perfect, and that she has faults as well - in this case being too quick to judge and perhaps a little uncaring for the feelings of another.

But it also tells me that she isn't too proud to back down and admit when she has been wrong.

Originally Posted by Nicole

6) Molly and Sirius had very different views on how to treat Harry in OotP and how much information to give him. How did that disagreement affect the relationship between Molly and Sirius? Between Molly and Harry? Was she mollycoddling Harry, protecting him the same as she would have done for one of her own sons, or was she right about Harry being too young to be told the things Sirius and others revealed?

I think that Molly was right in some respects. Harry was too young to be told everything that he wanted to know. However I think it should have been explained to him why she thought this was the case.

I think that the relationship between Molly and Sirius was tense to begin with and don't think that the disagreement altered that too much from her point of view. I think that perhaps it did alter from Sirius's perspective more.

I don't think it altered the relationship Molly has with Harry, though it might have made him turn more to Sirius than her, simply because he knew that Sirius would be more forthcoming with information.

Originally Posted by Nicole

7) The Weasley family seemed to have been living at the brink of poverty at one point during the series, but did Molly grow up poor? She never directly complains about the lack of money, though she expresses a desire for a house-elf (and it isn't hard to imagine any mother not wanting more help with household chores!). What does Molly's handling of financial affairs say about her personality and possibly about her background?

I get the impression that Molly didn't come from a wealthy family as she seems to me to be an expert in the fine art of Making Ends Meet. Even at the times when they are on the brink of poverty the children don't go without the essentials. I think that someone who has known riches would find it harder to do this.

She handles their financial situation with an attitude of making the best of things even though she would like to be richer.

I think my only criticism of her handling of finances is that the money from the winnings in the summer before Harry's third year, goes rather quickly. She doesn't seem to plan ahead in this respect.

I think that essentially though Molly realises that money is not the most important thing in the world.

[monster_mom]

As a mother myself I have to say that my opinion of Molly is jaded by my own life expereinces and I tend to see her actions through the eyes of a mother. I imagine many of the high school and University students view her behaviors differently.

1) What does Molly's boggart say about her character?

First and foremost, it says that she is a Mother who loves her children, born and surrogate. For most Moms losing your children is one of your biggest fears. In the books I think Molly represents parental love, which is missing in Harry's life. She (and her home) is Harry's safe harbor.

2) Even though her brothers were members of the Order of the Phoenix when they died in VWI, Molly was willing to join the Order for this second war. She didn't hesitate a bit when Albus asked for her help in GoF. What does that say about her character? What do you see as Molly's contribution to the Order?

For Molly the fight against Voldemort is personal - he killed her brothers and wants to kill her surrogate son. Molly is one tough cookie. Yea, she's a Mom so that makes her a sap and causes her to be a bit overbearing and overprotective. Of all the other Order members, she knows from personal experience what being in the Order could mean, she knows what it will mean to her family and what risks they will face because of her actions. She fights because she knows what is at stake if *** wizarding world should lose the battle.

Molly is the Order's Mother. We saw that in OOTP, she was the one who made sure everyone was fed and comfortable and oversaw the cleaning of headquarters. She brings people together in a comfortable, nonthreatening environment. I would imagine that in meetings she is the voice of reason and is reassuring, if perhaps a bit conservative.

3) Molly is married to a man fascinated with Muggles and Muggle artifacts. How does the way Molly deals with her husband's obsession reflect on her personality? What prejudices might she harbor from her pureblood upbringing, if any?

I think Molly and Arthur are the neatest couple. I think she just kind of goes with his obsession. She loves him despite his faults. I find it interesting that he only married couples we see interacting together are the Dursley's and the Weasley's. Two very different, yet somewhat similar couples. The Weasleys are the warm fuzzy couple, the ones you'd like to bring on vacation. The Dursley's are the hard cold couple, the ones you definetly would not bring on vacation. But both couples married early and both are committed to one another. We rarely see the spouses argues with one another and they consistently back one another up. Both couples, while very different, present the image of secure, content marriages.

Molly doesn't seem to have any prejudices from her pureblood upbringing. She does seem to hold some possibly unjustified prejudices against non-humans and half-breeds (like Giants and Werewolves)

4) What role will Molly play in Book 7? Will she try to influence Harry, Ron, Hermione and/or Ginny? She came to accept the twins' ambitions as legitimate (to operate a joke shop), will she accept Harry and Ron (and Hermione, too, of course) as the legal adults they are (Harry will be a full wizard instead of an underage one shortly after the story of Book 7 begins)?

I don't think her role will change in this book. I think she will continue to represent safety and acceptance to Harry. I wonder whether she may have some sage words about love and the choices you make about the ones you love for Harry regarding his now ended relationship with Ginny.

As for approving of the twins vocation, there is a big difference between accepting what your child chooses to do for a living and treating them like adults. While the trio may find that Molly allows them to do things they could not do before they were legal adults, they will never stop being her children and she will never stop telling them what to do or trying to protect them from harm.

5) Molly has the wedding of her eldest son coming up early in Book 7. In HBP, she was very dissatisfied with Fleur at the beginning but seemed ready to embrace the young woman when Fleur 'stood by her man' Bill. What does that say about Molly's character?

JKR really seems to have the Mom role down (wonder why ). Molly obviously did not approve of Fleur and made that disapproval quite evident. I'm kind of disappointed in her for behaving like that, but also understand that she was trying to protect her son from a woman she viewed inappropriate for him. When she realized that Fleur was not with Bill for his looks or his coolness, I think Molly saw that there was more to Fleur than met the eye. Maybe she realized that while Fleur was not her first choice for Daughter-in-Law, she was at least an acceptable choice.

6) Molly and Sirius had very different views on how to treat Harry in OotP and how much information to give him. How did that disagreement affect the relationship between Molly and Sirius? Between Molly and Harry? Was she mollycoddling Harry, protecting him the same as she would have done for one of her own sons, or was she right about Harry being too young to be told the things Sirius and others revealed?

I think that the difference between Molly and Sirius and their treatment of Harry was a cause of friction between the two of them. Molly sees Harry as a child - as her child. Sirius sees Harry as part brother, part pal - Harry is his best friend brought back to life. Sirius allows Harry to be more reckless than perhaps he should and Molly ties to protect him more than she should. Hindsight is such a terrible thing. From how the book ended, I think Harry should have been told everything from the beginning. I don’t blame Molly for Harry's lack of information, I blame Dumbledore. Molly was trying to do as Dumbledore had asked.

7) The Weasley family seemed to have been living at the brink of poverty at one point during the series, but did Molly grow up poor? She never directly complains about the lack of money, though she expresses a desire for a house-elf (and it isn't hard to imagine any mother not wanting more help with household chores!). What does Molly's handling of financial affairs say about her personality and possibly about her background?

I would guess that she came from a middle class family. I don't envision her or her family having great wealth.

[Olwen]

I like the character of Molly very much. She isn't a plaster of paris saint, but her frailities all come out of her immense love for and protectiveness of her family. She is the closest thing to a mother Harrry has ever known.

1) What does Molly's boggart say about her character?
That her family, and now Harry also, are closest to her heart.

2) Even though her brothers were members of the Order of the Phoenix when they died in VWI, Molly was willing to join the Order for this second war. She didn't hesitate a bit when Albus asked for her help in GoF. What does that say about her character? What do you see as Molly's contribution to the Order?
Molly has an innate sense of courage, duty and obligation, which was probably shared by her brothers. She knows that her world and the future of her children are worth fighting for, and she has the courage and generosity of spirit to respond when Dumbledore asks her to join the order. I think Molly "mothers" the order, providing what is needed to keep things running smoothly.

3) Molly is married to a man fascinated with Muggles and Muggle artifacts. How does the way Molly deals with her husband's obsession reflect on her personality? What prejudices might she harbor from her pureblood upbringing, if any?
Molly is by turns amused and exasperated by Arthur's fascination, but she tolerates it until, like the flying car, it threatens someone's safety or Arthur's job at the MoM. Then she turns fierce. She doesn't seem to be at all snobby about muggles, but not having a lot of close contact with them may not help to dispel any erroneous beliefs she has about them. On the other hand, she won't tolerate Mrs. Black's portrait's bigoted ravings.

4) What role will Molly play in Book 7? Will she try to influence Harry, Ron, Hermione and/or Ginny? She came to accept the twins' ambitions as legitimate (to operate a joke shop), will she accept Harry and Ron (and Hermione, too, of course) as the legal adults they are (Harry will be a full wizard instead of an underage one shortly after the story of Book 7 begins)?
This is going to be Molly's hardest test: accepting Ron, Harry and Hermione as adults, but in the end she will have to, although the memories of her brothers' sacrifice will haunt her. She will put up a bigger fight with Ginny who is underage, and Molly will probably win that one as she did all the fights when Ginny was younger and wanted to stay up with the adults in OotP.

5) Molly has the wedding of her eldest son coming up early in Book 7. In HBP, she was very dissatisfied with Fleur at the beginning but seemed ready to embrace the young woman when Fleur 'stood by her man' Bill. What does that say about Molly's character?
This was the surprising side of Molly. She was a little caustic with Fleur in HPN, either because Fleur is part Veela and Molly resented her effect on her men, especially Ron and Harry, or because Molly couldn't accept that anyone, even a beautiful and talented girl like Fleur was good enough for her eldest son. But in the end, when Fleur told her off and Molly was satisfied she did indeed love Bill, Molly resumed her usual welcoming, warm self.

6) Molly and Sirius had very different views on how to treat Harry in OotP and how much information to give him. How did that disagreement affect the relationship between Molly and Sirius? Between Molly and Harry? Was she mollycoddling Harry, protecting him the same as she would have done for one of her own sons, or was she right about Harry being too young to be told the things Sirius and others revealed?
Molly wanted to protect Harry from anything unpleasant and Sirius believed he had a right to know. I think their disagreeement put a wedge between them because Molly couldn't see that Sirius also cared about Harry, and Sirius didn't see Harry needed a mother. Ultimately it was Harry's right to choose, and he chose to hear what Sirius had to say, but that didn't alter Molly's feelings for Harry nor Harry's feelings for her except it put her on notice that Harry was growing into adulthood and able to make decisions for himself.

7) The Weasley family seemed to have been living at the brink of poverty at one point during the series, but did Molly grow up poor? She never directly complains about the lack of money, though she expresses a desire for a house-elf (and it isn't hard to imagine any mother not wanting more help with household chores!). What does Molly's handling of financial affairs say about her personality and possibly about her background?
Molly is not impressed by money, nor is it overly important to her except that there be enough for her family to not want for things, but it seemed a little callous to send Ron that horrific set of dress robes for the Yule Ball At the time it must have been the best she could do. There was a time when Ron went for months with a broken wand in PoA because his family couldn't afford to have it fixed. Ron seems to bear the brunt of their poverty, and that's a lot for a young boy to handle. Perhaps Molly came from either a poor or rich family where she didn't learn to handle money properly. Yet, even though the Wealsey's have very little materially, they still welcome Harry and Hermione to be their guests and share the richness of their family life.

[HardtoImagine]

My analysis of Molly Weasley.
She is a great mother figure in the series. She is selfless and would do anything for her family.

1) What does Molly's boggart say about her character?
Molly's boggart shows her greatest fear is for harm to come to her family. It illustrates that she cares for her family above all else and that she would be absolutley devastated if anything happened to them.

2) Even though her brothers were members of the Order of the Phoenix when they died in VWI, Molly was willing to join the Order for this second war. She didn't hesitate a bit when Albus asked for her help in GoF. What does that say about her character? What do you see as Molly's contribution to the Order?
I think her willingness to join the order shows that she would do anything to help the situation in order to help keep her family safe. She feels she is being proactive in the fight against Voldemort to ensure this. I think it's better than sitting and worrying about it, now she can do something about it. I think she can provide moral support and aid in any way she can.

3) Molly is married to a man fascinated with Muggles and Muggle artifacts. How does the way Molly deals with her husband's obsession reflect on her personality? What prejudices might she harbor from her pureblood upbringing, if any?
She knows that Arthurs career and hobbies are what makes him happy and she wouldn't want to stifle that. I don't think Molly harbours any prejudices from being brought up in a pure blood family as evidence by her marriage to someone who is absolutely fascinated by them and the fact that her children have followed her example and harbour no ill feelings towards muggles either. She leads by example.

4) What role will Molly play in Book 7? Will she try to influence Harry, Ron, Hermione and/or Ginny? She came to accept the twins' ambitions as legitimate (to operate a joke shop), will she accept Harry and Ron (and Hermione, too, of course) as the legal adults they are (Harry will be a full wizard instead of an underage one shortly after the story of Book 7 begins)?
Of course I think she will have something to say if they decide to skip out on school and go horcux hunting. She might think it was too dangerous to do alone. I don't know how they are going to get around that. She might have more influence on Ginny because she is younger. I think she won't have a choice but to accept Harry, Ron and Hermione as adults. They can legally do as they please.

5) Molly has the wedding of her eldest son coming up early in Book 7. In HBP, she was very dissatisfied with Fleur at the beginning but seemed ready to embrace the young woman when Fleur 'stood by her man' Bill. What does that say about Molly's character?
It shows that even Molly is not above pre-judging someone's character. Especially when it involves one of her children. It may say she is overprotective. Fleur honestly didn't make it very easy for Molly to like her too much. There personalities clashed too much and she didn't understand where Fleur was coming from. Its too bad it had to take a mauling from a werewolf for them to see common ground - they both love Bill.

6) Molly and Sirius had very different views on how to treat Harry in OotP and how much information to give him. How did that disagreement affect the relationship between Molly and Sirius? Between Molly and Harry? Was she mollycoddling Harry, protecting him the same as she would have done for one of her own sons, or was she right about Harry being too young to be told the things Sirius and others revealed?
I think it was just an argument and Molly was trying to assert herself as someone who has been a parent and might know better than Sirius. She has seen herself as Harry's surrogate mother and she was trying to make her opinion known. Molly had to realize Harry can make his own decisions because he deserves to know the danger that lies before him. His situation is different than that of her own children. Someone is trying to kill him personally after all.

7) The Weasley family seemed to have been living at the brink of poverty at one point during the series, but did Molly grow up poor? She never directly complains about the lack of money, though she expresses a desire for a house-elf (and it isn't hard to imagine any mother not wanting more help with household chores!). What does Molly's handling of financial affairs say about her personality and possibly about her background?
It could say that she had more money in the past and that she knows how helpful a house-elf would be. That would also imply that she was a bad spender and doesn't have very good budgeting skills since she had no prior experience with that growing up. I don't know if I think that's the reason though. It might just be that they really go through money very quickly because they need alot.

[jesus166]

I want to know if her brother were twins, which would kinda explain why she had twins seeing as the gene for twins runs in the family, normally through the mother side.

[Queen of Wise]

1) What does Molly's boggart say about her character?

It has always been my belief that Molly Weasley is a loving, caring, tender mother who treats everyone elses children as if they were her own. Her boggart says it all. She fears that her husband, children, and friends will encounter harm or worse and she does all she can to protect them.

2) Even though her brothers were members of the Order of the Phoenix when they died in VWI, Molly was willing to join the Order for this second war. She didn't hesitate a bit when Albus asked for her help in GoF. What does that say about her character? What do you see as Molly's contribution to the Order?

By contributing to the order I believe that suggests that Molly is not only a loving person but she is wiling to stand up for her rights and the rights and lives of those around her. While frail she is strong hearted and she does all she can to protect her friends and family. Her contribution to the order is being all of their mothers, taking care of them in every way she can.

3) Molly is married to a man fascinated with Muggles and Muggle artifacts. How does the way Molly deals with her husband's obsession reflect on her personality? What prejudices might she harbor from her pureblood upbringing, if any?

I think this is just like any normal mortal wife dealing with her husbands obsession over cars or sports, its basically the same thing. I don't believe Molly has many predjudices except that she seems to believe Muggles use the "slow and time consuming" ways of doing some things.

4) What role will Molly play in Book 7? Will she try to influence Harry, Ron, Hermione and/or Ginny? She came to accept the twins' ambitions as legitimate (to operate a joke shop), will she accept Harry and Ron (and Hermione, too, of course) as the legal adults they are (Harry will be a full wizard instead of an underage one shortly after the story of Book 7 begins)?

I think Molly will come to accept the fact that Harry has a quest to do and a world to save and while she wont want him or Ron or Hermione to go through with it she will still support them in every way possible. However I do not think that being a full wizard will make her treat Harry any differently judging by the way she treats her older kids.

5) Molly has the wedding of her eldest son coming up early in Book 7. In HBP, she was very dissatisfied with Fleur at the beginning but seemed ready to embrace the young woman when Fleur 'stood by her man' Bill. What does that say about Molly's character?

Molly is willing to swallow her pride and accept flaws in people. Although she disliked Fleur, she realized that Fleur really cares about Bill and thats what truly matters.

6) Molly and Sirius had very different views on how to treat Harry in OotP and how much information to give him. How did that disagreement affect the relationship between Molly and Sirius? Between Molly and Harry? Was she mollycoddling Harry, protecting him the same as she would have done for one of her own sons, or was she right about Harry being too young to be told the things Sirius and others revealed?

In Harry's case I dont believe he was ever too young to know the truth. So I think that Molly was just being a little overprotective. She and Sirius got along well enough even if they disagreed on some things.

7) The Weasley family seemed to have been living at the brink of poverty at one point during the series, but did Molly grow up poor? She never directly complains about the lack of money, though she expresses a desire for a house-elf (and it isn't hard to imagine any mother not wanting more help with household chores!). What does Molly's handling of financial affairs say about her personality and possibly about her background?

I think Molly grew up the correct way anyone should, learning the true values of life, that family comes first and that money and material possesions are only minor necessities in the world which you can obtain with just a little extra hard work and patience. Molly is a true saint and she doesnt complain about being a less fortunate person because she is proud of who she is.

[RemusLupinFan]

1) What does Molly's boggart say about her character?
It says that she is terrified of losing her family, those she loves most. This is certainly not an uncommon fear, especially in such a dangerous time and given that she has lost family members to the Death Eaters in the past. It also shows that her concern is for others rather than herself.

2) Even though her brothers were members of the Order of the Phoenix when they died in VWI, Molly was willing to join the Order for this second war. She didn't hesitate a bit when Albus asked for her help in GoF. What does that say about her character? What do you see as Molly's contribution to the Order?
The fact that Molly was willing to join the Order even though she is afraid of losing her family and even though she lost her brothers reinforces Molly’s selflessness. It also speaks to the degree to which she must believe in what she’s fighting for. If she didn’t believe in it so strongly it’s unlikely that she’d be so willing to engage in something that has the potential to put herself and her family in great danger. Going forward I think Molly will continue to provide moral support for the members of the Order. I’m not sure what her function within the Order is, since we the readers aren’t really let in on secret Order meetings where everyone’s progress in their different functions is discussed (because Harry isn’t allowed to hear this). In any case, I don’t see her fighting so much as providing background support, but that doesn’t make her any less important or in danger.

3) Molly is married to a man fascinated with Muggles and Muggle artifacts. How does the way Molly deals with her husband's obsession reflect on her personality? What prejudices might she harbor from her pureblood upbringing, if any?
Molly just barely tolerates Arthur’s muggle-mania, mainly because it borders on breaking the rules. I think she’s a bit like Percy in this regard, though not nearly so obsessed with following the rules. There is of course another reason for her to be concerned with Arthur’s skirting the rules, because there’s a chance he might lose his job if he is caught crossing the line. And that would be disastrous for the family, because they would get no income and have no way of supporting the family. So Molly’s dealing with her husband’s obsession shows practicality and a desire to do things “by the book”. Regarding Molly’s prejudices, I don’t think she’s prejudiced against muggles, but I do think she did hold a bit of prejudice against werewolves in OotP (during the Closed Ward scene), though I believe she’s since let go of it.

4) What role will Molly play in Book 7? Will she try to influence Harry, Ron, Hermione and/or Ginny? She came to accept the twins' ambitions as legitimate (to operate a joke shop), will she accept Harry and Ron (and Hermione, too, of course) as the legal adults they are (Harry will be a full wizard instead of an underage one shortly after the story of Book 7 begins)?
Molly’s role in book 7 will likely be to continue to serve as a surrogate mother for Harry, but to a lesser degree now that Harry is going off on his own. I think she will likely try to convince Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny to stay at Hogwarts due to her natural motherly instincts to protect them. But I believe she will eventually come to accept that Harry and Ron are now adults in the eyes of the wizarding community, that they have a right to make their own decisions, and that they have a very important mission to accomplish.

5) Molly has the wedding of her eldest son coming up early in Book 7. In HBP, she was very dissatisfied with Fleur at the beginning but seemed ready to embrace the young woman when Fleur 'stood by her man' Bill. What does that say about Molly's character?
As others have said, Molly’s behavior toward Fleur was disappointing, but I agree with monster_mom that it shows that she was trying to protect her son from a woman she thought wasn’t right for him. This illustrates one of her flaws, namely being a little hasty in passing judgment. But in the end, she showed us that she was able to accept Fleur once she realized Fleur did truly love Bill for who he was. Thus, we do see that Molly will admit when she was wrong.

6) Molly and Sirius had very different views on how to treat Harry in OotP and how much information to give him. How did that disagreement affect the relationship between Molly and Sirius? Between Molly and Harry? Was she mollycoddling Harry, protecting him the same as she would have done for one of her own sons, or was she right about Harry being too young to be told the things Sirius and others revealed?
That scene likely caused more friction, and may have driven a temporary wedge between Molly and Sirius. I wonder though if Molly and Sirius may have clashed over other things in the past due to the fact that the two have different personalities. Between Molly and Harry, that scene probably caused Harry to confide in Sirius more than in Molly after seeing that she views him as a child who needs to be protected (something he resents because he is more grown up than most people his age). I do understand why Molly would want to shield Harry, but I disagree with her. I do believe she was trying to mollycoddle him, and that Harry really should have been told about everything earlier on than he was, as Dumbledore admits was his mistake.

7) The Weasley family seemed to have been living at the brink of poverty at one point during the series, but did Molly grow up poor? She never directly complains about the lack of money, though she expresses a desire for a house-elf (and it isn't hard to imagine any mother not wanting more help with household chores!). What does Molly's handling of financial affairs say about her personality and possibly about her background?
I don’t think Molly grew up poor, but I doubt she was rich either. She might have grown up on the low income side of things, because she does seem to know how to be frugal. I agree that Molly isn’t someone who loves money beyond the money she needs to support her family.

[silver ink pot]

My statement about Molly Weasley:

Molly is the real mother-figure in the story, though of course, she has not made the ultimate sacrifice like Lily Potter. However, I believe she would not hesitate a minute to give up her life for her family, because her children are the most important thing to her, as her boggart shows. I was trying to explain Molly's boggart to my ten-year-old son, and he just didn't understand why that would be more scary than a snake or a spider, or why people would even expect to see their loved ones dead. So I had to tell him that grown-ups just have different fears than kids have. Unfortunately, Molly may indeed see some of her children dead before the end, but I would be sad if she was the one who died.

JKR has said that Molly is over-protective because she has lost loved ones - her brothers - to the Death Eaters, and that explains her near hysteria in GoF after the Dark Mark appears, and her argument with Sirius over Harry. She thinks of Harry as one of her own, and before Sirius is able to actually live with Harry in Book 5, Molly and Arthur have been the responsible ones who looked after him when he was away from Privet Drive. We see Harry staying with the Weasleys in CoS, then in Diagon Alley with them in PoA, and then both at home and at the Quidditch Cup in GoF. And in GoF, Molly is still cooking for Harry and folding his socks. So I do think Molly had trouble seeing Sirius as the sudden father-figure in OotP, and that caused the tension between them.

As a mother, I think Molly is awesome, though she is a little over-involved at times. I see her as someone with strong opinions, and she's not afraid to speak her mind - she's passionate. I wouldn't like her half as much if she was mousey and let everyone run over her.

I'm not a fan of Fleur, myself, so I can totally understand why Molly is worried about Bill. But when she saw how loyal Fleur was in HBP, they were able to bond together. I'm not sure why JKR chose to tell us about that, except that she likes the Molly-Ginny-Fleur/Phlegm plotline. Whether Ginny can overcome her own jealousy is for another thread.

[CathyWeasley]

So much of what I wanted to say has already been said!

I love Molly as a character - she is an awesome Mum, and I also think she has played an important part in Harry's development.
I do think she is overprotective sometimes. But then I think all mothers are sometimes. One of the hardest things a mother has to do is let go of her children.
I was a bit annoyed by her reaction to Fleur - I've always liked Fleur - another strong female character in the series - so I was very glad when she embraced her at the end of HBP.
I was also annoyed by her reaction to the twins choice of career, though that may be due to her never having much money and wanting her children to have more financial security than she has had, but I'm inclined to think that she is quite a proud person and does not see running a joke shop as suitable for her children being of Weasley and Prewett lineage.
I love Molly's attitude to money! They win a cash prize - does she squirrel it away for school books etc? No - the whole family go to see Bill in Egypt. That "Seize the day" attitude is something I really admire in her!

[gertiekeddle]

Originally Posted by CathyWeasly

I love Molly as a character - she is an awesome Mum, and I also think she has played an important part in Harry's development.
I do think she is overprotective sometimes. But then I think all mothers are sometimes. One of the hardest things a mother has to do is let go of her children.

Yes. JK managed to describe her as the perfect mom and that's what she is all the time. Even in the Order she isn't out to follow some suspective Death Eaters, she's cooking for the whole crew. Amazing. She hardly joins a fight (at least we got no describtion of something like that) and even stayed home during the Quidditch WC.

But there's more to her and as we already know that the Weasley's are very good wizards, she will probably show her magical powers besides being a 'mother' soon. Nontheless I love that JK showed how much it needs to be there for her family in the same way as she described tha magical abilities of other wizards and witches there.

I was a bit annoyed by her reaction to Fleur - I've always liked Fleur - another strong female character in the series - so I was very glad when she embraced her at the end of HBP.

Me too, but Fleur was always described as a bit coky, even in GoF, by first meeting. I guess she really thought that Fleur wasn't interested in anything else as Bill's good looking, so she finally realized how tough Fleur really is at the end of HBP.




I love that they visited Bill in PoA, too. It's excactly the way Arthur and Molly live: enjoying the day and being there for the family is all - money and career are nothing (although it's approciated when they happen, too ).

[arithmancer]

Originally Posted by gertiekeddle

But there's more to her and as we already know that the Weasley's are very good wizards, she will probably show her magical powers besides being a 'mother' soon. Nontheless I love that JK showed how much it needs to be there for her family in the same way as she described tha magical abilities of other wizards and witches there.

I would not be all that surprised if, when we see Molly in action in a fight, she will be acting in defense of her family...

[gertiekeddle]

Originally Posted by zgirnius

I would not be all that surprised if, when we see Molly in action in a fight, she will be acting in defense of her family...

Very good conclusion - of course. And I'm convinced she would do very well. She seems to be an amzing witch.

[theotherwoman]

Molly's personality according to this astrology site

As a SCORPIO, her traditional qualities are...
Determined and forceful
Emotional and intuitive
Powerful and passionate
Exciting and magnetic

and the not-so-great qualities are...
Jealous and resentful
Compulsive and obsessive
Secretive and obstinate

Just something interesting I found, based on Molly's birthday being a day or two either way of today (Oct 29)

[ComicBookWorm]

I really like the relationship between Molly and Arthur--they just accept each other as they are and love each other deeply. And I love Molly's approach to mothering--she is both smothering and strict. She's like the quintessential earth mother. She always makes me smile.

[lilysmum7]

The thing she fears most is loosing her family, I think that makes her an average mother in the times of war. She lost her brothers and it's all coming back to her, only its her kids now- not Fabian and Gideon. She won't let Lupin tell Arthur, she wants to appear strong. It also tells that she considers Harry as family.

I think that Molly joined in order to keep an eye on her kids. She can't sit at home and wonder, she has to be involved so she doesn't feel so helpless, wondering if they'll end up like her brothers. I know thats what I'd do in the same situation, that way I'd be armed with all the facts and still exert some semblance of control over my own lot.

I don't think Arthurs muggle thing worries her too much as long as it isn't under her nose and she doesn't have to deal with it. I don't think shes prejudiced as such, it's just that she has never seen any use for the muggle stuff.....its all alien and useless to her. I mean why would she wash the dishes by hand if she can wave her wand and go read a book? I think if you told her she was prejudiced, she would be horrified, even though she sort of is.

Since joining the order, she has to have some understanding of Harrys importance. She knows how much time he spent with DD that last year, she knows Harry alone knows things noone else does. I think she knows what is to come, she just won't like it very much. I can see her dropping off to see them to assure herself that they are ok, and therefore sleep that night, but I can see Ron seeing it as interference.

With her reaction to Fleur, it says that she's a normal mum. She thought her son was marrying an airhead. Bills encounter at the end of book 6 shattered that illusion for her. She was just worried that Bill was making a mistake., and now she knows thats not true.

I think the disagreement between Molly and Sirius was about who had first dibs on Harry as a parental figure. Sirius thought Molly did a wonderful job, but in his typical Sirius way thought.....but he was here now, so she could step back and let him continue in the way Lily and James intended.. I had a feeling that Sirius thought that James would be horrified to know that Molly was mollycoddling him so much. By that time, Molly had completely bonded with Harry, and wasn't giving up control to someone she didn't know or trust fully, even though he was the best thing for Harry at the time, and had already bonded with him years before. The bond for Sirius was so strong that the events of book 3 happened, and he lived in a cave dining on rats for Harry. Molly wouldn't do that for him. I don't think Molly and Sirius were ever going to see eye to eye because of this.If they only had have thought about it and worked together, they would have realised they were surrogate mum and dad already. I think both of them resented each other for the bond they had with Harry. Harry and Molly, well Harry began to appreciate how much Molly cared for him, but as this was the 'teenage angst' year for him, he discarded the overprotective parent for the lenient one. I mean, how many 15yo's who had an overprotective mother figure wouldn't ignore her for the very cool lenient father figure that suddenly appeared that kept telling him how wonderful he was. Harry showed in this that he loved Molly, but cut the apron strings. Sirius just handed him the scissors, by showing Harry how much he had risked to keep him safe. My personal take on harry being told, is that Molly was seeing him as the 11yo waif who was badly treated, that she wanted to just gather up to her bosum and fuss over and protect, like a mother hen. Sirius was seeing Harry, the son of James and Lily, who had handled everything that came to him, and saw how strong he was. In reality, he was a little of both....and Lupin, I think, saw just this, and acted as the mediator between the two. I would say that as they both saw different sides of Harry, then in a way they were both right and both wrong. Harry should have been told, but in reality, when Molly stopped Sirius when she did, she signed his death warrant. In short, her heart was in the right place, but the situation got out of hand when she directly challenged Sirius.

Mollys handling of financial affairs is brilliant. She has managed to educate 7 kids in a private boarding school, kept them fed and clothed, neat and clean. She certainly knows how to stretch the penny. I think it shows she is a devoted mum, determined, thrifty, overprotective and realistic. It shows that her background included a big family, as she handles it with such ease. They talk of weasley relatives, but they are never there helping, so Molly is used to hard work, and not of a priviliged background. Working class and proud of it.

[ComicBookWorm]

Originally Posted by lilysmum7

so Molly is used to hard work, and not of a priviliged background. Working class and proud of it.

That's a great point. The kids may chaff a bit about not having much, but Molly just accepts their situation and manages...with no shame.

[monster_mom]

In another thread someone posted that they thought the Dursley's would end up in wizard protection at some point during book 7. We guessed that they might end up at #12 GP and that, being muggles, they would require full time wizard supervision which would come in the form of the Weasley family. How do you think Molly and Petunia would react to one another if they had to live under the same roof?

[CathyWeasley]

Originally Posted by gertiekeddle

Very good conclusion - of course. And I'm convinced she would do very well. She seems to be an amzing witch.

Yes I think she'd do well in a battle particualarly as I think if she was involved, it would to protect her family. As such I imagine that she would be rather scary!

[TigerWolf17]

Originally Posted by monster_mom

How do you think Molly and Petunia would react to one another if they had to live under the same roof?

Well, you never know...they do have one thing in common. Molly is well known for her mollycoddling of her children, natural and surrogate, and Petunia is also known for mollycoddling her "Diddikins" and being totally overprotective. Maybe they could possibly get along if forced to live together at 12 Grimmauld Place? [Although I doubt the decor would be much to Petunia's taste]. For starters, we can assume that Molly, despite her pure-blood upbringing, would not be discriminate against Petunia simply for being a muggle, she would do her best to accept her as part of the group despite all she knows about her treatment of Harry, although it is likely to mirror her initial reaction to Fleur - not directly excluding her but not quite as warm and welcoming as to the rest of the family. Hopefully Petunia, like fleur, could do something to change this reaction - perhaps by proving her love and protectiveness for her own son. Petunia also seems more knowledgable [if not exactly accepting] of the wizarding world as she lets on - perhaps she could learn to admire Molly for being part of the organisation against Voldemort [whom Petunia actually appears to fear] for the protection of her children?

However, I doubt Petunia would ever harbour protective feelings for any of the Weasley children as she hasn't managed this for her own nephew, even after 16 years of living with him. I think this is where Molly and Petunia would come to blows - the issue of Harry. Or maybe Petunia would see Molly's treatment of Harry and begin to realise how she should have behaved towards him? [I guess miracles aren't totally out of the question]. More likely, Petunia would engage in some sort of private motherly battle with Molly in order to prove how special her Dudders is over the Weasley children...either that, or just absorb herself in re-cleaning Grimmauld Place to her satisfaction.

I think it would be pretty amusing to see Vernon and Arthur reunited together under the same roof...although that's a different thread altogether .