Wild About the Weasleys

Read through any of the Harry Potter books, and nestled in among the many interesting and varied characters J. K. Rowling has created you will find a family of characters that add an extra dimension to the world of Harry Potter. I speak, of course, of the family of Arthur Weasley: Arthur and Molly, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny. And while all these characters are excellent, I find the two Weasley twins, Fred and George, especially compelling. Read the books and you will see why. Watch the movies, and you will see the talented Phelps twins bring Fred and George to life on screen.

It's not hard to see why these two are quite fascinating. If you've only heard Harry Potter fans talk about these two, you might be quick to dismiss them as class clowns. Far from being clowns, they don't always make the best grades, but they still have the skills needed to make their way in the wizarding world. As well, they have an agenda, these two. J. K. Rowling paints for us a picture of two budding entrepreneurs, who aren't afraid of stepping on a few toes or breaking a few rules to make a buck. They're serious about their Quidditch (the horrifyingly fast-paced wizarding sport played on broomsticks), they have a fierce loyalty to Harry (and of course their own family, the only exception possibly being Percy), and have no great love for authority, apart from headmaster Albus Dumbledore and possibly the head of their own house at school, Minerva McGonagall (they do respect their parents). While being firmly on the side of good, we do get a glimpse of the dark side of their characters, which adds extra dimension and interest to them. They're not afraid to "get their hands dirty" as it were. It is interesting to note that their birthdays fall on April 1st!

It is equally entertaining to watch Oliver and James Phelps portray the twins on the big screen as it is to read about their adventures in the books. They seem to have captured the essence of the Weasley twins in the books while at the same time making the characters work onscreen. Their acting is consistent, and they have a charming way about them. An especially nice touch is the finishing of each other's sentences, or, at critical times, to make an exclamation together. One scene that sticks in my mind is their stereo exclamation of "Wicked!" used so often in trailers for the fourth movie. Due to the length of the Harry Potter books, it is impossible to cram all the depth that J. K. Rowling has gifted to us in these books into a two hour (or so) movie, and , unfortunately, some things in the books have been cut or diminished somewhat, and the Weasley twins' role in the movies is accordingly diminished. However, the movies stay true to J. K. Rowling's vision, and the twins still feature prominently in them. All the same, after reading the books and seeing what is ahead for Fred and George, I hope that their roles in the last three movies are expanded to show all (or at least most ) of what they are scheming in the books. For those of you that haven't read all the books yet, you are in for a treat! It will be interesting to see, since J. K .Rowling has said that she will not write any more books about Harry Potter after this series is done, whether or not she would continue the saga of Fred and George. In any event, for those willing to look for it, there is plenty of fan fiction out there to satisfy your Fred and George craving.

As entertaining as I find Fred and George, it would be remiss of me not to at least touch on some of the other members of the family as well. I love J. K's portrayal of Arthur and Molly Weasley; they are a loving couple with their disagreements and problems, but are devoted to one another just the same. The actors chosen for those parts are equally or more entertaining the Phelps twins. I had a nagging feeling I had seen Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams) before, and it took a trip to the computer to find out online that the actor who portrays Arthur Weasley also played Horace from the live action version of 101 Dalmatians! Shame on you Arthur for stealing those puppies! All joking aside, his portrayal of Arthur Weasley is excellent, right down to Arthur's obsessive fascination will all things Muggle (non-magic). Molly Weasley is portrayed by Julie Walters whom I first enjoyed in "Calendar Girls." Her portrayal of Molly is at once comic and sympathetic. She is the classic fussing mother, worried about the state of your clothes and whether you've had enough to eat. Of the mysterious Bill and Charlie Weasley we can only read about in the books so far, and their characters make for interesting, if somewhat scarce, reading. Bill works for Gringotts Bank, and is the "cool" brother. Charlie works with dragons, as we learn in the first book (and movie) and so far in the books has had about the least said about him (compared to the rest of his family). There are some interesting developments in store involving Bill. I won't spoil it for those that haven't read the sixth book yet, but let us say Fleur Delcacour, the Beauxbatons champion makes a reappearance. Of Percy we know a bit more: he goes on to work at the Ministry of Magic in a different capacity than his father. Tension develops between Percy and his family as he finds himself dividing loyalties between his work and his family. It will be interesting to read in the last book how this is resolved, and indeed, if it will be.

I find I must mention Ron and Ginny separately from the others, as they are major players in the books and movies. Ron, played well by Rupert Grint, portrays Harry's long suffering friend. He is at the same time loyal to Harry, yet also jealous of Harry's fame and wealth. Poor Ron struggles with grades, constantly being in Harry's shadow, and the hardship of being stuck in the middle of a large family with brothers who have accomplished much to whom he is constantly compared. Through all this Ron must make his place. Ron especially struggles when his sister Ginny starts going to Hogwarts as well. He finds himself in the role of protector, and has to watch as Ginny grows up before his eyes, and starts to date boys. (Gasp! I must confess understanding Ginny's position here, as the youngest child in a family otherwise occupied by boys!) Here big brother instinct kicks in and he does not seem happy with anyone (excepting one) she chooses! And so here we finally get to discuss Ginny, played by actress Bonnie Wright. The first girl born to the Weasley family in several generations, Ginny's role, while starting out small, gradually builds into a more substantial character. I find the actress portraying Ginny delightful., although she has not really been given the chance to display her talents in these movies so far. It will be interesting to see how she develops as an actress in the last movies and whether her character will be give the same weight in the movies as in the books. I also hope J. K. Rowing gives us a little more of Ginny Weasley in the last book.

All in all the Weasleys make a delightful oasis in the wild and sometimes dangerous wizarding world, a safe haven for Harry and Hermione. It is through this family that the rest of the characters have a binding force and a backdrop through which to go through their paces. Their home is a haven, a meeting place and a place of exposition. The world of Harry Potter just wouldn't be the same without them.