Hogwarts Herald

So many new characters, so many new faces. Where to start?

How about with the Weasley family? In this chapter we meet a mere 4 Weasley brothers, and little sister Ginny. Dad must have been at work at the time because he’s not there seeing the boys off to school. Judging by what we know of Arthur Weasley, I find this a bit odd. He is a very family oriented kind of guy and for him to not send Ron off for his first day seems very out of character for him. Of course by this point we don’t know whay kind of character he has, or even if there is a Mr. Weasley, so it doesn’t really matter.

Mrs. Weasley is the epitome of the loving mother Harry has no memory of ever having. She is cheerful and pleasant, and obviously very caring toward her children, without actually coddling them. In other words, she is the Anti-Petunia. She handles five children, two animals, and lots and lots of luggage without blinking, and actually takes the time and kindness out of her heart to help Harry. Throughout the series we see this over and over. Molly Weasley faces horrors that no mother should ever have to face, and while on occassion we see it waring on her, she always has a smile and a hug for her children. Any children really. One of the greatest scenes featuring Molly, is I think, one of the most powerful scenes in the entire series. It was in Order of the Phoenix, and it is with great dismay that I realized that it was not included in the film. The scene of which I speak, is of course one of great foreshadowing as well, as Molly Weasley faces the boggart. She is found curled up in a ball whimpering, Ridikkulus, over and over again as the boggart changes one by one into each of her loved ones, dead, in one grotesque way or another. By the end of the final battle, she is fortunate to have lost only one of her children, but no mother should ever have to lose any of them.

Speaking of her children…

there are a couple tidbits that hint at Weasley life to come. Especially with Percy. Percy comes out in his first introduction and immediately seperates himself from the rest of his family. By placing himself into seclusion with those that he considers their betters. He could have gone to the prefect section of the car at any time after the train left, but he chose to go as soon as they arrived, negating the possibility of seeing his mom & sister off, asn supporting his little brother during what was sure to be one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. Instead Ron is supported by Fred & George, the supposed troublemakers of the Weasley clan. They stay with him to see Molly & Ginny off, and then poke their head into check on Ron & tell him they were going to see Lee Jordan’s Giant Tarantula. To new readers, this seems a small thing. And the fact that an 11 year old boy didn’t jump up to see it could be interpreted as him being shy and nervous on his first day of school. Again we have a small and insignificant seed that is planted that leads to something much larger.

In this chapter we also meet Hermione, a frizzy haired know it all that soon becomes Harry & Ron’s best friend, and eventually, Ron’s wife. Hermione is muggle born, but already knows more about the wizarding world than Harry, or even Ron really. She has memorized all of her schoolbooks, and has still managed to find time to read up on Hogwarts, and wizarding history. Hermione reminds me a lot of myself. In school I was always looked upon as a bit weird, and a huge know it all, because of the fact that my face was always in a book, and very often a new one every day. I also have a photographic memory so I have read and memorized my schoolbooks, and never had to open them again, and still pass all of my classes. I have a huge affinity for Hermione, and a great deal of empathy for what she goes through in the early chapters of this book.

Lastly, we meet Neville. Neville Longbottom, the bumbling boy who keeps losing his toad. We first see him in the train station speaking with his Gran. He is a chubby, clumsy thing, and we don’t see a whole lot of him. At the very end of the chapter though, we get a peek into the future as he is the one that clambers onto the boat with Hermione, Ron, and Harry. As the series progresses, Neville is the character that changes the most. He has incredible depth that we don’t even really guess at here in the firt book. With the tragedy of his parents, and then being raised by a Gran who is very strict, and wished she had a grandson that was more reminiscent of the glory of his parents, Neville grew up with very little self confidence. His years at Hogwarts turned him into a man, and a rather capable botanist. So capable indeed that according to Jo, he took over Professor Sprout’s position at Hogwarts and became the botany professor.