Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Arthur Weasley
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| Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character | |
| Arthur Weasley | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Red |
| Eye color | Unknown |
| Related Family | wife Molly (née Prewett), children Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny |
| Loyalty | Albus Dumbledore, Order of the Phoenix |
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Arthur Weasley worked at the Ministry of Magic in Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office when Cornelius Fudge was the Minister of Magic. Arthur was then promoted to head the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects when Rufus Scrimgeour became the Minister. Arthur is a thin man, going bald, but the little hair on his head is as red as any of his children’s. His dearest wish is to find out how Muggle airplanes stay up. Arthur is the head of the Weasley family.
Arthur Weasley's birthday is apparently 6 February.
[edit] Role in the Books
[edit] Philosopher's Stone
It is mentioned that Mr. Weasley works with the Ministry of Magic, however he otherwise plays no part in this book.
[edit] Chamber of Secrets
We first meet Mr. Weasley when he comes home from an overnight raid; Harry has just been rescued from the Dursley's by Fred, George, and Ron Weasley. Arthur is intrigued, first, by Harry's presence, and second, by the fact that the Twins had used his flying car to effect the rescue. "How did it go?" On being reminded by his wife that taking the car was, in fact, very bad, Mr. Weasley starts chastising them weakly. Seeing the storm clouds gathering, Ron and Harry depart; they can hear Mrs. Weasley yelling even from Ron's attic bedroom.
Arthur accompanies the group to Diagon Alley as they go shopping for school supplies. An exchange of cutting remarks with Lucius Malfoy at Flourish and Blott's, apparently inspired in part by the presence of Hermione Granger's parents, resulted in a brawl, from which Arthur emerged slightly the worse for wear.
Harry and Ron are unable to pass the barrier at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and so take Arthur's flying car to Hogwarts. The journey proves somewhat too long for the car, and they eventually crash into the Whomping Willow. The car wanders off into the Forbidden Forest; it re-appears later in the book, to save Harry and Ron from the children of Aragog.
We next see Arthur at the end of the book, after Ginny Weasley has been rescued. After hearing the full story, Arthur chastises Ginny: "How many times have I told you not to trust something, if you can't see where it keeps its brains?"
[edit] Prisoner of Azkaban
Arthur accompanies his family (Molly, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny) to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies on the last day of summer vacation. After dinner, Harry has to return to the lounge because he has volunteered to find the Rat Tonic which Ron had bought, where he overhears Arthur and Molly discussing whether Harry has any right to know that Sirius Black, having broken out of Azkaban, is apparently headed for Hogwarts to kill Harry. The next day, on the platform getting onto the Hogwarts Express, Arthur takes Harry aside to tell him; Harry tells Arthur that he had overheard his conversation the previous night. Arthur tries to get Harry to promise he won't set out after Sirius Black. Harry asks why he would do something like that, but does not have a chance to give his promise, as the train is departing.
[edit] Goblet of Fire
Arthur has managed to get tickets for the Quidditch World Cup and invites Harry. On receiving word of Uncle Vernon's grudging acceptance, Arthur says they will collect Harry. Not realizing that the fireplace has been boarded up, Arthur has the Dursley's fireplace connected to the Floo network; finding himself, and shortly afterward many of his sons, appearing in this constricted, closed space, Arthur has no choice but to blast a hole in the wall. This does not endear him to the Dursleys, and their relationship remains strained, even though Arthur does try to engage them in conversation about electricity. Fred accidentally-on-purpose drops some Ton-Tongue Toffee, and Dudley Dursley picks it up and eats it; the resultant panic on the part of the Dursleys results in them throwing china figurines at Arthur, even as he is trying to help them.
When Arthur returns to the Burrow, he is angry enough at the twins to actually scold them, saying that it is exactly this sort of prank on innocent Muggles that is so damaging to Muggle-Wizard relationships. He threatens to tell Molly, but when Molly overhears, and asks "tell me what?" he backs off sharply. Evidently, though, not sharply enough, because although Harry and Ron depart for Ron's bedroom, they can still hear Mrs. Weasley yelling.
Arthur, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny then walk in the early morning to the top of Stoatshead Hill, where, along with Amos Diggory and his son Cedric, they find the Portkey that will take them to the match. Arriving at the campground, they set up camp, with Arthur being enchanted by such things as the mallet used to drive in tent pegs, and matches. They finally have tea and breakfast ready, just as Bill, Charlie, and Percy arrive from the nearby woods, where they have Apparated in. Throughout the afternoon, Arthur exchanges greetings with other Ministry wizards who are passing by, meanwhile naming them for the others. Ludovic Bagman stops by, taking bets on the outcome of the match, and asking if Arthur has seen Bartemius Crouch; shortly afterwards, Bartemius himself stops by, and they discuss the problems that Ludo is having with the Bulgarian delegation. They also mention some event that will be happening at Hogwarts; Arthur and Percy evidently know what this event is, but none of them are saying anything to the people who are actually at Hogwarts.
Arthur takes Harry, Hermione, and his children to the top box, where again Arthur has a small run-in with Lucius Malfoy. Arthur then restrains some of his own children, who are entranced by the Bulgarian mascots, the Veela. He warns people that the Irish mascots are even more impressive, and they do turn out to be so: leprechauns appear, showering down gold coins. When the battle between the Quidditch teams turns ugly, so does the battle between the team mascots; the Veela, throwing fireballs, start turning into bird-like creatures with cruel beaks. Arthur comments that this is a clear indication that you shouldn't judge women by their looks alone.
After the match, a riot breaks out; Arthur, along with Bill, Charlie, and Percy, goes to battle the apparent Death Eaters in the middle of the riot. Harry, Ron, and Hermione end up in the wood, where they hear the Dark Mark invoked. Shortly after this, they are surrounded by wizards, including Arthur, who send Stunners in all directions. Arthur defends Harry, Ron, and Hermione against accusations by Bartemius Crouch that they had summoned the Mark. After the confusion has died down, Arthur takes Harry, Ron, and Hermione back to the tent, in the process stopping to say a few reassuring words to someone. After a short night, they catch an early Portkey back to Stoatshead Hill, and walk from there back to the Burrow, where Mrs. Weasley is incredibly relieved to see that they are all back safe.
It turns out, however, that Rita Skeeter has misinterpreted Mr. Weasley's words of reassurance, and so Mr. Weasley, for the remainder of the summer, has to work long hours at the Ministry, trying to repair the damage. Mr. Weasley is at the Ministry doing damage control when Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George leave for Hogwarts.
[edit] Order of the Phoenix
When Harry reaches Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Mr. Weasley is already there, in a meeting with other members of the Order of the Phoenix. He is there for dinner, along with the rest of the Weasley family, Hermione, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. Fred and George, before dinner, tell Harry that he shouldn't mention Percy, who is estranged from the family, as when Percy's name is mentioned, "Dad breaks whatever he's holding".
When Remus asks Harry after dinner if he has any questions, Molly Weasley is against telling him anything; Arthur, supporting Lupin and Sirius, says that he has a right to know what's going on. Harry's agreement that he would tell Ron and Hermione anything he learned gets them, Fred, and George permission to stay and listen as Harry has his questions answered. Defeated, Mrs. Weasley finally manages to send Ginny off to bed. Between them, Lupin, Sirius, Arthur, and Bill explain to Harry what the Order of the Phoenix is, and what they believe Lord Voldemort is trying to do.
Arthur accompanies Harry to the Ministry for his hearing; Harry has been charged with underage use of magic. Arthur suggests that they should both travel to the Ministry by non-magical means, as a way of making a better impression on the judges at the hearing, so they travel from Grimmauld Place to the Ministry by subway. Arthur is enthralled by the ticket vending machines (even though they are broken), and by the escalators. He shows Harry the visitor's entrance to the Ministry, and takes him up to his office, through the Auror branch. When the hearing starts, he takes Harry down to the courtroom where the hearing is, then waits outside until Harry returns. As he and Harry are discussing the trial, Percy Weasley leaves the courtroom; he does not seem to notice Arthur, and Arthur does not say anything to him, though his expression does tighten. As they are leaving the Ministry, they run into Cornelius Fudge in discussion with Lucius Malfoy; again, there is an exchange of words, which ends when Lucius suggests that he and Fudge should go up to the Minister's office.
Just before Christmas, Harry sees, through Voldemort's eyes, Nagini the snake attacking Arthur. Harry manages to convince Professor McGonagall to take him to Professor Dumbledore; Dumbledore in turn sends portraits from his office to raise the alarm. Arthur is found and taken to St. Mungo's. The Weasley children and Harry are sent off by Portkey to Grimmauld Place; after a very tense night, Mrs. Weasley sends word that Arthur will be all right. Shortly after that the family visits him in the hospital. Arthur is effusive in thanking Harry for sending help to save his life, though Harry is uncertain how much thanks he deserves, having actually seen the attack through the snake's eyes, and being afraid he was the agent of the attack on Arthur. Later, while Arthur, Molly, Tonks, and Moody are discussing the incident, Harry hears speculation from them that Harry may be being controlled by Voldemort.
On Christmas, the family visits Arthur again. Arthur is enchanted by Harry's gift, a collection of screwdrivers and fuse wire. It seems that he, with the help of the apprentice healer, has been experimenting with Muggle healing techniques, and have tried something called "stitches" on Arthur's wound. This has apparently been less than successful. Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave as Mrs. Weasley starts winding up to yell, and only hear the start of her anger at her husband.
Shortly before school starts again, Arthur returns to Grimmauld Place, healed. His arrival, with all his family, stops an incipient duel between Sirius and Snape, though Arthur later says he doesn't think that the situation was as serious as Harry thought.
Finally, Arthur is present at King's Cross station when Harry returns there from school. Arthur, Molly, Tonks, and Moody, along with Ron, Harry, and Hermione, speak to the Dursleys, saying that they expect to hear regularly from Harry, and if they don't, they will be visiting to see what's wrong.
[edit] Half-Blood Prince
When Harry arrives at The Burrow with Albus Dumbledore, Molly is talking in her kitchen with Tonks. She tells Harry that Arthur has been working extremely long hours. After Dumbledore and Tonks leave, Arthur arrives, extremely wearied. Being a member of the Ministry, he feels he has to set a good example, and so before Molly lets him in, he must confirm who she is and insists that she confirm who he is. It is from this exchange of questions that we learn that his dearest wish is to learn how Muggle airplanes stay up.
As he is spending most of his time at the Ministry, we don't see much of Arthur while Harry is staying at the Burrow before school starts. He does accompany Molly, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies. He is scandalized to see people trying to sell phony anti-Dark Magic charms, saying that if he was on duty he would have run them in; Molly asks him to stay calm. The family splits up, with Harry, Ron, and Hermione going to Madam Malkin's for robes, escorted by Hagrid, while Ginny and her parents go to Flourish and Blotts for textbooks. They rejoin later to visit Fred and George's Store, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
Arthur also escorts Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny to the Hogwarts Express. On the platform, Harry takes Arthur aside and tells him that he had followed Draco Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes, and that Malfoy had said something there about some Dark magic thing that he needed repaired. Arthur says that they had searched Malfoy Manor thoroughly already and found nothing.
Ron later passes on the message that Arthur had searched Malfoy Manor again, and still found nothing.
We see Arthur again at Christmas, at the Burrow. Harry tells him that he had overheard Malfoy and Severus Snape talking about some task that the Dark Lord had set him, and about an Unbreakable Vow he had made to Draco's mother. Arthur is of the opinion that Snape is trying to determine Draco's mission, to report on it to the Order of the Phoenix; Remus Lupin, who is also there, echoes this opinion.
[edit] Deathly Hallows
We hear that Arthur had visited the Dursleys with Kingsley Shacklebolt, to suggest that they should accept the offer of the Order to hide them now that Harry is turning 17 and the protection that Lily Potter's death had brought is ending. Unimpressed by Arthur, who had half-destroyed the parlor when he visited before, Vernon Dursley nonetheless accepts guidance from Shacklebolt, possibly because he has seen him on TV, right behind the Prime Minister.
Arthur is one of the six protectors who travel with the six Harry Potters to confuse the Death Eaters who are after Harry. Additionally, Hagrid mentions that the defensive modifications to Sirius Black's motorcycle, the one which the true Harry will be riding, were done by Arthur.
On arriving at the Burrow, Arthur hurries in to see what is happening with his sons, and is dismayed to find that George has lost an ear, but is relieved to find that is the extent of the damage.
Arthur assists Molly in preparing for Bill and Fleur's wedding. At one point, when Harry and Arthur are assigned the chore of cleaning out the chicken coop, Arthur tells Harry not to bother; Ted Tonks has sent over the wreckage of Sirius' flying motorcycle, and Arthur has stored it in the chicken coop, hoping to finally figure out how brakes work when he puts it all back together.
When the Ministry falls, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave The Burrow, they eventually find their way to Grimmauld Place. Arthur sends his Patronus there to tell them that the rest of the family is all right and to not attempt to reply as they are being watched.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione then watch the Ministry for some time. They see Arthur going in with the other Ministry workers each morning and returning home in the evening. When they actually enter the Ministry in search of Dolores Umbridge and the locket, Harry is on a lift (US: elevator) when Arthur and Percy step on. Percy, finding his father there, gets off at the next floor; Arthur confronts Harry, thinking he is Albert Runcorn, and tells him that if he provides information against any other wizards as he did against Dirk Cresswell, he will be in deep trouble. Harry tells Arthur that he has a trace on him, Arthur asks if that is a threat.
Arthur also takes part in the battle against the Death Eaters at Hogwarts. We see him and Percy together dropping the healed Pius Thicknesse in the final battle, and later with the remaining members of the Weasley family at the end of the battle, consoling each other over their loss.
[edit] Strengths
Arthur's main strength is his compassion. Lucius Malfoy feels that Arthur is "a disgrace to the name of Wizard" because of the Muggle Protection Laws that he helped to author and helps to enforce. Arthur feels that everyone should be given a chance. This extends to allowing others to place him at risk, for instance: while he was in hospital, he agreed to be an experiment for Muggle wound-healing methods attempted by an apprentice healer.
The Weasleys are one of the Old Wizarding Families, pureblood as far back as they can trace.
[edit] Weaknesses
It could be argued that Arthur's inability to control the Twins, or other family members, is a weakness. However, when something happens that he feels needs correction, he is not slow to apply it; witness his reaction when he found one of the twins inveigling Ron into making an Unbreakable Vow. It is perhaps more likely that he feels very deeply about his children, to the point that, particularly after Molly's usual browbeating, he does not feel that it is reasonable to scold or punish them any more than they have already been.
In the eyes of Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, of course, this love for his own children is a weakness, as is his liking for Muggles and their technology. In the eyes of Percy and other people in the Ministry, it is clear that his lack of ambition is considered a weakness. Arthur, however, is happy with the job he is doing; it may not pay as much as he would like, but he feels he is doing something to benefit Wizardkind.
One does not get much of a feel for Arthur's magical abilities. Given the type of charms he is able to work on the Ford Anglia, and on Sirius Black's flying motorcycle, one guesses that he is at the very least capable; from his selection by Moody as one of the protectors for the seven Potters, he also must be a reasonably strong duelist and skilled with defensive spells, but we don't directly see his battle.
[edit] Relationships with Other Characters
Arthur Weasley is endlessly fascinated with Muggles, the strange things they do to get around not having magic, and their resultant way of life. As a result of this, he is always engaging Harry in conversations about how he had lived while he was at the Dursleys; he is curious about how Hermione Granger's parents live and how Hermione herself lived; and he attempts to discuss Muggle technology with the Dursleys when he visits there. He has a very open character, and is always trying to engage someone in conversation about something.
Arthur, as head of the Weasley household, is supposed to also be called in when Molly Weasley, his wife, can't keep control over the children. He is rather remarkably ineffective at this, not being willing to punish the children more than they have been already. The only time we see him angry is after the Twins have tricked Dudley with Ton-Tongue Toffee. We are also told that he was angry enough to strike one of the Twins was when he caught Fred inciting Ron to make an Unbreakable Vow.
Arthur's progress in his career is rather marred by his lack of ambition. He is happy with what he is doing, and doesn't care to advance to a post that would take him away from his beloved Muggles and into administration. As a result, quite a lot of people in the Ministry rather look down on him.
It is because of his liking for Muggles that Arthur is often at daggers drawn with Lucius Malfoy. Their ongoing feud erupts into physical violence in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
[edit] Analysis
[edit] Questions
[edit] Greater Picture
It is perhaps of interest that in the original plan for the seven-book series, Arthur Weasley was not supposed to survive the snake attack in the Ministry in book 5. In the ongoing pattern of father figures falling to Voldemort, Arthur Weasley was supposed to fall in this book, along with Sirius Black. It is not completely certain why Arthur was spared, but it certainly seems to tighten the bonds between the Weasley family and Harry to have him be the instrument of their fathers' survival.
