What would Ron be like if he was an only child

[princedice1]

I'm just wondering would Ron be like if he was an only child?

[blackt3rr0rz]

depends on the circumstances such as, are Molly and Arthur actively trying, yet failing for more children or are they happy with just one?
They wouldn't be as poor as they were in cannon though

[viralic1]

Jul 25, 2012 23:06:55 GMT -5 blackt3rr0rz said:

They wouldn't be as poor as they were in cannon though

I wouldn't count on that. I've always found the Weasley's financial situation was due to poor spending habits rather than an actual lack of finances.

[Kitty279]

I could see Ron as being even more naive than he was in canon, overprotected and overcoddled. With Molly being able to concentrate all her control issues and mother hen complex on only one child, I'd actually pity him. No older brothers to explain stuff to him, just Mummy who thinks he's too young for anything. No, not good.

[brokenquill92]

He'd probably be Malfoy

[voice-on-the-wind]

I'd say worse than Malfoy, mainly because while Lucius spoiled his son rotten, he did actually try to teach him about the state of the wizarding world in the present, albeit from a death-eater/pureblood fanatical supremacist point of view. Molly was too set on telling the kids things she thought they couldn't handle, so that would have never come up, I think.

Though, on the flip-side, Ron might also not have had such insecurities and jealousy issues about Harry, because Molly and Arthur might have paid enough attention to reassure him that, while they might not have been well-off financially, that didn't mean he was lacking anything. That would have prevented at least the Triwizard argument, in my opinion.

[G. Novella]

Probably spoiled slightly, so the opposite of his previous insecurities, and maybe even reckless to defy Molly? A lot more brash and coddled. And not afraid of spiders anymore, but essentially unaware of anything..

[viralic1]

He'd be extremely spoiled, and entirely unprepared for the outside world. The first time he was in Hogwarts, he'd spend five days there before crying back to mommy on how the bad people hurt him or called him names.

[blackt3rr0rz]

i agree ron would probably be crying back to mommy, i don't see bill doing that because he had little brothers who looked up to him.

[dracosfairmaiden]

Unfortunately, I do Ron being spoiled if he was an only child. Molly would probably shelter and coddle him. He'd probably have the opposite problems he has in canon. I see him as like Malfoy if he didn't have siblings.

[readingwizard4]

This is slightly off topic but it is about Ron and his jealousy. I was reading the most recent chapter of RoseDragonWitch's Goblet of Fire story and the comments from everyone made me wonder if Ron might have been under the Imperius curse? But he broke it during the 1st task. Ron is jealous but did nothing before that year. In book 7 it was the horcrux that caused everything. Crouch would view it as good if Harry was alone I'd imagine and we know Ron was susceptible to the curse in that lesson. Any thoughts?

[viralic1]

I think he's always been jealous. Even in the very first meeting with him on the train, he's jealous of Harry, for no reason I might add, and is happier when he finds out Harry has less things than him.

[blackroses77]

I think he might actually have turned out as combination of Draco and Neville, completely spoiled like Malfoy but also completely cowed by Molly like Neville was with his Gran.

Readingwizard4: That is an interesting concept about Ron being under the imperius and actually makes a lot of sense. I've always found his behavior in the GoF hard to swallow, yes he has always been a little jealous of Harry but never let that come between them or been vicious or cold towards Harry in any way. And in PS I don't think he was happy that Harry has more things them him I think he was relieved that someone else can understand his position and won't look down on him for it.

[G. Novella]

It's a bit harsh to say he was jealous for no reason. Harry was supposed to be the kid who had everything he didn't, fame, fortune, attention, love, etc. When he realized Harry wasn't that kid, he felt relieved, not happy at Harry's misfortune, but happy they were on equal footing.

And I don't think he'd be as bad as Malfoy because he'd be sorted to Gryffindor where none of the boys would have liked a brat. I'm not saying he'd be the Ron we love, but more like a closed off Gryffindor who doesn't talk to anyone, maybe like Theodore Nott or Zabini, since he'd be unable to make friends. And he'd be fighting on the Light side too, so he wouldn't be prejudiced. Just extremely spoiled and brattish.

[blackt3rr0rz]

so sort of like zacharias smith with the exception of putting his life before first years when he's of age?

[G. Novella]

Exactly.

[readingwizard4]

The only flaw in the theory I can think of would be when did Crouch curse him? Also how could Crouch tell with only 2 months interaction that that could work? I agree with you blackroses77 about what you said about Ron in 1st year on the train. I see Ron like Smith, not Malfoy. Malfoy runs to his Dad since Lucius has clout, Arthur doesn't. Maybe Arthur would have more money and more prestige. Smith was an irritant but not as big a one as Malfoy.

[voice-on-the-wind]

Or he might have ended up more like Ernie Macmillian, since he's already slightly outspoken, and without any sibling competition it would morph into pompousness and confidence to the point that it gets annoying, if that makes sense.

[dracosfairmaiden]

I think he'd be a mixture of the pompous Ernie and the sheltered, rich Draco.

[teflonbilly]

I don't know where all of these Draco comparisons are coming from, much of where Draco's attitude comes from is by being raised as a child of privilege and wealth under the ideals of class superiority. Not because he was spoiled.

I think the ideas that Ron would develop more as a cross between Ernie MacMillan and Neville hit closer to the mark. Good naturedly pompous and out going but coddled.

I don't see any child of Arther and Molly being meek like Neville. Molly is the sister of Gideon and Fabian, after all, and so was raised in a family that produced two of the Orders most respected fighters, and Arthur comes from a gigantic family of men which means Ron would have plenty of uncles and cousins for male role models.

I see the Weasleys as a family of only one child as being more financially stable (firmly middle class) and loving. Molly overall was not that bad of a parent, it's when combined with the threat of war and her own fears of losing her family like she lost her brothers as being what drives her most negative character traits as seen in the books.

Speaking of only children, I honestly wish JKR had had Hermione & Ron have four kids. I know Ron felt that he suffered somewhat because he came from such a large family but I also see him wanting a family, and I also see that Hermione genuinely was drawn to the large family atmosphere of the Weasleys which makes me see them having a more kids than just two.

Although, Hermione was still quite young (38 years old) when Rose went off to school, I could see her having another child or two in her life.

TB

[Chameleon]

The Weasley's would never be as rich as the Malfoy's, and therefor I don't really see him as a clone of Malfoy. But he would definitely be a different Ron, than we know. A large part of Ron's person comes of the fact that he's the youngest boy in the family.

He would be outspoken. The family is outspoken, and would naturally have encouraged Ron to be outspoken. He would perhaps be a bit pompous. And bit sheltered, as he would be Molly's only child. And as you say, teflonbilly, Ron would have several male role models. He would perhaps be a bit as Neville, but not a meek person who lets people walk over him. (I love Neville! He gets better after all). He would have a bigger pride than in the books, and be pretty keen on proving who he's to the world, although he hasn't older brothers. Well that's my opinion.

I agree about the bit that Ron would love to a have a big family. And with his experiences, he would prove to the four children, that they're all great, and make sure, that they didn't get a inferior complex, like he had.