An Interview With Ron Weasley

A year after the events of Book 7

Jacob Stanic for the Daily Prophet here on The Week in Wizard's News on WWN. We have on the studio today one Ronald Weasley, Hero of the Battle of Hogwarts, recipient of the Order of Merlin (2nd Class) and Harry Potter's close confidant and friend. Welcome to the broadcast.

"Thanks for having me."

Mr. Weasley-

"Ron, just Ron."

Ron then, thank you again for coming on the program.

"Happy to be here."

Yes, well a lot has happened since the war, what have you been up to these days?

"Working at the Ministry as an Auror, mostly. Hunting down the remnants of Riddle's followers and such."

Are they many Death Eaters still at large? I thought most of them fell at Hogwarts?

"Most did, but a few managed to get away and we are tracking them down. They are not as dangerous as Riddle but they can still cause mischief."

I noticed you called He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Riddle instead of  say You-Know-Who or...errm...Voldermort.

"Yeah, I hadn't noticed. I was afraid of using the name, you know, calling him Voldermort, but after while I just got tired of it, I think. You can only be scared for so long. And after Harry finished him off there was no point in calling him anything but Riddle, which was his name. Name he got from his Muggle father."

I see. Speaking of the Man-That-Won, rumor has it that Mr. Potter is a likely candidate for Head of the Auror Office or even Head of the Department of Magical Enforcement.

"I wouldn't put to much stock on rumors, not when it comes to Harry. I remember all that stuff that came out during our fifth year. Ridiculous stuff, pushed mainly by the Prophet."

Yes, of course, but Mr. Potter is uniquely qualified for the job, is he not?

"Tops in Defense Against the Dark Arts,taught me and a lot of the members of the D.A.-"

That's Dumblerdore's Army, right?

"Right. He taught us loads about defending ourselves. It weren't for that, I don't think none of us would have survived the war."

Talking about survivors, most of us lost family and friends during the war as did the Weasleys. I know this is a sensitive subject....

"Fred. Before that, Voldemort was a problem, but it seemed sort of distant to me. I even joked about it, as did Fred and George. But after that... kinda bittersweet you know. We got Percy back, but we lost Fred. George hasn't been the same. They were so close. I guess nobody knew how much until it happened. His death made it real."

And how are you coping with life after the war?

"You move on. Sure I miss Fred, we all do. But life goes on, you know? In a way it was like the storm passed. Back then, before the war, you knew the storm was coming, there was a shadow over everything, then the storm hit, we lost so much and then it was over, just like that. Sometimes I think about those times at Hogwarts and they sort of feel like the good old days, but they weren't. These are the good old days."

Things feel a lot better these days. Talking about the present and the future, according to Witch Weekly, you're no longer one of the most available bachelors of the wizarding community.

"Yeah, well I don't read Witch Weekly."

Does that mean we can report to our female listeners that Ron is still on the market?

"No. I haven't been in the market for some time and I don't plan to return. I don't fancy the single life. Too complicated."

And who is the lucky girl who managed to snag Ron away from his admiring public?

"...."

Come now, people want to know if the story has a happy ending. Does it?

"I'm not one to talk about personal life and I don't think Hermi-"

Would that be Ms. Hermione Granger?

"Yeah."

According to Rita Skeeter's latest biography, one of several published after the war, you two had a stormy relationship while at Hogwarts. Is that true?

"We had our ups and downs.  We were teenagers, you know. I didn't know what I wanted and I had no clue what she wanted. Even if someone had dropped an anvil on me, I probably wouldn't figure it out."

So what changed?

"The war, the war changed everything. I did bit of growing up during that year. I guess everybody did."

While you were hunting horcruxes with Harry and Hermione?

"Yeah. We had row, but that let me realize how much I cared."

Any plans for the future?

"I can't say, at least not here before I tell her. She'll kill me if did."

I understand. Well thank you for your time Ron. And now for the weekly Quidditch update with Elizard Broomstock. All yours Eli!