Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Molly Weasley

Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character
Molly Weasley
Gender	Female
Hair color	Red
Eye color	Brown
Related Family	brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewett; husband Arthur, children Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny
Loyalty	Albus Dumbledore

Overview

Molly Weasley (née Prewett) is the wife of Arthur Weasley. According to the author's web site, she was born on 30 October 1949.

Role in the Books

Philosopher's Stone

At King's Cross Station, Molly Weasley assists a lost-looking Harry, showing him how to get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. After the children have boarded the train, Fred and George return to the platform to tell her that the "black-haired kid" is actually the famous Harry Potter. Ginny Weasley pleads with her mother to be allowed onto the train to see him, but Molly refuses, saying Harry would not want to be gawked at like an animal in a zoo.

Mrs. Weasley provides some of Harry's Christmas presents. Simple as they are, a jumper (US: sweater) and some candy, these are among the first real Christmas presents Harry has ever received.

Mrs. Weasley greets the Weasley children at the station when they return from Hogwarts, and briefly speaks to Harry. She seems somewhat nonplussed by the brevity of Uncle Vernon's greeting to Harry.

Chamber of Secrets

When Harry, Ron, and the Twins arrive at The Burrow in Mr. Weasley's flying Ford Anglia, Mrs. Weasley is waiting, much to Ron's and the Twin's dismay; they had hoped to sneak out, liberate Harry, and return before she was awake. She scolds the three Weasley boys, but warmly welcomes Harry, and gives him extra sausages after hearing the Dursleys were starving him. As punishment for their escapade, Ron and the Twins must de-gnome the garden. Though exempt, Harry, having never seen a de-gnoming, joins in. Mrs. Weasley consults Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests on the best way to remove gnomes, though Fred says they know how to de-gnome a garden; George suggests that Mrs. Weasley is sweet on Lockhart.

When Mr. Weasley arrives home, Mrs. Weasley informs him that the Twins flew his car to London. Mr. Weasley immediately asks how it went, but seeing stern warning signs from Mrs. Weasley, suddenly changes his tone to say they misbehaved.

The Hogwarts book lists arrive listing many Gilderoy Lockhart books. George comments about the cost, but Mrs. Weasley, though worried, assures him they will manage. When Hermione sends an owl suggesting they meet in Diagon Alley, Mrs. Weasley agrees, and they set a date for school shopping.

The family is traveling to Diagon Alley by Floo powder. Because Harry has never traveled this way, Mrs. Weasley has Ron go first. Though unsure it is safe, Harry goes next, ending up at the wrong grate — Floo powder enables traveling between Wizarding fireplaces. Mrs. Weasley is nearly frantic and divides her brood to search Diagon Alley for Harry, hoping he only went a few grates too far. She is relieved when Hagrid turns up with Harry in tow, having found him in Knockturn Alley. She brushes Harry off and dismisses the Twins' questions about Knockturn Alley, reminding them they are never allowed there.

At Gringotts Bank, Harry notices how few coins are in the Weasleys' vault while acutely aware that there are many Galleons and Sickles in his; Mrs. Weasley carefully checks the vault's four corners for any overlooked coins before sweeping what little there is into her money bag. Once outside, Mrs. Weasley suggests the group split up to do their shopping.

Mrs. Weasley is seen again in Flourish & Blotts, waiting in line at Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing. When a confrontation between Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy becomes physical and is broken up by Hagrid, Molly is embarrassed. She continues scolding her husband, even after the Twins tell her that Lockhart is not upset, and only wonders how the altercation can be slanted to enhance his exposure.

The family travel to King's Cross Station in Arthur Weasley's flying Ford Anglia, though, being daylight, it remains on the ground. Mrs. Weasley is amazed at how skillful Muggles are, as the auto's interior seems much larger than the outside; Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, realize that Mr. Weasley applied another almost-illegal spell to the car.

Unable to pass through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Harry and Ron, frantic over missing the train, fly the car to Hogwarts. Muggles see them, however, and the Evening Prophet reports their escapade. Outraged, Mrs. Weasley sends a Howler to Hogwarts the next day, severely scolding Ron during breakfast in the Great Hall.

Mrs. Weasley again gives Harry a hand-knitted jumper (US: sweater) and candy for Christmas. Ron is unimpressed with his jumper, but Harry welcomes his, as it is still unusual for him to receive gifts.

When Ginny is taken into the Chamber of Secrets, Harry, helped by Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, rescues her. Fawkes leads them to Professor McGonagall's office, where she, Professor Dumbledore, and Molly and Arthur Weasley are waiting. Mrs. Weasley sweeps Ginny into a hug, and then Harry and Ron, apparently too relieved to say much.

Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley take Ginny to the Hospital Wing, and though they are not seen, presumably stay for the following celebratory feast. Mrs. Weasley is present at King's Cross Station when the Hogwarts Express arrives in London, and she is once again dismayed by Uncle Vernon's lack of civility towards Harry.

Prisoner of Azkaban

Molly Weasley reappears in the story the day before the Hogwarts Express leaves for school. Harry has been staying at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley after a fight with the Dursleys. There he runs into Ron and Hermione shopping for school supplies. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fred, George, and Percy are there and also staying at The Leaky Cauldron. Mrs. Weasley is having little success reining in the Twins, who are mocking Percy by aping his exaggerated formal manner after being made Head Boy. Later, when Harry searches the salon for Ron's Rat Tonic, he overhears Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking in the next room about him and someone named Sirius Black, a wizard who recently escaped Azkaban prison. Black may be headed for Hogwarts to murder Harry. Mr. Weasley believes Harry should know this, while Mrs. Weasley strongly disagrees.

On the station platform the next day, Mr. Weasley takes Harry aside to warn him about Black, though Harry admits he overheard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's conversation. When Mr. Weasley asks him to promise that he will not hunt Black, Harry wonders why he would want to, but the train leaves before he can promise.

Mrs. Weasley gives Harry another hand-knitted jumper (US: sweater) and various treats as a Christmas gift; this time, the jumper is bright red with the Gryffindor lion woven into the pattern.

Finally, Mrs. Weasley meets the students at King's Cross Station when they arrive on the Hogwarts Express; once again, she is dismayed by Uncle Vernon's cavalier greeting to Harry.

Goblet of Fire

Mrs. Weasley re-enters our story through a letter she sends by Muggle post. The envelope is entirely covered with stamps, causing the bemused mail carrier to query Uncle Vernon about it. Predictably, Uncle Vernon is livid that "Harry's sort" has called attention to the Dursley household. Mrs. Weasley's letter invites Harry to attend the Quidditch World Cup with the Weasley family and to stay at The Burrow until school starts. Harry persuades Uncle Vernon to let him go.

While collecting Harry's school stuff, Fred and George conspire to drop a few enchanted toffees in the Dursleys' sitting room; Dudley eats one, causing his tongue to grow several feet long. Back at The Burrow, Mr. Weasley scolds the Twins, saying pranks like this hinder Muggle-Wizard relations. As he threatens to tell their mother, Mrs. Weasley appears asking, "Tell me what, dear?" Despite Mr. Weasley backtracking, and George and Fred's efforts to escape, Mrs. Weasley gives the Twins a severe tongue-lashing. Mrs. Weasley has also found a stack of order forms for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, and is upset over Fred and George wasting their time with magical jokes rather than planning for real careers.

Later, Mrs. Weasley is preparing dinner, still ranting and raving over the Twins. Harry and Ron must leap aside as a drawer opens violently and knives flash out and start chopping vegetables. Adding to Mrs. Weasley's disgruntlement, when she reaches for a wand, it is a trick one that turns into a large rubber mouse when she uses it. Ron and Harry quickly escape to help Bill and Charlie set the tables in the garden.

At dinner, Mrs. Weasley nags Bill about his long hair and criticizes his fang necklace. Eventually, Mrs. Weasley sends everyone to bed, reminding them they must get up early to leave for the match.

In the morning, Ron, Harry, Fred, and George find Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She snappishly tells the Twins they cannot Apparate to the match like Percy, Bill, and Charlie as they are underage and have not passed their Apparition test yet. As the group is leaving, she asks if the Twins are carrying any Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes stuff; though they deny it, she Summons toffees hidden from their persons. The Twins depart in stony silence, without a backwards glance.

The World Cup riots make the Daily Prophet, and Mrs. Weasley is distraught, fearing her family may have been injured. She is relieved when they troop back in the following morning, hugging everyone, and saying she had feared her last words to the Twins were angry complaints about their magical jokes and meager OWLs. When Mr. Weasley comments that he is mentioned in the newspaper article, Mrs. Weasley says she did not see his name, otherwise she would have known they were safe. Mr. Weasley is not identified by name, but has been misquoted as a "Ministry spokesman", making the situation even worse. As he heads to office to straighten things out, Mrs. Weasley protests that he is on vacation, but she is overruled.

The rest of the summer is subdued. Mr. Weasley and Percy spend all their time at the office, including weekends, dealing with the riot's fallout. Mrs. Weasley, seeing Fred and George hunched over a parchment, demands to know what they are doing. Told it is homework, she is skeptical, suspecting it is another order form. Fred, looking pained, asks, should the Hogwarts Express crash tomorrow, would she want her last words to the Twins to be an unfounded accusation?

As Harry and Ron pack their school trunks, Ron finds a hideous, lace-trimmed garment among his robes. Demanding to know what it is, Mrs. Weasley tells him it is his "formal robes", a school requirement this year. It was the best that was available at the second-hand clothing store. For Harry, however, Mrs. Weasley has bought new formal robes that are lace-free and in a colour matching his eyes. Mrs. Weasley explains that Harry can afford new robes, whilst they cannot. After Mrs. Weasley leaves, Ron complains bitterly about his family's poverty.

The following morning, Mrs. Weasley summons Mr. Weasley to the kitchen for an urgent call via the Floo network. After Mr. Weasley finishes talking with Amos Diggory, whose head is floating in the fireplace, Mrs. Weasley offers Amos some toast. He accepts and departs. Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie accompany the Twins, Harry, Ron, and Ginny to London in three Muggle taxicabs which Mrs. Weasley has braved the Muggle post office to call. Once on the platform, it appears that she knows about a secret event happening at the school; but like Bill and Charlie, refuses to divulge anything. And before the train is out of sight of the platform, the three have Disapparated.

Following the Triwizard Tournament's First Task, Charlie Weasley congratulates Harry on his win, then says he has to send an owl to Mrs. Weasley to let her know how Harry did.

At Christmas, Mrs. Weasley again sends Harry a hand-made jumper (US: sweater), this time green with a dragon on the front, and a large quantity of home-made mince pies. Later, at the Yule Ball, Harry, while talking to Percy, sees the Twins stop Ludo Bagman. Ludo later claims that the Twins only wanted marketing advice; Harry is certain Percy will report this exchange to Mrs. Weasley.

An article by Rita Skeeter appears in Witch Weekly shortly after the Second Task. Skeeter suggests that Hermione is romantically toying with both Harry and Viktor Krum. At Easter, Mrs. Weasley sends chocolate eggs; Ron's and Harry's are ostrich sized and filled with toffees, while Hermione's is no bigger than a chicken egg. Ron tells Hermione his mother reads Witch Weekly.

Shortly after Mr. Crouch's bizarre disappearance and reappearance at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to the Owlery to send Sirius a letter describing the event. They are interrupted by the Twins, who can be overheard discussing whether or not their letter sounds like blackmail; they fall silent upon seeing the Trio there. As they leave, Ron comments that the Twins are genuinely serious about starting a joke shop, they are not doing it just to annoy Mrs. Weasley.

On the day of the Third Task, Professor McGonagall tells Harry at breakfast that the Champions are meeting with their families in an adjacent room. Harry, knowing that the Dursleys would not be present, remains at the table until Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts Champion, summons him. Entering the room, he finds Mrs. Weasley and Bill are there. Amos Diggory, also present, is upset that Rita Skeeter's article only mentioned Harry as Hogwarts Champion. While Mrs. Weasley reminds him that Rita writes stories to deliberately cause trouble, this hardly calms him. Harry spends the morning escorting Bill and Mrs. Weasley around the grounds, with Mrs. Weasley commenting on her days there. At lunch, Mrs. Weasley is frosty towards Hermione until Harry explains that Hermione is not his girlfriend. Mrs. Weasley, perhaps remembering her own comments about Rita Skeeter, is then noticeably friendlier. Hermione, meanwhile is suspicious about Skeeter, and has been investigating magical bugging methods. She is unable to tell Harry what she has learned while Mrs. Weasley and Bill are present.

After Harry's exit from the maze, his encounter with Professor Moody, Barty Crouch's unmasking, and his debriefing by Dumbledore, Harry is taken to the Hospital Wing. Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione have been demanding that Madam Pomfrey tell them where Harry is. As Harry arrives with Dumbledore, Mrs. Weasley immediately swoops over to comfort him. Dumbledore forestalls any interrogation until morning, saying Harry needs sleep.

Mrs. Weasley is still at Harry's bedside the next morning when Professor McGonagall arrives with Cornelius Fudge, who wants to question Harry and delivers his prize money. After Fudge, angered at Harry and Dumbledore's insistence that Voldemort has returned, leaves, Dumbledore asks Mrs. Weasley if he can depend on her and Arthur. She assures him he can, and Bill leaves immediately to tell his father. Mrs. Weasley is shocked and alarmed when the large black dog that has stayed at Harry's bedside transforms into Sirius Black. After sending Sirius and Snape on their respective missions, Dumbledore tells Harry to drink his sleeping potion and leaves him with Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley. When Harry wants to return the Triwizard prize money, believing he did not actually win it, Mrs. Weasley tells him not to fret about it. A loud slamming sound at the window interrupts her, and Hermione apologizes for the noise, though she offers no explanation regarding what she is doing.

Ron later tells Harry that Mrs. Weasley asked Dumbledore if Harry could spend the entire summer at The Burrow, but Dumbledore insisted that Harry must return to the Dursleys'. Though no explanation was given, Ron says Dumbledore must have his reasons.

We see Mrs. Weasley again briefly at King's Cross Station, but she only has enough time to exchange a few words with Harry before Uncle Vernon drags him away.

Order of the Phoenix

When Harry is brought to Number 12, Grimmauld Place after the Dementor attack, Mrs. Weasley greets him in the front hall. Asking him to be quiet, she sends him upstairs while the grown-ups have a meeting. Ron and Hermione are there, and Fred, George, and Ginny soon join them. Despite staying at the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, the Weasley children and Hermione know little more than Harry about what is happening with Voldemort, though Fred and George reveal their latest invention, Extendable Ears. They have been eavesdropping on meetings and other conversations with it, but Mrs. Weasley destroys any "Ears" that she finds. The Weasley children warn Harry against mentioning Percy, who has broken up with the family after a huge argument with his father. Mr. Weasley breaks whatever he is holding and Mrs. Weasley bursts into tears whenever his name is mentioned aloud.

After the meeting, Mrs. Weasley herds everyone downstairs for supper, and asks that the table be set, though she resists Harry's offer to help, telling him to rest from his trip. The Twins, trying to helpful, charm a large pot of stew, the bread and breadknife, and a pitcher of Butterbeer to the table. Mundungus Fletcher, Sirius, Harry, Ron, Bill, Hermione, and Ginny have to duck the flying, barely controlled dinnerware, while Sirius jerks away from the table, barely avoiding the breadknife stabbing his hand. Mrs. Weasley scolds the Twins for using magic for everything, even though they are now old enough.

Following dinner, Sirius suggests Harry ask questions about the Order's business; Mrs. Weasley objects, saying Harry is too young, and claims Sirius is confusing Harry with his father. Despite her vehement argument, Mrs. Weasley stands alone; Sirius, Lupin, and even Mr. Weasley feel Harry has a right to know. Abandoning this tack, Mrs. Weasley wants the Twins, Ron, and Hermione to leave, but Harry counters that he will just tell Ron and Hermione anything learns; the Twins, being legal age, should also stay. Defeated on all fronts, Mrs. Weasley hauls a loudly-protesting Ginny off to bed.

Returning to the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley remains quiet until Sirius mentions Voldemort is seeking a weapon. She interrupts, saying that is enough information. Lupin agrees, and the youngsters are sent upstairs to bed. The Twins gather in Ron and Harry's room to discuss what they have learned; but, hearing Mrs. Weasley approaching, they quickly Apparate to their own room. An exhausted Harry is asleep before she passes the room again on the way down.

The next morning, Mrs. Weasley allows Harry to sleep in, but puts her children to work making Grimmauld Place habitable. When Harry gets up, he finds Mrs. Weasley and the Weasley children in the drawing room. She tells Harry to get a mask and a sprayer; they are using Doxycide to eradicate doxies that have infested the drapes. She has doxy anti-venom but hopes it will not be needed. Fred and George sneak some collected doxy eggs into their pockets; George explains to Harry they are ingredients for their joke-shop goods. When the doorbell rings, Mrs. Weasley answers it. Looking out the window, Hermione sees Mundungus Fletcher carrying cauldrons, and Harry can hear both Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Black's portrait screaming in the front hall. When Mrs. Weasley returns with sandwiches, she is still fulminating about Mundungus and his attempt to use Headquarters to store his stolen goods.

Over the next several days, Mrs. Weasley sets all the children to cleaning Grimmauld Place. When Ron complains that he wanted to do something useful for the Order, Mrs. Weasley says making Headquarters livable is certainly useful. Meanwhile, they are repeatedly uncovering Dark magic artifacts, some of which the Twins hide away when Mrs. Weasley is looking elsewhere.

At dinner, Mrs. Weasley reminds Harry to get up early for his hearing at the Ministry. Mr. Weasley is accompanying him, as Professor Dumbledore requested, though Harry is upset that Dumbledore was at Headquarters without speaking to him. Mrs. Weasley reassures him that he will have no problem at the hearing, but Harry notices her worried expression. She still looks worried as Harry prepares to leave for the Ministry the next morning. She presses him to eat some breakfast, but he is too nervous and has no appetite. She is relieved when Harry returns acquitted, though Fred, George, and Ginny's victory dance annoys her to the point that she yells at them to be quiet.

The Hogwarts book lists finally arrive, and Hermione and Ron have been appointed Prefect. Mrs. Weasley, pleased that Ron has received such an honour, wants to buy him something – Percy got an owl, but Ron already has one. Ron suggests a new broom, but Mrs. Weasley pauses, saying it is expensive, but then agrees and dashes off to arrange a trip to Diagon Alley.

That evening, Mrs. Weasley has a celebration for Ron and Hermione being made Prefects. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody is present, and Mrs. Weasley asks him to use his magical eye to inspect the parlour's writing desk to see if a Boggart is in it or something more deadly. Moody confirms it is a Boggart, which Mrs. Weasley will deal with herself. Later, Harry passes the drawing room on his way to bed and sees Ron lying dead on the floor. He hears a weeping Mrs. Weasley casting Riddikulus, and the dead Ron turns into a dead Mr. Weasley. Realizing it is the Boggart, Harry sees it change rapidly into several other dead Weasleys, and then himself. Lupin arrives and banishes the Boggart, then comforts Mrs. Weasley. Harry continues on to bed, aware that his own death is a more concrete possibility, and it is numbered among Mrs. Weasley's worst fears.

As they head off to school the next day, Mrs. Weasley is angered when the Twins charm their trunks to fly down the stairs, injuring Ginny. Mrs. Weasley heals her, but is then exasperated that Sirius demands to go to the station in his Dog Animagus shape. She gives in, but spends the trip pleading with Sirius to behave more like a dog. They make their farewells on the platform.

For the next while, Mrs. Weasley is unseen, but her presence is felt, however, when Hermione, irritated by Fred and George testing Fainting Fancies on first-year students, threatens to tell their mother. This proves to be a much more effective means of controlling the Twins than anything she could do as Prefect.

After Hermione arranges the first Dumbledore's Army meeting, Sirius relays a message from Mrs. Weasley to Ron forbidding him to join, and requests that Harry and Hermione consider the same.

Just before Christmas, Harry has a vision that Mr. Weasley is attacked by a snake. After confirming the vision is real, Professor Dumbledore prepares to send Harry and the Weasley children to Grimmauld Place. McGonagall asks if she should contact Mrs. Weasley, but Dumbledore says that is a job for Fawkes, though Mrs. Weasley may already know, due to her excellent clock at The Burrow which indicates where all the Weasleys are.

Shortly after the children arrive at Grimmauld Place, Mrs. Weasley sends word that Mr. Weasley is seriously injured, but still alive. This does little to ease the Weasley children and Harry, however. When Mrs. Weasley arrives at Grimmauld Place at 5:00 a.m., she reassures everyone that Mr. Weasley is sleeping peacefully. Harry, feeling somehow instrumental in Mr. Weasley being attacked, wonders if he is welcomed there, but Mrs. Weasley says Harry raising the alarm helped to save her husband's life.

Later that day, the entire family, guarded by Mad-Eye Moody and Tonks, visit Mr. Weasley in hospital. The adults discuss privately the events leading to Harry's warning, though Harry and the others listen in with the Twins' Extendable Ears. Moody suggests that Harry may be possessed by Voldemort.

Harry, fearing Voldemort is possessing him, isolates himself in his room; Mrs. Weasley sends up sandwiches when he does not appear at mealtimes. Once Ginny convinces Harry that he is not possessed, he joins in with the Christmas preparations. Over Christmas, Percy sends his Weasley jumper (US: sweater) back unopened without a written note, which leaves Mrs. Weasley feeling very hurt.

Later that day, Mundungus Fletcher drives the Weasley family, with Harry, Hermione, Moody, and Lupin, to the hospital. There, Mr. Weasley asks if they have seen his Healer. Mrs. Weasley, noting that his dressings have been changed, demands to know what is going on. The Twins, sensing storm clouds, quickly depart for the tea shop. Mr. Weasley diffidently mentions that the apprentice healer was experimenting with Muggle healing techniques, something called "stitches". Mrs. Weasley, saying it sounds like sewing, dismissively says that not even Mr. Weasley would be stupid enough to try that. Seeing that Mrs. Weasley is becoming livid at the idea of stitches, Harry and Ron, decide the tea shop is calling them as well, and depart with Hermione and Ginny.

Professor Snape visits Grimmauld Place, informing Harry that he will study Occlumency with him. Flying insults between Sirius and Snape have the two at wands drawn. Harry is standing between trying to prevent a duel when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the Weasley children return from hospital. Mr. Weasley is fully recovered.

Mrs. Weasley does not join Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley children on the Knight Bus taking them back to Hogwarts after the Christmas break, instead staying on at Headquarters.

When Fred and George exit the school for good, Ron worries that Mrs. Weasley will blame him for their premature departure. Harry assures him that is nonsense, but Ron says Mrs. Weasley somehow believes that, as a Prefect, Ron has the power to control the Twins and could have prevented them leaving.

Mrs. Weasley, along with Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Lupin, Tonks, and Moody, are at the station when the Hogwarts Express returns Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to London. The entire lot face down Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin, demanding the Dursleys make concession to ensure Harry's comfort over the summer.

Half-Blood Prince

After only a fortnight, Professor Dumbledore retrieves Harry from the Dursleys', taking him via side-along Apparition to a small village to recruit a new teacher, then to The Burrow. It is well past midnight, but Mrs. Weasley is still up, waiting in the kitchen for Mr. Weasley to arrive home. She is talking with Tonks, who seems depressed. After Tonks and Dumbledore leave, Mrs. Weasley tells Harry that Mr. Weasley has been promoted, and now heads the new Office of Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. The promotion has vastly improved the Weasley finances. When Mr. Weasley arrives, he insists on using the Ministry-recommended challenge technique to verify his and Mrs. Weasley's identities before he allows her to open the door. Mrs. Weasley is vastly embarrassed by the intimate questions, particularly with Harry listening in. Once inside, Mr. Weasley shares what happened during his day. Harry, tired but interested, is unable to stifle a yawn; Mrs. Weasley shoos him to bed.

The next morning, Fleur Delacour brings Harry's breakfast, with Mrs. Weasley grumbling behind her. Fleur, with her usual great drama, announces that she and Bill Weasley are engaged, then leaves. Ginny, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley comment that Fleur is very full of herself, and wonder what Bill sees in her. Ginny has nicknamed her "Phlegm", which makes Harry and Hermione laugh, though Mrs. Weasley disapproves. After Mrs. Weasley leaves, Harry says how sad Tonks looks. Ron mentions that Mrs. Weasley is always inviting Tonks over, probably hoping that she and Bill will fancy each other. Later, when Harry ventures down to the kitchen, he finds Mrs. Weasley apparently ignoring Fleur, who flutters about with her wedding plans.

The day after Harry's birthday, the Hogwarts book lists arrive. The following day, Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, set out for Diagon Alley. Arriving in The Leaky Cauldron, they meet Hagrid who is helping to guard them. In Diagon Alley, Mr. Weasley is annoyed by street vendors selling phony anti-Dark amulets and charms, saying that if he was on the job he would run them in. Mrs. Weasley tells him to calm down. Ginny goes with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to Flourish & Blotts for textbooks, while Ron, Harry, and Hermione head to Madam Malkin's with Hagrid.

The two groups later join up to visit Fred and George's new store, and Mrs. Weasley is taken aback by their garish window display which mocks Lord Voldemort. While in the store, Harry sees Draco Malfoy, and, under the Invisibility Cloak, he, Ron, and Hermione trail him into Knockturn Alley, eavesdropping on a transaction he has in Borgin & Burkes. Returning to the joke shop, they tell a worried Mrs. Weasley that they were in the store's back room.

The day before the students depart for Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley wants everything packed the night before, to avoid a mad-morning rush to the train. For their protection, the Ministry is sending cars. The next morning, surprisingly, everyone is ready on time, and they arrive at the station in good order. While Mrs. Weasley bids her children goodbye, Harry takes Mr. Weasley aside and tells him about Draco, advising him to search Malfoy Manor again. Returning to the platform, he collects a farewell hug from Mrs. Weasley before boarding the train.

Harry stays at The Burrow for Christmas. He and Ron are peeling sprouts by hand because Mrs. Weasley feels Ron should understand how Muggles live by doing manual tasks; Harry joined in out of friendship and to talk to Ron privately about what has been happening at school. Mrs. Weasley enters the kitchen while Fred and George are there and explains the sleeping arrangements; with Bill and Fleur there, as well as Lupin, things will cramped. Percy, still estranged from the family, is not expected to be there.

On Christmas Eve, the family gathers in the parlour. The wireless (US: radio) is playing a selection by Mrs. Weasley's favourite singer, Celestina Warbeck, who Fleur evidently dislikes and tries talking over it. A small battle erupts in the background, with Mrs. Weasley repeatedly increasing the wireless' volume while Fleur raises her voice in response. After the song is finished, Fleur mocks it, which Mr. Weasley and Lupin use as a signal to end the evening, sending everyone to bed.

At Christmas dinner, the group discuss, among other things, Tonks, who was invited, but apparently chose to spend Christmas alone. Mrs. Weasley blames Bill for her absence, echoing Ron's earlier statement that she wants Bill and Tonks to hook up, and leading us to believe that Tonks' absence is because Fleur is present.

The entire group is stunned when Percy appears at the door, accompanied by the Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour. Percy woodenly wishes everyone a Happy Christmas. Mrs. Weasley runs to embrace him, which he tolerates but does not reciprocate. Scrimgeour takes Harry aside on the pretense of allowing the family time together, but it is actually a ruse so Scrimgeour can recruit Harry to the Ministry's side. However, the reunion does not last long when Percy furiously storms out of The Burrow with his glasses decorated with mashed parsnips which Fred, George, and Ginny all claim credit for splattering, leaving Mrs. Weasley in floods of tears for the coming week.

When Ron is accidentally poisoned on his birthday, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are summoned to the school. Arriving in the Hospital Wing, they effusively thank Harry for saving another Weasley. Harry, embarrassed by the praise, very quickly leaves the Hospital Wing with Hermione and Hagrid.

At the end, Bill is guarding Hogwarts when the battle at the Astronomy Tower breaks out. He is badly mauled by Fenrir Greyback, a vicious Werewolf. As Fenrir was not transformed at the time, Bill is not likely to become a werewolf, but Madam Pomfrey says his damaged face is permanently scarred. It is assumed that Fleur will now lose interest in Bill, but when Fleur overhears this aspersion, she is angered and offended that Mrs. Weasley thinks she was only interested in Bill for his looks; Fleur says she has good enough looks for them both, and the wedding is still on. She shoulders Mrs. Weasley aside and takes over tending Bill. Mrs. Weasley is stunned by Fleur's actions, then tentatively suggests that their Auntie Muriel's Goblin-made moonstone tiara would look lovely against Fleur's hair. She offers to arrange for Fleur to borrow it, which Fleur stiffly accepts. Before Harry can figure out what is going on, the two women are in tears, hugging each other.

While we do not see Mrs. Weasley again, it is likely that she remained at the school for Dumbledore's funeral.

Deathly Hallows

During the coordinated escape from Privet Drive, Harry and Hagrid arrive at Ted Tonks' house, then catch a Portkey to The Burrow. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny meet them, relieved to see Harry and Hagrid, but distraught that the others have not arrived yet. When Hagrid asks for some brandy, Mrs. Weasley runs to the kitchen, rather than Summoning it. Harry thinks she is hiding her tears. Shortly, when Lupin arrives with George, who is injured, Mrs. Weasley immediately tends his wound. Lupin takes Harry aside and queries him to confirm that he is the genuine Harry. Lupin fears someone in the Order betrayed them. The remaining pairs trickle in, leaving only Mundungus Fletcher and "Mad-Eye" Moody missing. Fletcher apparently panicked and Disapparated; the killing spell aimed at him hit Moody instead, though his body is never found. Harry, convinced his presence endangers the others, volunteers to leave, but Mrs. Weasley demands that he stay.

The Order knows about the Trio's mission for Dumbledore, but once rebuffed, simply offer their assistance. Mrs. Weasley, however, is more persistent and questions Harry directly, though he gently refuses to provide any information. Though Mrs. Weasley apparently settles into preparing for Bill and Fleur's wedding, the tasks she assigns Harry, Hermione, and Ron seem intended to separate them, thus preventing their preparation for the mission. Harry, fretting over this obstacle, rhetorically asks out loud whether Mrs. Weasley expects someone else to bump off Voldemort; Ginny, who is helping him, apparently now understands Harry's mission and becomes upset, though Harry pretends he was only joking.

Mrs. Weasley's attempt to separate the Trio eventually fails when Mr. Weasley frees Harry from a task. Harry goes to Ron's room, finding Hermione is also there. They do some planning before Mrs. Weasley discovers them and assigns new tasks.

When Fleur's mother arrives, she calms Mrs. Weasley's nerves immediately. Everything is lovely, everything is perfect, and Mrs. Delacour pitches in and helps, including providing a spell that cleans out the recalcitrant oven that has given Ron such problems.

As the next day is Harry's birthday, Mrs. Weasley asks Harry what he would like. Feeling he is already burden enough on the Weasleys during this busy time, Harry responds he needs nothing, and does not want a big fuss made. However, on his birthday, Mrs. Weasley gives Harry a gold watch, a traditional gift for a wizard on reaching his majority. Mrs. Weasley diffidently apologizes for its used condition, saying it belonged to her late brother; Harry understands its significance, and hugs Mrs. Weasley in gratitude. Later, Harry sees Mrs. Weasley carrying what looks like an enormous Golden Snitch; investigating, he realizes it is his birthday cake.

Rufus Scrimgeour's meeting with Harry, Ron, and Hermione later that day to discuss Dumbledore's Will becomes heated, and tempers flare. The shouting brings Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to the parlour, just in time to see an angry Scrimgeour exiting.

On Bill and Fleur's wedding day, while we can see that Mrs. Weasley has done an excellent decorating job, she has very little role in the celebrations. Mrs. Weasley is also in tears as Percy is absent from the wedding.

Mrs. Weasley is not seen again until she arrives in the Room of Requirement in response to the Order being summoned to defend Hogwarts. The entire Weasley clan are in the Room of Requirement when Percy arrives. After a strained moment, which Fleur attempts to defuse, Percy loudly declares he has been a blind, ambitious fool, and asks for his family's forgiveness. Mrs. Weasley bursts into tears and rushes forward to embrace Percy, followed by Mr. Weasley. They then head into the battle together.

We see Mrs. Weasley once in passing: during a break in the battle, as Harry carries Snape's memories to the Pensieve in the Headmaster's office, he sees the Weasley family gathered together, mourning Fred's death.

Near the end of the battle at Hogwarts, Bellatrix Lestrange is dueling Hermione, Ginny, and Luna. When a deadly curse narrowly misses Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, enraged that her daughter is being attacked and vowing another Weasley will not be lost, engages Bellatrix in a fierce combat, killing her. Seeing Bellatrix fall, Voldemort hurls a curse at Mrs. Weasley; Harry, from under the Invisibility Cloak, blocks it.

In the victory celebration following the battle, Harry sees the Weasley family sitting together, and Ginny leaning against her mother. Harry avoids imposing himself, allowing them to grieve their loss privately.

Strengths

Molly Weasley is a loving wife and devoted mother who cares deeply for her family; she is very much the kingpin around which the entire Weasley clan revolves. Though her magical abilities are largely unseen until the final battle at Hogwarts, she is an extremely powerful witch and excellent duelist, able to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange, a formidable opponent, single-handedly.

While we are unable to judge her intelligence relative to (say) her husband, she has raised a family of very powerful, and in the Twins' case, very inventive, wizards. Her position within the Order of the Phoenix would also indicate she possesses a keener mind than might initially be supposed. She is genuinely friendly and congenial, but underlying this is a direct and forceful character, far more than her husband; she never hesitates to speak her mind, whether it is about the family, Harry, or issues pertaining to the Order of the Phoenix.

Molly is also generous to others, taking Harry into the family as one of her own, providing him gifts, even though there is little money to buy her own children presents. She cares enough that she is unable to allow him to go without while her offspring, despite how meager it may be, always receive a gift on holidays and birthdays.

Weaknesses

As we see in the episode with the Boggart in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Molly's greatest fear is harm befalling her children or her husband... or Harry. Seeing these fears manifest themselves in solid form leaves her weakened and in tears. It is this fear and her love for her family that propels her to combat Bellatrix single handedly, a potentially unwise decision given that, being in Voldemort's upper echelon, Bellatrix is an extremely powerful witch. It is Molly's hitherto unheralded dueling skill that leaves her the victor.

While Molly dearly loves her children, and she and her husband, poor as they are, always provide for them, she can be insensitive regarding their emotional needs. When Ron is required to have formal robes for his fourth year, the hideous lace-trimmed garment she selects not only embarrasses Ron, but unintentionally makes him a target for ridicule, particularly by Draco Malfoy and his cohorts. As a result, Ron's low self-esteem and shaky confidence nosedives even further. That Molly selects proper robes for Harry because he can afford them only makes matters worse, by emphasizing the financial disparity between the two boys and adding fuel to Ron's occasional jealous bouts. Molly, however, seems oblivious to Ron's anguish, mainly concerned with fulfilling her parental obligation to supply her child's requirement for what the family can afford. However, this pattern softens as the Weasley finances later improve, and Molly, though initially hesitant, agrees to buy Ron a new broom when he is made a Gryffindor Prefect.

She also fails to support Fred and George's plan to open a joke shop, convinced it is a silly and doomed venture; she firmly believes they can only succeed by pursuing traditional careers. However, this belief is probably motivated by the many years she and Arthur struggled financially, even with Arthur's stable, though low-paying, Ministry job.

Ironically, it is Percy who causes her the most pain when he breaks up with the family over loyalty allegiances, bursting into tears whenever anyone mentions his name aloud. She also makes excuses for Percy's absence at Christmas by saying that he is busy with the Ministry.

Relationships with Other Characters

Molly Weasley cares deeply for her children. Like all parents, she wants to be proud of her offspring. As a result, she is possibly a little more ambitious on their behalf than they are themselves. She seems disappointed that the Twins have no interest in working for the Ministry, apparently believing that their starting a joke shop is somehow beneath them or doomed to failure. She is proud when Percy is appointed Bartemius Crouch's assistant, and must be pleased, at least initially, by his apparent rapid rise within the Ministry. His departure from the family, stormy as it is, pains Molly deeply.

Molly does recognize her children's individuality, and we see a separate motherly dynamic in action for each. She is, for instance, always nagging Bill about his long hair, and chastising the Twins' over their low grades and meager OWLs. She accepts Percy's pompousness, perhaps thinking it justified in someone who is selected as Prefect and later Head Boy. Her interaction with Ron is more varied; perhaps because we observe it more closely, Ron being almost a viewpoint character in the series, but it seems a largely mutual exasperation, Ron at the exigencies of their financial situation, Molly at Ron's inability to handle it. Apart from the protectiveness we see late in book 7, there is little visible interaction between Molly and Ginny.

One ongoing thorn in Molly's side must be Arthur, her husband. Arthur's fascination with Muggle artifacts and techniques exasperates her, his experimenting with spells on them vexes her, and his unwillingness to discipline the children, the Twins in particular, infuriates her. Further, although she never outwardly mentions it, his lack of ambition must gall her as well; surely, if he had a little more gumption, he could advance to a higher-paying Ministry job. And yet, their marriage seems solid, caring for and about each other.

Harry's experience with Molly begins somewhat alarmingly. When he first arrives at The Burrow, Molly tears a strip off the Twins and Ron for their previous night's misadventure, even though it was to rescue Harry. Harry fears he is in for the same, but Molly instantly moderates her tone, knowing he is blameless, and, after a warm welcome, invites him in for breakfast. Molly, throughout the six years starting with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, brings Harry into her own circle, caring for him as she does her own children, but always recognizing her limited authority over him. We are perhaps mildly surprised that Molly never scolds Harry for reckless behavior, considering his possible death is among her worst fears.

Analysis

For almost the entire series, we see Molly Weasley as essentially "the good mother", nurturing her children, worrying about them, scolding them when they misbehave, and shielding them from life's cold, harsh realities as best she can. Over time, she also takes Harry under her wing, treating him and defending him as she would her own children. This becomes quite apparent early on in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where she argues unsuccessfully against letting Harry be told the Order's business. In this, she is battling her own husband, who agrees with the other Order members that Harry has a right to know. Additionally, Arthur believes in being a softer disciplinarian than Molly, particularly regarding the Twins. We see this first in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where, upon being told the Twins took the flying car without permission, his first reaction is to ask how it went, rather than to scold them for taking it. We see it again in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where Arthur, who scolds the Twins for dropping a magical toffee where Dudley would find it, suddenly backtracks when Molly appears. Molly's attempts to protect Harry come to a head in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where she continually separates Harry, Ron, and Hermione with various tasks, apparently hoping to derail their mission for Dumbledore, fearing just what that mission actually entails. Like many teenagers, Harry chafes at being over-protected, though without openly rebelling. Perhaps because he has been so starved for affection, he accepts this protectiveness as part of the package, and understands its underlying motive. However, he avoids it long enough to make the necessary preparations for his mission.

It is only in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when she skillfully defeats Bellatrix Lestrange in a duel, killing her, that Molly is revealed to be an extremely powerful witch who has apparently been suppressing her talents while raising her family. From our first meeting with her, in retrospect, we do sense there is a restrained power, a self-assurance in her manner that hardly tallies with the simple housewife persona she projects. It is also unlikely she would be an integral Order of the Phoenix member unless she had specific and significant talents. Granted, one would also have to be very self-assured to deal with raising her sons, especially Fred and George, but perhaps their nature is due to their having inherited her power and forceful personality. It seems that they are their mother's sons, where Percy and Ron have inherited more from their father. It is certainly true that Ginny seems to have inherited much of Molly's nature and temperament.

Though nothing has been specifically mentioned about Molly Weasley's wand, it can be guessed, as per the author's entry about wandlore and wand woods in Pottermore, that Molly Weasley may have been an owner of a Cedar wand. Molly, through the first 6 books, does not show outstanding magical and duelist abilities, yet it remains a back-ground factor that her home-making and culinary skills are flawless. Moreover, following Fred's death and Bellatrix' direct attack on Ginny Weasley, Molly Weasley surfaces as a fearsome wielder of martial magical abilities, a characteristic that is peculiar to the carriers of a Cedar wand.