5 Fun Facts About the Weasley Family ‘Harry Potter’ Fans May Not Know
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Sure, Harry Potter is the star of Harry Potter, but he would be nothing if not for the Weasley family. Sorry, but it’s true!
Not only did they help him the second he stepped on to King’s Cross-Platform as an 11-year-old boy, but they sent him presents on Christmas, took him in when he needed help, and treated him like family.
Plus, Harry’s friendship with Ron Weasley (and Hermoine Granger, of course) provided the foundation for the entire series. Simply put, no Weasleys, no Harry Potter.
While readers and viewers got a glimpse into the Weasley family, there’s still so much to know about this redheaded bunch. From their family history to how they got their first names, here are some fun facts you need to know about the Weasleys.
The Weasleys are a Pureblood family (meaning they come from a long line of witches and wizards), but they’re actually descendants of one of the oldest Wizarding families. In fact, according to J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore website, the Weasleys are descendants of the “Sacred 28,” which are the 28 oldest Wizarding families in England.
While naming the Weasley children, Rowling was inspired by the story of King Arthur. There’s Arthur Weasley, of course, and Percy Weasley is a reference to Sir Percival, who was one of the knights of the round table. Ginny is short for Ginerva, which is the Italian version of Guinevere, who is King Arthur’s wife.
There’s no doubt Fred and George Weasley are fan-favorite characters. Thanks to their prankster ways, the Weasley twins always brought levity and humor to an otherwise dark and twisted story.
But, while fans have always known Fred and George are twins, many have wondered which one is older. Well, as it turns out, Fred is the older twin. The more you know!
After marrying Harry, Ginny Weasley actually went on to become a professional Quidditch player. In fact, she played for a number of years with the Holyhead Harpies, that is until she decided it was time to have children.
After retiring from the sport, Ginny became the senior Quidditch correspondent for the Daily Prophet, eventually becoming the sports editor.
Though Rowling planned to keep Ron, Harry, and Hermione safe until the very end, she did contemplate killing Ron at one point. In fact, Rowling was supposedly in such a bad emotional state she considered killing Ron about halfway through the series, but of course, she ended up scrapping the idea altogether.