Harry’s best friend is a wonderful character: brave, headstrong and permanently peckish. We’ve tracked Ron’s highs, lows, eating habits and pet-based upsets...

Full name
Ronald Bilius Weasley
Birthday
1 March 1980
Parents
Molly and Arthur Weasley
Patronus
Jack Russell terrier
House
Gryffindor
Skills
Wizard chess, Quidditch goalkeeping
Hobbies
Supporting the Chudley Cannons, eating sweets
First mention of Ron
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chapter 6 ‘All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten… Best do it at a bit of a run if you’re nervous. Go on, go now before Ron.’
Mrs Weasley to Harry
Number of mentions of Ron in all seven books
5,809
Ron and Harry’s highs and lows
Ron and Harry’s friendship is often put to the test : we’ve picked out where some of their biggest highs and lows fall in the seven books
Philosopher's Stone low: They have a minor tiff about the Mirror of Erised
Philosopher's Stone high: Ron self-sacrifices in the giant chess game
Chamber of Secrets low: Harry feels jealous of Ron’s family and home
Chamber of Secrets high: Ron sticks by Harry when he’s suspected of being the heir of Slytherin
Prisoner of Azkaban high: They celebrate Gryffindor's Quidditch victory
Prisoner of Azkaban low: Harry reproaches Ron for making Hermione cry
Goblet of Fire low: Ron accuses Harry of putting his name into the Goblet of Fire
Goblet of Fire high: Ron sees Harry facing a dragon, feels awful and apologises
Order of the Phoenix low: Harry shouts at Ron and Hermione for not telling him about the Order
Order of the Phoenix high: Hermione and Ron apologise – so does Harry and all is fine
Half-Blood Prince low: Ron is jealous of the attention Harry is getting from girls
Half-Blood Prince high: Ron gets together with Lavender and all jealousy is forgotten
Deathly Hallows low: Ron abandons Harry on his hunt for Horcruxes
Deathly Hallows high: Ron saves Harry’s life and destroys a Horcrux
Food, glorious food
‘I could eat a Hippogriff’ Ron to Harry in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 12
Ron is a voracious eater: here is some of the food he consumes in the series:
Black pudding
Bread
Chocolate Cauldrons
Chocolate Frogs x 4
Chocolate gateau
Chops x2
Cornish pasties x2
Crumpets
Eggs and bacon x 2
Every-Flavour Beans
Hot chocolate
Jam doughnut
Marshmallows
Peppermint Toads
Porridge x 2
Roast pike
Roast potatoes
Sausages
Sweets
Toast x 2
Treacle pudding
Yorkshire pudding

Ron and Hermione: the missed signals
We’ve identified 28 instances when Hermione was letting her feelings for Ron show without him noticing. Here’s how they break down...

7 Tiffs and teasing
5 Harry-free quality time
4 Emotional reactions
3 Jealousy
3 Acts of kindness
3 Concern for his safety
3 Unusual attention to detail

A rat’s tale
The twists and turns of Ron’s relationshipwith his pet Scabbers
Philosopher’s Stone chapter 6: Scabbers bites Goyle during a confrontation with Malfoy
Philosopher’s Stone chapter 7: Scabbers ruins one of Ron's sheets at Hogwarts
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 4: Ron is defensive over Scabbers after Hermione buys a cat, Crookshanks
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 12: Ron believes that Crookshanks has eaten Scabbers
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 16: Ron and Hermione find Scabbers in Hagrid's hut
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 16: Scabbers tries to fight his way out of Ron's pocket
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 17: Scabbers bites Ron but is still unable to escape
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 17: Scabbers and Ron are dragged into the secret tunnel under the Whomping Willow
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 17: Lupin tells Ron that Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew. Ron doesn't believe him
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 19: Scabbers' true identity revealed as he transforms into Peter Pettigrew
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 19: Ron is horrified: 'I let you sleep in my bed!'
Prisoner of Azkaban chapter 20: Pettigrew transforms back into Scabbers and escapes
Deathly Hallows chapter 23: Ron fights with Pettigrew, aka Wormtail in Malfoy Manor
Deathly Hallows chapter 23: Ron tries but fails to save Wormtail's life
Final mention of Ron
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Epilogue
‘Don’t let it worry you,’ said Ron. ‘It’s me. I’m extremely famous.’
Ron, to Harry's son Albus