Harry and Ron -Friends Forever!

Throughout the series, Ron's most important relationship, outside his family, is with Harry Potter. Not only is he Harry's first real friend, but also his closest. The two boys immediately hit it off, and Ron, generally unimpressed by Harry's celebrity, helps him adjust to the wizard world. Harry is grateful for Ron's help, and also for being included as part of the Weasley family. The two boys are nearly inseparable, doing practically everything together, though Harry, more assertive, usually takes the lead in their adventures. Their friendship is not without its difficulties, however. While Ron is usually content to bask in Harry's reflected glory, he occasionally feels jealous over his fame and the constant attention it brings, eventually causing a short-lived falling out between the two boys in book 4. In book 7, Ron, frustrated with Dumbledore's mission, Harry's seeming indecisiveness, and unable to cope with the harsh living conditions, briefly deserts him and Hermione, though he heroically returns in time to save Harry's life. These clashes sometimes seem related to Ron's own low self-esteem and that he has much to live up to with five accomplished older brothers, and an equally talented younger sister. Though the attention Harry garners often causes Ron to feel overshadowed and resentful, he fails to realize that Harry's fame is less about his abilities or anything that he deliberately sought. Instead, it was thrust upon Harry by circumstance at a young age. Nor does Harry desire or seek to be a celebrity, and wants only to be recognized for his own accomplishments. Harry does help Ron build confidence in himself, and later tutors him in advanced defensive magic, mostly during the Dumbledore's Army training sessions, to where Ron becomes quite proficient.