Arthur Weasley

Arthur Weasley was born on 6 February 1950 to Septimus Weasley and Cedrella Weasley (née Black) into the Weasley family, which was a family of Pure-blood wizards. However, most of the Weasleys were against Blood-purity and were therefore sometimes called Blood-traitors by other Pure-blooded wizards and witches. Arthur had two brothers. Arthur went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he met Molly Prewett. He eventually married Molly Weasley (née Prewett) and had seven children. 

They were Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Percy Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley. Fred and George were twins. They lived in a house known as the Burrow near the village of Ottery St Catchpole. Arthur Weasley worked at the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and was later promoted to the Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects in the year 1996.

Early Life

Arthur was born to Septimus Weasley from the Pure-blood Weasley family and his wife Cedrella Weasley (née Black), who was also from a Pure-blood family. They had two more sons other than Arthur, whose names are not known. Cedrella Black belonged to the ancient noble house of the Blacks, who strongly believed in blood purity and therefore disowned her after she married Septimus, as the Weasley family were openly accepting of Muggle-born and Half-blooded people in their family. 

From an early age, he was taught not to discriminate against magical beings and people who were not Pure-blooded, like Half-bloods, Muggle-borns, Muggles, goblins, and werewolves, and he remained this way for the rest of his life. He was even particularly interested in Muggles and their way of living.

Hogwarts

Arthur Weasley was accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the year 1961 when he was eleven years old. He boarded the Hogwarts Express on 1 September 1961 and reached Hogwarts on the same day. He was sorted into Gryffindor House. At Hogwarts, he met his future wife Molly Prewett, who later adopted his surname Weasley. It is very likely that he opted for Muggle Studies as one of his electives in the third year, given his obvious interest in Muggles, their gadgets, and their lifestyle. However, it is also possible that he developed his interest in Muggles much later.

Arthur’s life was mostly very smooth in his early days, as he was not specifically known to be a troublemaker or rulebreaker like his twins George and Fred or the Marauders. However, he and Molly started dating when they were in Hogwarts, and they were both caught by Apollyon Pringle, the school caretaker and were punished for taking a nighttime stroll outside the castle at bedtime. He graduated from Hogwarts in the year 1968.

The Rise of Lord Voldemort and The First Wizarding War

Around the time Arthur Weasley graduated, the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort was on the rise and was recruiting several members into his ranks. They were called Death Eaters. Many of Arthur Weasley’s schoolmates, especially from the Slytherin house joined Lord Voldemort’s cause. Soon after graduating from Hogwarts, Arthur married Molly Prewett, and the two had their eldest son Bill Weasley in 1970. The First Wizarding War had already begun at this time, and several murders and disappearances were on the rise. It is unlikely that Arthur Weasley was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, although he definitely was on Dumbledore’s side, at least in his opinion. He soon got a job at the Ministry of Magic as a member of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

Ministry Of Magic

Arthur worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office in the Ministry of Magic. He was considered a very capable employee by most of his peers but had stayed in the same office for a long time without promotions due to his kind nature and strict opposition to corruption. However, he was eventually promoted to become the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. Many people have claimed that Arthur is not someone with a lot of ambition as he was interested more in the well being of his family than rising up in the ranks. In 1993, Arthur took his family to Egypt to see his eldest son, Bill Weasley, who worked there as a curse-breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Arthur had won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. 

In the year 1996, he would once again be promoted to the post of the Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. This promotion was a long-awaited, much-deserving one for Arthur, but since this department was created in 1996 after the appointment of Rufus Scrimgeour as the new Minister of Magic post-Cornelius Fudge and due to the re-emergence of Voldemort, it is possible that there were ulterior motives involved as well. Since Rufus Scrimgeour would constantly try to get into Harry’s good books to extract information from him, it is possible that this could have been a tactical move as well.

The Weasley Family

Arthur and Molly built a house called “the Burrow” near the village of St. Ottery Catchpole and started living there. A few years after their marriage, their first son Bill Weasley was born in the year 1970. Two years later, in 1972, Charlie Weasley was born. Percy Weasley was born in the year 1976. The number of rooms in the Burrow were increased accordingly as the new children were born in the Weasley family. Fred Weasley and George Weasley were born in the year 1978, and Ronald Weasley was born in 1980, the same year as the famous Harry Potter who would later become his best friend. Lastly, Molly and Arthur had their first daughter, Ginny Weasley, in the year 1981. 

Arthur would later have a large extended family as his son Bill would marry Fleur Delacour, his son George would marry Angelina Johnson, Ron Weasley would marry Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley would end up marrying Harry Potter.

Weasley Family Home

The Burrow, which was built near the Muggle village of Ottery St. Catchpole had become the Weasley family home ever since Arthur and Molly got married. Although it started out as a small house, as the number of members in the Weasley family increased, it was magically adjusted and rebuilt according to the new needs. It was a very comfortable dwelling, as Harry attested when he first visited the Burrow. It had several rooms, including a kitchen and a garden in the backyard. There was also ample space for the children to play Quidditch, and it would therefore be no surprise that almost every Weasley had been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Arthur Weasley and Harry Potter

Arthur Weasley became one of the most important people in Harry Potter’s life after he first met him in the Burrow during the events of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had become a close friend of Ron Weasley, Arthur’s son, and Fred, George and Ron had used the blue Ford Anglia that Arthur had bewitched to fly, to get Harry from his uncle’s house in Privet Drive. Although irresponsible of his sons, he was proud of them for helping Harry and for testing his invention.  Harry would visit the Burrow quite often after this, even during the Christmas holidays.

Arthur and Molly took his kids and Harry to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies and books. He met Lucius Malfoy in a bookstore, and the two got into a fist fight, which Hagrid had to intervene to break off. Lucius had called Arthur a Blood traitor and a disgrace to the name of Wizard for acquainting Hermione’s parents, with whom Arthur was very interested in spending more time. Lucius had also, unbeknownst to anyone, dropped Tom Riddle’s diary into Ginny Weasley’s book basket so that she would later find it.

Lucius’s trick worked, and Ginny was manipulated by the diary filled with Dark Magic to open the Chamber of Secrets and let the Basilisk loose in the castle. Several students, the ghost Nearly Headless Nick and Filch’s cat Mrs. Norris, would get petrified by the Basilisk. Eventually, the diary manipulates Ginny to come into the Chamber of Secrets and warn everyone in the castle that she will die there, but Harry Potter, along with Ron, goes into the Chamber of Secrets and fights and kills the Basilisk to eventually save her. Arthur and Molly were immediately called to Hogwarts after Ginny was said to be taken into the chamber.

Arthur took Harry, Hermione, and his children to the Quidditch World Cup. There, the Death Eaters caused a riot at the campsite after the final match, and Arthur was responsible for making sure that Harry, Hermione, and his children are safe. He also defended Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they were accused of casting the Dark Mark. 

Arthur was the one who came with Harry to the Ministry of Magic for his hearing at the Wizengamot for using magic in defense of his cousin Dudley. He even used non-magical means and traveled through the subway with Harry to make a better impression at the Wizengamot. Arthur was very excited and fascinated about his trip through Muggle’s means of transport, especially because of the escalators, which were present in the London Underground, which he mistakenly called “Escapators”. Later in the same year, when Arthur was performing guard duty at the Department of Mysteries, he was attacked by Voldemort’s snake, Nagini. 

However, due to Harry’s strange connection with the mind of Voldemort, and by extension, Nagini, he dreamt of this attack as it happened in real-time and warmed Albus Dumbledore about this, which prompted a swift rescue of Arthur. Arthur was very grateful for Harry’s swift response, which saved him. He had a lot of pain from this incident, and his wounds were covered with stitches after Augustus Pye recommended the Muggle way of treatment.

In Harry’s sixth year, he was very suspicious of Draco Malfoy and voiced his opinions about it to Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley. He also told Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger about Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy talking about Snape making the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy, which Harry had overheard. Eventually, Arthur helped Harry by keeping an eye on Draco’s movements and eventually reported to Harry that Draco had been trying to get a Vanishing Cabinet which was kept at Borgin and Burkes. In the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Arthur says Voldemort’s name out loud, making him one of the few characters who does this.

After Harry was brought to the Burrow from Privet Drive for the last time in Sirius’ motorcycle which was in ruins, Arthur wanted to study the motorcycle and try and repair it. Arthur fought bravely against Lord Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts along with his family members and the Order members and helped Harry defeat Lord Voldemort. Harry eventually married Arthur’s daughter, Ginny Weasley.

The Order of the Phoenix

Arthur Weasley became a member of the Order of the Phoenix during the Second Wizarding War. He and Molly Weasley may have helped the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War, but they were not a part of the Order of the Phoenix during that time. Arthur was an important member of the Order and helped it in several ways, including allowing the Burrow, his house to sometimes function as an unofficial headquarters for the Order. Besides Kingsley Shacklebolt, he was one of the most important members of the Order, working directly for the Ministry of Magic.

Arthur was close to several members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks who was also his distant relative through Cedrella Black, who was burnt out of the Black family tree for marrying a Weasley. All his children eventually became members of the Order of the Phoenix and were crucial in defeating Lord Voldemort in the final battle of the Second Wizarding War.

Arthur Weasley suffered severe losses during the Battle of Hogwarts, a major part of which came with the death of his son, Fred Weasley. Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, who were both close to Arthur, also died in the battle. Arthur’s eldest son, Bill, had also recently been bitten by Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf, during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. Arthur’s daughter Ginny almost died at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange but was heroically saved by his wife, Molly Weasley, who eventually killed Bellatrix. 

The Second Wizarding War

The Second Wizarding War was a major event that took place after Lord Voldemort returned several years after he disappeared. Arthur Weasley was a significant part of this war, especially because he worked in the Ministry of Magic and was close to Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore through his children. Arthur was the one who was guarding the Department of Mysteries on the day of the attack by Nagini but was luckily saved. Despite his son Percy being loyal to the Ministry of Magic and not seeing eye to eye with him, he forgave him, and they eventually rekindled their relationship. 

After Harry, Ron, and Hermione went away in search of the Horcruxes, Arthur Weasley continued to bravely attend his office at the Ministry of Magic despite being under constant scrutiny of the Ministry even after it was taken over by the Dark Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Arthur Weasley was crucial in saving the wizarding world from the Death Eaters as he helped several Half-blood and Muggle-born wizards and witches who were made a target of the fascination of Blood purity of the Death Eaters. Despite the presence of a Muggle Protection Act, the Ministry was openly killing and imprisoning Muggles and Muggle-borns during this time. When Harry Potter was in disguise as Albert Runcorn, Arthur Weasley did not hesitate to sternly show his displeasure for Albert’s actions against Muggle-borns.

Arthur Weasley would survive the Battle of Hogwarts and the Second Wizarding War. He would also go on to witness a new era of the wizarding world ushered by the end of the reign of Lord Voldemort. Arthur would witness the weddings of several of his children, including Charlie Weasley, Percy Weasley, George Weasley, who would marry Angelina Johnson, Ron Weasley, who would marry Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley, who would marry Harry Potter. Arthur was also very happy to be the grandfather to several of his grandchildren. Some of his grandchildren include James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Lily Luna Potter, Rose Granger-Weasley, Hugo Granger-Weasley, Fred Weasley II, Victoire Weasley, and Dominique Weasley.

Arthur Weasley – A “Hufflepuff” Archetype

Despite it being public knowledge that Arthur Weasley was in Gryffindor when he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a lot of his characteristic traits match that of a Hufflepuff. Interestingly, despite the stereotypes surrounding Hufflepuff house being the most boring house, there exists solid proof that it is far from the truth. Similarly, despite Arthur Weasley’s character being played as the hardworking yet unable to make it big in life, there are a lot of instances where his character, when inspected deeper, seems to surprise the reader.

Firstly, despite the stereotype that Hufflepuff house is for boring people, there exists a lot of evidence to disprove this. Although known more for being hardworking and loyal than brave, cunning, or intelligent, there is something crucial that this description misses out on. That is the fact that both hardwork and loyalty have been way more interesting traits in human history than is evident from their reception in society. 

Arthur Weasley is no exception to this, and neither are the members of Hufflepuff house. The extreme interest surrounding valor, intelligence, and cunning have all underestimated the importance that hardwork and loyalty have, especially since all three of the previously mentioned traits hold very little value without the latter two. 

One can be as valorous, intelligent, or cunning as they want, but without hard work, persistence, and grit, not much can be done in the long run. Similarly, loyalty signals a strong innate human understanding of integrity, without which one simply becomes a slave to his/her own selfish qualms which in the long run just destroys their ability to control their own selves.

Arthur Weasley lived by principle, tried his best to provide for his family, and showered them with ample love and affection. He was a great father, and somehow managed to do justice by all his children. He was a great husband, too, as is illustrated by his wife Molly Weasley’s affection and respect for him. He was also a good father figure to an impressionable Harry and humored him well even when some of his closest friends didn’t and at the time when he needed someone to believe him and help him.

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