The Weasley Family

The Weasley family is one of the most prominent and significant wizarding families in Great Britain. They are a long-established pure-blood family, included in the Pure-Blood Directory's list of the “Sacred Twenty-Eight” oldest pure-blood lineages. However, due to their pro-Muggle stance, acceptance of those with mixed heritage, and association with Albus Dumbledore, they are reviled by supremacist families like the Malfoys and branded as blood traitors. Despite facing financial hardship and social scorn from parts of the wizarding world, the Weasleys are defined by their immense warmth, bravery, loyalty, and integrity. They serve as a surrogate family for Harry Potter and are central members of the Order of the Phoenix in the fight against Lord Voldemort during the Second Wizarding War. The family is famously associated with red hair, freckles, and Gryffindor house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Weasleys have lived for generations at their home, The Burrow, near the village of Ottery St Catchpole in Devon, England. Their inclusion in the Sacred Twenty-Eight indicates an entirely wizarding ancestry, yet they have long been known for their interest in and friendly relations with Muggles. This progressive attitude led to their denouncement by families who prioritized blood purity above all else. The family's core values are love, loyalty, and courage. They consistently choose to do what is right over what is easy or socially advantageous. Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley raised their seven children to be kind, brave, and to judge people by their character rather than their blood status. This moral compass puts them in direct opposition to Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. During the Second Wizarding War, every member of the family actively participated in the resistance, demonstrating immense courage and suffering great personal loss.

• Arthur Weasley: The patriarch of the family. A kind, good-humoured, and honourable wizard with a deep fascination for Muggles and their inventions. He works for the Ministry of Magic, initially in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and later as the Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects.
• Molly Weasley (née Prewett): The matriarch of the family. A fiercely loving and protective mother, she is a formidable witch whose boggart is the dead bodies of her loved ones. Her brothers, Gideon Prewett and Fabian Prewett, were murdered by Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War. She is known for her cooking, her hand-knitted jumpers, and her formidable temper when her family is threatened.

• Bill Weasley (William Arthur Weasley): The eldest son. A former Hogwarts Head Boy and an accomplished Curse-Breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank. He was badly scarred by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. He marries Fleur Delacour.
• Charlie Weasley: The second son. A former Hogwarts Quidditch Captain and Prefect who works with dragons in Romania. He is described as having a sturdy build and a good-natured personality. He helps transport Norbert the dragon in Harry's first year and fights in the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Percy Weasley (Percy Ignatius Weasley): The third son. Highly ambitious and rule-abiding, he becomes a Hogwarts Prefect and Head Boy. His ambition leads him to an administrative position at the Ministry of Magic, causing a painful estrangement from his family when he sides with the Ministry against Dumbledore and Harry Potter. He reconciles with his family during the Battle of Hogwarts.
• Fred Weasley: The fourth son and identical twin to George Weasley. A brilliant and charismatic prankster, he and George co-founded the highly successful joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, in Diagon Alley. He was tragically killed in an explosion during the Battle of Hogwarts.
• George Weasley: The fifth son and identical twin to Fred Weasley. George shared Fred's wit and talent for invention. He lost his left ear as a result of a Sectumsempra curse cast by Severus Snape during the Battle of the Seven Potters. He continued to run Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes after his twin's death.
• Ron Weasley (Ronald Bilius Weasley): The sixth and youngest son. He is Harry Potter's first friend at Hogwarts and one of his closest companions, along with Hermione Granger. Fiercely loyal and brave, though often insecure, Ron plays a crucial role in the hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes. He eventually marries Hermione Granger.
• Ginny Weasley (Ginevra Molly Weasley): The youngest child and only daughter. A powerful and talented witch in her own right, she is a skilled Quidditch player (Chaser and Seeker) and a key member of Dumbledore's Army. She was possessed by the memory of Tom Riddle via his diary in her first year. She eventually marries Harry Potter.

The epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and supplementary materials confirm the following grandchildren for Arthur and Molly Weasley:

• Children of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour:
  • Victoire Weasley
  • Dominique Weasley (Pottermore)
  • Louis Weasley (Pottermore)
• Children of Percy Weasley and his wife, Audrey:
  • Molly Weasley II (Pottermore)
  • Lucy Weasley (Pottermore)
• Children of George Weasley and Angelina Johnson:
  • Fred Weasley II (Pottermore)
  • Roxanne Weasley (Pottermore)
• Children of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger:
  • Rose Granger-Weasley
  • Hugo Granger-Weasley
• Children of Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter:
  • James Sirius Potter
  • Albus Severus Potter
  • Lily Luna Potter

The primary residence of the Weasley family is The Burrow. It is a magically expanded and ramshackle house located on the outskirts of Ottery St Catchpole. Despite being cluttered and crooked, it is a place of immense warmth, comfort, and security for its inhabitants and guests, particularly Harry Potter, who considers it his second home after Hogwarts. The home and its grounds have numerous magical features, including a ghoul in the attic and a garden overrun with gnomes.

The Weasley family is foundational to the entire Harry Potter series. They provide Harry with the loving family he lost as an infant, integrating him into the wizarding world beyond Hogwarts. Ron Weasley is Harry's steadfast best friend, while Ginny Weasley becomes his primary love interest. Arthur and Molly act as surrogate parents, offering guidance, protection, and unconditional love. The family's unwavering support for Harry and Dumbledore makes them key players in the Order of the Phoenix and primary targets for Lord Voldemort and his followers. Their bravery, sacrifices, and ultimate triumph embody the series' central themes of love and courage conquering hatred and evil.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that the Weasleys were one of the first families she created and are among her favorite characters.
• The Weasleys' poverty was a deliberate choice by the author to show that worth in the wizarding world is not determined by wealth or blood purity, but by character and choices.
• The name “Weasley” is likely derived from the weasel, an animal which, in British folklore, has a poor and often unfair reputation, reflecting the social standing of the family among pure-blood supremacists. J.K. Rowling has also expressed a personal fondness for weasels (J.K. Rowling interview).