Ron Weasley isn't quite the "red-headed step-child" of the Harry Potter franchise that some make him out to be. There's nothing shameful about Ron Weasley.

However, many fans have questioned just how the red-headed goof inexplicably shares the spotlight with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger throughout the core of the adventures.

Unlike Harry, who comes from a legendary background and complicated past, or Hermione, who is a gifted student, Ron is somewhat the odd man out, with no defining talent apparent in their first meeting. Some argue that he's solely there for moral support and comic relief, which to be fair, Harry needs a lot of, as he battles evil forces that are constantly trying to get him.

Though there are times that Harry Potter ventures off alone, for the majority of the time, Ron is right there with him. He is unquestioningly loyal to Harry, with very few exceptions, and is always quick with a joke even in the darkest of circumstances.

For this reason, he has become a fan-favorite character, offering a touch of humanity and grounding Harry with the friendship he so desperately needs.

However, there are a lot of things fans could point to about Ron that don't quite add up in the grand scheme of things.

Almost all fans of the Potterverse love Ron, but this doesn't mean that there's nothing about him that don't make any sense at all.

With that said, here are the 20 Things About Ron That Make No Sense.

Why Does Hermione End Up Being In A Relationship With Him Instead Of Harry?

It's easy to crush on Hermione Granger. She's pretty, brilliant, adept at magic, and she always seems to have a plan— a quality that Ron and Harry constantly need when they are neck deep in trouble.

So why does she fall for Ron instead of Harry?

After all, Harry is the "chosen one." He's the most loyal to her and stays by her side through thick and thin.

Although Ron has a terrific sense of humor, he constantly insults Hermione and mocks her for her dedication and intelligence, the very qualities that keep getting them out of trouble.

He had a chance to take her to the Yule Ball and blew it, and, in a jealous fit, he abandoned Hermione and Harry out in the middle of nowhere.

So why on earth does Hermione choose Ron?

How Is He So Bad At Magic?

Ron is not the best student and has a horrible time keeping focused on any one subject at a time. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this is a liability.

How can Ron cast effective spells if he can't remember which two Latin words go together? How will any of his potions turn out if he can't get the mixed proportions right? Also, if school just isn't his thing, then why is he really there to begin with?

Ron has other amazing qualities like bravery and loyalty and a cheeky sense of humor, all of which appropriately got him sorted into the Gryffindor House. He eventually becomes a champion Goalie.

However, as far as magic goes, he always seems just one step behind, yet he still manages to pass each class.

Why Does He So Rarely Enlist Help From His Family?

Harry Potter, though naturally talented, started with a huge disadvantage. The way the Dursleys raised him bordered on child abuse, and he had no natural allies to rely on outside of Hogwarts.

Hermione comes from a Muggle family that loves her, but it doesn't have the skill set to help her when things go badly.

Ron, on the other hand, has a huge magical family and a father employed in The Ministry of Magic. His older twin brothers own a magic novelty shop full of useful tricks.

Three of the Weasley brothers became Prefects and Percy became Head Boy and later also worked at the Ministry of Magic. His lovable mum was a fierce defender of her children and highly skilled with magic.

So when the situation became dire, why did he never ask for a little help?

If He Has A Crush on Hermione, Why Does He Fight With Her So Much?

Ron and Hermione never seemed to get along. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Ron declares "Mental, that one. I'm telling you." in reference to Hermione, foreshadowing their tense relationship.

By their fourth year, Ron, Hermione, and Harry have already gone through life-threatening adventures. Ron aims to ask Hermione to the Yule Ball in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but he waits too long and Victor Krum asks her first. Then he has the gall to accuse her of fraternizing with the enemy.

Ron's a chronic repeater of this nonsense. He constantly bickers with Hermione and never gives her a break.

While it's true that some young boys will pick on their crushes, Ron continues to start fights with Hermione as the two age.

Even If He Was Jealous Of Harry and Hermione, Why Did He Abandon Them?

Times are dark for Harry, Ron, and Hermione by the time Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 rolls around. On the run from Voldemort's minions and on a desperate search for Voldemort's Horcruxes, which they aren't even certain actually exist, the trio's spirits dampen considerably.

They do have one Horcrux, Regulus Arcturus Black's locket, but they are uncertain how to destroy it.

They notice that whoever holds it becomes increasingly dispirited. To lighten the load, they agree to take turns carrying it.

However, it is Ron who seems the most affected of all. He leaves them,  jealous of what he interprets as Hermione and Harry's flirtations.

With the best sense of humor on the team, you'd think that Ron would be impacted by the Horcrux the least.

How Does The Deluminator Bring Him To Rescue Harry At The Exact Moment He's Drowning?

After Ron leaves, Harry and Hermione teleport away from their current location, leaving Ron with no way to track them. Hermione takes this very hard.

Later, Harry sees the Patronus of a doe, which leads him to a pond with the Sword of Gryffindor at the bottom. When he goes to retrieve it, the locket Horcrux tries to drown him.

However, at the very last moment, Ron rescues him.

Ron explains that the Deluminator whispered his name in Hermione's voice. When he clicked it, a ball of light went right through him, and he knew it would lead him back to his friends.

However, if it was Hermione's voice, why didn't it bring him to Hermione, first? Also, how did the Deluminator know Harry was in trouble?

It's a weird moment that doesn't really have a satisfactory explanation.

If He's So Lousy At Magic, Why Is He Teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts?

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the trio decides to form the secretive Dumbledore's Army to practice self-defense in the Room of Requirement. This becomes crucial after Dolores Umbridge takes over the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, rendering its instruction useless.

Yet, in the training montage that follows, Ron doesn't seem to be very effective as a teacher, mostly just serving as target practice.

Not even the Weasley twins have much faith in him, betting against their own brother when he duels with Hermione. After she disarms Ron immediately, Ron says to the twins, "I let her do that. It's good manners, isn't it? It's completely intentional."

Other than being best friends with Harry and Hermione, who are much more advanced, Ron's position in the class doesn't make much sense.

Why Doesn't He Use The Weasley Twins Arsenal Of Practical Jokes For Self Defense?

A great sense of humor seems to be in the Weasley's blood, with the Weasley twins often seen as a shining example. They even make a career out of it, with their novelty practical joke shop Wizard Wheezes.

As Dolores Umbridge methodically takes over all of the rules at Hogwarts, the Weasley twins cause absolute mayhem with a magical fireworks display inside the walls of the castle. It's an act of hilarious defiance that galvanizes morale at the school.

However, Ron never seems to take advantage of all the miraculous and practical tools that his twin brothers have to offer.

A grand display of fireworks can be used to provide light or create a diversion. Similarly, other practical jokes can slow down or befuddle an enemy.

These sort of magical tools seems perfect for Ron's personality, yet he never uses them.

Why Doesn't He Use His Broom Skills More Often?

Being an effective goalie in Quidditch is no small feat, and getting hit by the ball can be quite painful.

Similar to a soccer goalie, one must have incredible focus and reflexes and must be able to react in real time. Unlike soccer, you must also have amazing skills on a broom, with top-notch agility and maneuverability.

You'd think that with these kinds of broom skills, Ron might use his broom more while out in the field.

In Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, the trio mostly teleports from location to location. However, while looking for Horcruxes or requiring a quick escape from Voldemort's minions, a broom would seem to be very useful.

Ron doesn't seem to have many other special skills, and Quidditch goalie skills definitely seem like they would be handy.

Why Doesn't He Use Magic To Change His Suit For The Yule Ball?

Ron inherited an absolutely horrific dress suit for the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We're not sure if this was the original Weasley suit passed down from his father, then his older brothers ,and finally down to Ron, but it looks worse than a polyester leisure suit from Laugh-in. 

If only there was some way that people could change inanimate objects into something else in the Harry Potter universe.

It only Wizards existed, or there were transfiguration spells, or Rooms of Requirement, or even the colorvaria spell.

Failing any of this kind of magic, Ron could maybe use his broom skills to fly to a close town and rent a suit. We're pretty sure his best friend Harry would have lent him the cash.

Why Does He Wait Too Long To Ask Hermione To The Yule Ball?

Sure, Ron's not always the sharpest wand at Ollivander's, but you'd think that he'd catch a clue when he's in the running for one of the prettiest and brightest girls at Hogwarts.

By all indications, Hermione wanted to go to the Yule Ball with Ron, but by the time he finally tried, Victor Krum from a rival school had already asked her.

Then, when she showed up with Krum, Ron has a complete tantrum and accused her of fraternizing with the enemy.

Poor Ron doesn't know how to deal with his emotions and probably wasn't prepared to see or even imagine Hermione with anyone else. However, of course someone else asked her.

Ron's self-worth is so low that he doesn't realize that the one girl he's shared four years of intense experiences with already has feelings for him, too.

Why Does He Grow Into An Inappropriate Adult?

Harry Potter fans everywhere were thoroughly delighted when the theatrical play about the grown-up versions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, joined the Potterverse. The play was very well received by fans.

Working as a manager at Wizard Wheezes, Ron's station in life seems a little lower than where we thought he would end up.

Also, to top it off, he's a bit weird around women.

When middle-aged Ron reveals that Harry's son Albus has an "older" girlfriend named Delphini who is 20, he describes her as "a cracking one at that — gorgeous silver hair."

This is creepy coming from someone who could easily be her father.

After all, what would Hermione think?

Why Don't The Weasley Twins Notice Peter Pettigrew Sleeping in Ron's Room?

Ron's pet is a rat named Scabbers, which was a gift from Percy. However, what Ron didn't know at the time was that Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form.

At the time, the Weasley twins had in their possession the Marauder's Map, a magical map that revealed in real time the location and movements of everyone in Hogwarts castle.

Why did they never notice that a grown man was sleeping in Ron’s room every night on the Marauder’s map?

It can be argued that maybe the Weasley twins didn't care less what their little brother Ron was up to, and were using the map for their own mischevious ends.

However, you'd think as practical jokers they'd want to scare or surprise Ron at least once at night, at which point they would have discovered Pettigrew's charade.

How Does He Never Develop a Magical Specialty?

Ron isn't useless— he performs many key actions that are vital to saving Harry and advancing the cause of defeating Voldemort.

He solves the chess puzzle in Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, he rescues Harry from the Dursleys with a flying car in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he saves Harry's life and destroys a Horcrux in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and there are countless other small but vital things he does along the way.

However, he never really seems to excel in any particular area of magic.

He does well in general in Defense Against the Dark Arts and even once disarmed Bellatrix Lestrange. He's a great Quidditch goalie, and his bravery in following Harry into danger is impressive.

Still, his crowning achievement is marrying Hermione.

Why Does Hermione Stay Married To Him?

The producers who cast Harry Potter and the Cursed Child went in a different direction than the movies, casting people of color in key roles based on the strength of their performances. Pictured above is Ron, Hermione, and their daughter, Rose.

In the future, Ron and Hermione are married but seem a bit mismatched.

Hermione has excelled in her world and has become the Minister of Magic, one of the highest honors in the Wizarding World. Ron, on the other hand, manages Wizard Wheezes, though he was formerly an excellent Auror.

A number of disappointing facts are revealed about Ron, including that he blacked out on drinks at his wedding and can't remember everything that happened during the special occasion.

After all these years, what is it exactly that Hermione still sees in him?

Why Doesn't His Self-Esteem Improve?

If someone were to go through everything that Ron does, they would come out experienced and seasoned. It doesn't seem likely anyone with low self-esteem could possibly survive all of the terrible things that happened to the trio, but Ron doesn't seem to have grown much.

As we can tell later in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, he eventually settles for a low-end management job at Wizard Wheezes after serving as a respected Auror.

However, this is the guy who stood with Harry and took on Voldemort in eight movies worth of adventures. This guy went through the Basilisk, Dementors, giant spiders, the Whomping Willow, Goblins, Trolls, and the list goes on.

Harry, coming from a broken home, rises beyond his awkwardness to become a leader. Hermione advances to the station of Minister of Magic. Meanwhile, Ron stays pretty much the same.

Why Does He Never Become Suspicious Of Scabbers' Long Life?

We know that Ron isn't exactly a bookworm, but even he should have figured this out.

A domesticated rat's general life expectancy is about two years even under the best of circumstances. Ron received the rat as another hand-me-down from Percy, who had nearly graduated from Hogwart when Ron entered.

Technically, Percy should have also figured out that something was amiss with this seemingly immortal rat, who had already lived nine years with the Weasleys before Ron got him.

Percy is brilliant, so how did he miss this?

Scabbers isn't discovered to be Peter Pettigrew in Animagus form until Ron's third year at Hogwarts, making the rat 12 years old.

At six times its lifespan, that's one ancient rat.

Why Is His Patronus A Jack Russell Terrier?

When casting a Patronus charm, the wielder summons a sort of spirit guardian that takes the form of a ghostly animal.

The exact shape and form of the Patronus is related to deep parts of the spellcaster's personality, but it often takes the shape of an animal the person feels close to. For example, Dumbledore's Patronus is a phoenix.

Ron's Patronus took the form of a Jack Russell terrier. Why is this exactly?

Ron never really discusses even wanting a dog. It seems like the only pet he ever really had was Scabbers.

Our best guess is that it is related to Ron's sense of loyalty to his friends, like a dog, and his sense of humor. Jack Russells are known to be of the most mischevious and clever breeds, so maybe this compliments him.

Still, it's never really explained.

Why Doesn't His Gift For Strategy Show Up Elsewhere?

Ron played a clever game of chess, taking the black side against the enchanted board in the quest for the Sorcerer's Stone. Assuming other missing black pieces, Hermione and Harry played on at Ron's direction.

Ron played a genius game but had to sacrifice himself to the White Queen to win. Luckily, the Queen only destroyed the Black Knight piece, not Ron who was riding it.

Because of Ron's genius playing, the trio was able to go on to the next room and Harry was able to eventually find Professor Quirrell.

Where was this Ron during the rest of the trio's adventures?

Mastering chess at such a young age, especially with a board meant to repel adult Wizards, is impressive. It requires excellent strategic skills and long-term thinking.

We would like to think that Ron has all of these qualities, but they never seem to reappear throughout the series.

Why Doesn't He Immediately Replace His Wand After It Breaks?

Ron breaks his wand early in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets when the flying car crashes into the Whomping Willow. Instead of getting a new wand, though, Ron continues with his broken one.

It's unclear why he doesn’t immediately get it replaced or find a loaner. If you can’t use your wand, aren’t you going to fail all your magic classes?

How are you going to accomplish anything at Hogwarts without the thing needed to cast spells? Ron trudges through the year at school with a broken wand, dooming him to spells that work haphazardly or not at all.

Luckily, it works in his favor when Lockhart attempts to use Ron's wand against him, causing a memory loss spell to backfire.

Couldn't any of the Weasleys come up with the 7 Galleons (about $175) for a new one? You'd think that Harry might have even taken pity on Ron and lent him some money.

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Can you think of any other things about Ron in Harry Potter that don't make any sense? Let us know in the comments!