Interview with Ginny and Ron Weasley

Interview with Ginny and Ron Weasley at the British Publishing Group Awards Dinner

SL: Ron, Ginny, I am delighted to finally meet you. Are you representing your U.K. publisher or the Harry Potter franchise here at the conference?

GW: Oh, neither. Jo asked to come.

SL: Jo...that's J.K. Rowling?

RW: Right. She's putting the finishing touches on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and couldn't get away, so she asked us to speak here on her behalf.

SL: Did anyone else from Hogwarts attend?

GW: Hermione is too busy.

RW: Harry is feeling a bit over-exposed at the moment.

SL: I hope you'll pardon me, but you look a bit older than I expected.

GW: I was ten years old when the first book was published. This is my last year at Hogwarts.

SL: Do fictional characters age in real time? How does that work?

GW: Parallel literary universe, time-space continuum... I am not sure.

RW: (shrugs) Hermione can explain it.

SL: Of course, our Muggle readers will want to know what you think of the film versions of the books. Have you seen them?

GW: Oh yes, several times.

RW: They're brilliant. Of course, it's just the Hollywood version. We are literary characters. Our loyalty is to Jo, the author.

GW: We are more concerned with the written word, you see. But the films are great fun. Our Muggle-born friends say it's just like home videos--whatever those are--with better production values

RW: Whatever those are!

SL: So everyone is satisfied with how the books translated to the screen?

RW: Not everyone, ummmm, Hermione...

GW: She feels her character was over-glamourised and well, that Hogwarts' academic rigor was rather trivialised.

SL: I see. Speaking of Hermione, what is she doing now?

GW: I thought you would ask, so I may a few notes. (unrolls a roll of parchment.)

RW: Ginny, we have only an hour for the interview. That list will take days.

GW: It's just the highlights.

SL: Hermione was head girl last year?

GW: Yes. Oh, I didn't even write that one down.

SL: Please go on.

GW: She is the youngest full professor in Hogwarts' history. Right now she is teaching first- and second-year Charms, besides doing research with Professor Flitwick.

RW: And one section of History of Magic.

GW: Someone had to finally tell Professor Binns that he was dead and he deserved a sabbatical.

RW: Muggle Studies, don't forget Muggle Studies.

GW: Hermoine has re-done the entire curriculum for Muggle Studies. She has a book coming out which is expected to be the definitive text. Advance orders have already surpassed Gilderoy Lockhart's final book, Magical Me.

RW: (rolls eyes) That's saying something. There's a huge display in Flourish and Blott's. Brilliant. Y'know, Muggle Studies was considered an easy elective. Hah. Wait till our Hermione gets to 'em.

SL: Can you tell us about her changes in the coursework?

GW: Well, 5th and 6th years study traditional Muggle disciplines, chemistry, calculus and so on, and their applications to Wizarding subjects. Seventh-year students do a course on Muggle Technology.

RW: Not sorry to miss that one.

SL: Fascinating. Can you tell us about Harry? Ron, I do want to hear about what all you Weasleys are doing, too.

GW: He is at Hogwarts, too. He's to be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

RW: There's no one in the world more qualified.

GW: Harry's not a full professor yet. He's practice-teaching under Dumbledore.

RW: He teaches Advanced Flying and coaches Quidditch, too. Ginny, you forgot to mention the benefit when we were talking about Hermione.

GW: Oh right. You know that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is over one thousand years old, so fund-raising has gotten a bit haphazard.

RW: Hermione and Parvati Patel took it over this year. There was a huge event Halloween weekend, an alumni Quidditch match. It was brilliant.

GW: Witches and wizards came from all over the world. The event raised thousands of galleons for Hogwarts' scholarship fund.

RW: You should have seen Cornelius Fudge puttering around on an original "Twiggy."

GW: That's the first ultra-light flying broom designed for Quidditch.

RW: They have been out of production for about two hundred years.

GW: My brothers were falling about laughing when they saw it. Harry played, of course.

SL: How are the Dursleys taking all this attention to Harry?

RW: Dudley took a fair bit of harassment at Smeltings. Not that he didn't deserve it.

GW: Vernon Dursely barricaded himself in the house for a few weeks at first. When he realized that the publicity didn't hurt the drill business, he calmed down a bit.

SL: Please tell us about your family.

GW: Dad is still at the Ministry of Magic. Percy is now, too.

RW: No surprise there.

GW: Charlie is director of the rare dragon breeding program and head of all the dragon preserves in eastern Europe now.

RW: Bill is traveling for Gringott's. Mostly in Asia.

SL: Ginny, you are in your final year. Any ideas beyond graduation?

GW: I am just focused on my O.W.L. exams. No plans yet.

SL: How are Fred and George?

RW: Successful! You know they have the joke shop. Shops, actually.

GW: There's the big one in Diagon Alley, and the smaller one in Hogsmeade. We all try to help out during holidays and the big Christmas shopping rush, even Mum.

RW: I have been working for Fred at the Diagon Alley location.

GW: And next year. . .

RW: Well, I am to take over the Hogsmeade shop while George scouts a New York location. We are planning to expand into the U.S. market.

SL: New York! Is there an equivalent of Diagon Alley there?

GW: Yes, of course, where do you think North American witches and wizards shop?

RW: (low booming voice) I shouldn't 'a said that. I should not have said that.

SL: (Laughs) Good luck to both of you. Thank you, thank you for your time.

GW: Our pleasure.

reprinted with permission British Publishing Group, from January 2003 issue of READING. Interview by Sorrel Lucent, editor-in-chief.