the-power-of-potter:

…I think there’s something to be said about a certain passage:

‘Well, I mean, I’d already let in that one of Davies’s, so I wasn’t feeling all that confident, but I dunno, when Bradley came towards me, just out of nowhere, I thought—you can do this! And I had about a second to decide which way to fly, you know, because he looked like he was aiming for the right goalhoop— my right, obviously, his left—but I had a funny feeling that he was feinting, and so I took the chance and flew left—his right, I mean—and—well—you saw what happened,’ he concluded modestly, sweeping his hair back quite unnecessarily so that it looked interestingly windswept and glancing around to see whether the people nearest to them—a bunch of gossiping third-year Hufflepuffs—had heard him. ‘And then, when Chambers came at me about five minutes later—What?’ Ron asked, having stopped mid-sentence at the look on Harry’s face. ‘Why are you grinning?’

‘I’m not,’ said Harry quickly, and looked down at his Transfiguration notes, attempting to straighten his lace. The truth was that Ron had just reminded Harry forcibly of another Gryffindor Quidditch player who had once sat rumpling his hair under this very tree. ‘I’m just glad we won, that’s all.’

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [Chapter 31; O.W.L.s]

So obviously there’s a direct comparison between Ron Weasley and James Potter— and I think that’s done for a reason. This scene was directly after Harry had been feeling doubtful about his father’s love for Lily, as well as what kind of man he’d originally thought his father to be. After seeing how awful Snape’s worse memory portrayed James to be, when he saw James ruthlessly and mercilessly humiliate Snape in the Great Lawn, he didn’t think all those comparisons to his father should be something of a praise. Even after Sirius and Lupin reassured him that it wasn’t anything to be worried about, that James’ over-confidence was just the typical behavior of a fifteen year old and that he grew out of it eventually— it was seeing Ron acting similarly that really made Harry feel better about his father’s image. There’s no denying that Ron has acted like a jerk, or has said the wrong thing at the wrong time more often than not, but that didn’t mean Ron, like James, wasn’t a good-hearted person. No one knows Ron better than Harry does, and he knows that Ron’s heart is always in the right place, despite how he might act towards Hermione (as well as James’ behavior towards Lily). It’s also the very typical behavior of most, if not all, teenage boys; and I’m not saying it justifies any sort of bullying or showing off— but the reality of it is, that it’s how boys act. It doesn’t necessary mean they’re bad people or should be bashed on solely one phase of their life, because they do eventually grow up. And grow up, they did. Because they both became two of the biggest heroes in the series: James, sacrificing his life without a second thought to save his son, thereby giving Harry a natural defense against Voldemort; and Ron, Harry’s ever-loyal best friend, the one who literally opened Harry up to the Wizarding World and helped him understand the true meaning of friendship. They are undeniably two of the most heroic and bravest characters in the series.

So in my opinion, Ron being compared to James is the best compliment or reprieve James can get (and vice versa). It means that James could not possibly have been simply a horrible, arrogant jerk or a bully without any regard for consequence, or that he somehow forced Lily to love him. Ron didn’t force Hermione to love him, did he? Hermione, as shown since the day she pretty much met him, loved Ron for Ron. For his bravery, his strength and passion, his determination, even for his “emotional range of a teaspoon.” Obviously Lily must have felt the same way about James, that even despite James’ outward behavior, his inward personality was as amazing as Ron’s. 

It means, like Ron, James would’ve been one of the best people Harry could’ve ever known. 

Awesome post is awesome.

I always felt that James and Ron were kindred spirits. If Harry wanted to know what his father was really like he need only look at his best friend.

“Where did you go?” asked Harry, staring at him.

“Your dad’s place,” said Sirius. “Your grandparents were really good

about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah, I camped out

at your dad’s during the school holidays.

Ron did the exact same thing for Harry.