From the infamous slug incident to rescuing Harry from Privet Drive, there were plenty of times Ron Weasley proved to be an excellent friend. We look at some of his best moments.

The time he sacrificed himself on the chessboard

Ron was always willing to join Harry on his many adventures (despite the risks they posed) and their journey through the trapdoor was no exception. When they reached the giant chessboard, Ron proved himself to be an excellent friend. Not only did he make sure that Harry and Hermione were kept out of harm’s way, but he also sacrificed himself so that the other two could get to the Philosopher’s Stone before it was too late.

‘We’re nearly there,’ he muttered suddenly. ‘Let me think – let me think...’

The white queen turned her blank face towards him.

‘Yes...’ said Ron softly, ‘it’s the only way... I’ve got to be taken.’

‘NO!’ Harry and Hermione shouted.

‘That’s chess!’ snapped Ron. ‘You’ve got to make some sacrifices!

I take one step forward and she’ll take me – that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!’

‘But –’

‘Do you want to stop Snape or not?’

‘Ron –’

‘Look, if you don’t hurry up, he’ll already have the Stone!’

There was nothing else for it.

‘Ready?’ Ron called, his face pale but determined. ‘Here I go – now, don’t hang around once you’ve won.’
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

When he rescued Harry from the Dursleys

When Harry was locked in his bedroom after the incident with the Hover Charm, Aunt Petunia’s pudding and a rogue house-elf, he had no way of getting in touch with his friends. However, Ron was not going to stand for that. After not hearing from his best friend, he took matters into his own hands and decided to rescue him. He most certainly broke the rules (and risked the wrath of his mother) but proved himself to be a true friend to Harry.

‘What’s been going on?’ said Ron. ‘Why haven’t you been answering my letters? I’ve asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you’d got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles...’

‘It wasn’t me – and how did he know?’

‘He works for the Ministry,’ said Ron. ‘You know we’re not supposed to do spells outside school –’

‘Bit rich coming from you,’ said Harry, staring at the floating car.

‘Oh, this doesn’t count,’ said Ron. ‘We’re only borrowing this, it’s Dad’s, we didn’t enchant it. But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with...’

‘I told you, I didn’t – but it’ll take too long to explain now. Look, can you explain to them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked me up and won’t let me come back, and obviously I can’t magic myself out, because the Ministry’ll think that’s the second spell I’ve done in three days, so –’

‘Stop gibbering,’ said Ron, ‘we’ve come to take you home with us.’
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

When he stood up for Hermione against Malfoy

Draco Malfoy was often incredibly foul, and this incident was no exception. Calling Hermione a ‘Mudblood’ was an awful thing to do. Ron clearly felt the same way and stood up for her… despite his broken wand and the slug-filled consequences.

‘At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in,’ said Hermione sharply. ‘They got in on pure talent.’

The smug look on Malfoy’s face flickered.

‘No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood,’ he spat.

Harry knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him, Alicia shrieked, ‘How dare you!’ and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, ‘You’ll pay for that one, Malfoy!’ and pointed it furiously under Flint’s arm at Malfoy’s face.

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron’s wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backwards onto the grass.

‘Ron! Ron! Are you all right?’ squealed Hermione.

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

His willingness to follow the spiders into the Forbidden Forest despite his fear

Ron was terrified of spiders. So much so, his Boggart even took the shape of a giant one. Yet, he forced himself to get over his fear after Hermione was Petrified in Chamber of Secrets. He and Harry were determined to find out what had hurt their friend and the other students, so they went to Hagrid for some help. Unfortunately, they witnessed Hagrid being wrongly arrested, but not before he managed to leave them the cryptic clue to ‘follow the spiders’. Though we have no doubt that Ron was terrified, he still did it – because that’s what makes a good friend.

Instead he contented himself with scrawling a note to Ron: ‘Let’s do it tonight.’

Ron read the message, swallowed hard and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione. The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve, and he nodded.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

When he stood up to Snape

Ok, Ron and Hermione might not have always seen eye-to-eye, but that didn’t mean Ron was going to let anyone else say anything about her. Despite the fact that he would happily call her a know-it-all, he still instantly stood up to her against Snape – and landed himself in a lot of trouble for his efforts.

‘That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger,’ said Snape coolly. ‘Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all.’

Hermione went very red, put down her hand and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, ‘You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don’t want to be told?’

The class knew instantly he’d gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.

‘Detention, Weasley,’ Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron’s. ‘And if I ever hear you criticise the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed.’
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

How he refused to sever ties with Harry

When Voldemort returned not everybody was willing to believe it. In fact, many decided that Harry was lying. Not Ron though. He stood by Harry the entire time and never questioned his story. When his brother Percy suggested that Ron should stop hanging out with him, Ron wasn’t having any of it. He was furious. Yet again, this proved that he could be a wonderful friend.

Harry looked up at Ron.

‘Well,’ he said, trying to sound as though he found the whole thing a joke, ‘if you want to – er – what is it?’ – he checked Percy’s letter – ‘Oh yeah – “sever ties” with me, I swear I won’t get violent.’

‘Give it back,’ said Ron, holding out his hand. ‘He is –’ Ron said jerkily, tearing Percy’s letter in half ‘the world’s –’ he tore it into quarters ‘biggest –’ he tore it into eighths ‘git.’ He threw the pieces into the fire.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

When he came back after leaving Harry and Hermione

Yes, Ron was completely in the wrong for leaving Harry and Hermione behind. And yes, that is an example of him being a terrible friend. But he immediately realised that, swallowed his pride and tried his hardest to return to them. He was eventually successful – and saved Harry’s life in the process. Owning up to your mistake is something that takes a lot of courage. Ron being willing to fight for two of his most important relationships demonstrated that, at his core, he was truly loyal.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said in a thick voice. ‘I’m sorry I left. I know I was a – a –’

He looked around at the darkness, as if hoping a bad enough word would swoop down upon him and claim him.

‘You’ve sort of made up for it tonight,’ said Harry. ‘Getting the sword. Finishing off the Horcrux. Saving my life.’

‘That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was,’ Ron mumbled.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows