The Wonderful Weasleys

The Weasleys are a pure-blood Wizarding family. There are many members of this family – Mr and Mrs Weasley and their seven children, Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Fred, Ron, and Ginny. Ron and Harry became friends on the train ride to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry sees the Weasleys as his family, particularly because his own blood-related family do not treat him well. The Weasleys are a complete contrast to the Dursleys. This ranges from their homes, the way the households are run, the children’s behaviour, and (not forgetting) what they eat.

The Weasleys on holiday

As it’s already been written, the Dursleys eat well and a lot. However, their poor treatment of Harry is reflected in what they serve him to eat, which is a lot less in quantity, quality and what food. The Weasleys, however, know that Harry is not treated well at the Dursleys. As a result, whenever Harry stays at their house, Mrs Weasley makes sure that he is always fed wholehearted food and is allowed extra portions, despite there already being many people to feed. This pampering of Harry through food is seen in the Chamber of Secrets, which is when Harry first visits the Weasleys’ home. This incident takes places after Ron and his twin brothers, Fred and George, rescue Harry from the Dursleys’ because he is being treated like an animal. Mrs Weasley was

“cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan”. She tipped “eight or nine sausages on to [Harry’s] plate… (she was now adding three fried eggs to his plate)” (31)

“’They were starving him, Mum!’ ... It was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Harry bread and buttering it for him” (31)

Mrs Weasley is angry at her sons for their disregard for the law and their irresponsible behaviour, which is obviously demonstrated in her careless manner whilst cooking. However, when she hears that Harry was not cared for or fed properly, she gives him more than plenty to eat. She even butters his bread, which she does less aggressively than her actions before. This thus shows that Mrs Weasley does care deeply for Harry’s well-being, and also that she regrets being so angry at her sons for saving Harry. Her behaviour towards Harry is exactly the same as her treatment towards her own sons as she also gives them more than enough to eat and pampers them. Furthermore, this shows that she is a good hostess and a mother.

It should be mentioned that the Weasleys are not rich; they get by in life, particularly by saving when they can and relying on hand-me-downs. They do not have the luxury to buy something new to replace something that’s broken (a key example that springs to mind is Ron’s wand breaking in the Chamber of Secrets and his parents not being able to buy him another until a year later). The first instance of their wealth is on the train ride to the school in their first year and Mrs Weasley has packed all her children sandwiches for the journey. Ron’s mother has made him four ‘lumpy’ corned beef sandwiches, which he does not like. Ron is clearly not under-fed as he is given four sandwiches (and this is made further obvious by Ron’s hearty, or some may say greedy, appetite seen throughout the books). However, what he is eating, and the fact that he is not given spending money for the treats on the train, definitely suggests that he does not often eat fancy or luxurious food at home.

Mrs Weasley’s cooking, despite not being able to afford expensive foods, is presented as much more appealing than the Dursleys’ because her cooking has a homely feel to it and it is obvious that it is made with love and care. This is supported by her offering Harry multiple portions and it also explains why Ron has an endless appetite. An example of her homemade cooking is in the Philosopher’s Stone, when she sends Harry home-made fudge as part of his Christmas presents. Fudge is a rich, sweet, creamy treat, which is described as “very tasty” (147). This is a different adjective to the usual ‘delicious’ that Rowling uses to describe food. Harry’s approval and Rowling’s use of a different adjective both illustrate that Mrs Weasley is a very good cook and her food is appreciated.

Mrs Weasley is always more than happy to cook a main course and dessert when there is a special occasion or celebration. There are numerous examples of this. For example, she still goes out of her way to celebrate Harry’s 17^th birthday in the Deathly Hallows, despite the dangerous events that are occurring in the Wizarding community.

“Mrs Weasley, coming through the gate with what appeared to be a giant, beach-ball-sized Snitch floating in front of her. Seconds later Harry realised that it was his birthday cake, which Mrs Weasley was suspending with her wand rather than risk carrying it over the uneven ground. When the cake finally landed in the middle of the table, Harry said, ‘That looks amazing, Mrs Weasley.’” (101)

The care and thought that has gone into this cake is obvious. She made a Snitch cake because Harry is a Seeker in the Wizard game of Quidditch. In addition, Harry mistook the cake to be a large beach-ball, which illustrates the size. The large size of the cake could be because there are many guests and she is treating Harry. It also seems that she made it herself. All of these factors accumulated together support that by the final book, Mrs Weasley regards Harry as her own son and she has therefore gone out of her way to show him that she cares and that he is part of the family. Seeing as the Dursleys do not even remember his birthday, Mrs Weasley’s hard work and effort into the cake and the meal as a whole clearly demonstrates that she loves him. The magical aspect in this quote is the cake floating above the guests, which may have been done for safety, but it also complements the Snitch’s ability to fly by itself in the game.

Magic is clearly present in Mrs Weasley’s cooking. On many occasions, she uses her wand to help prepare the food, cook the food, and set the table. Sometimes, she does these tasks the Muggle way, or she gets her children and Harry to help. In the Order of the Phoenix, Mrs Weasley does ask her family and guests to help her in the kitchen, but in reality, she only required the help of her husband to oversee the magic she cast to prepare the food.

“Soon a series of heavy knives were chopping meat and vegetables of their own accord, supervised by Mr Weasley, while Mrs Weasley stirred a cauldron dangling over the fire, and the others took out plates, more goblets and food from the pantry.” (78)

Mr Weasley supervised the preparation of the food which may be due to the possible danger of the many number of knives in use simultaneously. Clearly, Mrs Weasley did not need much help, only an extra pair of eyes. The use of magic shows that the task of preparing food is made so much easier and less time-consuming as the ingredients are cut simultaneously. An advantage of magic that I would not say no to!

Another occasion of the use of magic in the kitchen is when Harry arrives at the Weasleys’ late in the night in the Half-Blood Prince.

“Mrs Weasley, rapping a large iron pot with her wand: it bounced on to the stove with a loud clang and began to bubble at once… She tapped the pot again; it rose into the air, flew towards Harry and tipped over; Mrs Weasley slid a bowl neatly beneath it just in time to catch the stream of thick, steaming onion soup. ‘Bread, dear?’ ‘Thanks, Mrs Weasley.’ She waved her wand over her shoulder; a loaf of bread and a knife soared gracefully on to the table. As the loaf sliced itself and the soup pot dropped back on to the stove…” (83)

She is clearly prepared as it seems that the soup has been made beforehand. Mrs Weasley used magic to heat the soup, which happened incredibly quickly (the positives of magic are becoming increasingly attractive for kitchen work!). She also used magic to slice the bread. She barely lifted a finger to give Harry this meal, except to wave her wand and put a bowl in front of Harry. The effortlessness and efficiency that Mrs Weasley portrays whilst not even saying the spells out-loud makes this preparation of food smooth and highlights how advanced she is in her magical abilities.

This advancement in magic is a contrast to Fred and George’s abilities.

“’Fred – George – NO, JUST CARRY THEM!’ Mrs Weasley shrieked. Harry, Sirius and Mungungus looked round and, within a split second, they had dived away from the table. Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of spew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with a knife, to hurtle through the air towards them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface; the flagon of Butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere; the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius’s hand had been seconds before.” (the Order of the Phoenix, 80)

The twins are using magic to take the food to the table because they have recently come of age, which means that they are allowed to use magic outside of school. They are eager to use magic and they do so without fear and they relish the opportunities when they do use magic. Here, their mother doesn’t like their decision to use magic to transport the food to the table because it poses danger due to the knife and the hot stew. She is completely right to be worried as Fred and George do not successfully take the food to the table. Instead, they cause the stew to leave a burn mark on the table, indicating how hot it is; the Butterbeer spills everywhere; and the knife ends up stuck in the table where someone’s hand was just placed. Clearly, magic needs to be practiced and perfected. And, of course, used safely around knives.

The variety of dishes that Mrs Weasleys cooks supports that she is a good cook and a perfect example of a homemaker. In the Goblet of Fire, on the first night of Harry’s arrival, Mrs Weasley prepares chicken-and-ham pie, boiled potatoes and salad, with homemade strawberry ice-cream for dessert (57-60). This is a perfect two-course hearty meal for a welcome dinner. It is even more so ‘perfect’ because Mrs Weasley made this when she was frustrated at her twin sons. She is more than capable of making a meal when she is angry, which is a skill that is required in being a housewife. This meal is just an example of the many dishes that she has made that are simple, loving, comfort food, and sit-at-the-table-as-a-family type of food. In the Order of the Phoenix, Mrs Weasley prepares stew, bread and Butterbeer, with rhubarb crumble and custard for pudding. The main course may be a basic dish, but it is a wholesome meal. It is also a very British dish, as is the dessert. This is something that Rowling does continuously throughout all the books. The meals she allows the characters to make and/or eat are always quintessentially British, which is obviously because the novels are set in Britain.

In the Weasley household, it is clear that there is only one cook – Mrs Weasley. This may be because her family and friends love her cooking so they do not try, or (more likely) Mrs Weasley does not want others to help her cook. She is really the only cook in this family and she is content with that. Despite their wealth, Mrs Weasley gives her family and her guest more than enough to eat. In addition, she is a perfect example of a housewife as she looks after her family, as well as cooking meals from scratch. Obviously, the ability to do magic plays a large part in the preparation and cooking of the meals, which makes her job easier. However, I do not want to discredit her for her hard work, as looking after seven children (including the crazy twins) cannot be easy. But, she does make it look easy. I would love to be fed and pampered by Mrs Weasley because she is loving and kind and thoughtful, which is all evident in her cooking.

To end this post, I thought I’d bring to light how Ron celebrates his, Harry and Hermione’s successful exam results in the Half-Blood Prince:

“’Well, we’re N.E.W.T. students now!’ grinned Ron. ‘Mum, are there any more sausages?’” (101)

Ron always has food on his mind. We're not that different in this sense.

Image taken from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Weasley_family