9 Times You Fell In Love With Ron Weasley

The first time I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , I saw it in theaters. None of my friends had read the books yet, and couldn't understand why I was so excited to see this random movie based on a random book about a boy wizard going to a magical school, and his amazing best friend... and Ron was so much more than a sidekick.

I went anyway, and the film was every bit as magical as I had hoped. Hogwarts was enchanting! Voldemort was terrifying! Hermione was my role model! Harry was just as heroic as I'd pictured! And Ron... with his constantly bemused expression, awesome family, and witty disposition, he was the perfect movie crush for my elementary school self.

Admit it: you definitely had a crush on Ron Weasley, whether you only knew him from the pages of the books, or saw him on-screen, or both.

Harry was the series protagonist, too busy saving the world to be your crush (and besides, you wanted to BE him). Hermione was basically your clone, and if you grew up reading the books like I did, everyone else seemed too ~adult~ to be your crush. Meaning affable Ron Weasley was the perfect love.

It makes sense that Ron and Hermione ended up together, because I was a mini-Hermione as a kid and I thought Ron was the bee's knees. Here are nine times I fell in love with Ron Weasley:

1. When He Promised To Be Harry's Second In A Duel

There are so many good Harry and Ron best friends forever moments in Sorcerer's Stone, but my favorite is probably when Ron agrees to be Harry's second in a duel against Malfoy, no questions asked. Sure, neither of them really know what they're doing in a wizard's duel, but the sentiment is there: Ron will always be by your side, no matter what crazy thing you're up to.

2. When He Sacrificed Himself During Wizard's Chess

Ron usually gets characterized as a silly sidekick, but he's far from it — he proves that he's a true hero when he's only 11 YEARS OLD and he sacrifices himself for the greater good. While playing chess, he knows his knight must be sacrificed so Harry and Hermione can move on toward the Sorcerer's Stone, and he makes this decision without ever looking back. He really is a brave and valiant knight.

3. When He Cursed Malfoy For Calling Hermione A Mudblood

Ron will always stand up for his friend's honor, even if he accidentally curses himself in the process. When he told Malfoy to "eat slugs" and cursed him for calling Hermione a Mudblood, admit it — you were totally in love.

4. When He Had An Amazing Family

The Weasleys are truly a fantastic family. Who wouldn't want to be a part of this redheaded pack of crazy awesome people? Each member was so witty — including Ron — and though they didn't have much, they were the most generous people. Molly Weasley knew how to raise those kids.

5. When He Loved Scabbers

Maybe it was awkward when Scabbers turned out to be a full grown man hiding as a rat, but the sentiment is still there: Ron loved his pet. And it's always a good sign when someone is kind to animals.

6. When He Stood By Harry In Goblet Of Fire

A lot of people didn't believe Harry when he said that Voldemort was back. They didn't want to think that something so terrible had happened, and it was easier to stay ignorant. But Ron fiercely stood by Harry, even when the truth was hard to hear — a truly great quality.

7. When He Was Super Nervous To Play Quidditch

It was so endearing.

8. When He Said Hermione's Name In His Sleep

After all the insanity with Lavender, Ron couldn't hide his true feelings for Hermione. And how sweet was his accidental confession??

9. When He Remembered The House-Elves

Sometimes Ron had the emotional range of a teaspoon, and sometimes it just took him so long to catch on to things. But during the Battle of Hogwarts, he got it all right when he thought about protecting the innocent. There's a reason this was the moment he and Hermione finally got together: Ron shows so much maturity, and after everything, he really was listening to Hermione the whole time.

Images: Warner Bros (1), Giphy (8)