Arthur Weasley

Arthur Weasley is a wizard in the employ of the Ministry of Magic, first for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office until 1997, when he is promoted to head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. He is married to Molly Weasley, whom he met at Hogwarts when they were both Gryffindors. The Weasleys make their home at The Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole in southwest England and have six sons (Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George and Ron), and a daughter, Ginny.

As a pure-blood wizard who refuses to discriminate against Muggle-born or half-blood wizards and witches, Arthur earns the contempt of Lucius Malfoy, among others. In addition, he takes an active interest in all things Muggle, which occasionally has comical results. His bewitched Ford Anglia is borrowed by Harry and Ron in their second year who fly it to Hogwarts when they miss the Hogwarts Express. He also claims that his greatest ambition is "to find out how aeroplanes stay up " (HpB).

While Arthur Weasley was often seen as "fun" in the earlier years, with the return of Lord Voldemort and the gathering crisis in the wizarding world he shouldered a role of increasing challenges, assuming duties within the Order of the Phoenix in addition to new responsibilities at the Ministry. He is protective of Harry, and at times assumes a father-like role, a position previously occupied by Harry's godfather Sirius Black, and by Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

In the wizarding world, Arthur Weasley can be understood to play the role of a well-meaning, reasonably competent everyman, trying to raise a family and do the right thing. He is a man of principle, and remains loyal to Dumbledore even though this retards his advancement in the Ministry of Magic and costs him the respect of Percy, who also works at the Ministry but agrees more strongly with the policies of the Minister of Magic.