The Storyteller

Ron’s book did phenomenal and because of his agreeing to signings the popularity and press added to advertising the book. He topped bestseller lists for longer periods then with his other books. His private life had been minimally disrupted and thanks to the wards Hermione placed on his lands he didn’t have to alter his routine.



The letters that came in asked question after question. He didn’t have time to answer them all and he had no idea what to do even if he wanted to.



“Why not give an interview.” Pansy suggested as they had dinner.



“An interview?”



“Send all the letters to Luna and have her come up with an interview. It would solve two problems you know.” She said.



Ron understood immediately what she meant. Rita Skeeter had contacted him, Mrs. Novak and Pansy asking for interviews with the author. She had shown up at Mrs. Novak’s office but always received the same answer. Hermione’s wards were the only thing preventing her from finding out Ron’s location or she would have just shown up.



An interview would answer the questions from the letters, and giving what Skeeter wanted to someone else would ruffle the reporters feathers to no end.



“Alright then, can you quill a letter to Luna?” He asked.



“Sure.” She said.



“Wait, maybe I should just have Leeloo write it.” He said feeling guilty.



“Why?” She asked.



“You arranged both signings and worked with the storeowners, now I’m asking you to arrange the interview,” he paused and sighed, “I guess I don’t want you to think I’m looking at you like a secretary.”



“Ron, arranging things like this is the job of the publisher or the editor. When it comes to your books and your writing, I’m doing my job. Even if I didn’t spend the time here, I would be arranging signings and interviews for another author.” She said. “Don’t worry about it.” He felt marginally better and they finished dinner.



Pansy sent all the letters to Luna and they set up a date for the interview. Ron agreed to have the interview in his home. Luna was a trusted friend and welcome anytime.



He also asked Pansy to remain at his side just as she had at the signings. She wouldn’t even think of refusing him.



Luna arrived on time and the interview commenced. She had put together her questions based on what the letters asked most and what was the most interesting questions.



The interview appeared in the Quibbler the next morning with a photo of Ron in his armchair on the cover. To keep from adding to the rumors about him and Pansy, she photographed him alone. She didn’t want to use that angle in her interview.





The Quibbler

Exclusive Interview With Ron Weasley by Editor Luna Lovegood



Bestselling author Ron Weasley has granted The Quibbler his first interview as a known author. So far his books have used the moniker of ‘The Storyteller’ and have garnered renown for their strong story lines and taboo topics. Ron writes stories of harsh childhoods, overcoming adversity, gay relationships, death, even molestation and assault. His stories may not always have a happy ending but they are stories you won’t be able to put down. They make you cry, and cheer, they make you angry and sad, they make you happy and triumphant.



Ron’s home is a rustic style cottage, cared for and maintained by his loyal house elf, who had only wonderful things to say about her master. As I joined Ron this afternoon, he is as always shadowed by his familiar, a full grown lion with a serious frame of mind. Pansy Parkinson, his editor is also present, as would have been his publisher, Casey Novak, if prior engagements had not been a conflict.



Ron moves about the room with ease as he offers refreshments to everyone. He has memorized the layout of his house and furniture has rarely been moved in the years since his lose of sight. He explains that the set up of his home allows for him to move around without use of a wand length or his familiar at his side.



“For lack of a better term, I could walk this place blindfolded. It’s the same as someone walking in his bedroom without turning on the lights and knowing where everything is.”



His maturity and candidness show as we talk about how he lost his sight, which occurred when he was partnered with fellow Auror and close friend Harry Potter, who happens to be his brother in law now. An accident involving a poisonous sap-secreting plant in a dark wizard’s terrarium rendered him sightless, although he sees the optimism even then.



“Neville managed to save my eyeballs even though my sight was lost.” He says without any bitterness. A master herbologist, Neville Longbottom knew the plants characteristics and exactly how to counter the effects. While Neville himself was unavailable for comment, Ron continues to see the herbologist for various herbal treatments.



Ron is also forthcoming about his financial arrangements. Close friend Hermione Granger sought legal reparation after the dark wizard in question was sentenced to Azkaban. She filed orders to petition the Ministry of Magic that since the dark wizard, whose name is being withheld, had no family or relations, and since Ron’s blindness was the fault of his property, Ron should be given a settlement from the estate. The ministry agreed and rewarded Ron the remaining worth of all accounts and properties, after legal fees were deducted.



“I made sure that if this man had taken a part of Ron’s life away, that he would be the one to make sure Ron was able to live it in ease.” Hermione said when asked about the case. Ron was robbed of his sight by one of many dangerous and deadly plants in the terrarium.



The ministry was called in during this time to removed the illegal herbs with the assistance of Master Longbottom, who now keeps several of them with a ministry permit for research purposes. Miss granger was instrumental in obtaining that permit as well.



“These plants are lethal in many cases and banned in several countries. Neville now has the opportunity to study them in phases unknown to England before now. He hopes to be able to find counter agents for the poisons that plants are known for.”



While herbologist Longbottom studies the plants themselves, he also studied the affects it had on Ron during the initial hours, days and weeks after the accident.



“For a long time my eyes burned and they watered constantly for hours at a stretch. Neville had told me that the watering was my eyeballs trying to clean themselves but it was pointless. The damage had been done.”



The damage in this case being a burning of the cornea, the eye part the sap searches out and feeds of off. The damage was irreparable and Ron has been seen by several healers.



“I’ve been told time and again that there is always research being done and new potions being formed, but I have resigned to live with what had been done. It’s pointless to go one thinking it is just a matter of time before I can regain my sight. I need to live my life as if there is no hope.”



The precise settings in his home allow him to do just that. He also keeps his floors hardwood finished instead of carpeting for this reason. The echoes allow him to be able to trace his guests movements as well as his familiar’s.



While he is for all intents and purposes is healthy, not having his sight anymore had taken some getting used to by more then just Ron. While Mrs. Weasley would like nothing more then to bring her son home and take care of him, Ron shares the same opinion as his father. “I need to be able to function on my own. My parents won’t always be around to take care of me, and that’s a sad thought, but a true one. I have to be a man and live like one. There is no reason why anyone needs to take care of me, but don’t tell my house elf I said that.”



His humor is warranted and through the interview his elf, Leeloo, brings various things to him and his guests. The refreshments have been refilled several times, snacks appeared and comfort of her master’s guests was made sure of.



His own comfort is key to his functions in the real world as well. Ron travels nearly everywhere with his familiar Zeus. The lion is tame as any household pet and has been bonded with Ron since he was a cub. He can sense Ron’s moods and needs and acts accordingly. He has remained passive and calm, sitting comfortable at Ron’s feet.



The reactions to the public though is predictable and during one of the two book signings he has held, the animal was refused entrance.



“When we made arrangements for the signing, Ron gave a specific list of requests.” Pansy Parkinson spoke from Ron’s side. She was trusted with arranging his needs. “The presence of his familiar was non negotiable to ensure his safety and comfort in a new environment. They agreed and then when we arrived things were not set up to the agreements. They allowed Mrs. Novak to make the necessary changes, or we would leave, it was as simple as that.”



When heard that some of his readers that it was stubbornness on his part Ron had this to say. “Without sight, most circumstances are very nerve racking. If you close your eyes and take a step it would make you feel like you would fall into a hole with every step. I can’t open my eyes to surroundings, so I need to make myself comfortable. Having my familiar there makes me feel safe. If someone is asking me to be somewhere, then I only ask that they allow me what I need to feel secure.”



His used of a pseudonym also allows him this security. Without anyone knowing who he is, he can write the novels he writes with a sense of privacy that his life will not be interrupted.



So why announce now, if his privacy is valuable, that he is in face ‘The Storyteller’? “My editor and publisher have received mail ever since my first book. The requests for an autographed copy and a chance to get that copy in person have grown over the years. I thought it was time to give in and give the readers what they have been asking for.”



Although life hasn’t changed much since the signings, he has admitted to being stopped in town when out on errands. Those brave enough to approach in the presence of his familiar are treated with a warm welcome and a friendly chat.



As for his writing, Ron says that he hears stories from friends and then changes them merely to make the stories more interesting. He also does it make points. “I am a firm believer that a woman shouldn’t be made to wait until a man makes up his mind about what he wants. I dislike hearing a woman cry because some man in her life decides he’s not ready for something.” Ron speaks of his book ‘Choices’ where the title character falls in love with another man after her first love married another woman. When he returns to her side, he finds she did not wait and has moved on with her life. “There is nothing more arrogant then a man who thinks a woman will wait for him forever.”



The same could be said for Ron’s support of gay and lesbian lifestyles. He cannot understand parents who reject their children for such reasons. “Strong people can withstand rejection by peers and even those we thought were friends, but to be turned away by parents is heartbreaking. The men and women I write about have a depth of courage I can only write about, because I could never go through it. They are applauded for that bravery in my books.”



His readers were treated to various stories about his inpiration at a question and answer session during his recent signing. “I was touched by those that found a solace of some kind in my books. One young man mentioned that my book made his coming out to his own parents easier and I never realized that I could affect someone that way.”



Apart from his inspiration for his writing, the one things readers what to know most about is his relationship with former schoolmate Pansy Parkinson, who is now his editor. She was key in organizing the release of his current bestseller and arranging the signings. Even during this interview is at his side as she was during his bookstore events.



Their personal relationship has been speculated about in other publications as well, but until now neither has ventured to make a statements about it. While they will not deny that they are indeed seeing each other, they both maintain that the seriousness of their relationship is their own business. “People can make all the assumptions they want. Pansy and I know where we stand with each other, and if this changes in any way, whether it be more serious or less serious, that is for us to discuss.”



When asked about his life and happiness now, this was his reply. “Yes, I am very happy. I would not change my life for anything, even my eyesight. I am a firm believer in predestination. The gods have given me the life I have, and I embrace it.”



Ron has settled into a comfortable life and things are going his way. His books are a success and since he has decided to use his own name from now on, his previously published titles are now starting to resell. Orders for all his works are being placed in various stores.



Ron however has no plans right away for a another book. With this current release doing very well, he has decided to relax for awhile. Readers who are used to seeing a new book about every year and a half may have to wait a few years before we are treated to a Ron Weasley novel. Until then The Quibbler thanks Ron Weasley for his time.

Luna Lovegood, Editor in Chief