Just wondering -- why was Ron more affected by the locket that Harry or Hermione? Could it be related to Ginny being possessed by the diary - the Horcrux somehow recognized that he was Weasly? Or was Ron simply the most insecure and therefore the most vulnerable? Or perhaps each Horcrux torments the person who ultimately destroys it, and the locket was simply the one that stuck around the longest?

Before I answer, does anyone else think that this had a bit of the Lord of the Rings about it?? No? Just me then ?

I think this is a combination of reasons. Ron left his family being attacked at his brother's wedding by a a group of Death Eaters so he was woriied for them. This will have severely affected his emotional state of mind. Then he splinched himself a couple of times and the injuries would have weakened him.

He was also trying to look after Hermione in his own way. He had been courteous and thoughtfull towards her and his emotions from this were muddled up with everything else too. That's why the strain of carrying the horcrux around his neck took it's toll more on Ron that the other 2. That's why he walked out on them too.

I think the curse on that locket had something to do with love. Voldemort never really believed that love was very important, but he'd heard so often that love would be his downfall, that maybe, just maybe he thought that he'd curse it in such a way that the wearer would fear losing what he loved. That would probably render the wearer incapable of destroying it.

Harry was with the two people he loved most. Ginny would have been next, but even at the end of the novel, he chooses to reveal himself first to Ron & Hermione, not Ginny. In a twisted way, Ron & Hermione are the only family he has ever had. (Ron's family becomes his, but Harry is not as attached to any of them as he is to the brother and sister he never had.)

Hermione has safely hidden her parents away, and has the two people in the world that she loves next with her. The man she loves, and the brother she never had.

But Ron, Ron has left his family. His brothers, his parents, his sister, in the middle of a situation where he isn't sure that they were safe. Sure, they get a patronus saying so, but he knows that his connection to Harry has put his family in danger. As well, he has always been insecure about Hermione. Ron has always felt in the shadow, of his brothers, his sister and of Harry. The fears that shake him when he's wearing the locket are the same fears he has when he's not, just not as strongly, and all deal with the loss of (or never having) love. Ron has the most to lose, hence he is the most affected by the charm.

(Oh and it was very Lord of the Rings.)

Too much?

[Edited to ask a question: Why wasn't Umbridge affected by wearing it? Was it the near constant presence of her patronus (since she was questioning undesirables) that kept her from despair? She certainly seemed to be joyful. Or could it be that she was so spiteful that love didn't live in her, either, so it didn't have anything to attack?]

I don't think it was because the Horcrux torments the person who ultimately destroys it. I mean, they were all affected by it. I think Harry's had a lot of practice handling his emotions through difficult times. And Hermione...well Hermione's awesome and is also pretty in tune with her emotions. I think the three of them being together and cut off from the outside world, plus hunger, had a lot to do with Ron's instability with the locket.

I think it effected Ron the most because, I hate saying this to my favorite red-head, but mentally he's the weakest. He doesn't have THAT much self-confidence. Maybe that's why JK showed us how big of a problem his mental state was through Quidditch in Book 5 and 6? Anyways, he was weak, both mentally and physically. He was worried about his family, not to mention Viktor Krum showing up and sort "swooping" Hermione off her feet before they had to suddenly leave. Being splinched and therefore weakened physically. He even said after getting that book that he could of gotten rid of Lavender a long time ago and started up with... and he trails off. He was trying hard to get Hermione's attention, yet in his mind, i think he thought she didn't notice him at all. Then they go traveling and wear the Horcux. Each of them being put into bad moods due to the locket. So that didnt' help probably, and then Hermione going on and on about Harry. It was his mental state really, he was self-conscious. And what shocked me the most was what the locket revealed about his feelings towards his mom and ginny! o.o how he felt that he was loved the least cuz he was the youngest boy and she wanted a girl, finally. out loved by his little sister, i was completely shocked.

The horcuxes have the ability to sort of "possess" the bearer. Look at Dumbledore, he said himself that he was tempted into using the Resurrection Stone to bring back his family. Ginny possessed by the diary and Ron by the locket. Hermione explained why that was, why the horcux takes you over. So all the horcuxes have the ability to take over your mind, i think. Don't know why I'm thinking this, kind of funny how there's a "mind" link between Voldy and Harry (who turned out to be a horcux) and all the othe horcuxes can take over your mind? (dont know about the cup and daidem but i think they probably could)

I think it was because ron was very insecure about leaving his family possibly in grave peril, and his feelings over Hermione. Umbridge probably wasnt affected because she was insane anyway!

Also, bit off the topic im afraid, but as etphonehome reminded me



This happend when they were group apperating didnt it? trying to shake of Yaxly after escaping the minisry, so if Hermione was actually the one apparating and it was just side along for Ron and Harry how come Ron was the one who got Splinched? didnt really get that bit.

If you think about it, who wore that locket? Merope Gaunt, who LOVED Tom Riddle Sr. if you think about it, that locket is tied to love..even though Voldy never loved anyone, in a sick twisted way he "loved" hogwarts and his horcuxes. Apparently, i'm just going to say he loved himself. *shrugs* no matter how twisted it is. i ddin't want to say it, it sounded stupid to me....but when someone else said it Arabella it sounds alright. I mean look what came out of the locket, out of all the things Ron was worried and sort of doubting within himself, it's his best friend and the girl he cares about. Both not wanting him and the girl he loves wanting his best mate instead.

personally i agree with you, the fact that he had left his family sooner than expected had a great deal to do with him being affected by the locket. plus, i think that he was the most impulsive of that journey. Harry knew perfectly well that DD had not given him further instructions and that his task was seemingly impoissible. Hermione, rational as she is, thought that out and kept herself busy intelectually, to avoid falling into the darkness of negative emotions. Ron was the most vulnerable emotionally at the time.

Ron getting splinched wasn't his fault, at least that time. Hermione side-alonged them both because she was choosing the destinations. I don't know why it was Ron that got splinched (other than it weakened him physically which absolutely weakens the mental and emotional state - plot device) but it wasn't his lack of skill as a wizard...

Also, what is it that Hermione says to Ron in OoTP when she's trying to describe how Cho must feel "Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon..." Ron has never been particularly in touch with his emotions. He has finally matured, but in maturing he has become much more vulnerable because he has gotten in touch with what he feels. So, that leaves him more vulnerable to the locket in addition to all of the other things. Not only does he feel things deeply, for the first time, but he has to deal with the consequences of feeling things deeply for the first time.

About the "Lord of the Rings" comment made by etphonehome, I completely agree. The ring in LOTR seemed to affect Sam the exact same way. He got carried away with it and then he ended up hurt.

As to why it affected him most, I'm going to say it's because of his closeness to Harry. I think that Voldomort wanted to anhialate (sp?) as many people that were close to Harry possible to make him easier to kill as he would feel he had nothing or noone to live for.

There is a little LOTR in there, which doesn't surprise me considering while reading the books I couldn't help but feel she 'used' other writers work. But anyway.

In the book it said how Harry thought about that. Something about Ron always having a meal on the table and to always be surrounded by family, whereas he and Hermione had a different upbrining. I think this is why he couldn't handle the depression so much. He was missing his family, tired of camping out at a different spot every night, not doing anything but sit there, not having decent meals. It would have frustrated anyone. I think his getting away was a good thing. I think only having two of them going to GH made it easier for them to survive because they only had to look out for each other, not a second person as well.

I was glad when he came back though, which just goes to show he needed family time. And I think his killing the Horcrux was a good thing, he sort of repaid the unknidness it showed him. It killed him, he killed it. Perfect.

Here is my take on the locket and its affects...

I think the locket was not cursed to aflict the wearer with bad emotions. Heres why...
Umbridge evil as she is is not a particularly a strong witch or have great control under ordinary stress (look what happened in the forest with Harry and Hermione..she lost her cool very quickly), if the locket had been cursed to give off bad emotions it would have affected her very much when she had it...it didn't.

I think that the locket affected all three of the main characters because they knew exactly what it was a Horcrux.Just them knowing this bit of info was enough for them to dislike it becasue it was part of LV. What I am getting at is I think it was all in their heads..The locket affected them because they thought it did. Their feelings where their own and because they were already very stressed and were lacking food and cut off from the rest of the wizarding world they all let their emotions get to them more that normal. Ron (as was said before) has always had problems with controling his emotions. A good example was during GOF when he got so upset at Harry.
The locket gave them something to blame their emotions on. And because they knew the locket was evil they seemed to get relief when it was passed on another.

The curses that were on the locket were there to protect....one was when it sensed that its destruction was near it would try to throttle the wearer and the other was after it was opened the locket tried to distract the one that was going to destroy it. This explains why it tried to choke Harry to death and the scene that unfolded after is was opened.

The locket's protection, in the off chance that someone did get past the lake and the potion, was to drive the wearer mad by preying on their weaknesses and insecurities. It was supposed cause infighting amongst the group that found it. Yes, I said group. I mean, even Dumbledore needed someone with him to get it, so it would always have been a group that got it.

That all in mind, I think that Ron was affected the most because, let's face it, he has always been the most insecure of the trio. He's one of seven children in a family that isn't very financially stable. He can't have a lot of luxuries like Harry or Hermione. Then there's the part where he thinks he can't measure up to his older brothers. That's got to put unneeded stress on him.

There's also the fact that, deep down, he's always been jealous of Harry. We saw it in book 4. He hates that he's poor and knowing Harry has mounds of gold in the bank doesn't help. Then, there's all the attention. I mean, Harry had a stalker in book 6. All the girls love him. That made Ron feel even more insecure about his relationship with Hermione. I know that Ron may have seemed as though he had the emotional range of a teaspoon, but he actually has quite a few inner problems.

That's a great observation; it makes perfect sense, too. Merope Gaunt wore that locket all her life as a symbol of her "purebloodedness" even though eveyrone thought she was a squib. She hawked it out of love for her unborn baby, although Voldemort might not have realized that. It only makes sense that the curse surrounding it would destroy love.

The curse on it, (and probably all the horcruxes), would have been one to destroy the finder(s) mad by preying on insecurities; the locket preyed on those related to love. I bet the ring preyed on people's delusions of grandeur - and that's why it did the damage to Dumbledore that it did. As a young man, he thought he could unite all three hallows and master death. He saw his folly and gave up the quest. But, he never really did, because when he found the Resurrection Stone as an adult, he immediately tried to use it to partially "master death." His punishment was the loss of an arm, and it would have been the loss of his life had it not been for Snape.



He wasn't able to (before he began growing up) feel all those thing simultaneously, though. His growing up made that possible, and the locket intensified it. I think that at one point Ron did have the emotional range of a teaspoon, but the Ron who saved the day was much more in tune with how he felt. Maybe even had the emotional range of, say, a 2 Liter bottle?

actually arabella figg. the *ring* is what killed dumbledore. he would have died almost imediately if not for snape, who could only prolong the time it would take for the curse to kill him. thats the whole reason that dumbledore has snape kill him.

and i dont think the ring was preying on specific emotions. just that it had more curses on it then the other horcruxes because it was the least protected by physical and magical barriers such as the locket having more stuff ( cave,wall,lake,potion and inferi) all to protect it, but the ring was in a box(not even said to be a magically protected box) under the floorboards of a house that could be fairly easily traced once you knew voldemorts middle name.

and so as to stay on topic.... i think the locket affected ron the most because he was the one with the most inner turmoil and insecurities. think about it.
his best friend is HARRY POTTER
he's afraid for all of his family(and there are quite a few people to be worried about when your family is that big)
he's not sure if Hermione likes him
he thinks Hermione may like harry more.
and on top of that we know for a fact based on statements made in this book, and others, that rons moods are dependent on his stomach too. so after eating almost nothing, the locket was sure to affect him more.

No, Dumbledore was dying from the ring.

Snape managed to "contain it to one hand" initially, but his expert opinion was that Dumbledore had at most one year. That's why he developed the plan to have Snape kill him in Draco's stead. (The encounter with Draco on the tower happens near the end of the school year, probably 10 months after Dumbledore found the ring.)

Regulus didn't die from the poison in the basin surrounding the real locket; he died because he was pulled under the water by Inferi. The poison had severely weakened Dumbledore but there's no clear indication that it alone would have killed him. Maybe because he was already dying the poison might have, but he was dying because he put the ring on his finger.

(We see the whole thing recounted in The Prince's Tale.)

I believe it probably is because Ron was simply the most, for the lack of a better term, cranky. He's used to his home-cooked meals, not roughing it in tents with very little do to bar talk to two people. It was Ron that left the tent, the lock did not make him do so, just as it did not make him return.

I think the locket affected Ron the most because he was already insecure about the horcrux hunting.
At some point, before leaving, Ron says that he was dissapointed because he thought Harry knew what he was doing. Ron couldn't avoid thinking that the whole trip was nonsense, and that they got stuck.
I think that the locket made Ron's feelings worse, and made him react that way.

After all, Ron said that he regreted going away since the moment he had Disapparated from the tent.

yeah arabella..ooooppppps...i wasn't typing right.
i agree that the ring is what was killing him and therefore lead to the whole snape killing him thing
im sorry for that mistake
and i agree the potion most likely would not have killed dumbledore.
i cant believe i typed that it was the locket. i guess cuz i was still thinking about the locket affecting ron and trying to sum up my ideas while writing about dumbledore and the ring.

No problem, I just didn't want anyone to think I was completely insane and out-in-left field with my theory.

yeah i think you theory makes sense. even if i dont agree with it. haha
sorry
yeah the different emotions makes sense...if it wasnt voldemort.
i think he would just make them all kill or drive them insane.
voldemorts only true emotion is anger.

I believe the lovket affected Ron the most, is because he just wasn't used to living it rough-like Harry mentioned, he was use to 3 meals a day, he was use to comfort and safety. I believe it was just the magnitude of it all, getting to him.

And when the locket showed his insucurities (sp?) via Riddle!Harry and Riddle!Hermione, well, that did it for him.

I felt so sorry for him.

But he made it through.

I agree with what everyone's saying and I'm hearing a lot that I forgot about. Some of the things that have been said, I think Ron being the most emotionally unstable, is one of the biggest reasons.

However I just wanted to say, someone said about Umbridge being effected. I always thought it was affecting her, and that's why she was being so rude, and I know she was already rude, but she was being so...unbearably? rude, about the mudblood inquiries. I forget what they were called. At first I thought she was under the imperius to carry it out but I think the locket may be have been.. "encouraging" her. I could be completely off, but I always thought that.

But back to Ron, I think the other thing that really effected him leaving was that
like he said, he and hermione thought that Harry knew what he was doing. So Rong not knowing what was goign on with his family, in the woods wandering around, without knowing where the three were searching, plus a piece of Voldemort's soul really got to him.

Ron sure had a rough go of it in Deathly Hallows. For the first 16 years of his life, he has the 'emotional range of a teaspoon'. He can't cope with his feelings; I doubt he even understands what it is he's feeling.

He's feeling second-rate because of Harry and being the youngest boy in his family - but all he knows is that he is randomly angry with Harry.

He can't do magic near as well as Hermione, and it's debatable whether he can match Harry - but all he knows is that he hates homework.

He has no clue at all why or what he feels about Hermione. Lavender Brown only confuses things for him and his ego.

Then, he grows up. He understands and accepts his feelings for Hermione and *gasp* acts appropriately on them. He puts aside his selfishness and comforts of home and accompanies Harry and Hermione on the Horcrux hunt. He shows loyalty and bravery and brains (brains?! Think Parseltongue...)

But Ron isn't used to being able to handle his emotions. If you think about it, only for 16/17ths of his life has he been even remotely in control of himself. It hasn't really taken hold of him yet; it's not a lifestyle or habit for him yet. So the locket breaks through the veneer of emotional growth and control, and tries to revert him back to how he was before.

This doesn't happen to Harry, because he's been facing anger, fame, and confusion since he turned 11. He's had much more practice and keeping a handle on his emotions. Hermione is naturally a level-headed person (if you exlude S.P.E.W. and Ron's return), so she's never had near as much trouble as Ron at letting emotions get away from her.

Thankfully, Ron was mature enough that even though the locket brought most of his buried insecurities to the surface, he was able to overcome them with some inner strength that I don't think he knew he had.

And, (my favorite part!) after the horrible Riddle-Harry-and-Hermione were gone, Ron was mature enough to know that showing emotions - even allowing his eyes to tear up and confessing his feelings to Harry- does not indicate weakness. In fact, it indicates strength.

I think that it was because Ron was more insecure about himself because he has always been overshadowed by Harry at everything. This possibly led to the locket tricking Ron into thinking that Hermione had more feelings toward Harry than toward Ron,thus, effecting him more than the others.

Remember in POA, Ron expressed sadness when the Dementor appeared? I think Ron is deeply affected by Evil and thus being a tad bit insecure, when he got the locket it really took a toll on him

Sometimes I regret that Ron's character wasn't more developed in this area in the book. He deeply sensed Harry's problems, often defended him to the hilt and took his fits with grace and charm many times, but you could tell Harry's problems deeply affected him. I think he has a sensitive side that could have played into his magical abilities well if developed.

That's an angle I never thought about before. I mean, Ron has his problems for sure (think jealousy, insecurity, immaturity, not having much money, being a less-than-stellar wizard...), but I never actually considered how much Harry's problems bothered him. When Harry was obsessed with Malfoy in HPB, Ron shrugged him off. Also, he couldn't truly understand how Harry felt having no parents, or losing Sirius.

But I think readers underestimate Ron's empathy and concern for Harry. He really was a loyal friend, despite his failings. He worried about Harry when his scar hurt. He stuck by him at the Ministry. He often tried to cheer Harry up when he was sad or depressed. Ron had plenty on his plate without having an 'abnormal' friend. It just shows all the more how strong (albeit deep down...sometimes very deep) Ron was to support himself and Harry through tough times.

Granted, Ron wasn't the only one Harry looked to for support, but he carried a large chunk of Harry's burdens for him. He was, after all, Harry's best mate (hehe, I love that phrase ).

because he's probably the weakest

wow.. talk about mean
i dont think ron was the weakest at all
just more easily irritated and such. i'm pretty sure i've already posted views on this and also i vaguely remember JKR saying something about it in the webchat(i think) too

when i say ron was the weakest i mean that he was the weakest of the three wasn't he ?
Hermione is smart dorky nerdy whatever but she was clever and could produce magic even harry can never imagine harry is the boy who lived the chosen one he defeated lv couple times so who's the weakest

==> RON WEASLEY

yeah right
ron isn't the weakest
he is funny and i think it is what make them united, harry, ron and hermione
ron i think is the most insecure of the 3;
with all those brothers to compete at home and when at school had to put up with his famous best mate its really hard
so the locket may affect worst on ron's
with all the haunting messages recited incessantly in his head
it will surely drove anyone crazy

I think the locket target at their most insecure part of the mind. For Ron the most insecure part of his mind is being a side-kick and being overlooked. While Umbridge most insecure part in her mind is probably to survive and power.

At the time when the lockets were worn, Ron was still in the situation where he thought he wasoverlooked and is still a sidekick. While Umbridge gained more power so she got no weakness, which can be penetrated, unlike Ron.

And probably Ron was the weakest one at the time since he is the one who seems to suffer and did not get what he want at all(he think Hermione overlooks him). He also got nerve problem so the locket can easily penetrate his mind.

And one thing not to forget is that out of the three, he is the only one who is never admired in any sort of way. Harry is admired as being the boy who lived, while Hermione is admired as the smartest student around. And it just happen to be that Ron most desired is admiration, and he never got one one, while he was surround by people who got the admiration including his two best friends and his brothers (everyone is good and being admired at something, including Fred and George).

I'm not sure why, but I was so sad when then locket opened and it started talking to Ron saying how his mother didnt love him and that she loved Harry more. It must be hard for Ron to live up to his other brothers high status. Like Hermione said, sometimes the Horcruxes can get too close to somebody that they bond with them. Like Ginny and Tom Riddles diary.

One thing is that Tom Riddle is a very persuasive person and that is why the horcruxes really know how to persuade Ron. It is the same in COS, when Ginny got persuaded.It happened to be that Ron is at the weakest state of all the three, not to forget that he lost the great amount of food, and awesome cookings that he has been accustomed to for all his life.

I don't think it really affected him the most, I'll bet it affected them all the same, Ron was just naturally grumpy, why?

1) He splinched his arm

2) He thought Harry already knew what they were doing

3) He loves Hermione, and she's really really focused on the Horcruxes and not him

4) He's hungry (lol)

5) He might miss his family

6) Misses "old" life

and much more, the guy is already grumpy!!

And i think number 3 and 4 spark his departure, since the argument start when he is hungry and complain about the food, then Hermione is angry with him, which certainly not doing any good and the rest just roll....

He was probably thinking Hermoine...jealusy.............wanted to be home.....etc.

In the end (when he was w/ Hermoine!) he saved the day very well getting rid of the teacup!

singr

Ron is the most like everyday people of the three. It's more of a struggle for him, being less magically gifted then Harry or Hermione.

Yeah, I agree with what was said. Ron was in a big family. He was not the youngest, getting attention, he was not the oldest getting respect, he was not a twin being mischeavious with the other and he was not the most intelligent in the family. Therefor he didn't have anything to feel loved about with all his other siblings getting all that attention. I think it really was how he felt in his family that made the locket affect him like that. Especially the fact that one of his best friends is a hero and the other smarter than all the books in a library and he was kind of the third wheel with that stuff. Of course he would be jealous of the littlest things like if Harry was too close to Hermione. The locket sensed his over-whelming insecurity and dis-belief in himself.

"etphonehome Jul 23 2007, 04:26 PM Post #2

Before I answer, does anyone else think that this had a bit of the Lord of the Rings about it?? No? Just me then ? "

yeah this reminds me a little of the ring and frodo

It is a complex issue.

Horcruxes feed off of the weaknesses of the person who possesses them. You could call it a "defense mechanism;" it would keep the person who possessed it from having the physical and/or mental strength to destroy it, if that is what they wanted to do. The Diary did this to Ginny, it used the insecurities she wrote to it to get to her, and do the job Voldy intended it to do. The ring played off of Dumbly's weakness in that it cursed the person who put it on, and he put it on despite knowing that it was a horcrux because he was tempted by the resurrection stone. When the locket was opened, it clearly revealed that it knew how to taunt Ron with his specific, personal insecurities. Also, he was the most insecure of the three to begin with.

The locket made you grumpy, and he was already the grumpiest of the three as well.

Also, Ron's weaknesses were, to a greater extent than Harry's or Hermione's, insecurities based on his relationship with others; so, while Harry and Hermione's effects might have been more internal, Ron's directly influenced how he interacted with them.

As far as Umbridge, it could have been that she did not know it was a horcrux whereas the trio did. I disagree that this was all in their minds, though. I think the horcrux can sense whether or not you know it is a horcrux; because if you don't know, there is a much lesser risk of you wanting to destroy it. So as soon as the locket sensed that the trio knew what it was, it went to work. Because Umbridge probably didn't know what it was, it was more complacent with its defenses. Because of the locket's extreme actions against Harry and Ron in the woods, I think it sensed that their intentions to destroy it were imminent. However, I don't have the impression that, while Ron was wearing it, it knew that he was actually the one that would destroy it in the future. I think it just knew whether a person wanted to, or was about to try to destroy it.

And also with regard to that horrible Umbridge woman: of course she was always evil, but I agree that she seems a lot worse in Deathly Hallows than she did in Order of the Phoenix. So it could be that, because she was an evil person, the horcrux was working with her and not against her.

I don’t know if anybody has said this as I can’t read all the post So I’ll just answer the question without reading many of your answers…
Why did the locket affect Ron the most?
I am pretty sure that this was in fact answered in the book, although I will have to check…

Page 91 of the UK version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

It was made quite clear in the book that Ron was very stressed, worried etc with not having information on how his family was so perhaps he then got tried to the locket emotionally.

Well Ron was the most insecure and he wasn't as hero as Harry...so the horcrux or what was inside it, more likely, took advantage of that. but he proved to be a good friend in the end
yeah, it is a bit LOTR...only much better

[Yeah, I agree with what was said. Ron was in a big family. He was not the youngest, getting attention, he was not the oldest getting respect,]


Thats a really good point, but i think it's because he had the most enotional load on him at the time, i mdont think that he's insecure just very emotional.I.E. Loving Hermione, Finding Horcruxes, Being hungry, Fear about his family at the hands of the death eaters and Fear of failure.

Just thought you'd like to know

i kind of think it had something to do with love, but Ron i think was going through a hard time. i mean, death eaters attacked his brothers wedding, putting his whole family in harms way. he was also protecting hermione in his own way too. =) so i think thats why the horcrux affected him so much. because he was kind of vulnerable.

yeah i totally agree that he was vulnerable and i think that dumbledore knew that ron was the weakest thats why he gave ron the deluminator. but i also think that the horcrux was the worst for ron because he had never dealt with anything like it. like harry was used to all kinds of awfulness, but this was a first for ron.

i agree because the horcrux made her more horrible than ever and they have the same demanors, both were anti muggles, muggle born wizards/witches, half breeds and all other species, as they both consider themselves as above all. the horcrux only exercised the evilness of umbridge's more pronouncedly.

I think that the locket also bothered Ron the most because he was the least tough. He's always had friends in school, 3 square meals a day, parents that love him, no real nasty rumors. Hermione came from a good family, but she was entering a world where she had no clue about anything. Multiple times she was made fun of becuase of her blood status, and for the first half of the 1st book, she had no friends at all.
Harry, he grew up with the dursleys, no love at all, beaten up by dudley, teased at school, locked in a broomcuboard, practically starved to death. You get where I'm going here. I think the locked bugged Ron more because he wasn't as tough.

I disagree that Ron was the weakest or the most vulnerable. My feeling as to why the locket affect Ron more then the others was that he was the one with the most discontentment. If the locket or the spirit of evil that lay within the locket could persuade anyone of the trio to possibly give up on Harry or join the Dark Side, Ron would be it. Let me explain. Ron was not content with his life. He was always in the shadows of his fabulous brothers who were either handsome intelligent or funny and well liked. Then he was Harry's sidekick. His jealousy needed to be contained closely. I think that the evil in the locket would have preyed upon those insecure feelings in Ron.

Now to be fair Harry to was not content in his life. He wanted nothing more then to be ordinary with parents. But Harry also had presence enough to keep his focus and know what was required of him. When Harry wore the locket he tried to keep his mind on the task in which he must complete, while Ron focused on all his insecurities.

I hope that makes sense to you all...in my mind it makes perfect sense.

~nevillesgirl

This is my sort of a theory. Ron out of the trio is a pure blood ( something Lord Voldemort wants obviously) and i beleive the Horcrux was seeking away for survival i think it was trying to get into Rons dark side. Because he seems to be the mooidest out of the lot of them even though he is loyal. I think the Horcrux sensed this and was trying to get Ron to run away with the horcrux or do something to ensude it's survival.
Ron like it's says is used to a better life so this sudden change to his life must have also effected his emotions. The horcrux sort of made his emotions run amok.