24. Ron Fights McGonagall's Chess Set - Philosopher's Stone
Ron doesn't get a lot of time to shine in the Harry Potter films, but one of those moments came towards the end of the very first movie. Right after he's robbed of a truly great exchange with Hermione, as a matter of fact. (In the book, Hermione falls to pieces when she doesn't have matches to start a fire, and Ron dumbfoundedly reminds her that she's a witch and can, in fact, make a fire with magic. In the movie, he pretty much wails incoherently while Hermione solves all the problems.) But then it's time to face the giant chess set, and he's in his element. Harry is the intuitive one, Hermione's the researcher, but Ron is the strategist, and nowhere is that more evident than when he's playing chess. His self-sacrificing nature is often overlooked, but it's showcased here when at eleven years old he lets himself be taken by the queen chess piece so that Harry and Hermione have a better chance of stopping Professor Quirrell from finding the Stone.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.