When Su Er and Hermione returned to the campsite, each carrying a kettle, Mr. Weasley still had not managed to light the fire. Su Er was thoroughly puzzled. Wasn't lighting a fire with matches simple? It wasn't as though Mr. Weasley was being asked to rub sticks together like a caveman.
He turned to look around again. Ron and Harry were nowhere to be seen either.
Well, there were plenty of broken matches on the ground, as well as matches with blackened tips that had clearly burned. There was no reason the fire shouldn't light, was there?
Su Er set his kettle on the little table that had already been put up and began watching Mr. Weasley.
After watching for a while, Su Er discovered the problem-it wasn't that Mr. Weasley was too clumsy to strike a match. An ordinary person should generally know how much force to use after breaking a few, and Mr. Weasley was clearly an ordinary person.
Mr. Weasley struck a match, only to give a startled cry and throw it away the next second.
Su Er was speechless. At least throw the match into the paper you're using as tinder.
"Let me, Mr. Weasley." Su Er stepped forward, took the matchbox from Mr. Weasley, and demonstrated the proper way to light a fire.
Then Su Er picked up some thin twigs and laid them over the little flame, adding them layer by layer. He chose a thicker stick and poked at the fire, and the flames immediately flared up.
"Now you just need to keep adding thin sticks and make sure it doesn't go out." Su Er dusted off his hands and tossed away the stick he was holding.
"Oh, so that's how it works." Mr. Weasley rested his chin on his hand and nodded