Rufus is Ron's pet, a naked mole-rat. He goes on nearly all missions and, because of his small size, often proves useful. Rufus' origin began long before Ron had even purchased him. At the age of four years, Ron had an imaginary friend named Rufus, who was, by Ron's description, "huge". Because of allergies, Ron's father would not allow him to have a pet with hair, so around sixth grade, he bought Rufus from a Smarty Mart. When he was first purchased, Rufus' appearance resembled that of an actual naked mole rat, being wrinkled, and eyes barely open.