Draco Malfoy, from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," drawls his lips into a snarl when he meets Ron Weasley for the first time. After Ron snickers when he hears Draco's name, the antagonist snaps, "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair... and a hand-me-down robe. You must be a Weasley."

Throughout the entire series, Ron attempts to escape the stereotypes of his family: overlooked, numerous, and struggling to meet ends meet. The poor ginger strives to break lose of any pigeonhole the name Weasley bears.

Like Ron, I know of several friends who wish they can either break free or live up to a family's legacy. Several cower in the shadows of siblings and parents who have run major corporations and have collected Valedictorian diplomas. Others fear to invite anyone to their house. Would the friends find the ghosts claw marks on the walls? Would they see the pain written in the splintered floorboards?

No matter where your family stands, this does not guarantee you will stand with them.

From the sweetest of kings, to the cruelest tyrant, take it from Israel's past royalty . . . you may not follow your family's legacy.

Bad Legacies Turned Good

Not all families who wander all lost. These royals revived a poisonous legacy.

Jonathan son of Saul

The most underrated royal in the Bible.

Despite his father's jealous grip on the royal throne, Jonathan embodies perfect humility. Because he should have inherited the throne after Saul, one would think Jonathan would slaughter any competition to his kingship. However, when God appoints David as the next king, Jonathan befriends him and accepts God's command without hesitancy. They become so closely knit, like brothers, Jonathan protects David when Saul attempts to take his friend's life.

Hezekiah son of Ahaz

Ahaz, Hezekiah's father, had a nasty record. When two Kings introduces him, the passage explains Ahaz performs human sacrifice with some of his sons. He also makes unfavorable allies (which turn against him after his death), has several prophecies made against him, and died at the young age of 36. To make matters worse, his corpse cannot be buried with his ancestors due to his corrupt reigns

Despite the bleak legacy Ahaz left his son, Hezekiah flips his heritage around. When the unfavorable allies threaten him, he trusts in God, and his enemy Sennacherib is defeated. Hezekiah also revives Israel through reformations, and he builds a tunnel that brings water into the city. The Bible compares him to King David (a compliment doled out to only one other king: Josiah) because he resurrected a second Golden Age of Israel.

Good Legacies Turned Bad

Some apples do fall very far from the tree . . .

Absalom son of David

Absalom's father earned the title, "a man after God's own heart." Absalom could not sprint further away from that phrase. Prideful, arrogant, and bit dense, David's son conspires against his father to abdicate the throne (even though they promised it to David's son Solomon). To make matters worse, Absalom turns the nation against his father.

However, his coup legacy ends when his long hair tangles in a tree on a horseback ride. One of David's men stabs the dangling prodigal.

Manasseh son of Hezekiah

If Hezekiah brought the Golden Age of Israel, Manasseh introduces the Muck Age. Not only does Manasseh undo his father's reforms, he picks up his grandfather's habit of sacrificing his sons in fire. The King encourages all of Israel to follow his practices and kills the prophet Isaiah who had advised Hezekiah. The Babylonians cut his wicked reign short and take the king captive.

Conclusion

Whether a Weasley or a Manasseh, your family's legacy does not guarantee your future. Granted, our families do make indelible fingerprints in our identity. In fact, the Bible lists several examples of those who model their families: Solomon, Amon, Ahab, and Isaac. But we have the ability to choose whether we want to continue in our family's footsteps or form a new path.