Percy and Weasley Family Dynamics

[Demelza]

No: HPFGUIDX 8724

I've seen  the Weasley family described as warm, friendly,
close-knit, 
etc. I add to that the quality of humility. Arthur and Molly are 
humble, down-to-earth folks. They aren't pretentious or snobbish like 
Lucius Malfoy. With the exception of Percy, the Weasley children
share 
their parent's humility and non-pretentious nature. In fact, Percy 
seems to distance himself from his siblings and only joins them to 
share in their accomplishments and not to support them during their 
failures. For example, Percy was bursting with pride that Ron beat 
McGonagall's chessmen. But did he try to cheer up Ginny during CoS? 
No. Fred and George saw Ginny was upset. Their remedy of jumping from 
behind corners was not helpful but they at least recognized their 
sister was troubled and they did try (in their twisted way) to cheer 
her up. In fact, Percy ascribes Ginny's mental state as being upset 
with him and therefore it was nothing to worry about. 

In PoA, Percy down-plays Ron's claims of an attack to Prof. 
McGonagall. Percy either didn't take the time to listen to Ron or he 
didn't believe Ron (I think it was a combination of both and a large 
smattering of trying to look like he was in control of the
situation). 
If he were really fair, he would have at least listened to what Ron 
had to say. Instead, he portrayed to McGonagall that Ron was fibbing 
and/or had an over-active imagination. 

In SS/PS, the Twins tell Percy that he must not sit with the other 
Prefects during Christmas Dinner because Christmas was family time. 
Why would the Twins go out of their way to tell Percy that? They 
didn't tell Ron to sit with them during Christmas Dinner; they
assumed 
he would. Obviously, Fred and George feel the distance between Percy 
and the rest. 

PERCY V. BILL 
We haven't seen much of Bill Weasley. We do know that he is "cool".
He 
has a light-hearted streak in him: dueling tables with Charlie, 
snickering over the Ton-Tongue Toffee incident. We know that he isn't 
a mindless hanger-on of authority (read: government) figures: he saw 
through Fudge. 
Percy, on the other hand, seems utterly humor-less. The only 
'frolicking' we see him doing with his siblings was chasing Fred and 
George around Gryfinndor Tower after Christmas Dinner, but that was 
only because they has stolen his prefect badge. 
Percy also is blinded by the status of authority figures: he was 
receiving orders from Voldemort via Crouch, Sr. and following them.
If 
he did have suspicions about their validity, he certainly didn't 
inform the Ministry (GoF, Mrs. Weasley says that Percy is being 
questioned by the Ministry concerning Crouch's illness).

PERCY V. CHARLIE
The single thing that reveals the difference between the two and
their 
attitudes towards their brother Ron are in the letters they sent to 
him. In SS./PS, Ron writes to Charlie about Norbert. Charlie's reply 
is warm and friendly. He inquires how Ron is. He gives his help
though 
the help involves illegal activity. Compare that letter to the Percy 
reply in GoF. Percy's reply is terse and cold. He basically tells Ron 
not to bother him anymore.  

PERCY V. TWINS
I've touched upon that briefly already. So let's look at the twins' 
treatment of Percy. In PoA, they mock Percy's pretentious behavior. 
They really mimick it more than mock it. They behave towards Percy as 
they perceive his behavior to be, for example, altering his 'Head
Boy' 
Badge to 'Big Head'. Percy doesn't like their mockery, but at the
same 
time he doesn't notice that they imitate him well. 

PERCY and MOLLY
Molly realizes that the Twins are delivering an accurate portrayal
and 
she admonishes them. Molly knows that Percy is pretentious but
defends 
him because she knows that no one else will. She knows Percy is 
different and she knows Percy isolates himself from his siblings.
Note 
the bedroom assignments in GoF: Bill and Charlie share the Twin's 
room, the Twin's bunk with Ron and Harry. Percy keeps his own room 
because he has to work. So Percy can't share with Bill or Charlie 
because he has to get up in the morning to go to work???? It's not as 
though Percy works out of his bedroom. Molly tolerates Percy staying 
locked up in his room all summer. She tolerates Percy not allowing
Ron 
to use Hermes for a delivery, even though Errol is not fit for long 
flights. There's a reason why she makes her other children share 
amongst themselves, but doesn't force Percy to share. She understands 
that Percy wants to isolate himself and forcing him to "join in on
the 
Weasley fun" would only drive him further away.

Percy is the odd-man-out at the Burrow. At this point he can either 
become more un-Weasley and 'sell out his family' or he can show his 
true Weasley colors. I'm not anti-Percy, but it's silly think (in my 
opinion) that Percy is a victim of his siblings. Percy doesn't get
it: 
you treat people the way you want them to treat you.

~Demelza