Percy and Weasley Family Dynamics

[Demelza]

No: HPFGUIDX 9156

pennylin at s... wrote:

> Don't have my books in front of me at the moment (and am too lazy at 
> the moment to retrieve them), but wasn't Percy described as 
"apopletic 
> with rage" at the twins' antics regarding Ginny? 

I couldn't find that in the American version of CoS, though I shall 
look again.

 Wasn't he the one 
> who was very worried about her and got her to drink some sort of 
> potion? 

This is from CoS Ch 8 American, first paragraph regarding how some 
students were feeling ill had o take the Pepperup potion.

"Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking 
some by Percy."

 My remembrance is that Percy was quite protective of Ginny 
in  CoS in particular.

That could possibly but lets look how Percy treats his brothers.

CoS, Ch 9, Amer. Percy catches, Ron, Harry and Hermione emerging from 
Myrtle's bathroom.

"Get--away--from--there--"Percy said, striding toward then and 
starting to bustle them along, flapping his arms. "Don't you *care * 
what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner--"

"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring 
at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"

"That's what I told Ginny, " said Rercy fiercely, "but she still seems 
to think you're going to be expelled, I've never seen her so upset, 
crying her yes out, you might think of  *her *. All the first years 
are thoroughly overexcited by this business--"

" *You * don't care about Ginny, " said Ron, whose ears were now 
reddening, " *You're * just worried I'm going to mess up your chances 
of  being Head Boy--"

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his 
prefect badge.

Did Percy take the 5 points away because they were near Myrtle's 
bathroom? It wasn't until Hermione and Penelope Clearwater were 
attacked that the students were escorted to and from classes and were 
confined to their houses at all other times. OR was it because Ron's 
accusation about Percy caring more about his Head Boy chances struck a 
cord of the painful truth? If so, then this says a lot about Percy's 
character.

CoS Ch 12, Amer.

"Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than 
visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy, who disapproved 
of what he termed their childish behavior [described earlier in the 
paragraph as playing Exploding Snap and practicing dueling~~Demelza] 
didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already 
told them pompously that *he * was only staying over Christmas because 
it was his duty as prefect to support the teachers during this 
troubled time"

So here's the scenario. Not only is something in the school maiming 
things but it is also Christmas and Percy tells his sibling that he's 
staying at Hogwarts not to be with them, but to support the teachers. 
The reason for Fred, George and Ginny's decision to stay at school 
rather than visit Bill is alluded to in PoA: it's too expensive and 
the raffle winnings paid for the summer trip. But let's say the 
Weasleys did have enough money to bring the entire family to Egypt but 
the children still decided to stay at school, it's pretty cold-hearted 
of Percy to tell his siblings he's only there to support the teachers.

CoS Ch. 16 Amer
"It was probably the worst say of Harry's entire life. He, Ron, Fred 
and George sat together in a corner of the Gryffindor common room 
unable to say anything to each other. Percy wasn't there. He had gone 
to send an owl to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then shut himself up in his 
dormitory."

So his sister is gone and could be dead or alive. His brothers sitting 
together in shock. And he's shut away in his dormitory? The same guy, 
who a few chapters before scolds Ron for not caring about how upset 
Ginny is, locks himself up in his dormitory while his brothers are 
clearly upset over Ginny's disappearance.

> > 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. 

Possibly because it was truly Christmas and during Christmas dinner, 
they didn't play any pranks on Percy. Face it, Fred and George are 
msicheivous, but they certainly aren't evil incarnate. From the 
passages I found in CoS, Ron feels Percy is distant too. 

> Yeah, but they obviously *wanted* him to sit with them.  If they 
> didn't care, they would have just let him sit with the prefects if 
he 
> was so inclined.  

  
> > 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.
> 
> Hmm .... I don't know that she defends him "because no one else 
will." 
> I think it's more that she sees alot of herself in Percy, and they 
> have a special bond as a result.  I don't think she sees him as 
> pretentious or bossy though .... not unless she recognizes that she 
> herself has those very same traits to some extent.  She's bossy & a 
> stickler for rules.  

PoA, at the Leaky Cauldron "everyone snickered into their pudding" 
except Molly and Percy. I surmise that Arthur snickered too. Arthur 
doesn't seem like the type of person who would defend a pompous 
windbag.
 
> Have to step in & defend Percy somewhat.  <g>  I maintain that Percy 
> will come through in the end.  We've had clues of that in each book. 
 
> I don't think Ron or the twins give Percy enough credit -- they all 
> sell him a bit short IMO.
> 
> Penny

As I said earlier, I'm not 'anti-Percy'. But it's really hard for me 
to believe that Percy has not contributed to his siblings opinion of 
him: that he is the innocent victim. I don't think this justifies his 
teasing by the Twins, but Percy ain't no saint either! 

~Demelza