Percy and Weasley Family Dynamics

[Amy]

No: HPFGUIDX 9159

Demelza wrote:

>(penny 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.

It's on p. 185 (ch 11).

> 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.

I agree with your assessment that Percy creates a lot of his own 
problems, but I think the above passage is very sympathetic.  Ron, 
Fred and George's way of dealing with their shock and grief is to sit 
in the common room; Percy's way is to shut himself in his room.  I 
didn't at all get the sense that he was any less upset than the 
others.

Families have their internal dynamics that require different members 
to fulfill different roles:  rulemaker, rulebreaker, scapegoat, 
"quiet/good one," clown, etc. . . . Percy fills his role because it 
suits his personality, but also because it suits the whole family to 
have one member who's a bit too serious and full of himself.

Hoo boy, I'd better calm down or I'm going to be dragging the entire 
bunch in for family therapy!  Really, they're pretty healthy all in 
all, wouldn't you say?

It seems painfully likely to me that one of the Weasleys is a goner, 
if only because there are so many of them and Harry loves them so much 
(as do we).  But what would be far worse is if one of them went over  
to Voldemort's side.  Whenever I read a post suggesting that Ron will 
do so I feel a little sick to my stomach.  (Now WHO did I say needs 
therapy?)

Amy Z

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"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently.
                       --Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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