Percy Weasley: Ministry Scape-Goat

[Milz]

No: HPFGUIDX 20037

The last Percy-Ron-Ginny discussion forced me to re-read (yet again!) 
and re-consider my thoughts about them. Percy does have annoying 
characteristics like arrogance, pretentiousness and self-importance. 
His unquestioning loyality to Crouch Sr wasn't a very helpful 
characteristic either. But the end of GoF, left Percy's fate 
unanswered. All we know is that he was being questioned by the 
Ministry concerning Crouch's disappearance. Depending on how much 
influence Fudge has, I can see Percy being framed for Crouch's 
disappearance and even possible Azkaban time for him. 

>From what's in the books, I figure Voldemort and Peter showed up at 
the Crouch home in the week before Harry starts school. (Percy makes 
a remark that Mr. Crouch is relying more.) I can see where it would 
seem suspicious that Crouch barely knows Percy's name one week, then 
begins to rely more and more on him. Percy is a relatively new 
employee. Usually, you give the brunt of the responsibility to the 
more senior people due to familiarity with the work/procedures. Percy 
probably is known by his colleagues at the Ministry to be very 
ambitious. When Crouch finally disappears due to an illness, Percy is 
the only one with whom he stays in contact through letters of 
instruction. So it can appear that Percy was so power-hungry and 
ambitious that he gained Crouch's confidence, began to control him 
and eliminated him.

Percy knew that Crouch Sr. lived alone since the dismissal of Winky. 
Being Crouch's personal assistant, Percy had the opportunity to curse 
Crouch and to kill him.

Also there's the bone in Hagrid's yard. Crouch Jr told Dumbledore 
that he turned Crouch Sr. into a bone and buried him in the Hagrid's 
yard. So technically, they have a body: they just need to transform 
it back into Crouch Sr. (This is kind of gross, so skip it if you 
want) With forensic pathology, you can tell approximately the time of 
death by the amount of decomposition. If Crouch Sr.'s body does not 
decompose because it was turned into a bone, then it would be nearly 
impossible to determine the time of death. We know that by the time 
of the Yule Ball, Crouch was "ill" and Percy was filling in for him. 
So basically, Percy could have had the opportunity to dump the bone 
on Hogwarts ground or he could have gone there one evening and 
secretly slipped it into Hagrid's yard.

The only person who could unequivocally exonerate Percy is Barty 
Crouch Jr., who was demented and can't give any evidence. 
Dumbledore's, Harry's, and anyone else's could be easily discounted 
as lunacy or even as a conspiracy against Fudge. Molly alludes to the 
fact that Fudge doesn't like Muggles and Arthur's fondness for 
Muggles has held him back in the Fudge Administration.
Dumbledore doesn't share Fudge's dislike for Muggles and he basically 
told Fudge to get stuffed. McGonagall works for Dumbledore so her 
testimony would be questionable. Snape, well, poor Snape wouldn't be 
credible because he was a Death Eater. Harry's own description of 
Crouch Sr that night could be damning to Percy too. Crouch never 
mentions anyone by name. All Harry knows is that Crouch was trying to 
contact Dumbledore and that he lapsed in and out of coherence.

Compounded by the fact that Fudge seemed very hesistant to believe 
Dumbledore and Harry about Voldemort's return. I think he will do 
just about anything to pacify the wizarding world concerning Crouch 
Sr's disappearance. 

Ginny, I don't think will betray Harry. She's already been a pawn and 
I think that she's learned from that experience. Ron has his problems 
too. But I think Cedric's death (and Percy's potential problems)will 
force him to get over the petty squabbling.

Milz