Percy

[muggle-reader at angelfire.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 15007

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Sofie 'Melle' Werkers" <minerva at f...> 
wrote:
 
> Oh, undoubtably.  If it came down to the simple, straightforward 
choice 
> between his career and his family, he would choose his family. 
>

I'm not so sure of that. In GoF, Percy says that Arthur's troubles in 
the Ministry was due to his handling of the Death Mark saga after the 
World Cup event and not due to the bias reporting of the Daily 
Prophet. Percy seems to go for what HE believes is correct. 
Unfortunately that opinion is influenced by non-family members, such 
as Mr. Crouch and the Daily Prophet. It will be interesting how Percy 
processes the facts around Voldemort's return. Will he believe 
Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic and his boss, and those in the 
Ministry who wish to cover-up Voldemort's return or will he believe 
Dumbledore (whom he characterized as "quite mad" in SS), his father a 
low-ranking Ministry official, and Harry? If Percy continues on the 
same path that of his prior history (not believing Ron's Sirius Black 
attack in PoA, ignoring Ginny's mental distress in CoS, and wholly 
blaming Arthur in GoF), I would say The Burrow will be a "House 
Divided".

> The most distinct impression I get from Percy is of someone who is 
very 
> strict about rules. He's not really hard to fool, as we see in GoF, 
where he 
> simply executes what he believes to be his superior's instructions. 
He seems 
> to me the kind of person who obeys the rules because they are the 
rules, not 
> because he agrees with them. He doesn't seem to be very critical or 
> questioning about authority.
> 

This is Percy's best quality and his worst. Blindly following rules 
without questioning the validity of them or the circumstances in which 
they are challenged makes him a very good pawn for the Dark Side 
and/or those who wish to conceal the return of Voldemort. Percy was 
utilized quite efficiently by Voldemort in GoF, a moderately 
proficient politician, like Fudge, would be able to utilized Percy as 
well.

> Of course Percy wouldn't knowingly and willingly hurt *anyone*, 
least of all 
> his own family, but he also wouldn't disobey his superiors unless 
they were 
> so blatantly 'evil' [or so much in denial about Voldie's return] it 
would 
> endanger people.
>

Again, I question that too. If Percy was convinced that general 
knowledge of Voldemort's return would throw the world into a panic and 
that the Ministry can sucessfully rid the world of Voldemort without 
the general population's knowledge, he might just go along with the 
conspirators. In CoS, Percy chastised Ron and Harry for snooping about 
because people "were already upset" and didn't need to be upset 
further if Harry or Ron were hurt or caught.

> I do agree with Ron's remark that Percy is not the kind of person to 
use his 
> influence/authority to get someone out from under what he would 
seeas their 
> 'just desserts'. [Apologies if that sentence is really screwed 
> up/misspelled; I seem to have lost all ability to speak/write proper 
English 
> today.]
>

Percy has abused his power when he was Prefect. Again, in CoS or PoA, 
Percy took some points away from Gryffindor after Ron insulted him. 
Percy was at odds with Ron and punished him by subtracting points from 
Gyrffindor.
 
> I'm not saying Percy is 'evil', or even just 'bad'. 

No he isn't evil or bad in the classic sense. However, his faults can 
make him a potential danger to Harry, the Weasleys, Sirius Black (who 
is still a fugitive) and Dumbledore. That makes him an interesting 
character and one of the ones to watch in the up-coming books.

Demelza