[HPforGrownups] Re: Percy

[Doreen]

No: HPFGUIDX 15396



> <<(CoS Ch 16) After Ginny's abduction, Percy sends an owl to his
> parents then locks himself in his dormitory. Fred, George and Ron
> sit in the Common Room. I would categorize Ginny's abduction as
> a "time of trial", yet Percy isolates himself from his brothers.
> Throughout the books, Percy is portrayed as reliable and
> responsible and ready to show it. As the eldest Weasley at
> Hogwarts, Percy was the de facto
> head of the Weasley family. Yet, he is locked up in his dormitory
> while his younger brothers sit together in shock. That's not being
> terribly supportive or consoling at a time of trouble.>>

Yes, but....

Let's turn that example around.  Before Ginny was abducted Percy was
acting in a strange manner because (as we find out later) his
girlfriend was one of the petrified victims.  Yet none of his three
brothers asked him why he was particularly down and one of them
suggested it was because Percy never thought the monster would attack
a fellow prefect.  Where was the brotherly consolation or concern
from the younger three then?

As for locking himself away after Ginny was abducted, I think we can
safely add a huge load of guilt to Percy's shoulders.  Not only is
his girlfriend still petrified but his kid sister is another victim
and he should have done more to find out why she was so stressed or
if she might have known something rather than assuming she wanted to
fink on his love-life.

Poor Percy.  First of all shackled with an uncool name in a family of
normal ones and then suspected of being hard of heart (and at worst a
perfect recruit for the Dark Side).
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Also, he could be one of those people, like myself, who has to get away to
be able to handle grief. If I can not get away physically, I will withdraw
mentally and emotionally.

I think he only appeared to be cool, calm, and collected. I think he was
suffering more than any of the rest will ever know. Being the perfectionist
that he is, he took responsibility for all the blame in both cases and being
still a young man, is overwhelmed by what to do. Going to Dumbledore or
another adult is just not an option, because he is supposed to be able to
deal with situations, because he is a prefect .. and he is Percy .. and he
is perfect... To be any less is to have failed, in his mind ... and as he
sees them, in his family's minds, as well.

Doreen
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