Rules was: (Re: More Percy (was: Possible Weasley Death Eaters))

[s_luhtanen at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27284

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amber ?" <inviziblegirl at h...> wrote:
> 
> >From: "Christina Davis" <sweet_brunette27 at h...>

> 
> As someone who rather likes Percy, I do wonder at how people jump to 
him 
> being a choice to join Voldie's camp.
> 


power-hungry 
> that he is willing to throw over family ties. Heck, I'd love to have 
power 
> but that doesn't mean I would kill people or break rules to get it. 
The word 
> "power" seems to have a bad rap...
> 
> The second instance has more weight, IMO. Here's the scene:
> 
> "Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron said as 
they walked 
> up the drive to the castle. "But maybe he doesn't care...it'd 
probably just 
> make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just 
say 
> Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."
> 
> "Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors," said 
Hermione 
> severely.
> 
> "I don't know," said Ron. "If he thought we were standing in the way 
of his 
> career...Percy's really ambitious, you know..."
> - GOF, Am Ed. pg 534
> 
> So we see Ron saying that Percy is ambitious and loves rules, 
perhaps to the 
> obsession point. And since Ron is Percy's brother, we assume that it 
holds 
> weight. After all, his own brother would know such things, would he?
> 
> Maybe yes, maybe no. If you look through the books, Ron and Percy 
don't have 
> the best relationship. In fact, Ron has scorn for Percy; he clearly 
doesn't 
> hold him in the highest regard. In my opinion, this colors his view 
of Percy 
> and it invalidates this scene a bit.
<snip>

> 
> I happen to think that while Percy does love rules and is ambitious, 
it's 
> not to the obsession point. We haven't seen any clear evidence that 
Percy is 
> ambitious enough to gain power through ill-gotten means. Everything 
he has 
> acheived is through fair means and hard work. As for following 
rules, well, 
> what is wrong with following rules?

Well, if you follow rules just because they're rules (As Percy does) 
it's simply irresponsible, because it shifts the responsibility to 
the rules or whom ever made them...

And for Ron's opinion... Well, suppose there was an event in their 
childhood, when Percy was 14-15. Older Weasleys were gone - 
(Supposedly Molly worked then) - and Percy was left to "babysit" the 
youngers. (Two of whom weren't even at Hogwarts yet). Somehow, a 
Boggart gets into their household, scaring Fred, George, Ron and 
Ginny. Because minors aren't allowed to do magic, Percy owls the 
parents instead of dealing with the boggart himself. While the Owl 
(Errol?) is on his way Ginny and Ron are terrified. Add Fred and 
George to that...

Well, I'd say their attitudes are well reasoned. Fred and George have 
a GOOD reason to complain about the rule against minors magicking (not 
just their pranks) after the next year (Harry's first). Fred and 
George learn the riddiculus spell is the thing against Boggarts - with 
a good laughter. (Is that why they are fond of pranks?)

Molly quit her job to protect her children, leaving less money for 
the Weasleys... Only because Percy refused to break a rule.