Percy "Evil"

[talondg]

No: HPFGUIDX 37310

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "jenny_ravenclaw" <meboriqua at a...> wrote:

> In GoF, Ron remarks, 'Percy loves rules,' and he wonders whether his 
> brother would send a family member to Azkaban if it would advance 
> his career (GoF, pg 463).  Reflect on the role of bureaucracy in the 
> novels.  Does his tendency to side with bureaucracy make Percy 
> susceptible to the same sorts of errors made by Cornelius Fudge and 
> Barty Crouch, Sr., errors that ultimately (if unintentionally) help 
> Lord Voldemort?  Might we expect him - albeit unwillingly - to aid 
> Voldemort by following the letter of the law instead of its spirit?  
> Will he side with Crouch or with his family?

Well, he already has, hasn't he? By running the show in Crouch Sr's
absence without questioning the nature of Crouch's illness, he
contributed to the Crouch-Jr-as-Moody ruse.

I've known a few Percys in my time.

What probably isn't immediately apparent unless you've lived through
it, is that private schools form this tight little microcosim that is
unrelated to the world outside. The rules that govern your daily life
are very tightly defined, and they are (for the most part) totally
artificial.

There are two side-effects.

The first is that it is very easy to focus on the trees and lose sight
of the forest. The rules in a private school are designed to teach you
something that will be applicable in the outside world once you
graduate. It is easy, however, to get caught up in the rules and
forget why they're there in the first place.

School rules define a game. If you stick to the rules and follow them
to the utmost, you can maximise your "points" and advance within the
structure of the game. Percy does this - he's a prefect, and then Head
Boy (he wins!)

The problem is, of course, is that the rules of the game usually do
not transfer over very well to real life. Behaviour that worked well
within the walls of the school is often sub-optimal or inappropriate
in the world outside the walls. Not only do the rules themselves not
apply, but rules in general are not as strictly enforced in reality.

The second side-effect is that as you progress through the ranks
within the school, you get used to a certain amount of respect and
authority due to your position. Of course, once you graduate, this all
vapourizes, and the sudden shock of being a numpty once again can be a
little hard to handle.

Typically, someone in Percy's position will slam into a real-world
problem that their past procedures are ill-equipped to handle. They
either then learn, adapt, and overcome, or get shunted aside.

I rather expect that Percy has had his bucket of ice water dumped on
his head, and will probably adapt. I expect his behaviour and attitude
to change.

It has been my experience though, that men cut from the Fred & George
mold tend to make better leaders than those cut from the Percy mold.
Those of my peers who played the game flawlessly and wound up in
positions of power within the school went on to competant, but
indistinguished, careers as middle-managers. Those that played a
little more fast and loose with the rules, used their initiative more
often, and occasionally ran afoul of the rules, seem more inclined
(once they made contact with the Real World) to go forth to greatness.

DG