Percy -- Cho

[scaryfairymary]

No: HPFGUIDX 37494

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Penny Linsenmayer <pennylin at s...> wrote:
> Hi everyone --
> 
> Wow!  I'm overwhelmed with all the great discussions we've been 
having & am sorry to be jumping in a bit late on a few things.  
> 
> PERCY: 
>  Mary (who also said Percy *Had* to be EVIL) said:
<<<<<I really havn't been able to warm to his character at all (not 
> for lack of trying!) He really is very very power hungry ("Prefects 
> Who Gained Power") and I don't hold up much hope for his 
redemption.>>>>
> 
> Being ambitious or seeking power isn't *evil* though.  Plenty of 
people are highly ambitious & motivated for very good reasons.  
Perhaps Percy has a sweeping vision for vast reforms in the Wizarding 
World society if he achieves his goal of becoming Minister of Magic 
(I believe he intimates that he has ideas for changes at one point in 
the series).  Being power-hungry solely for the *status,* albeit not 
particularly praise-worthy, hardly constitutes *evil* though.  
> 

 Perhaps I wasn't clear here.  What I was getting at really, was that 
he will, IMO, be completely blinded by this hunger and be unable 
to "see the wood through the trees" so to speak, when it comes to the 
battle between good and evil in the Ministry during OoP.

 
> As for redemption, why does Percy need to be *redeemed*?  He's not 
a bad, evil person.  He's a good guy with some flaws (like most of 
us) IMO.>

 Well really I was thinking that he would be redeemed in my eyes 
only.  As in, how I will be able to finally convince my gut instinct 
that he is indeed *not* evil.   
 

> <<<<From his sheep like following of Crouch Sr. to his mere lack of 
> ability to 'let his hair down' he really hasn't shown any ability 
to 
> survive in the real world, let alone in a war situation.>>>>>
> 
>> The ability/desire to "let one's hair down" is a prerequisite for 
a 
successful life?  Hmmm...


 Well I do believe that this ability is essential for a balanced and 
*healthy* life, but I didn't say succesful.  IMO, Someone with this 
ability indicates that they are an emotionally healthy individual.  
Perhaps if Percy was capable of "letting his hair down" I would be 
more convinced of his stability andhis ability not to be lured/duped 
into doing evil.  
It's possible also that I would find him to be a more likable 
character in general.

  
> 
> RED HERRING: Barb and John both commented that it strikes them as 
too "pat" for Percy to be duped into unwitting betrayal of the Good 
Guys as a result of his ambition.  I agree.  I tend to think that 
Percy is meant to mislead us into this conclusion.  The subtle 
evidence of Percy's concern for his family points, IMO, to Percy not 
becoming a pawn of the Dark Side.  I think Ron's remarks are meant to 
set up this very thing (red herring).  But then, I have another 
Weasley in mind as likely candidate for becoming an unwitting pawn of 
the forces of Evil so ....
> 

I wouldn't be so quick to jump to the conclusion that JKR is using 
Percy as a Red Herring or that it would be too predictable if he 
became a pawn for V.  I think the general concensus is that Percy 
is , underneath it all, a likable character (not my opinion of 
course) so I think that to make him go over to th Dark Side would 
really be quite a shocker for most people.  

 
> CHO --
> 
> Uncmark: "If Harry had been a little quicker and asked first, I 
think Cho would have accepted his invite  to the Yule Ball."
> 
> Rita: "I'm sure she would have, too.  She seemed genuinely 
disappointed that he asked after she had already accepted Cedric's 
invitation."
> 
> I maintain that she was sorry to disappoint Harry & was very kind 
in turning him down, but that is not at all the same thing as being 
sorry that she had already accepted Cedric's invitation.  It seems 
*highly* unlikely to me that she would have continued to date Cedric 
& develop a relationship with him after the Yule Ball if she were 
wishing, pre-Ball, that she could have been free to go with someone 
else (Harry).  I also think it's pretty likely that Harry just 
didn't notice that there was a developing (or even long-standing) 
relationship between Cedric & Cho prior to the Yule Ball (there's no 
evidence for this of course ... but we've seen that Harry doesn't 
always *see* everything in clear detail).  He notices them holding 
hands in the corridors after the Ball ... but it's at least possible 
this was going on beforehand but Harry only had eyes for Cho.  In 
any case, the Yule Ball was definitely more than a one-time date for 
Cedric & Cho, and it stands to reason that she had some romantic 
interest in him before the Ball for things to have developed as they 
did afterwards.  IMO of course.  :--)>>>
 
  Yes, this is a possibility.  Cho and Cedric *did* seem very close, 
but then it is possible to  like more than one person at a time.  Not 
to ship here but.... Harry and Cho would be soooo very very cute! 
As for Cho being disappointed at having to let Harry down, the same 
explanation could be used for her and Cedric's post ball 
relationship... she simply didn't want to let him down, especially 
during the tournament.

-Mary-